Cycling offers a variety of ways to lose weight, not only while you're riding but also afterward. Biking in different ways can help you burn calories more efficiently, improve cardiovascular endurance so you can increase your ride times, and help you build muscle, which will burn more calories throughout the day. Knowing how to ride to achieve specific results will help you get the most out of your weight-loss efforts.
Target Calories
As Dr. Michael Cohen explains at EnduranceDoc.com, his website for multi-sport athletes, different levels of intensity during exercise cause you to burn different amounts of fat or glycogen (how your body stores carbohydrates). If your goal is to burn fat, you should cycle at 50 percent to 65 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR). At this level of intensity, 85 percent of the calories you burn will come from fat. Exercising at 70 percent to 80 percent of your MHR, in your aerobic zone, will burn more calories, but only 50 percent of those calories will come from fat. Sprint training at 80 percent to 90 percent of your MHR burns even more calories, but only 15 percent of those calories come from fat. To determine your various target heart rates for exercise, calculate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220, then multiplying your MHR by the percentage you want for your workout.
Build Muscle
A pound of muscle burns more calories during the day than a pound of fat, so adding muscle will help you lose weight throughout the day, even when you aren't exercising. Add hills to your rides to build your calf muscles, which must work harder to push your body weight up the hill. Raising your gear setting will create more resistance, again making your leg muscles work harder. Standing up as you pedal will work different leg muscles than you use while pedaling in a sitting position, building those muscles. If you have the coordination, experiment with standing and leaning forward as you pedal, and standing more erect.
Increase Your Capacity
Riding at an aerobic level of intensity challenges your cardiovascular system for long periods, increasing your capacity and improving your stamina. Intense cycling burns more calories and also increases your ability to exercise longer in the future, helping you burn even more calories. If you are in good enough shape to elevate your heart rate to 80 percent to 90 percent of your MHR, add sprints on level surfaces to your workout. This type of cycling typically is done with sprints of 30 to 90 seconds, with 90 seconds to several minutes of rest after each sprint, depending on your conditioning. The "rest" period actually is active recovery, which increases your endurance as you ride at an easier pace.
Member Comments
jonny4est December 16
this article is great. i like riding my bike more in the winter instead of running. these are some great tips to keep me in shape over the winter. it is definitely tough to do! haha i heard about a new type of hands-free hydration system that is supposed to be great for riding and training. it is made by flexr sports. the bottle has a biodegradable liner inside that shrinks as liquid decreases, and the hose keeps water in it so it is nearly effortless to drink while riding. check it out if you are interested!
www.flexrsports.com