Interval Training on an Exercise Bike for Fat Loss

Interval Training for Fat Loss

Today, I’m going to show you how to turn a simple exercise bike into a powerful fat burning tool. You’ll be using something called interval training.

If you’ve already been doing interval style training for fat loss, then you know how effective it can be. If you have never done it before, then you should know that it’s been proven to increase your metabolism, and help you get rid of fat fast.

It’s not a fad, and it’s not some sort of gimmick. It’s real. In fact, once I describe what you’ll be doing, you’ll understand both why it’s so effective, and why so few people actually do it.

With the approaching winter months, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get outside to do any type of working out. That’s why you’ll be using an exercise bike for your workouts. But before I get started describing your workouts, here’s a little more information about interval training and why it’s so effective…

Interval style training is performed by doing an exercise at a high level of intensity for a given amount of time, or distance, and then alternating that with a period of low intensity. For example, sprinting for 20 seconds and then walking for 40 seconds, then repeating the sequence several more times is interval training.

This type of training is based on the science of fat loss, which has come a long way in the past 10 years. For example, we now know that performing your workouts at higher intensity leads to a higher caloric consumption by the body in the period for about 1-2 days following the workout when compared to low intensity workouts.

In case you’re wondering, that means that performing sets of sprints is better than doing slow, steady state cardio when it comes to stimulating the metabolism for sustained and permanent fat loss.

The evidence is also anecdotal. Look at a typical high school or college track meet, or even the recent Olympics. Do you remember watching the various athletes? The sprinters sported lean and muscular physiques while the long distance runners typically had long, stringy musculature.

Now that you know why it works, let’s get to the actual workout.

You’ll be using an exercise bike to do your intervals. Start with a 5 minute warm up at a low to moderate pace. This will be at a level 2 to 5.

After your warm up is complete, you’re ready for the real workout. You’ll be performing sprints followed by moderate pedaling at a slow to moderate pace. Your sprints will be twice as hard, but only half as long as your active rest periods.

For example, if you sprint at level 10 for 10 seconds, then your active rest period will be at level 5 for 20 seconds. However, if level 5 is too tough for your active rest, go ahead and reduce the levels until you feel comfortable. The goal of the active rest is to get your heart rate down, and to catch your breath. It prepares you for the next sprint interval.

Here’s a quick 20 minute routine you can start off with:

Warm Up - 5 min
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Active Rest - 60 sec
Sprint - 30 sec
Cool Down - 4 min

You can perform this workout 2 to 4 times per week depending on your fat loss goals. If you’re in a hurry to lose fat, then obviously, you’ll do more workouts per week than if you’re taking a more laid back approach to fat loss.

I like to do my intervals on days when I’m not lifting weight. For example, a typical week might look like this:

Day 1 weight training
Day 2 interval training
Day 3 weight training
Day 4 slow steady state cardio
Day 5 weight training
Day 6 interval training
Day 7 rest

That’s pretty much it. It’s nothing fancy, yet highly effective for fat loss. All you need is an exercise bike, and a little motivation. If you’re ready for something different, then give interval training for fat loss on an exercise bike a try. You’ll be getting into terrific shape, and you’ll quickly start shedding that fat.

If you’re convinced that interval training is what you need to lose that unwanted fat, than why not give Turbulence Training a try. It’s like interval training on hyperdrive, so imagine what it’ll do for your fat loss. Click here to find out more…

Technorati Tags: interval training, interval training for fat loss, fat loss, turbulence training

Related articles:

1. You, a Pair of Sneakers, and Interval Training for Fat Loss
2. How to Use EPOC for Maximum Fat Loss
3. The Myth of the “Fat Burning Zone” for Fat Loss
4. Burn Belly Fat Fast - 3 Tips for Blazing Fat Loss
5. Fat Loss - 3 Major Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes