Coaches' advice. How to effectively lose weight with cycling

Cycling is a popular type of group exercise for weight loss. The coaches told RBC Sport,

Initially, cycling is a type of group exercise with aerobic exercise under the guidance of an instructor on special simulators to energetic music. it is generally accepted that it was invented by the American athlete John Goldberg, who created the first simulator. Being a cyclist himself, he created a system for training not only on the street, but also at home. Therefore, cycling can be a great replacement for a bike for the winter or prepare for the summer season.

Distinctive features of cycling simulators:

lightweight design that does not require electricity; simulates driving on a variety of surfaces, including ups and downs; compact design (compared to a classic exercise bike); sports seat, variable steering wheel and dual pedals.

Cycling has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system and trains breathing. The muscle load is distributed as follows: legs, shoulder girdle, abdominal muscles. Cycling is very energy intensive, so you can burn up to 600 calories in one workout. Its undeniable advantage is a low load on the joints.

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Cycling workouts are suitable for those who want to diversify their physical activity or increase its level, as well as for those who want to lose weight (here it is important to remember the principles of proper nutrition). But there are also restrictions on training - if you have problems with knee joints, diseases of the cardiovascular system, varicose veins.

There are three main types of cycling:

Spin Begin - for the initial level of training.
Spin Force - develops aerobic endurance.
Spin Inter - uses the interval principle of training.

As a rule, cycling takes place in fitness rooms or specialized clubs, which is due to the rather high cost of the simulator. But if you decide to exercise at home, then you should know that there are two types of simulators. Vertical is suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes. Horizontal is more suitable for those who are overweight: the pedals are in front, which reduces the load on the joints.

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Training is recommended to be carried out three to five times a week; As a rule, one lesson lasts 45 minutes. During classes, it is important to monitor the heart rate, which should not rise above 90% of the maximum for your age. But the value should not be low either (below 60%). A workout might look like this:

warm-up exercises; interval riding on the simulator in a standing position; alternate riding in a standing and sitting position; riding in a sitting position with support on hands; imitation of driving on one of the types of track; hitch.

Sports uniforms for training are better from synthetics, as you will sweat actively. Sports shoes are required with hard soles.

Can you lose weight by cycling?

Indeed, cycling training is an effective way to get rid of extra pounds. In one workout (45 minutes), you can use up to 600 calories - after all, this is not only, as they say, pedaling, but also a load on the upper body. Regular exercise helps to activate metabolism, increase muscle tone and promote fat burning.

Cycling is a fairly intense cardio load that is carried out at a given level of heart rate. You can lose weight, but it takes a long period of regular exercise. The period is determined by exactly how many kilograms you want to get rid of. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that training should be of an interval type, that is, it should include phases of active work and rest in turn.

Coaches' opinions

Vladimir Sidorov (Photo: https://rockthecycle.ru/)

Trainer of Rock the Cycle cycling studio network Vladimir Sidorov

“Cycling is not very developed in our country. Usually it is presented as one of the directions in fitness clubs: several workouts per week in a small room. If we talk about cycling mono-studios, there are not so many of them in RUSSIA. In addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg, where the direction is developing quite actively, there are also studios in the regions, for example, in Tyumen and Stary Oskol.

Most of the cycling fans are the so-called white-collar workers: office workers, freelancers aged 25 to 40. If we talk about the ratio of girls and boys, the approximate percentage is 60 to 40. This is a standard situation for any fitness: girls take care of their HEALTH and play sports more actively than men.

To start cycling, you just need not be afraid, sign up for a workout and come. For the first time, it is better to choose a workout for beginners, because cycling is a fairly intense load that you need to get used to gradually, especially if you have never played sports.

For classes, you will need comfortable sportswear and water bottles. You will receive special contact cycling shoes and a heart rate monitor before class in the studio. I also advise you to buy cycling shorts with a cycling diaper - they soften the friction from the saddle and make the workout comfortable.

Cycling is an intense cardio exercise that primarily develops endurance. Regular exercise strengthens muscles and the cardiovascular system well. Another feature of interval cardio training is to increase the metabolic rate: the body continues to burn calories not only during training, but also for 24 hours after it.

There are two ways to lose weight on cycling. As I said earlier, HIIT interval training increases the metabolic rate and triggers the fat burning process - most of our training is based on this methodology. There is a second option: low-intensity long-term (more than one and a half hours) classes in the fat burning zone.

Diana Akhmadishina (Photo: https://velobeat.ru/)

Diana Akhmadishina, HEAD of the fitness direction of Velobeat cycling studios

“The very direction of cycling appeared back in the 1980s. In Russia, he was not given due attention for a very long time. Then, training on exercise bikes could only be attended in specially designated small areas in the fitness club. And the very word "cycling" was not known to everyone. But with the advent of the first Soul Cycle studios in America in 2006, this direction began to gain its popularity.

The first mono-studio of cycling in Moscow opened only in 2015. At the moment, there are already about five of them in the capital, not counting the fitness clubs that have equipped full-fledged gyms for cycle training. Moreover, the formats can be very different from each other: it can be large screens with imitation of driving along scenic routes, or your heart rate monitor data on the monitor, or a real cycling party. Each studio tries to get exactly its client with his individual needs.

As a rule, at cardio training, you can most often meet representatives of the weaker sex aged 18–40 years. But there are more and more males every year. More and more comes the understanding that the high intensity of races well increases strength and endurance.

To get started, you need to choose the appropriate format. Here it is important to pay attention to how training is conducted in the studios. And then - enroll in a class for beginners. Many studios have them. Even if you are an experienced athlete, but have never tried cycling, it is still worth starting with this format. On such races, you will not only be explained how to work with the equipment, but they will also show you the correct pedaling technique. This allows you to make your first experience the most comfortable and productive.

There are several nuances that you need to consider when doing cycling:

Convenient form. It is advisable to choose sportswear, as it tends to repel moisture. While cotton absorbs it. It can be leggings or Thais - everything that fits well to the body. I do not recommend wearing shorts for the first classes. As for shoes, for example, in our studio we give out special cycling shoes, which are processed after each race. That is, you do not need to take your shoes. Water bottle. Your body releases moisture, the blood thickens, so it is imperative to restore the water balance. This will make it easier for oxygen to enter your cells. Proper preparation before class, namely sleep and nutrition. Cycling is a high-intensity workout that can burn between 400 and 800 calories.

Cycling is pedaling with the addition of choreographic elements that help develop coordination and engage the deep muscles well. Since the work takes place both in the saddle and standing, we are working on the whole body. Among other things, cycling

increases the level of physical fitness, improves the functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, increases the level of metabolism, strengthens muscle groups, reduces the fat component, and reduces stress.

The process of fat burning starts approximately at the 20th minute from the start of the workout. Here it is important to focus on the pulse zone in which the client works. The most favorable for this are the fitness zone, 60–69%, and the aerobic zone, 70–79% of the maximum. The abbreviated formula [Karvonen] is as follows: (220 - age) * x or y, where x is the lower value of the heart rate zone, and y is the upper one.

You can track your heart rate with a variety of fitness gadgets. Actually, they can save you from independent calculations. Most often, the areas with the highest oxygen use in trackers are marked in green.

Any cardio workout is good for weight loss. Here, to a greater extent, it is necessary to focus on the preparation of each person individually. With each workout, your body adapts more and more to the load. And when the first race for you was accompanied by a very fast jump in heart rate, then it will be more and more difficult to do it on subsequent ones. This means that it will not be so easy to achieve the necessary pulse zones. In the first month, you will be able to lose an average of 5-7 kg with regular two to three workouts per week. But rather it will be the removal of excess fluid from the body.

So I suggest that advanced clients attend complex and lengthy workouts (and there are already such formats in the studios) and increase the number of workouts per week. But it is worth remembering that with the goal of losing weight, only 30% - your physical activity and 70% - how you eat affect the result. You need to create a calorie deficit. And here it is very important to be smart about building your diet, observing the ratio of KBJU.