I’ll be 30 in December, I’m overweight, and I don’t exercise regularly. I have a lot of weight to lose, and I’ve worked on that on and off. I don’t want to make any changes to my diet that I can’t maintain permanently, so I try to implement small changes and work on maintaining them. Instead of having a pastry or skipping breakfast, I try to have steel-cut oatmeal and maybe a banana. Nothing major, but just working towards eating more whole grains, fresh fruit, and veggies while cutting down on fat. I think I have that pretty well under control.
In the meantime, I needed to take a PE class at school to finish off my general ed, so I signed up for a yoga class. Unfortunately, it only meets once a week, but it’s fairly vigorous (read: we all mutter after class that she’s trying to kill us), and I enjoy it a lot. I’m trying to be more active in general, so I’ve also been taking my bike out for an hour ride once a week, and riding the exercise bike at the gym at school for about 20-30 minutes once a week.
I was thinking that maybe I should be doing more than just riding the bike when I’m at the gym. Unfortunately, I have NO idea what else to with the equipment at the gym except hop on a bike, set it to the weight loss mode, and ride for a while. I want to add another day to my exercise routine (so I’d be working out 4 days a week), but I’m worried that if all I’m doing is riding the bike, it’s going to get real boring real fast. I’ve thought about setting up a session with a personal trainer, but we don’t have them at the school gym, and my budget is a little tight right now.
So, should I just keep riding the exercise bike and try to lose weight and not worry about getting an all-over workout? Should I wait until next semester and take a weight training or circuit training class at school so I will have a real, live instructor? Should I just try to catch another yoga class in addition to my current one? I would go out on rides more, but it’s harder to fit in than a trip to the gym. Are there any good websites that will help me figure out a good routine and help me keep it interesting?
The exercise bike is one of the most ineffcient forms of cardio exercise out there. It also exercises a rather limited set of leg muscles.
You might want to consider mixing it up a bit – using the treadmills and elliptical trainers in addition to the bike. If you’re severely out of shape, you can always take it easy for a while.
My sister went from a size 16 to a 6-8 by exercising and cutting out junk and soda.
She walked every day when she could on her lunch hour, and did exercise tapes or bike riding at night. She swears by the walking video’s where you use free weights. She just mixes it up and every night tries something different.
Personally I think exercise bikes & treadmills are the most boring things you could possibly do, but that’s me.
I really like Krista’s site for beginner weight training info, even for men. You should also take a look around John Berardi’s site for nutrition info.
Bike to work, if at all possible. In most cities it is faster than driving, and it is always cheaper, and it’s bonus exercise that after a while you won’t even notice you’re doing. (It will also make you appreciate your yoga even more!)
Give up soda, and fast food burger and chicken joints. Again, after a while (a short while, if you’re anything like me) you won’t even notice it, and it will make a huge difference.
Get a dog. You will have to take daily walks whether you want to or not, and your body will start to crave exercise.
That’s really, really interesting about the exercise bike, JThunder. I would have never known that! The elliptical is probably fine, but I should go easy on the treadmill. I have a bum knee (hypermobile patella, if I recall correctly), so I try to keep any exercise low-impact.
Ultrafilter, I had seen Krista’s site (and I am a girl), but unfortunately, they don’t have freeweights at the gym; all they have are the machines. I’ll definitely take a look at John Bernardi’s site. Thanks!
Cowgirl, I wish I could bike to work, but it’s 11 miles over hilly terrain, and we don’t have a shower here. Although, it might keep people out of my office…
I think your on the right track. The whole idea is to get your heart revd up a bit over a good period of time, some basic weight training to keep the muscles sore (not damaged sore but sore as in “yeah, I can feel that I worked out yesterday”), and cut back on the junk you eat.
Doesn’t matter which cardio task you do, as long as your getting your heartrate up, breathe a bit heavier, and break a sweat. Treadmill, bike, ellitical, swim, etc. All good as long as your reving the engine.
Weights and machines are great. Just working a muscle to failure (doing as many reps as you can until you can’t do another) every few days will put that muscle in a feeding/repair/build mode that constantly burns calories even while you sleep.
A trainer or even a basic book can show you moves for all the basic muscle groups (arms, shoulders, back, chest, abs, legs). A trainer would probably be able to show you how to not hurt yourself.
Diet is a biggie. Just a lot of common sense stuff you probably already know. Limit bad fats, sugars, and simple carbs (white rice, pasta, white breads.)
Go towards lean meats, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat free dairy.
Never quit. If you fall of the horse get back on. A little is better than none. Don’t deny yourself ocassional splurges (eat like crap on Christams day but not all holiday season).
Does your gym have spin bikes? If so, try one of those out. Unlike a standard exercise bike, these things will kick your ass. It’s an incredibly good aerobic workout.
I’ll second the suggestion of the elliptical machine. I do it for 45 minutes (minimum) when I’m at the gym. Once you’re used to it, mix it up a little bit by doing a reverse/forward alternating workout. After a month of 3-6 times per week, my ass is noticeably smaller and firmer. It also works your hamstrings, triceps, quadriceps and probably something else I’m forgetting.
A lot of people don’t. If you think about it though, you’re mostly just engaging your quads, plus a little bit of effort from your hamstrings and glutes. In contrast, when you’re on the elliptical trainer, you have to move your arms as well – not to mention engaging your trunk muscles to stay upright. Similarly, when you’re on the treadmill, you likewise have to stay upright and typically pump your arms about.
Cycling on the streets is somewhat different, as this also using various muscles to steer, stay upright and keep your torso from falling into the handlebars. Even then though, it’s not as strenuous as many other exercises.
For these reasons, it takes much more effort to elevate your hearbeat when you’re on the exercise bike. That’s certainly been my experience, and it’s shared by my various gym rat friends as well.
Check to see if you have spin classes at your gym. They kick your ass and can work to break up the monotony of the hamster wheel.
I do think personal trainers are worth it but that’s mainly because I will NOT do a pushup unless someone is standing over me bellowing at me because I paid them.
Howso? Wouldn’t the issue be how hard you worked out on it? And if it is inneficient, does that mean it requires more work to use? And, in terms of excercise, wouldn’t that make it…efficient?
Although free weights will give you the most bang for your buck, you can do a lot of good work with a weight machine.
I use the gym here at work which is very basic. When I started using it regularly, it had a weight machine which is only a step up from a home gym, a treadmill, a couple of bikes, a fitball, some mats and ONE dumbbell.
A few of us got together and hired a personal trainer to set up programmes for us, utilising what was available. She comes back every six weeks, does another fitness assessment and sets up a new programme. That costs $30, which I figure is pretty much coffee money.
I have a programme which is heavy on the weights, with crunches, pushups and some high-intensity cardio (such as skipping). Despite the lack of equipment, I’ve seen real benefits in terms of improved strength, fitness and the way my clothes fit.
We’ve recently managed to buy some free weights (yay!), but even without them I’ve seen significant results.
Another plus to personal trainers is that they know a wide array of exercises, and that helps keep things from getting boring. (And the fact that I had the hottest trainer in the place didn’t hurt.)
WRT the OP, I’d sign up for that circuit training class next semester as I’ve heard only good things about circuit training. And as for the extra day of exercise, have you considered buying a yoga mat (if you don’t have one already), and just doing that on your own? I mean, once you’re comfortable enough with the positions that you’re not going to hurt yourself and all.
You can only push each muscle group so far. As a rule, the more muscles you engage, the more calories you burn. Of course, you can cycle extra-hard, but eventually fatigue will catch up with you. If you’re also engaging other muscles though, then you can burn the same number of calories in much less time.
Not necessarily. Inefficiency = output/input. If output=number of calories burned and input=total effort, then inefficiency is a bad thing.
Again, no. Not in terms of the goal that you’re attempting to reach.
Another coach potato here (although my idea of “a nice walk” is along the lines of 40km in 4 hours). Everybody mentions the sweat… is it, like, really necessary? It feels like a completely dumb question to ask, but the thing is, I almost never sweat and some of the gym people I’ve been with were totally freaked out by that. A while back I joined a club and in a couple of the weight machines I did sweat, but on the threadmill or bike I don’t break out into a sweat unless I’m pushing so far I’m dizzy. Weirdest thing is, sometimes I’ve been exercising and not sweating at all, and I start sweating when I stop. It’s like my body can’t be bothered with sweating and moving at the same time.
To me, efficiency means how long it takes for me to burn calories. For example, I can burn about the same amount of calories it takes for 1/2 hour of bike riding in just 1/4 of an hour on a stair-climber.
That’s right. Remember, when we talk about efficiency, we need to ask, “Efficient in terms of what?”
For example, jogging is a horribly inefficient way to travel five miles, if we want to get to work in minimal time. However, it’s a very efficient way to burn calories in the same amount of time. Conversely, carpooling is a relatively inefficient way to use one’s time, but it’s provides more efficient gas consumption than taking multiple vehicles.
Besides, if I understand correctly, it takes a while to get past glycogen burning, and into fat burning. Sometimes you need to spend TIME at the gym.
[quote=JThunder]
If you think about it though, you’re mostly just engaging your quads, plus a little bit of effort from your hamstrings and glutes.[/qutoe]
You mean, if I think about, I’m only working 3 of the largest muscles in my whole body?
Cycling, on the road, or on a bike in the gym is a great cardio and fat burning workout and no one should think otherwise. The problem is that it’s easy to coast on a bike. . .even in the gym. You can feel like you’re doing something because your legs are spinning in circles when you’re really not exerting much power. You need to feel resistance, and sustain your effort against it.
It’s a great activity for hitting a target heart rate and staying there. Those 90 minute, medium intensity workouts are remarkable for really getting past the glycogen burning and into the fat burning and cycling is great for that kind of workout.
This OP just has to get his ass to a gym and start working out, though, without worrying about what’s more efficient than other stuff. Go there. Do the bike. Do the rower. Do the elliptical. Run a bit if you can. Wear yourself out. At least twice a week, just completely waste yourself at the gym.
However, if you use an elliptical trainer or treadmill, then you’ll be working those muscle groups AND A WHOLE LOT MORE. That’s why those machines are a lot more effective at burning calories than the exercise bike. Nobody is saying that the exercise bike does diddly-squat.
Besides, while the bike does work your glutes, it only does so to a minimal extent. The hamstrings are engaged a bit more, but even then, they don’t get a very thorough workout. So while the bike may involve three fairly large muscle groups, it’s still provides an inferior workout.
