Exercise Bike Workout current info and links ::
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Exercise Bike Workouts Exercise bikes, also known as stationary bikes, are one of the best ways to exercise to lose weight. The bike supports your weight so you have less stress on your joints and back. The aerobic exercise provided by cycling is great for targeting and burning fat cells. There are other benefits apart from losing weight, such as conditioning the heart, and toning the legs and behind. Regular training on an exercise bike has the potential to burn a lot of calories. There are a number of different types of exercise bike workouts, ranging from workouts for beginners, to advanced high intensity training.
Indoor training on an exercise bike is a great aerobic exercise that can easily increase your heart rate to
the range that will effectively burn your fat cells, and tone your muscles. A lot of people have an old
exercise bike out in the shed that hasn't been used for ages. Get it out. Dust it off.
If you dont have an exercise bike, a cheap but an excellent alternative is to get a trainer that you use with
your normal bike. It attaches to the bikes back axel, and allows you to train indoors on your own bike. They can be
purchased for less than $50.
The most effective way of exercising to lose weight is to monitor your heart rate to make sure that you are in the optimum range to burn fat. To find your optimum heart rate range in which to train and burn fat, you first need to determine your maximum heart rate threshold which is 220 beats per minute (bpm) minus your age. For example, if you are 40 years old, the calculation would be 220-40, giving 180 bpm as your maximun heart rate threshold.
The optimum range to burn fat is 65%-85% of your maximum threshold. To get the lowest target heart rate of the range, multiply your maximum rate by 65%. In this example the lowest heart rate of the optimum zone would be 117 beats per minute. The highest heart rate of the zone is 85% of 180, giving 153 beats per minute. Therefore, when exercising, aim to maintain your heart rate within this range, to maximize the burning of fat. Check your heart rate periodically by placing your finger under your wrist of on the vein on your neck. Count your pulse for 6 seconds and multiply by 10 (ie add a zero). To get a more accurate reading, count your heart rate for 30 seconds and double the number. You can get heart rate monitors to give you continuous accurate readings.
I have included a heart rate calculator to help with your calculations
The best fat burning exercise bike workout is the interval workout, which I cover below. The interval workout allows you to train within
the target heart rate range of 65%-85%. The high intensity training and recovery periods of interval training not only burns fat during the
workout, but promotes the continued burning of fat after exercise has finished while your body is recovering.
However, a popular beginner exercise bike workout is to train for 30 minutes at 65-70% of your maximum heart rate, which
burns approximately 300 calories. This is reported to the target amount to control weight and burn fat.
What ever type of exercise program you choose, it is advisable to do a warm up and cool
down routine to prevent injury and
increase your heart rate ready for exercise. Refer to the link above for more information.
If you are just starting an exercise program, refer to the Free Weight Loss Exercise Programs Home page to improve your fitness level, ready for the demands of this exercise program. As always, if in doubt about starting any exercise program, consult your doctor.
Depending on your fitness when you start the exercise bike workout, it is advisable that you condition your cardiovascular system and your muscles, by spending a few weeks with your heart rate at 60% of your maximum heart rate threshold. Exercise for 10 to 15 minutes initially, and gradually increase the time at the 60% threshold, until you can train for 30 minutes.
On the first day of this Exercise Bike Workout program, do a warmup for 10 minutes. After the warm up, cycle at an increased tempo for 15 minutes. You should be breathing more deeply than before and lightly perspiring, but still be able to talk to someone. Measure your heart rate (The best way to get your pulse is finding the vein under your wrist, or the vien on the side of your neck). Go to the Heart Rate Chart and find your workload percentage. Aim for between 65% and 85%. Cool down for 5 to 10 minutes by exercising at a lower intensity. Do this exercise workout at least three times a week. A good routine is to train every second day.
When you have developed a sound fitness level and want more of a challange, try interval training. The idea is to increase intensity for a short period, increasing your heart rate, then recover, ready for another hard effort. This form of training allows you to burn more calories than training at a continous intense level that you cant sustain. Recovering from an intense effort and going hard again for another short burst is more efficient and helps prevent you from burning out. Below is an example of an interval exercise bike workout. It is important to do a good warm up before you do interval training.
| Time | Intensity |
| 10 seconds | hard |
| 60 seconds | recover |
| 15 seconds | hard |
| 60 seconds | recover |
| 20 seconds | hard |
| 60 seconds | recover |
| 20 seconds | hard |
Rest for 2 minutes and repeat. Then complete a warm down for 10 minutes.
Interval training is a great way to burn calories and fat.
For more free exercise bike workout routines check out exercise bike workouts here
Give the free weight loss exercise programs above a go as well as the exercise bike workout in your quest to burn off that fat. When ever starting out on an exercise program, start off slowly and build up your fittness gradually. Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Follow these free weight loss exercise programs and the exercise bike workout and you will be on the road to losing that weight!
