When using a cardio machine like a stationary bike, is it more beneficial to get your heart rate up to a sustainable level, say 75% of your max, and keep it there? Or better to do interval training where your heart rate might vary from 65% to 85% of your max up and down through the exercise? (This assumes 40 minutes of exercise.) I know that interval training was introduced for training competitive athletes, but my question is about health benefits, not performance.
Depends, generally it is better to have a steady state workout until you achieve a decent level of fitness and then a high intensity workout is better to improve fitness.
From personal experience, interval training is better.
When I did interval training my resting pulse dropped 15 bpm and my stamina levels increased quite a bit compared to when I did 3 hours a week of steady state at 70-80% max heart rate.
My interval heart rate goal was 95% of max though, not 80%.
Both.
For my winter training (my road bike on a trainer), I do both.
I tend to do two long fairly steady pace rides (1-2 hours each) per week as well as three interval sessions (typically around 45 minutes). This keeps me in fairly good shape for early spring real riding.
Even my real outside riding has a mix of the two. I have some fairly flat or low grade railbed trails that I can crank out 50-100 miles, and then I have some loops and rides with grades, rolling hills, etc.
Mtn biking on the other hand is pretty much pure effort/hell at the beginning (riding up the mountain) and then pure fun on the way down.
Thanks for the responses. My fitness level is pretty good for someone my age who is not a competitive athlete. My resting HR is 52. I recently got a stent and went through a cardiac program where they said my fitness level was good but I should do more cardio. In the program they had me doing a steady pace and monitored my heart rate. I have done weight training 3-5 times per week for the last 35 years, but got lazy about cardio after a while. So I’m incorporating that back into my workouts. Just trying to figure out the bang for the buck.
95% of max sounds pretty intense to me. I cannot sustain 90% of my max for more than about 15-30 seconds. I hit almost 100% once during a stress test but could only hold that for a few seconds and that ended the test. (I have a friend who routinely exceeds 100% of his on-paper max when he runs. I don’t know how that works.)
Are you trying to maintain, or improve?
To the extent you can, try to mix it up. I’m no expert, but my understanding is that the body gets used to repeated consistent activity, such that it derives less benefit.
If you use a machine, don’t always use the same program - switch programs with some regularity. And switch between the bike and another machine.
I’m not a big fan of the % of max heart rate idea. When I used to train pretty hard, my impression was that the science behind that was pretty meagre.
Improve, but not dramatically. I’m not starting from zero, so I just need to tune-up my workouts to include cardio more regularly.
BTW I split my time between a stationary bike and elliptical machine.
Congrats on stepping up the effort. I just re-read that you are the proud owner of a stent. I’d DEFINITELY run any plans past my doctor. They might just be thinking about increasing your cardio through long brisk walks…
Like I said, I’m no expert. And since I’m currently a creaky old fart, my general attitude is “just get the carcass moving.” And I KNOW that right now I’m basically maintaining what little I have left, rather than improving.
But way back when I ran track, no one simply did long runs day after day. Even on cross country, we would occasionally do windsprints and fartleks, or timed middle distance reps and ladders.
In my 30s-40s I trained quite a bit. My firm understanding at that time was that there was a benefit from “shocking/straining” your system occasionally. Just mixing it up, and at least occasionally REALLY straining. Like I said, maybe you are most comfortable doing the “plateau” program on the stationary bike. But once a week or so try one of the “hills” programs…
Using machines makes it really easy to work in variety like that (instead of - say - wind sprints when running/biking outside.)
When I used to do it I would do it as follows.
7 minute warm up
8 intervals. 30 seconds all out followed by 60-90 seconds at a more relaxed pace. Repeat seven more time. Heart rate would be 90-95% after a few intervals
5 minute cool down.
It worked for me, but because I have a pinched nerve in my leg I can’t do it like that anymore sadly.
But doing that twice a week worked better for stamina and resting pulse than several hours a week at a more relaxed pace.
I cycle regularly and had the exact same question as you. My heart rate goes to about 115 bpm and stays there for a two hour ride. I don’t really get much higher since where I ride is very flat - the most I can do is speed up somewhat.
I asked my nephew, a recently graduated fitness trainer / kinesiologist. He said that human bodies adapt and become more efficient at whatever we do especially repeatedly.
To maximize my fitness, his suggestion was exactly the same as what Dinsdale says:
Specifically for me, he suggested I do an indoor cycle at least once a week and work on boosting the speed and tension to cycle my heart rate higher over time.
I have an Apple watch now and it tracks my pulse continuously when I workout. I can monitor it live during the workout and then review it afterward. I find that to be a huge help.
I very briefly thought of biking more aggressively, and I recall reading about various workouts where you essentially biked fartleks. ISTR they focussed on pedal speed, increasing it for repeated relatively brief intervals. I’d imagine you could get different results from either spinning rapidly in a low gear, or grinding hard in a high gear.
I’ve been thinking (and posting) way too much on this for a lazy old fart, but I’m thinking that when my HR was the lowest was when I was training for a marathon. Tho I did minimal sprint training then, mostly I was running longer and longer distances, but running them hard.
Bottomline is, whatever your chosen exercise, I think to “improve”, you need to push yourself - wether in total time, intensity, variety, etc. Just doing the same thing over and over is fine for maintaining fitness, but won’t lead to improvement.
There was an article in the Science Times (Tuesday feature in the NY Times) two days ago that suggested that Homo had evolved for endurance over strength in contrast with Pan (ape) species. This suggests that steady is what we are good at. I know I have read that a human can outrun any other animal–Eventually. What this means for a training regime is unclear, however.
I’m not sure that anyone has really addressed OP’s question. Interval training is certainly more effective at improving your cardio performance, but that is not necessarily the same thing as an optimal health outcome.
On the bike you can define your heart rate zones to help structure training - there’s various labels but typically it might be something like:
1 active recovery - < 60% Can do this all day mate
2 endurance - 60 - 70% I am exercising
3 tempo - 70 - 80% I am working
4 threshold - 80 - 90% max sustainable effort
5 VO2 max to anaerobic max 90%+ - unsustainable effort
(numbers approximate)
Cyclists do actually train a lot in zone 1 and 2 but putting big hours in - if you’re just sitting there for 40 mins it might not give you much training response, particularly if you have base fitness.
I’d avoid any hard VO2 max types intervals in your position, but what might be beneficial is some sweetspot intervals. They are at the higher end of tempo, say 75%, and might last for 10 minutes or so with a few minutes break. They are good for building fitness, so you feel like you’re working, but you can complete them without going too deep. They are also very good for not building up too much fatigue so you can do them regularly. Very intense intervals are hard on the body and it doesn’t sound like there’s a compelling reason to do them for just general cardio training. Really depends on what you want out of it.