New turbo trainer on its way ... now what do I do with it?!

[Fletch456]

+1 for posting...as just got a new turbo and not really been into it before want plan to maintain fitness over winter so have read the responses with interest.

 

[amaferanga]

Hi
To lose weight through exercise it's important to understand how the body uses fuel during exercise. Short high intensity intervals (high heart rate stuff) predominantly uses sugars in the form of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. To lose weight you need your body to burn fats. This requires that you exercise at lower intensity/heart rates for longer periods. You can do this on a turbo but as mentioned it gets to be boring, especially day after day.
If you can get out on a bike then you'll stay on it longer, if not I suggest not more than an hour on the turbo at a time, perhaps every other day and take something to distract you, DVD/CD/MP3 etc. You don't need to be working hard just turning the pedals briskly to the point of just able to sing to a tune/hold a conversation. If you can't you're working too hard! Take a drink, water!!! Anything else contains calories.

Split the session to make it interesting, warm up 10-15 minutes, 15 minutes at X heart rate/speed/cadence, then 15 minutes at Y and 15 minutes at Z followed by 5 minutes cool down.

To lose a pound of weight requires a deficit of 3600 calories and my estimate is that an hour on the turbo will burn 450-600 calories.

Rubbish (apart from perhaps your final sentence).

Here's a question for you:

Which will lead to greater weight loss - regularly riding for an hour on the turbo at the easy pace you describe and burning 500 calories or doing a more intense session (say 2x20 threhsold intervals which with rest periods, warm-up and cool-down would be about an hour) and burning 800 calories in an hour?

 

[Garz]

I think what is more beneficial (to the both of your methods) is the calorie control. Whether you train for an easier hour or pump out an intense 40 min vein throbber is not much use if you do not eat/drink wisely.

Years ago when both myself and the wife were unfit she went on a strict WW diet. I participated but at meal times (didnt go to the meeting etc) only and lost well over a stone and done no exercise. You don't necessarily have to exerice to lose weight, weight loss and fitness however are not the same goals!

I will mention though that when I dropped to a racing snake weight last year the hills were a doddle, obviously though a reasonable fitness base is essential.