Biking in Gym

[GLC1968]

I would like to second CardioCoach for gym workouts. They are EXCELLENT workouts and they can be as tough as you make them. They can be used on any cardio machine (or even outside if you run) but I like them best for the elliptical or the bike. You can get them on CD if you have a Discman, or you can download the MP3's.

http://www.cardiocoach.com/

Spin classes are also a good option if you have good instructors (I've had good and bad and it really can make or break a class).

For someone who asked, I don't have an Ipod, I use a Rio Forge Sport MP3 player. I bought an extra card, and now my player holds 1.25 G of music which is plenty for me. It's also small enough to stay out of the way and it's super sturdy. Love it! In general, there are two basic types of MP3 players...flash players and hard-drive players. A flash player is sturdier (won't skip if dropped) and it has less working parts to damage, but it's limite to the size of the card it uses (either installed, or additional). A hard-drive player will hold a LOT more, but it works kind of like a hard-drive in a computer and can be more easily damaged (though they make them pretty tough these days!). Flash players are generally cheaper, too.

Came back to add this link:
http://www.rioaudio.com/shop/_templa....asp?model=265

[aicabsolut]

I've always had strong legs. But because of injuries I've had to give up weight bearing exercises almost entirely. That means I can't lift heavy when I work my legs in the gym for most things. But cycling has improved the muscle tone in my legs and I have not lost any strength (based on how easy it is to lift what I can challenge myself with, other sports I can do, etc.). Some of the smaller muscles in the legs (hip flexors, anterior tibialis, peroneals, for example) are stronger. My hams, calves, and glutes are also stronger because cycling makes me focus on proper technique which uses those muscles versus how quad-dominant my body likes to be in most things. I started noticing these changes when I was only spinning indoors (which I did for quite a while waiting to "heal" and to see if I wanted to ride outdoors at all).

The thing about raw strength of elite cyclists is true..they tend to not have as much fast twich muscle nor do some of them need to produce very high power with their legs. What makes them great is that the power they do produce they can maintain for much longer than the untrained person, which is where those slow twich muscles come into play.

Slow twich muscle is smaller in cross-sectional mass than fast twich muscle, so by training those predominantly by cycling won't bulk you up or increase your strength much.

But if in your training you are not only working on producing and maintaining power but producing MORE power than you currently can, then you'll be working in a way that challenges all of your muscles.

So on a spinner, don't just spin at what's easy for you to do at 90rpms. And don't just struggle to push along at 60rpms. Use your heart rate zones and perceived exertion to train your body in different ways to get fitter.

Example: Start out with a warmup at an easy resistance where 100rpms puts you at maybe 50%. Work up to 55%, not going over 110 or so. Then do a long set where 90-100rpms puts you up at 65% by increasing your resistance. From then on, increase resistance and/or speed for long sets (well over 5 min each) until you're just shy of your anaerobic threshold. Then bring yourself back down to 75% then 70% then 60%, holding each for a while. There, you're building endurance.

For speeding cardiovascular recovery time and working on muscular strength, do shorter intervals where you're really cranking up the speed (you should still feel the resistance and not be bouncing out of control) or cranking up the resistance (not dropping below 60-65, because that's bad for your knees).

There are other theories, and you'll find other fun cardio stuff in spin classes. But this is a place to start. But it'll do you the most good once you learn some about form and technique, and that's where a good spin instructor can help you the most.

It's a lot of fun and a good workout without being so hard on the joints. Have fun with it!

[SouthernBelle]

Sorry I haven't been back to answer your Q, but gald to see it was answered as to CardioCoach.

The podcasts are often downloadable as mp3s, but don't think that could be done from itunes. You could probably google the homesites though. Check out podrunner and fitpod.