How to train to lose wieght
W33D078
Posts: 2
Hi
I am a 37 year old male soilder who had a knee operation about 3-4 years ago. As a result of this operation i can no longer conduct impact sports. Hence i took up MTB. I am 5'10" and about 17 stone. The bike i own is a Marin Mount Vision 08. My knee seems to be fine on rides i have completed Dalby Red route a number of times. I was interested to know what are my options for losing wieght while MTBing, or should i also look at completing a number of road rides
I am a 37 year old male soilder who had a knee operation about 3-4 years ago. As a result of this operation i can no longer conduct impact sports. Hence i took up MTB. I am 5'10" and about 17 stone. The bike i own is a Marin Mount Vision 08. My knee seems to be fine on rides i have completed Dalby Red route a number of times. I was interested to know what are my options for losing wieght while MTBing, or should i also look at completing a number of road rides
0
Comments
-
solely using biking i would say the most important thing is to get out regularly. build up to 5 or 6 ntimes per week. there are 3 main sessions per week that i concentrate on.
use one endurance ride a week for a slow steady fat burning session at about 60-70% max effort. i go for about 3 hours on this one.
a threshold session will build speed endurance, and needs to be done at about 80%. more importantly it will burns calories like crazy, including well after the ride. i go out for 1.5-2 hours on this one.
the last is a speed or power sesion. this can be done either on hills for power, or using fartleck etc for speed. again this will burn lots of calories quickly and continue well after the ride. i go for about an hour here.
to get your effort levels correct get a heartrate monitor. on the days not doing these sessions just get out and ride. nice and relaxed around endurance pace but shorter distance. you'll be amazed at how quickly you lose weight and gain fitness.0 -
Think somebody has this in their signature. Just Get Out and Ride.
I mean there's plenty of advice you could be given regarding your knee, for example, seat height etc... but when it comes to weight loss, if you're putting in the time and effort, it should just fall off.
10 years ago I was in army cadets and remember being served a slap-up, full british EVERY MORNING at summer camp. I'm assuming it's the same in the army, IF that's rubbed off on you maybe you could drop that and swap for some Oatso instead!spammer0 -
-
Cycling is brilliant for watching weight and staying fit.
Gives you a great base fitness and means you can eat more food and drink more beer without putting on weight
0 -
Dr. Death makes a blunt point but it is true. To loose weight you just need to expend more than you are putting in.
If you PM me your email addy, I will forward you my calorie counter spread sheet that I use for all my clients.
As great as riding is, there are loads of other techniques out there that can challenge your system. Such as weight training, which can have a huge impact on your body and performance on the bike.0 -
surf matt, thats my attitude as well. a mate said to me recently that i train as hard as anyone he knows, so why do i ruin it by eating crap and drinking loads. i said i train so i can eat and drink what i like and enjoy.
i accepted that i'll never have a six pack so why punish myself. i just keep myself fit, and allow myself to enjoy life. not gonna waste my time with the diminishing returns involved with turning from normal to adonis!0 -
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/magazine/in ... index.aspx
... have a look at this I always find it encouraging. I used to weigh sixteen and half stone with 42 inch waist at one time...now 12st 12lbs with a 34 inch waist...I just ride my bike......all the way...'til the wheels fall off and burn...0 -
ChrisLS I just looked at that link to the calorie burn off calculator. must be something wrong there, reckons i burn off 35 calories doing 5 minutes cleaning and 12 calories flogging it like a dog on my bike for an hour.Why use brakes? Falling off is a much quicker way to stop0
-
ha ha ha my mistake, i put in 1 minute cycling instead of one hour, looks better now, 894 calories burnt off cycling, same a 12 inch pizza, chicken curry & pilau rice, i know what i'm doing after my ride tonight, er waiter...Why use brakes? Falling off is a much quicker way to stop0
-
ChrisLS wrote:http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/magazine/interactive/calories/index.aspx
I just had a go at this calc and it told me I'm overdoing it and risking "muscle strains" and "broken bones"?!!0 -
I think the key to this is monitoring your heart rate and ensuring you are training in the right zones. If you bomb along at 75+% you will be constantly depleting your carbs stored in your muscles and then will want to eat crap when you finish to make you feel better.
The danger being that when you first get that sugar spike you will over eat as it is so addictive.
LSD = long slow distances in your 60% zone - rides of an hour plus - to train your body to use fat and not your carbs and then not eating the junk food at the end will make a difference.
Interval training and some hill work will ensure you don't loose your speed fitness too.
I am doing quite well on all this except the not eating junk food bit
Sugar is so addictive it is very very hard.0 -
...yeah mm1 I've been overdoing it for years and years ...all the way...'til the wheels fall off and burn...0
-
I risk broken bones too apparently!!
What you need to do is find something you really enjoy, always prioritise it above anything else (even work), and do it at least four times a week.
Calorie counting is just wrong - you know exactly what you've eaten and exactly what you burn - you become a slave to numbers and in constant fear/guilt of what you've eaten.
Just make small steps and exercise more - see results, get more motivated and the cycle continues.
The first "you look much slimmer/better/healthier" comment will rocket your confidence and motivation too. It's easy to be overweight and makes excuses for life. It's harder to do the graft and get in the training - but the results are priceless.
EDIT - just done my 8km trail run in too much heat. Sweating so much that I can hardly see, and utterly wasted (just missed my PB!) - okay, it IS hard work!0 -
Its easy for us guys to say, "watching your calorie intake is silly and wrong", but the reality is that, some people need that guidance and have a very distorted perception of what a good diet is.
But I do see your point, and add that it should never become an obsession.0 -
Totally unscientific BUT thye people I know (a fair few) who really are in shape and fit just don't worry too much about diet - maybe they are lucky and just have lifelong good habits?
The one's who spend too much time worrying about calories are out of shape and not changing a lot.
I did selection for the Royal Marines (to be an officer) and passed, plus have a decent amount of military training, some of it alongside Paras, some alongside 22 SAS (in Wales) - we often ate with them - the diet was never faffy and would shock some people BUT they are some of the fittest people around.
Of course be a bit careful and try and eat a balanced diet but to me, and many others, it's not rocket science - just train as much as you can and don't become a life long food fearing calorie counter. Just get fit and enjoy whatever food you fancy.0 -
Apparently I'm in the brittle bone/don't overdo it category too :? I then put in 20mins cleaning - a 'good start' :roll:0
-
That link is really good. You dont realise that the bits you do during the day that you wouldnt count as exercise burn off significant amounts of calories.
I have to say cycling has become a big part of my life both socially and in terms of the weight i have lost doing it. I have always had a weight problem, peaking last year at the age of 20 weighing in at 20 stone and 6 foot tall. 7 months on and i have lost 4 stone and feeling great (im not stopping either, im enjoying being much fitter). Cycling has been a very big part of my fitness regime -mainly because i love to do it. I cant really think of a better way to get fit than a long ride through my local forest0
