Big Bike Ride for Fat Burning
Filed Under: Fat Loss
Filed Under: Fat Loss
Burned just over 1500 calories on my bike ride last week, according to my HR monitor. On a beautiful day I pedaled for an hour and forty minutes.
My average heart rate percentage was 83%, with a max of 98%, no doubt as I was fighting the wind on my way back. I don’t generally ride for more than an hour at a time, but decided to push it a little farther this time.
I wore the HR monitor to get an idea of how many calories I usually burn. I think getting a long ride in once a week will help get me ready for Summer. A few days later, I definitely noticed a difference.
This bike workout combined with a few other training sessions a day prior and after, really gave my metabolism a boost – which was good, considering the amount of food I ate this past weekend on my mini vacation.
An hour or hour and a half ride might not be much for an endurance cyclist, but I don’t ride a sleek racing bike, I have a big mountain bike that weighs plenty.
I’m also well over 200 pounds, so I get a pretty good workout this way. By alternating my regular training with these bike rides I will burn off enough calories to see my abs by July.
If you haven’t noticed, I prefer intense total body sessions over longer, isolation work. If short on time, more intense workouts are the way to go, provided you are healthy enough.
Using a monitor is a great way to keep track of exercise intensity. It also lets you know if you should up your intensity. With short, intense workouts you can burn fat after you have stopped exercising, sometimes for several hours afterwards.
If you can’t exercise intensely, you will still burn some calories, but will have to pedal or walk for a long time. Either way, mixing things up a little keeps your body guessing and your mind fresh.
Get moving!
Brian
