Unfit Fatty...advice please!

[Firm Button]

Hi chaps,

getting back to cycling after 20years break. 18st9lb, 5'8", had got up to 24st at one point, but thanks to a gastric band, i have lost a fair bit. but now im plateauing...and that cus im not excersising! after such a long break its hurting to do anything! Got a baby in me life now and i want to be around a bit longer for him...so i must change my life for a fitter one!

Anyway, i have ordered a road bike, but it will be 5-9weeks before i have it, this gives me some time to prepare myself...
I have a ex-health club cycling machine with various options on it for hill climb, manual etc. I have been using the hill climb mode, doing just 5minutes at a time for the lest 2 days or so. Its been doable, but i have really struggled to keep 70rpm or more through the whole 5 mins. Once it tried to keep 90rpm but had to pause as it was too much near the top of the hill! I can manage to keep it above 70 but i do feel it in me legs!

So, the question is, am i best to keep at what i am doing, ie; stick at the 5 minute thing and try to improove my cadence until i can achive 90 for the whole 5 mins, then increase my time? or am i best to move to a constant resistance manual mode and try to keep 90rpm up for as long as i can and just keep increasing my goal time? or maybe both?

My goal is to be in a state when my bike arives, that i can at least to a short 3km round-the-block that is hilly in places

Thanks for any advice peeps,

Steve

 

[Packrat]

I was advised by a trainer to go for constant level and keep the cadence up BTW why the long wait for the bike

Keep it up and good luck ..... I'm returning to bikes after 30+ years

 

[Ian 74]

So, the question is, am i best to keep at what i am doing, ie; stick at the 5 minute thing and try to improove my cadence until i can achive 90 for the whole 5 mins, then increase my time? or am i best to move to a constant resistance manual mode and try to keep 90rpm up for as long as i can and just keep increasing my goal time? or maybe both?

My goal is to be in a state when my bike arives, that i can at least to a short 3km round-the-block that is hilly in places

Hi, and well done riding is a great way to burn calories, as you are just starting off I would go for time on to the bike with a moderate resistance, maybe go for 10mins and see how you get on, exercise bikes can be bloody boring though so roll on when your bike arrives as being out and about will really aid your motivation.

You are going to get bombarded with advise and technical details so all I will say is start of slow and build up give yourself a good base and before you know it you will be riding for hours at a time burning of 10000's of calories, feeling great !!!!

One more thing when you get fitter its great fun getting a child seat for a bike (maybe not a road bike), I had my daughter on the back of my bike from the age of 2.

Good luck brother

 

[Firm Button]

Thanks guys,

i am currently in France(we have a place out here) its 40c outside today, so the exercise bike does have some benefits! I also have a fan pointing at me which helps.

The reason for the delay is that I have ordered a Rose Pro SL2200 from Germany, they say up to 9 weeks but is showing 3 green lights so hopefuly it will be here sooner! For £1000 with peddles (SPD-SL) and a Sigma wireless computer it was such good value (& i really wanted the SRAM Apex) i was prepared to wait and nothing in the UK compares for price or coolness.

I will have a go at introducing a 10 minute 90rpm session along with my 2 x 5 minute hill climbs, and see how i cope , and see what resistance i can build up to!

Thanks chaps,

Steve

 

[Rapples]

I will have a go at introducing a 10 minute 90rpm session along with my 2 x 5 minute hill climbs, and see how i cope , and see what resistance i can build up to!

Thanks chaps,

Steve

Sounds like a good plan, but be careful pushing up the resistance, you don't want to strain your knees.

Hill or resistance is gonna strengthen muscle, but weight loss is better achieved by long steady exercise. I'd suggest your muscle mass will be plenty as it's been needed to carry you around. So I'd focus on reducing your weight which will make it easier for the muscle you have to carry you around,

Exercise bikes are tedious though so adding resistance into the workout helps relieve the boredom. Try to get up to 30-40 mins even if it's on the easiest setting.

Good luck

 

[Norm]

I'm not a fitness instructor (for those who know me - ) but carrying more weight than you, I'm wondering why you are doing the hill climb program? Hill climbing is a good thing to build muscle and power, but I'd think you are looking for fitness and I think that needs more cardio-type exercise.

Also, if you are looking at burning calories, you will do better exercising for longer as you will get more from 20 minutes moderate work than you will from 5 minutes hard work.

Lower the resistance and increase the time you are on the machine. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, I'd be looking at something like 20 minutes at a resistance which allows you to keep to 90rpm.

 

[Norm]

Oops! Rapples types faster and probably wasn't interupted by his wife bringing croissants. Which could explain why I'm "carrying more weight than you".

 

[Glover Fan]

Also discuss your plans with your gp. Having a gastric band is surely going to make controlling the quantities of food to maintain exercise a challenge.

Probably won't do much damage in the short term, but once you get fitter and go further you will need to think about eating during rides.

Just a thought.

 

[montage]

5 minutes can be very, very hard work, yet it does not really burn that many calories.

Personally, I would do 5 minutes warm up spinning the pedals at a really easy pace, then your 5 minutes hill climb thingy, but with less resistance and a higher cadence, then 10 minutes at half the resistance so it is nice and easy, but not completely resistanceless, then 5 minutes hard again followed by 5 minutes cool down.

You need to get used to pedalling for longers amounts of time, which is boring on an exercise machine.


When you have your bike, just look at putting the miles in for a couple of months before you think of high intensity training

 

[Firm Button]

Thanks for the advice chaps,

no need to worry about my Gastric Band, i can get energy bars through it no problem! its just slow to swallow, which is a good thing!(& i had a defill earlier this year )


Norm, i was doing the hill climb cus i hadnt got a clue what to start off with. Yesterday i did a 5min hill climb at70-80rpm in the morning, a lunch time 20min constant 80rpm flat run and finished off with another 5min hill climb before dinner...the legs are starting to feel the burn!
Another problem i have- is because i had a meniscus tear operation earlyer this year, my right leg has less muscle mass then my left which throws me a little off ballance at higher rpms...

Today i will mix it up a bit, 5min 80rpm warm up then hill climb and a 5 min cool down...(possibly ) this morning and this evening, with a 30 min flat run at lunch.

Sticking at it....!

Steve

 

[smokeysmoo]

Have a look at THIS. Gaz is a regular CC'er, (and former 'unfit fatty') who goes by the name gb155. Look him up, if it's advice your after then he's your man

 

[Firm Button]

Ta Smokeysmoo, I haveSeen Gaz's blog, and its a real inspiration!

Best laid plans 'n all, ened up chucking the hill climb idea and went for a 30min sesh at resistance level5 and upped the last minute to 10 for good measure! Bit wobbly afterwards, but im sure i could have gone longer

Anyhow, i was churning the peddles at 70-80rpm, creating about 140watts of power, covered a virtual 6k and burned 300cals, according to the machine!

Did have one problem though, numb meat 'n 2 veg afterwards!

Steve

 

[Arsen Gere]

Don't worry about the numbness, as you get fitter you increase the load a bit and the weight goes on to your feet.
There is no harm in standing up too, you see the pro's doing this in the tour, they stretch out a bit. On a turbo trainer I do it every 5 mins or so.

I'd suggest you mixed this up with something like a swim where your weight has no impact and the heat won't bother you so much. That way you can burn more calories without risk to your joints and muscles as you get fitter. I get passed in the pool by blokes who don't look fit.

 

[Firm Button]

I have a pool here in France so am having a cooling off dip after each ride, with the occasional length of the pool thrown in! Its been over 36c outside, 29 inside where the bike is so its been hot and ive been soaked by the end of the 30 min session.

Well i managed three 30minute constant resistance (level5) sessions yesterday! 900cals burnt acording to the bike, so well chuffed!

Steve

 

[Firm Button]

Over did it I think. After this mornings 30 minute session this morning my legs and knees felt really tight and heavy. So I skipped this afternoons session and this evenings as my legs are still real tight. Had a hot bath this evening and that has helped a bit.

Should I have tomorrow off or just do some short sessions to keep moving?

Feeling guilty about missing two sessions already

Steve


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