Cycling is an activity that takes both cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is the ability to perform many repetitions against a given resistance for a prolonged period of time, according to the Sports Fitness Advisor website. Being overweight can cause discomfort while sitting on the seat of a bicycle for long periods of time. To lose this weight, make some key lifestyle adjustments.
Step 1
Track your calories for a full day and make a reduction. Include both food and liquid calories when you do this and deduct 500 to 1,000 from your total intake. This will promote 1 to 2 lbs. of weight loss a week, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Step 2
Trade your old eating habits for new ones. Stop eating gravy fries, bacon cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza, cream-filled doughnuts and any other food that is high in fat, sodium or sugar. Choose foods that have high nutrient values, like lean meats, fish, beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Step 3
Increase your metabolism and keep your hunger under control by consuming small meals throughout the course of the day. Consume your fist meal as soon as you wake up and eat every two to three hours thereafter. Keep each meal balanced by including a portion of complex carbs and protein. A handful of celery sticks and baby carrots with low-fat cottage cheese and an apple is a meal, for example.
Step 4
Hydrate your body by drinking water and avoid a lot of alcohol. Many people under the influence experience "drunk munchies" that can result in the consumption of several hundred extra calories for the day, according to the American Council on Exercise. Give up the booze, and give up any other beverage that contains calories like soda, slushies and lemonade.
Step 5
Perform cardiovascular exercise to promote weight loss. The type you choose is not important. All that matters is that you raise your heart rate and sweat during your workouts. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of cardio, five days a week to lose weight.
Step 6
Include strength training in your program to build muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue that can help your weight-loss efforts when you are resting. Add 3 lbs. of muscle to your body and you will burn 630 to 1,050 extra calories per week, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Do exercises that target all your major muscle groups like chest presses, upright rows, back rows, triceps dips, biceps curls and lunges. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do three or four sets and work out two or three days a week.
Tips and Warnings
- Being that your goal is to become a cyclist, it is a good idea to use cycling for your cardio. Saddle up on an exercise bike, an outdoor bike or recumbent bike to get your body acclimated. A recumbent bike has a bucket seat with a backrest. If you are considerably overweight, you might want to start out on this because of the comfort of the seat.
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