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Cycling Is A Poor Form of Exercise :-(

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Cycling Is A Poor Form of Exercise :-(

Old 10-26-20, 11:45 PM
  #251  
frogman
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Originally Posted by ofajen
Indeed. I rotate cycling, circuit training with weights, elliptical and yoga. With cooler weather and darkness also more running. 👍

Otto

Thats great Otto ! I alternate cycling and weight training with a stretching routine after the workouts. I used to run also but my knees started giving me problems.
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Old 10-27-20, 06:00 AM
  #252  
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Originally Posted by frogman
Thats great Otto ! I alternate cycling and weight training with a stretching routine after the workouts. I used to run also but my knees started giving me problems.
I also have a basic indoor bike trainer with a fluid resistance mechanism, but I’d prefer not to use it. Indoor cycling is, at least for me, a very weak and pale imitation of outdoor cycling. I’m planning to bundle up and endure more cold this year, rather than limiting myself to freezing and above.

Otto
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Old 10-27-20, 07:36 AM
  #253  
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Originally Posted by ofajen
Indeed. I rotate cycling, circuit training with weights, elliptical and yoga. With cooler weather and darkness also more running. 👍

Otto
I cycle for cardio, and weight train through my job where I'm often lifting heavy things.
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Old 10-27-20, 07:52 AM
  #254  
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Originally Posted by PoorInRichfield
I pretty much agree with all points you made and I've been a dedicated cyclist for over 25 years. Cycling certainly isn't a weight-bearing exercise which means you can potentially do it into your old age, but that also means you had better be doing some other exercises that are weight-bearing to keep your bones strong.

I also agree about the flabby / skinny upper body... however, running, hiking, skiing and probably a whole host of other sports don't help that either. I tried swimming for a while and that helped even-out my physique, but the chlorine killed my skin. I now do regular stretching and body-weight exercises which have actually helped my cycling quite a bit.

If you're not losing weight cycling, I'm going to venture to guess it's not the cycling... it's your diet or you're not riding any where near as hard as I do (You can coast on a bike and consume zero calories if you allow yourself to). Your body has inputs (calories) and outputs (burned calories)... if your inputs exceed your outputs, it doesn't matter what exercise you do, you won't lose weight.
Been off this forum for a good while and I agree, too (and with the OP, trolling as he may be). I didn't start actually losing weight when cycling was my primary form of exercise. Not until I started counting calories and doing a whole bunch of other exercise types, then I knocked off 30 lbs in six months, eventually going as low as 50 lbs below my max weight. And cycling in no way helped my pullups or other performance metrics, either.

Cycling is a great gateway drug to exercising*, I'll say that much. But it's absolutely not all-encompassing, either. And you have to ride pretty hard to stress your body enough to make it a good exercise session, but not many recreational riders actually push that hard, judging by how often my slow ass passes them on the MUP.

*(well, if they're willing to put up with probable mechanical issues, a sore butt, and likely an ill-fitting bike, all of which happens if they just buy a random bike off the shelf to "try it out" before deciding if they'll be "serious".. whatever "serious bicycling" means)
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Old 10-27-20, 11:25 AM
  #255  
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Originally Posted by StanSeven
This is a long thread but giving members a chance to post anything new or meaningful on the subject.
Funniest post I've read this week.
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Old 11-17-20, 02:06 PM
  #256  
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Your incorrect conclusion is because of a sampling bias error.
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Old 11-17-20, 04:18 PM
  #257  
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I too cycle for cardio and understand the importance of weight training especially into later years, I just really dislike weights and unfortunately have a desk job that ties up a lot of time. Until I retire I expect that most of my exercise will be on the bike.
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Old 11-17-20, 04:58 PM
  #258  
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I'd be interested to see a long term study of fix gear riding vs with a freewheel. (Freewheel in the sense of a mechanism that can "coast", not freewheel vs cassette. So, in this sense, fix gear vs "freewheels", freehubs, IGHs, etc,)

I'd offer myself as a subject, I've ridden each roughly equally over 45 years. Yes, I certainly have suffered the bone loss typical of cyclists (get told every X-ray) but I also have always felt that riding fix gear did far more for me physically than riding freewheeling bikes as a person in the everyday world. I see that whenever I do yard work, handle power tools or do a myriad other physical tasks. When I return to weightlifting, I start with more weight if I've been riding fixed. I look better in the mirror. Shirts fit better. No, none of these perks come close to what I achieve doing actual weight lifting. But I can have these small perks simply doing the same rides I'd do with gears.
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Old 11-17-20, 08:14 PM
  #259  
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So here is my take on the OP.
fitness has many aspects to it.

cycling for me is far superior to walking for cardiovascular fitness and health.
typically I can ever get my heart rate 70-90 percent maximum just by walking .
similarly I can run a couple miles but I cannot burn as much calories as biking Bc biking I can go far longer in time and have a higher calories burn without the impact, so biking is more enjoyable

On the flip side, cycling is just one exercise , doesn’t mean you will be fit enough to do boxing , play soccer, basketball etc since those require different athletic movements.

with that said for general populations strength training and cardio is all you really need, just pick exercises you enjoy for cardio and strength training .
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Old 11-18-20, 07:58 AM
  #260  
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Originally Posted by Awesomeguy
So here is my take on the OP.
fitness has many aspects to it.

cycling for me is far superior to walking for cardiovascular fitness and health.
typically I can ever get my heart rate 70-90 percent maximum just by walking .
similarly I can run a couple miles but I cannot burn as much calories as biking Bc biking I can go far longer in time and have a higher calories burn without the impact, so biking is more enjoyable

On the flip side, cycling is just one exercise , doesn’t mean you will be fit enough to do boxing , play soccer, basketball etc since those require different athletic movements.

with that said for general populations strength training and cardio is all you really need, just pick exercises you enjoy for cardio and strength training .
Exactly!

Best regards
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Old 11-18-20, 08:22 AM
  #261  
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
I'd be interested to see a long term study of fix gear riding vs with a freewheel. (Freewheel in the sense of a mechanism that can "coast", not freewheel vs cassette. So, in this sense, fix gear vs "freewheels", freehubs, IGHs, etc,)

I'd offer myself as a subject, I've ridden each roughly equally over 45 years. Yes, I certainly have suffered the bone loss typical of cyclists (get told every X-ray) but I also have always felt that riding fix gear did far more for me physically than riding freewheeling bikes as a person in the everyday world. I see that whenever I do yard work, handle power tools or do a myriad other physical tasks. When I return to weightlifting, I start with more weight if I've been riding fixed. I look better in the mirror. Shirts fit better. No, none of these perks come close to what I achieve doing actual weight lifting. But I can have these small perks simply doing the same rides I'd do with gears.
Not sure fixed is the main difference. I would make the exact same observations riding single speed only again for a number of months.

I’d suggest the main thing is that single gear of either type means that hill climbs and headwinds will be high wattage episodes that also strengthen and tone upper body and core a bit.

Otto

Last edited by ofajen; 11-18-20 at 08:32 AM.
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Old 11-21-20, 03:34 AM
  #262  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
And that works for you, which is fantastic. Its absurd to say counting calories is unnecessary though. While you don't need it, others do.
Everyone has different ways to find and maintain healthy bodies and weight.

I religiously count calories, to the point that it is exhausting. But it is also what has worked to allow me to maintain a healthy weight as well as healthy body.
Religiously track calories in and religiously track calories burned. I'd love to not track and eat 'by feel', but that hasn't been a recipe for success so far.

In case you haven't heard, there are also multiple ways people learn best. Crazy, right?! I'm sure you figure your learning style is the only necessary way.
That’s my reality also.
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Old 11-24-20, 10:49 AM
  #263  
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Saw this on FB and thought of this thread....

Last edited by capt_velo; 11-24-20 at 10:58 AM.
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Old 11-24-20, 02:08 PM
  #264  
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I'd have to agree that cycling is good cardio, in the last 4 yrs that I have been cycling only, I have noticed my arms and shoulders getting
weaker by the year, and within the last 6 months have had some issues with my elbows and shoulders as a result of not lifting heavy things
any more. tendons seems to getting weaker in my upper body.
legs are good, lower back is good, things are starting to tear in my arms and I am noticeably weaker,

I need to start lifting to even things out.
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Old 11-24-20, 05:32 PM
  #265  
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Maybe cycling is a poor form of exercise. I don't care because I don't cycle for fitness, that's just a side effect. I ride because I like it.
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Old 11-27-20, 10:34 PM
  #266  
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What a strange thread. Any exercise is better than nothing and one that you enjoy and stick with is the best of all.
What is your goal? It's probably different for every person so why measure your success on someone else's scale?
I enjoy hiking my 5-10 local flat miles when I am at home. I do have to augment with running and strength work to be able to do my adventure hikes that I love (pre-COVID)- the latest was the Tour du Mont Blanc (10 days, 29,000 feet ascents and descents).
I enjoy biking my 20-40 miles on our low hills here in the Mid-Atlantic. I've gotten a bike trainer and more recently an indoor cycle with incline/decline and one day I would love to bike the Tour du Mont Blanc.
The strength work helps both of the above.
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Old 11-28-20, 12:24 AM
  #267  
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Cycling is a poor form of exercise compared to:
Running (not jogging) competitively
sculling
Nordic skiing
Swimming laps
mountain climbing or free climbing
Free diving?
Downhill ski racing?

Pro or Cat 1-2 excepted since they are elite.

Cycling is not a poor form of exercise compared to
Hiking
Walking
Scuba diving?
Wind surfing??
kayaking
roller blading/skating
Rowing
Darts
sitting
sleeping



THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN TONGUE IN CHEEK since we all know cycling is supreme, at least here.
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Last edited by rsbob; 11-28-20 at 12:31 AM.
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