Not to be redundant with another cycling question, but you mentioned that alternating cycling with another form of exercise can help decrease the tightening effects of cycling. I am a ballet teacher who has just begun a cycling regime as suggested in a dance conditioning book. It reccomends 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 times a week in order to burn fat stores and increase endurance. One sugestion was cycling and since I absolutely hate running I thought it a good idea. I teach ballet 5 days a week but only dance for about 4 hours a week.
I am also trying to build flexibility as suggested in your Stretching Scientifically Book. Should I cut the cycling down to three times a week in order to continue increasing my flexiblity? If so will this still have fat burning and endurance effects?
Cycling Frequency
If you are trying to become more flexible then it might be best to avoid cycling.Skipping is an option if you don't like running,or perhaps more dancing.As long as the chosen activity is aerobic it will have the same benefit for endurance and fat burning.Having said that,different activities will require adifferent amount of time to have the same effect.
I cycle to help with a SI injury and have found no drop in flexibility(like i said,may be different if you are actually trying to gain flexibility),but find cycling doesn't have anywhere near the same amount of cardio benefit as other choices done for the same amount of time.
Dragon
I cycle to help with a SI injury and have found no drop in flexibility(like i said,may be different if you are actually trying to gain flexibility),but find cycling doesn't have anywhere near the same amount of cardio benefit as other choices done for the same amount of time.
Dragon
Thank you Dragon. I use to cycle very regularly and was actually more flexible than I am now. It seemed to be the best exercise to get me really warm for stretching. I could hold my legs much higher and do the splits. But as I have lost some flexibility I am worried about cycling being damaging this time around.
Doing more dancing will not really help as it is anaerobic not aerobic, and the book I am following suggests exercising at 60-70% max heart rate for 30 minutes or more in order to burn fat. Fat burning is my main reason for the bike riding, rather than cardio.
I've tried walking but can't get my heart rate up high enough and skipping rope gets it too high. Perhaps I will try the running. Maybe it won't be so bad.
You know a lot about training. Is this 60-70 percent max for 30 min+ the most efficient way to burn fat (provided I don't eat an hour before)?
Also the book (ballet conditioning) recommends 5 times a week but I find that impossible to fit in with the guidelines of a weekly microcycle as stated in the Stretching Scientifically book (not enough rest and nowhere to fit strength training). Will three times a week be enough to burn fat?
Doing more dancing will not really help as it is anaerobic not aerobic, and the book I am following suggests exercising at 60-70% max heart rate for 30 minutes or more in order to burn fat. Fat burning is my main reason for the bike riding, rather than cardio.
I've tried walking but can't get my heart rate up high enough and skipping rope gets it too high. Perhaps I will try the running. Maybe it won't be so bad.
You know a lot about training. Is this 60-70 percent max for 30 min+ the most efficient way to burn fat (provided I don't eat an hour before)?
Also the book (ballet conditioning) recommends 5 times a week but I find that impossible to fit in with the guidelines of a weekly microcycle as stated in the Stretching Scientifically book (not enough rest and nowhere to fit strength training). Will three times a week be enough to burn fat?
Must admit i'm not to educated in the scientific way of training.
Any activity(whether aerobic or anaerobic) burns calories,and therefore can burn excess bodyfat.
Take alook at sprinters who train specifically to compete in short bursts for example.
A lot of reducing bodyfat or gaining muscle mass is having the correct diet.
If you are going from doing no fat burning exercise to doing 3 times per week you will burn calories.
Whether you hit a plateau before you reach your desired level of bodyfat will greatly depend on where you are up to now,your diet,and how extreme a reduction you want(ripped bodybuilder at 7% is extreme for example).
Dragon
Any activity(whether aerobic or anaerobic) burns calories,and therefore can burn excess bodyfat.
Take alook at sprinters who train specifically to compete in short bursts for example.
A lot of reducing bodyfat or gaining muscle mass is having the correct diet.
If you are going from doing no fat burning exercise to doing 3 times per week you will burn calories.
Whether you hit a plateau before you reach your desired level of bodyfat will greatly depend on where you are up to now,your diet,and how extreme a reduction you want(ripped bodybuilder at 7% is extreme for example).
Dragon
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Thomas Kurz
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And who but you yourself chooses the dance and sets the tempo?Dancer wrote:Doing more dancing will not really help as it is anaerobic not aerobic, and the book I am following suggests exercising at 60-70% max heart rate for 30 minutes or more in order to burn fat.
Boxers alone know about 30 rope-jumping steps and at least three rhythms. So who but you yourself chooses the steps, the rhythm, and sets the tempo?Dancer wrote:I've tried walking but can't get my heart rate up high enough and skipping rope gets it too high.
To keep your exercise aerobic do not let your heart rate exceed the difference between 180 and your age, if you are older than 16. Those 16 or younger may exercise with a heart rate of 165 bpm. Explanation is in Science of Sports Training ( http://www.stadion.com/science.html ).
Thomas Kurz
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Thomas Kurz wrote:
And who but you yourself chooses the dance and sets the tempo?
Unfortunately Thomas, the rules of a ballet class set the tempo and dance. The structure of the ballet class is set with high intensity or medium intensity exercises with many stops and starts. It does not burn very many calories which is why dancers have to diet so much or do extra conditioning to stay thin.
I opt for conditioning rather than extreme dieting. I think maybe I could practice skipping as it is probaly just the lack of confidence that keeps my heart-rate up. I'm always worried I'll trip over.
And who but you yourself chooses the dance and sets the tempo?
Unfortunately Thomas, the rules of a ballet class set the tempo and dance. The structure of the ballet class is set with high intensity or medium intensity exercises with many stops and starts. It does not burn very many calories which is why dancers have to diet so much or do extra conditioning to stay thin.
I opt for conditioning rather than extreme dieting. I think maybe I could practice skipping as it is probaly just the lack of confidence that keeps my heart-rate up. I'm always worried I'll trip over.
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Thomas Kurz
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- Posts: 443
- Joined: Dec 03, 2003 08:04