Steve HowardThe conclusion leads many users to reuse an exercise bike they parked at home and others to use their bicycles while placing a roller. What are the benefits of these types of training? “Whichever option we choose will be a good solution to continue practicing at home, safely and with minimal impact on our joints. There are now many online learning platforms that help keep this practice from becoming monotonous or boring, ”says Javier Cobas, Metropolitan Trainer.
“The roller is ideal for more experienced athletes, since weight and strength control is itself. Since you are running the bike itself, the dimensions do not change and thus some injury can be minimized. This is ideal for short, intense work, ”explains Kobas, who has a degree in physical activity and sports science and a PhD in personal learning.
An exercise bike is a great ally for cardiovascular and strength training. Depending on the type of bike we have and our level of experience, we may be able to do certain exercises.
There are stationary bicycles in which you can adjust the power and intensity when pedaling; pedaling that normally sits because the mechanical system does not allow standing pedaling or is difficult in many models. Therefore, they usually have a fairly ergonomic seat. It is ideal for people with little or no cycling experience.
Others, however, are more like a regular bicycle when pedaling, such as the models used in the cycling classes. These types of bicycles are ideal for people with more cycling experience, allowing them to do more intense workouts according to their fitness level.
Time, intensity and rest
How much is the recommended minimum and maximum time?
“For almost any workout, a minimum of 45 minutes is a significant time to see future effects. In turn, we recommend that this type of activity does not exceed an hour or an hour and a half for those who are accustomed to cycling daily or for professionals. With a video, in particular, one hour will be more than enough, ”notes Kobas.
What is the ideal intensity for cycling at home?
Before we start, we must clearly understand our goal, that is, what we want to achieve with this training. It could be maintaining our daily lives, not losing physical performance, or simply maintaining good joint mobility.
On the other hand, we need to be aware of our limitations and capabilities. For this reason, Cobas reminds us that “in everything we do, we should not ask more of ourselves. and be comfortable with a specific routine. In this sense, the intensity will depend on how much we use. If this is our first contact, we do not have to perform very complicated procedures that force us to increase our heart rate excessively, but the demand must be progressive. During the day, we can increase the intensity. If we are more used to it, we can use the same intensity that we used, for example, in the gym. “
How long should you rest between one cycling workout and the next?
Although many times we see elite athletes spend all their days cycling, the truth is that most ordinary people don’t, so it is recommended to train between three or four times a week … A full day of rest and another active rest should be included, which includes light exercises to restore rhythm before returning to intensity, such as stretching (stretching exercise) or yoga. Prioritizes continuity over session intensity.
Don’t push yourself too hard and how to avoid injury
Competitions or challenges with virtual reels are becoming trendy, do they provide additional benefits? Do they increase the risk of overuse injury? According to the Moscow coach, “first of all, we must be aware of our capabilities. Demanding too much on ourselves and going beyond our capabilities can turn out to be the opposite of gain. We can’t compare ourselves to someone who exercises every day if we don’t and pretend to do the same. ”
Whenever we exercise the body, there is a risk of injury, whether at home or in the gym. “One of the most important parts of preventing injury is adherence to biomechanics and therefore the correct placement of bike components such as handlebars and saddles; according to user measurements. In this way, we avoid possible joint discomfort such as knees, hips or back, ”advises Kobas.
Dehydration can be another factor to take into account, as it affects blood viscosity and therefore our productivity. “Humidification is very important when we exercise, especially indoors like the ones we discuss below, where sweating is higher and there is less air circulation, so we’ll have a better chance of doing it. Ideally, drink between 0.5 and 0.75 liters per hour of activity. In addition, it would be interesting to exercise in a ventilated area, ”emphasizes the personal trainer.
The wearing of inappropriate clothing is another factor in the risk of injury. It may be that if we are not experts, we do not have all the right clothes, but remember that with normal shoes and pedaling for a long time, we can cause, for example, plantar fasciitis.
Is it recommended to conduct the session following the instructions of the monitor?
If we do not have knowledge of the activity we want to do, or we do not know where to start, in this, as in any other area, the ideal option would be to contact those who can us help, and give us advice and exercises that will give us results.
“It is important to know as few people as possible who will teach in the classroom or from whom we receive specific advice to ensure that they are truly trained in this discipline and thus avoid doing exercises that cause stress or damage to our joints caused by poor posture, thus avoiding pain present both during and after the session, says Kobas.
Effective stationary and rollerbike workouts
Cobas offers the following indoor cycling workouts.
STATIC BIKE TRAINING
Harmonic continuous procedure (30 minutes)
This is a progressive and continuous workout ideal for running as a low-impact session or recovering between sessions. With this type of exercise, we aim to burn fat and muscle glycogen, in addition to building and improving our aerobic base. The intensity at which we must move is between 65% and 85% of our heart rate (HR).
Start with a five minute warm-up at a high rpm, no more than 90 revolutions per minute (rpm), but with low resistance, without, of course, depriving you of your legs. It then applies load and decelerates to 85-75 rpm to keep it running continuously. For the next 20 minutes, he sees a very small increase in load every four minutes, trying to maintain the frequency between these 85-75 rpm. Thus, you will perform five increments of load. To finish, reduce the workload and make a calm return for the last five minutes.
Variable continuous routine (43 minutes)
This is a progressive, active recovery workout that reaches multiple intensity peaks. This allows for improved recovery processes as well as aerobic capacity. Work intensity should be between 65% and maximum heart rate.
Start with a five minute warm-up at high rpm, no more than 90 rpm, but with low resistance, while maintaining foot control. Then he increases the load and decreases the pace around 80-70 rpm to maintain and throughout the workout. For the next 15 minutes, he sees very small increases in load every three minutes, trying to maintain the frequency between these 80-70 rpm. This will create five additional load increments.
Take a three-minute break, reducing the load, but not completely resting, and repeat again in five increments of load every three minutes, trying to achieve a higher heart rate than in the first block. To finish, reduce the load and make a calm return for the last 5 minutes.
Interval (30 minutes)
This is a workout with programmed intensities, vigorous recovery and high calorie intake. Improves lactate tolerance and cardiac efficiency. Recovery between sessions of this type should be at least 48 hours and are recommended for intermediate or advanced people.
Start with a five minute warm-up at high rpm, no more than 90 rpm, but with low resistance. Then he increases the load and decelerates approximately 85-80 rpm for maintenance and throughout the workout. Perform 10 work intervals of one minute, increasing the load and maintaining.
Active rest for another minute, always with some effort. Finally, reduce the exertion and return to calmness within the last 5 minutes.
Training considerations
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Always maintain control of the pedals and correct body position on the bike.
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Find safe work areas while pedaling 90 to 60 rpm.
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Divide the working time between sitting and standing, the time we will spend sitting will always be longer. While standing, we will try not to pedal higher than 80-85 rpm in order to maintain the correct technique.
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By increasing the intensity, we get two ways: one is to maintain the rhythm and increase the load, and the other is to maintain the load and increase the rhythm. Play around with these two variables as you do your workouts and look for workout intensity zones.
TRAINING BIKES WITH ROLLER
Strength
In this session, leg strength is worked out by slowing down the pace, forcing you to pedal harder. You will appreciate it when the road turns uphill.
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Heat ten minutes in Zone 2 (Z2)
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Ten minutes on the Z3 at 60 rpm.
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Five minutes on the Z2 at 100 rpm.
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Ten minutes on the Z3 at 55 rpm.
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Five minutes on the Z2 at 100 rpm.
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Ten minutes on the Z3 at 50 rpm.
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Return to calm for 15 minutes on Z1
Cadence
While strength training helps us pedal harder, in these work sessions we will train the speed at which we can pedal. Strength is strength for speed, so if we can pedal harder and faster, we will have more strength in our feet.
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Heat ten minutes on Z2
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12 minutes as follows: 1 ‘at 90 rpm; 1 ‘at 120 rpm; 1 ‘at 90 rpm; 1 ‘at 120 rpm until you’ve finished twelve minutes
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10 minutes in Z2 at the desired speed
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12 minutes as follows: 1 ‘at 90 rpm; 1 ‘at 120 rpm; 1 ‘at 90 rpm; 1 ‘at 120 rpm until you finish 12 minutes
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Return to calm for 15 minutes on Z1
Complement your workout with CORE exercises
According to the metropolitan trainer, for people doing cycling at home, it is recommended to train the upper body as well. Here we find the area that we know as the CORE, that is, the muscular region that is located in the central region of the trunk and that encompasses all the abdominal muscles, diaphragm, lumbar, paraspinal, gluteal, pelvic floor, pelvis, and even the abductor adductors. and the top of the hamstrings, among others. Working with CORE helps improve breathing as exercise helps to expel air from the lungs without leaving little air and leaving room for cleaner air. In turn, they provide strength, resistance and stability in the back.
Another very important part of the work is all the muscles that relax when we cycle and which usually lead to severe kyphosis of the spine. All of the muscles that make up the upper back – such as the rhomboid, infraspinatus, circle, supraspinatus, etc. – require muscle building work to compensate for the hours we can spend on cycling.
For its part, stretching should be part of our daily habits, regardless of age; children, youth, adults or older, this is good and everyone needs it. “They are just as important as good physical training, and their practice is very important, something we often underestimate, and this is the key to increasing flexibility, body mobility, muscle and joint health, and injury prevention. Stretching helps to relax the tense muscles created by the frantic rhythm day in and day out as they lower the levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), ”Cobas recalls.
If we want to avoid pain, joint stiffness, and decreased muscle ability, we must follow stretches that help our body move and even help it recover from poor posture that occurs when you spend a lot of time on sofa or working at the computer. It doesn’t have to be an intense class or physical activity that we’re not used to. Just doing some stretching exercises is enough.