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Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 6:02:47 PM   
cloudboy


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I have taken up bike riding to stay in shape. Like all exercise, sometimes achieving my goal is a matter of will. Today I felt sluggish and cut my ride at 27 minutes.

My question is this. What is better, two (2) short rides on successive days of about 25 minutes or one longer ride of 50 minutes?

My intuition is that two short rides are better than one long one, because you get your heart rate up on two different days.
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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 6:18:30 PM   
Bethnai


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Status: offline 		Wait, I am under the impression that cardio is an everyday thing. Weight training is most definitely not. If this is true, and I think it is, although I have been wrong before, you can do it everyday. And 25 minutes a day beats abandoning it all together.

I think cardio is boring, so if I can get in and out, I'm all good.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 6:28:11 PM   
cloudboy


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The minimum suggested cardio target is 20 minutes a day three days a week. I don't know of any system that suggests doing cardio everyday.


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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 6:33:25 PM   
faerytattoodgirl


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Status: offline 		i used to walk 30-40 mins a day (2 miles, 1 there 1 back)...now my health prevents it....odd isnt it...


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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 6:40:36 PM   
Bethnai


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Status: offline 		Mine is devised to 25 min of cardio everyday, weight train every other day.
That is the system that I have had. I'm not claiming that is the be all to end all. I'm just saying that is the system that I am working with and have been.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 6:49:45 PM   
MistresseLotus


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quote:

ORIGINAL: cloudboy


I have taken up bike riding to stay in shape. Like all exercise, sometimes achieving my goal is a matter of will. Today I felt sluggish and cut my ride at 27 minutes.

My question is this. What is better, two (2) short rides on successive days of about 25 minutes or one longer ride of 50 minutes?

My intuition is that two short rides are better than one long one, because you get your heart rate up on two different days.

My husband and I just bought an Octane xR6,  Works very well for cardio.

_____________________________

I leave it to the 20-somethings to do the "open-minded, total unconditional acceptance thing" for it's how THEY learn that all the things others older than they have deemed BS, are in fact BS. What a waste of a decade.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 7:30:26 PM   
igor2003


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quote:

ORIGINAL: cloudboy


I have taken up bike riding to stay in shape. Like all exercise, sometimes achieving my goal is a matter of will. Today I felt sluggish and cut my ride at 27 minutes.

My question is this. What is better, two (2) short rides on successive days of about 25 minutes or one longer ride of 50 minutes?

My intuition is that two short rides are better than one long one, because you get your heart rate up on two different days.


A lot of what you will want to do depends on what your definition of  "get in shape" is.  For overall health you will be better off cross-training.  For instance mixing bicycling with swimming, weight training, or jogging, though jogging is considerable more stressfull on the skelatal system.  If you are going to do a LOT of bike rideing you will probably want to do some work with free-weights as well.  What happens is that if all you do is bicycle you work specific muscle groups, but not the counter groups.  This causes an uneven balance in the muscular system which can lead to injuries.

Any time you do a hard workout you tear down muscle tissue which allows the new muscle tissue to grow back stronger.  You don't just increase the strength of the muscle that is already there.  The rebuilding process needs time (and good nutrition) to rebuild, so working the same muscle groups hard every day isn't a good idea; you need "easy" days and "hard" days. (or cross train on alternating days).  One day you might want to do a hard ride for "x" number of minutes.  The next day go for a longer, more leasurely ride.  Perhaps the next day you will want to do wind sprints (ride hard for a certain distance like a tenth or a quarter mile depending on your ability, then slow down and get your breath back for the next tenth or quarter.  Then another hard tent, then another soft tenth.  Early in your training you will want to do fewer repetitions, and add more repetitions and distance as you grow stronger. Vary your workout.  Also, just "listen" to you body.  If you'r body is telling you it just does not feel like it today, then maybe you should listen to it.  When I was jogging there were many times i would go through the whole "getting ready" routine for a nice run, but once I got started I just did not feel right or comfortable and would turn around after a few hundred yards and wait for the next day.

More than one workout per day is okay as long as you don't over do it.

Bicycling alone can get really boring really fast, so look for bicycling clubs and organisations in your area for other people of your ability to ride with.  A lot of times they will have "group" rides at least once a week in good weather.  There you can find all kinds of information about the more specific type of riding and training you want to do and can often find a workout partner for your daily rides, which decreases the boredom and also gives you someone for moral support and encouragement.

Another thing you can do is to keep a log of your bicycling activities.  Each day write down your distance, time, type of workout and things like that along with things like your resting heart rate, weight, etc.  This way you can actually "see" and track your improvements.  I used to even keep a record of how many miles I had on each pair of shoes!  (My best pair was a pair of Nike's with over 700 miles on them before I started wearing them for every-day use)

Make use of the library, the Internet, and resources like Bicycle Magazine.  After reading a good article on something like bicycling you can hardly wait to get back out riding again.  You will also find good information on training techniques, nutrition, types of bicycles and accessories, bicycle tuning, and much more.

Look into proper warm-up, cool-down, and stretching techniques.  These are very important to help avoid inujuries.

Last, get a good heart rate monitor so that you can bring your heart into the optimal range for the best workout  Here is a link to find out your optimal workout heart rate.  http://exercise.about.com/cs/fitnesstools/l/bl_THR.htm   This will tell you when you are working hard enough to get the best workout without overdoing it and risking injury (like a heart attack).

I hope this has been of some use and that the information is still considered "accurate" though some of it I "learned" 20 or 30 years ago.

(sorry if it got a little long winded!)

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 7:47:00 PM   
lighthearted


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Status: offline 		it depends on the intensity.  two short rides of high intensity can be more challenging than one longer, lower intensity ride.  it also depends on what your long-term fitness goals are.

if you're feeling sluggish, you're body is probably trying to tell you something.  could be you need more rest, more protein, more carbs...

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 7:51:11 PM   
juliaoceania


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From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		As far as calories burning, it is distance that determines how many calories one burns...

In order to get a cardio workout it is time that determines it...

From what I have read 12 minutes of sustained activity is all that is necessary for a cardio workout. Cardio is for the heart, aerobic burns calories. If your cardio workout is wearing you out try cardio/aerobic combo. At least that is what I would do.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 7:51:47 PM   
sub4hire


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Status: offline 		I am definitely not an expert on this subject.  I do go to the gym on a regular basis and work with trainers..well in the past when they actually existed where I lived.

I've always been told to do cardio an hour a day.  Work out, get your heart beating and keep it beating that way you actually burn fat off. 

Any cardio is better than none though.  Also once you start doing it you will eventually build up your endurance.  You'll also get sluggish when you don't work out as opposed to getting sluggish when you do.
It's all about conditioning your body.


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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 8:48:25 PM   
pahunkboy


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From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline 		1 short ride of 25 minutes is ample.

I would throw in yoga and meditation, as well as other measures.

When I ride, I do errands or set out to see parts of town in a liesurly manner.   At times I will go to the river where the terrain is trail like.

If you are slacking- check that the seat is the proper height...

there are household chores that are good exercise too.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/28/2008 10:32:42 PM   
cloudboy


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Great feedback. First, I live in Baltimore which is a suck-ass biker town. But, I have a good loop route which is about 2.2 miles I can do right close to my home and it has a good mix of hills to it.

By "in shape," I just mean cardio fitness.

I totally agree about mixing intensities and durations.

Overall I play tennis & bike, and incorporate some pilates and strength workouts. At age 44, I definitely need more recovery time, and I've found that pushing to hard leads to bad places (injuries, strains, pains and aches, etc.)

That's quite a machine there, Lotus. Looks cheaper that that 14K gizmo I see in the magazine ads.

I suppose there isn't an answer to the original question, just perspectives on how to approach things.

I wish my body would cooperate more, but things definitely change after 40.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/29/2008 4:20:53 AM   
meatcleaver


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Status: offline 		I think you just have to build up your stamina. I cycle everyday, its part of ones normal life style here or was when I lived in Amsterdam and I regularly cycled one and a half hours a day going to my studio and back and cycled just about everywhere else I wanted to go. I lost 30 pounds in the first six months I lived in Amsterdam and have never felt better in my life. The idea of having one ride or two never entered my head, I just cycle to wherever I need to go and nothing daunts me now. Though I'm sure you can't do the same where you are but I think you'll soon find that 25 minutes isn't much unless you are really cycling hard.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/29/2008 4:32:36 AM   
SilverMark


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Status: offline 		Well, I get 25 minutes a day 5 days a week of cardio and lift weights for about 30 minutes a day the same 5 days. It has helped so much with cholesterol and blood pressure that if I could stand it I would try 7 days but, I get too tired. As long as you are getting your heart rate up and sustain the rate for a period of time you are doing well! I could be wrong, I am also not an expert but, Anything You Do Is Better Than Anthing You Don't DO!...

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/29/2008 6:58:22 AM   
cloudboy


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quote:

The idea of having one ride or two never entered my head, I just cycle to wherever I need to go and nothing daunts me now. Though I'm sure you can't do the same where you are but I think you'll soon find that 25 minutes isn't much unless you are really cycling hard.


Baltimore is not Europe. Cars rule here and the public transportation sucks too. (A single line metro and a single line light rail, and ]buses.)

In a different kind of town, I could see myself on a bike much more. I'm somewhat blessed that in just a mile walk I can make it to a bookstore, coffee shop or place tograb a bite to eat.

The advantage Europe has over the US is that your cities were already largely developed by the advent of the automobile, whereas here our landscape has really been carved up by it. I don't know how the average American survives his long commute in the automobile five days a week. (I work out of the home, lonely at times, but no commute.)


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RE: Cardio Question - 9/29/2008 7:58:01 AM   
sub4hire


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quote:

ORIGINAL: cloudboy
That's quite a machine there, Lotus. Looks cheaper that that 14K gizmo I see in the magazine ads.


I've never heard of the Lotus.  What does it do?  Look like?  What does it strengthen?

I've also been through machines over the years.  Problem seems to be once they enter the house they lose their appeal.  About the only one I used consistently was the SoloFlex.  That was probably because as the boys aged they also liked lifting weights.  So I worked out with them.
Anyway..my favorite cardio machine at the gym now is the elliptical.  Machine that I've seen in every gym..and if you ramp up the weight well you burn a lot of calories in a short time. 

Though after reading this thread.  I think I will drag the bikes out for a ride through the park.  One thing this city has is a wonderful walk/bike trail along the river.  I heard it travels for 50 miles but I will find that out in time. 
We walk a few miles with the dogs daily but that isn't anything compared to a bike ride on it.



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RE: Cardio Question - 9/29/2008 8:24:55 AM   
Rule


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quote:

ORIGINAL: cloudboy
Today I felt sluggish and cut my ride at 27 minutes.

Wise. If you are not feeling well, then do not push it, but take a rest.

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RE: Cardio Question - 9/29/2008 8:19:27 PM   
bluepanda


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quote:

ORIGINAL: cloudboy


I have taken up bike riding to stay in shape. Like all exercise, sometimes achieving my goal is a matter of will. Today I felt sluggish and cut my ride at 27 minutes.

My question is this. What is better, two (2) short rides on successive days of about 25 minutes or one longer ride of 50 minutes?


2 days of about 25 minutes, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, your intuition is correct - if cardio fitness is your goal, getting a good workout on 2 days is better than getting a good workout on just one day. But second, if you push yourself past the point where you're gassed, it won't be long before you're not really enjoying the workouts anymore. And once you reach that point, it usually isn't much longer before people just stop doing it. Keep it fun, and you'll look forward to your workout every day. Make it an ordeal, and you'll dread it every day.

Furthermore, pushing yourself when you're tired is likely to lead to an injury, especially if you're relatively new to the sport and haven't learned which little aches and pains to listen to. Keep in mind, just because it's only biking doesn't mean you can't injure yourself. When people get tired, they start to get sloppy and lazy in their posture and their mechanics. There are are tons of joint and soft tissue injuries that can result from improper technique or improper form when cycling, and while none them are going to be lifethreatening, many of them are the type that can linger and limit your activities for quite a while. Definitely worth avoiding.

You might try a trick that I learned a few years ago, when I was a more avid cyclist. I was doing 200 to 300 miles a week; 25 or 30 miles on weekdays and 70 to 90 miles on Saturdays and Sundays. Just let up every now and then and pedal easy for a few minutes. When you feel recharged, hit it hard again. I don't know what sort of regimen you've adopted, but if you're "feeling sluggish" after about 25 minutes, you might be pushing yourself harder than you're in shape for right now. Get your heart rate up to about 75 to 80% of your max until you start to tire, then back it off to about 65%. Keep it there at the low end of the target zone until you feel ready, then increase the exertion until you're back up to 75%+. It's a way of taking a break without really taking a break. You'll find that before long, the periods of peak exertion are getting longer and longer, and the periods of reduced exertion are getting shorter and less frequent. 

At your age, you might also want to mix in some different cardio activities, if for no other reason than to keep your legs fresh. It was at about your age that I took up rollerblading, because I was starting to notice that the cycling muscles that used to recover overnight were now taking 2 or even 3 days to get back to normal. Rollerblading uses slightly different muscle groups, so I'm able to skate hard on Monday and bike hard on Tuesday, with little or no appreciable soreness or loss of strength. And this touches on another reason why proper stretching is so important; if you go out while your legs are still sore from your last ride, you're not going to have the strength or stamina you would have if you'd stretched properly after the previous day's ride.

Finally, I should mention the importance of proper frame size and seat height. If the frame is too small, you'll be cramped, and won't get full extension of either your legs or your upper body. And if the seat is too low, again, you won't get proper leg extension. Not only does this lead to possible injury, it reduces efficiency and makes you tire before you really get a good workout. And while I'm on that, what sort of bike is it? Mountain bike, racer, cross bike? That matters, as well. 25 minutes on a mountain bike with 2-inch wide, 60 PSI nobby tires is going to tire you out a hell of a lot more than 25 minutes on a racer with 100 PSI tires with a 5/8-inch wide footprint.

OK, I'll shut up. More than you asked, i know. But as you can see, it's a favorite subject. Good luck, and whatever you do, have fun. The more fun you have, the more you'll do it. Enjoy!

< Message edited by bluepanda -- 9/29/2008 8:22:04 PM >

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RE: Cardio Question - 10/1/2008 9:57:54 AM   
MistresseLotus


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From: (aka LotusSong)
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quote:

ORIGINAL: sub4hire

quote:

ORIGINAL: cloudboy
That's quite a machine there, Lotus. Looks cheaper that that 14K gizmo I see in the magazine ads.


I've never heard of the Lotus.  What does it do?  Look like?  What does it strengthen?

I've also been through machines over the years.  Problem seems to be once they enter the house they lose their appeal.  About the only one I used consistently was the SoloFlex.  That was probably because as the boys aged they also liked lifting weights.  So I worked out with them.
Anyway..my favorite cardio machine at the gym now is the elliptical.  Machine that I've seen in every gym..and if you ramp up the weight well you burn a lot of calories in a short time. 

Though after reading this thread.  I think I will drag the bikes out for a ride through the park.  One thing this city has is a wonderful walk/bike trail along the river.  I heard it travels for 50 miles but I will find that out in time. 
We walk a few miles with the dogs daily but that isn't anything compared to a bike ride on it.





Click on the highlighted word  here----> Octane to see it in action.  It's a SEATED elliptical unit.  You work your upper and lower body at the same time.  When my legs get tired my arms can take over and vice versa. You can adjust the seat height as well as the back of the seat.  Check it out :)

< Message edited by MistresseLotus -- 10/1/2008 9:59:40 AM >

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I leave it to the 20-somethings to do the "open-minded, total unconditional acceptance thing" for it's how THEY learn that all the things others older than they have deemed BS, are in fact BS. What a waste of a decade.

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