High or low gear for some weight loss ?

jonnoak
jonnoak Posts: 54
edited September 2012 in Health, fitness & training
Hi, been riding to work (only 2 miles each way) since about Jan.. Cut some out some of the rubbish I eat but still at about 15 1/2 stone (no weight loss). I've just started taking a longer route home and doing a few more miles for fun.. But what would be better for weight loss, standing in the highest possible gear I can or in the lowest going like the clappers not getting anywhere looking a bit daft ?

Any advise welcome.. could do with a little help :)

Cheers

Comments

  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    Try a gear that moves you forward as fast as you need to go. Grinding or spinning is irrelevant if your diet is crap or insufficient,fix that first.
  • estampida
    estampida Posts: 1,008
    single speed

    gearing ideally 2:1

    so a 16t rear cog, and a 32t chain ring for example

    dont fixie it up, will hurt for the first few weeks, but just lack of maintenance is a winner
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Ignore the single speed "special" up there. On a real bike you can get 36/11 or 42/11 depending on the amount of chainrings you have.

    Anyway - I'd suggest doing considerably more than 4 miles a day to lose weight - that's only about 15 minutes of cycling!
    My photos
  • jonnoak
    jonnoak Posts: 54
    Right, so basically sort my diet out (in progress) and get out more ?.. That's what I thought, but wondered if i could get more out of a necessary journey to work. Oh well !!, Cheers :)
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I've read some things recently that suggested a very high intensity workout can burn fat at an alarming rate (I had previously been told that such exercise tended to burn stored carbs and sugars, and that long, steady excercise burns fat better, what the hey) - so it might be worth absolutely blasting your ride home as hard and fast as you can, and see if you notice any difference.
    Also, try to not sit down at all, stay standing.

    I'd suggest taking it easy on the way IN to work though, since you have a full day to deal with, keep the crazyness till the ride home.
    My photos
  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    I've read some things recently that suggested a very high intensity workout can burn fat at an alarming rate (I had previously been told that such exercise tended to burn stored carbs and sugars, and that long, steady excercise burns fat better, what the hey) - so it might be worth absolutely blasting your ride home as hard and fast as you can, and see if you notice any difference.
    Also, try to not sit down at all, stay standing.

    I'd suggest taking it easy on the way IN to work though, since you have a full day to deal with, keep the crazyness till the ride home.
    Short intense bursts burn a greater percentage of fat but long steady burns more overall calories. So you could cruise to work and kill it on the way home for the same effect.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    hello? Is there an echo in here?
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  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    hello? Is there an echo in here?
    Well you didn't seem entirely sure that what you read was indeed correct. Congratulations it is.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Nope, the "same effect" bit is what I'm on about.
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  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Nope, the "same effect" bit is what I'm on about.
    If it would cause you to lose sleep because two people said the same thing on the internet,Ill remove it for you
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    It's the way you stated it, as though you were correcting, or improving on my suggestion, whereas you were actually suggesting precisely the same thing.
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  • composite
    composite Posts: 29
    Its the bloody odd couple in here. Hahah. :D
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    2 miles?

    Run, you'll lose more weight!
  • Girya
    Girya Posts: 23
    2miles? You didn't honestly think that amounted to enough for weight loss, 20 miles a week! :shock:
  • MagnePange
    MagnePange Posts: 38
    If you exercise and don´t loose weight you need to adjust the diet not the gears.
    For a weight loos on exercise whitout diet adjustmenst you might need up to 120 minutes of exercise a day (every day in the week) in order to get a significant weight reduction. If you are wery overweight or obese that might be that you lose fat on a lesser extensive exercise program. But the main message is to reduce calories and keep up the good work on your bike!
  • crispy1980
    crispy1980 Posts: 310
    how long does it take for the ride to work? if you are just gently cruising its not really going to do you any good, you need to be sweating for this to happen. my mate is a good example. he goes to llandegla at least once a week on his own and quite often does two red runs, BUT he goes at his own pace and dosnt push himself, so has found its not doing him much good.
  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    I've read some things recently that suggested a very high intensity workout can burn fat at an alarming rate (I had previously been told that such exercise tended to burn stored carbs and sugars, and that long, steady excercise burns fat better, what the hey) - so it might be worth absolutely blasting your ride home as hard and fast as you can, and see if you notice any difference.
    Also, try to not sit down at all, stay standing.

    I'd suggest taking it easy on the way IN to work though, since you have a full day to deal with, keep the crazyness till the ride home.
    Short intense bursts burn a greater percentage of fat but long steady burns more overall calories. So you could cruise to work and kill it on the way home for the same effect.


    Here's the science bit
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    That's quite interesting - and also the polar opposite to what I read in several places for many years.
    I wonder what caused the sudden shift in opinion on high intensity V sustained low intensity? Was there any research done before?
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  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    Don't know about previous studies, I wasn't sure myself, I saw a programme a while ago which sort of said the same thing.... then I looked up 'fat burning' on Joe Friel's blog - he's pretty much the benchmark on cycle training IMO and he cites the case above.
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    There seems to have been a major shift in thinking a few years ago, for some reason.
    Everyone used to think one thing, and now they all seem to agree the opposite, and can site stufied and figures. I'm curious about what, if any, studies were done previously to back up the previous belief, and what caused such a mass change in belief.
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  • bwtmc
    bwtmc Posts: 31
    I have been naughty and not actually read all of the above posts ... so sorry i repeat what anyone has already.

    Interval training is a great way to brurn fat, aka short bursts of intense training followed by sessions of a reduced intensity......

    I would recommend just taking a nice cycle into work, and then training on the way home through interval training:

    Go like the clappers for about 30 secconds, and then at medium pace for 60 secconds.....

    * Dont over do it, if it feels like its doing you damage then back off. (you will realise how you can push yourself after doing this for a while)

    * Stick at it.

    * Eat well


    Try this for a few weeks and see how you get on, if you would like any more advice then you can pm me if you like.

    Jak

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