Proper Cycling Interval

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Bright Star
I've been going to the Gym everyday for the last few months & have been excercising on a bike machine. I weigh 148 pounds & want to get down to about 135. I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall.
I get on the bike machine for about 20 minutes each day for at least 4 days a week. I also do push ups & sit ups. & sometimes get on the treadmill.
What I'd like to know if this is enough to reach my goal? Should I increase my time on the bike machine & IF so by how much?
Thanks.

The short answer is that this is not enough to reach your goal in a reasonable timeframe. To lose 1 lb. you must burn 3500 calories more than you need to maintain a constant weight. 20 min. on a stationary bike or a treadmill will probably burn about 100 calories. A reasonable goal would be to burn and/or not eat 500 calories per day so that you lose 1 lb. per week. If you were to burn 300 per day in the gym and eat 200 less than normal you could reach your objective in 12 weeks. This level of burn would require about 1 hr per day - every day - at a modest level of exercise in a gym. If this is too rigorous, you could go for half that amount and twice the time. One half pound per week is generally considered achievable by most people.

The gym I use has instrumentation on all their machines to readout heart rate, calorie burn rate, total burn, etc. If yours doesn't, I suggest you look for a new gym.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Bright Star
I've been going to the Gym everyday for the last few months & have been excercising on a bike machine. I weigh 148 pounds & want to get down to about 135. I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall.
I get on the bike machine for about 20 minutes each day for at least 4 days a week. I also do push ups & sit ups. & sometimes get on the treadmill.
What I'd like to know if this is enough to reach my goal? Should I increase my time on the bike machine & IF so by how much?
Thanks.

My experience is that you will need to diet as well to reach your weight goal. Even if you're burning 500 calories at the gym, it's too easy to eat those back as a "reward" after a workout.

My personal experience is that diet discipline is tougher than routine exercise, but that both are essential for fitness, health and well-being.

Good luck in reaching your goals.

Dan