There are many reasons to consider stationary cycling, but the biggest is its impact on your health and metabolism. The smooth and constant nature of a stationary bike’s pedal stroke encourages good cadence. This translates to being able to attain the correct heart rate training zone to optimize fat burning and challenge the cardiovascular system. Whether you choose a recumbent or upright, you can’t go wrong. Cycling is non-impact and a great weight loss tool.
By focusing on the workout and not the time, cycling indoors can beat the boredom associated with at home exercise. The digital displays on most home-use units keep track of your heart rate or pulse, your speed and the number of calories burned per session. By adhering to a planned program, you will see and feel results quickly. Simply riding hard enough to get into “The Zone” can make the workout fly by.
Combine activities. Try to read books, or listen to video or audio learning tapes. Watch videos of racing footage, and sprint while the guys on the screen do. Listen to music or radio newscasts. Public media channels often run international newscasts from all over the world at night, which is a prime time for using indoor cycling. Even catch up on the evening news all the while burning fat and improving cardiovascular function.
Try watching your favorite movie while you get in your training. Or try music. Music is suggested to time your interval efforts, so turn on the stereo or pop on your headphones and spin your heart healthy.
While Running is a great activity to aid in fat loss, it has one drawback, it only speeds your up your metabolism while running and for a short period afterwards. If you would like your metabolism to fly at the speed of light 24 hours a day, I have a secret for you. It’s called sprinting. Sprinting not only burns HUGE amounts of calories while sprinting, it also keeps your metabolism flying for days after. Sprinting combined with running / jogging can bring amazing results, especially when combined with a clean and healthy diet!
Benefits to sprinting
Sprinting is an amazing exercise period. It is a great tool to help in fat loss, kill stress as well as increasing your metabolic rate for days. On top of all this, sprinting is a great exercise for your hamstrings and can help sculpt and tone those muscles you would kill to have.
How far should I sprint?
I recommend doing 50m-100m sprints to start out. I recommend finding a 400m track and sprint for 50-100m, then walk at a brisk pace double what you just ran. I suggest doing upwards of 10 sprints per session. Beginners should probably cut that in half and work their way up to doing progressively more sprints.
How many days a week should I be sprinting?
I suggest spreading your sprinting out evenly and doing it two times a week. I typically do mine on Mondays and Thursdays. It is imperative you leave enough time for recovery between each day as your muscles will need time to grow and heal. Not only will spreading it out help you recover faster it will also keep your metabolism peaked more evenly and prolong the effect.
Sprinting Mechanics
No two athletes run exactly the same; however sprinting mechanics should remain the same for all athletes. This article examines how to identify and troubleshoot flaws in mechanics and offers correct technique suggestions for the six major areas of sprinting mechanics.
Arm Action
If the athlete runs with tense arms, have them practice loose, swinging movements from a standing position. Remember to have them swing from the shoulder and keep the arms relaxed and at approximately 90° of flexion at all times. Although the arms work in opposite direction to the legs, they must be coordinated with the action of the legs for maximum sprinting efficiency.
Body Lean
The athlete’s body should have a slight forward lean (no more than 4-6°). It is important to note that the angle of lean comes from the ground and not from the waist. The lean is caused by displacing the athlete’s center of gravity in the direction they are running and leaning and bending from the waist will interfere with the correct mechanics of sprinting.
Foot Contact
DO NOT RUN UP ON YOUR TOES!!! The toes offer no power or stability to the runner and if they run on their toes, they will not be able to run fast. Instead, have them stay on the balls of their feet and push against the ground, but don’t reach and pull toward the ground; this strategy will result in injuries and poor sprinting mechanics and slow times.
Overstriding
This is the worst and most often misunderstood element of sprinting. Don’t have them reach and overstride to increase stride length, but rather have them push against the ground and let the foot land underneath the center of gravity. Any placement of the foot in front of the center of gravity will cause “braking forces” that will result in the body slowing down.
Understriding
Try to prevent being too quick because too much turnover will cause the athlete to run fast in one place and not much ground will be covered. Remember that quality sprint speed is a combination of stride length and stride frequency and one does not replace the other.
Tension
Don’t try to power through a race or sprint effort. To run fast, stay relaxed, running tight will result in slower times.
Muscles Worked
Thighs (front) or Quadriceps, Thighs (back) or Hamstrings, Butt or Gluteus Maximus/Minimus, Abs (outside) or Serratus Anterior and Intercostals, Calves or Gastrocnemius and Soleus
Position and Movement
Keep your body upright and your stomach tight. Your back foot should give a good push-off with each step. Keep your arms somewhat bent to make your strides more efficient.
Tip
Make sure you have a comfortable pair of running shoes that suit your individual needs.
Calories Burned
Jogging at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes can burn approximately 360 calories.
Mix in a Walk/Run
When new runners begin a running program, they often start by following a run-walk routine. They run for maybe 30 seconds, walk until they feel recovered, then repeat the process for 20 to 30 minutes. This system has proven successful a thousand times over.
When world-class runners peak for the Olympics, they concentrate on “interval” training–the still-unsurpassed method for achieving maximum results. They run hard for 1 to 5 minutes, then walk or jog very slowly until they’re ready to run hard again.
When ultradistance runners participate in those seemingly crazy races of 100 miles or six days (and beyond), they inevitably alternate running and walking. Which only makes sense. It’s hard to imagine any other way to cover the mega-mile distances.
Exercise Advice: Grab a barbell with both hands using an overhand grip about shoulder width apart and let the barbell hang down in front of your body. Begin this movement by bending at your knees and waist and lower the barbell to the floor. It is very important to keep your back straight and rigid throughout this exercise and to let your legs and butt do the work.
Exercise Advice: Position yourself on the standing leg curl machine. If you are not sure how to position yourself, simply ask a trainer at your gym to assist you. This exercise is performed one leg at a time. Start with the leg of your choice and simply curl the weight up so as to try and touch your heel to your butt. Return to the start position and repeat on the same leg until failure. Switch to the opposite leg and repeat.