When you first decide to improve your fitness level, you get excited. You want to conquer the world. You need those results.
But, it can be tricky.
If you have a low fitness level and aren’t used to exercising, you may not challenge yourself correctly. Alternatively, not seeing progress fast enough can demotivate you.
Be patient, though.
Everyone has their rhythm, so you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Results from riding a stationary bike don’t come overnight.
The rule of thumb is you need one month to see your progress, two months for your friends to notice, and three months for everyone else.
So how long does it take to see results from riding a stationary bike?
Keep reading below to get your answers.
1 Month Exercise Bike Results
After one month riding the exercise bike, you can expect to:
- Be 2-4 pounds leaner
- Have more stamina
- Sleep better
- Have an improved mental state
- Look more defined
If you’re like 99.99% of people, you’re not here wondering how much better you’re going to sleep and how much more stamina you’ll have.
You’re here about weight loss and muscle sculpting.
Unfortunately, those things widely depend on individual factors such as:
- Your current weight
- Body composition
- Age
- Biological sex
- Preexisting problems
- The type of bike you have
- Your workout intensity and duration
As such, if you’re already a hot-looking buff, you won’t see huge improvements in a month. But, if you’re a newbie sweating away on that bike like there’s no tomorrow, you’ll barely recognize yourself in four weeks.
Remember: Don’t start roughly from the get-go. Begin with easy, short workouts and ride 2-4 times/week. In a month, you’ll see better definition and improved cardio.
Here’s how to maximize your results:
- Work out your upper body too. If your stationary bike doesn’t have resistance bands, do upper body strength training separately.
- Do HIIT. High-intensity interval training accelerates your metabolic rate so that you can avoid plateaus. That way, you can continue shedding pounds.
- Mind your diet. Eliminate unhealthy foods and watch out for the post-workout appetite increase.
- Keep your heart rate in the fat-burning zone. That’s 85% of your maximum heart rate, which you calculate by subtracting your age from 220. So, for a 40 yo, the maximum heart rate is 180, and the corresponding fat-burning heart rate zone is around 153 bpm.
- Keep pushing your limits. Try to increase your workout intensity every week or two. If your body doesn’t think your workouts are challenging enough, it will use less energy. In other words, it will burn fewer calories for the same activities than at first.
- Don’t give up. There are times when you’ll lose motivation or think it’s too hard to keep up. In these cases, it’s best to readjust your goals and expectations.
- Make good compromises. Pedalling during your favourite show is doable. Waking up at 4 am to squeeze in a workout isn’t. In this second case, you should either move other stuff around or exercise in 5-minute sessions throughout the day.
- Accept what you can’t change. Not everyone can pedal for 30-60 minutes 3-4x/ week. Find out what works for you, and remember that your fitness journey isn’t a race.
Stationary Bike Before and After
You can find various stationary bike before-and-after stories like this one on the Internet. And they all amount to the same thing:
Ambition and motivation.
A 300-pound young man managed to get to 180 pounds, then decided to gain some muscles too, so he hit his 220-pound goal weight.
His success was a mix of:
- Stationary bike
- Random weights throughout the week
- Dieting
So, as you can see, using the stationary bike isn’t enough. You’ll also likely need to mind what you eat and include strength training in your routine.
Here’s why:
Unfortunately, many people gain weight after starting on a stationary bike because of the exercise-induced appetite increase.
Imagine this:
You give it your all during a 30-minute ride, burning around 200-300 calories. A sandwich after that workout makes you eat 100 more calories than you just burnt.
So how can you avoid that?
Read the section below:
30 Minutes a Day Results from Stationary Bike
Your stationary bike will help you lose 200-300 calories/30 minutes depending on exercise intensity and the type of bike you’re getting. You can also decrease your calorie intake by another 200-300 calories if you give up unhealthy foods and mind your portion sizes.
That 500 calorie/day deficit leads to 1 pound/week weight loss.
Using the stationary bike for 30 minutes/day should be enough if:
- You’re challenging yourself. If you still have enough strength to start climbing hills like mad after your workout, you haven’t challenged yourself enough.
- You’re doing intervals. Intervals keep your body guessing and help you avoid plateaus.
Conclusion. Best Stationary Bikes to See Quick Results
Firstly, you should consider your fitness level, preexisting health issues, and goals. After doing so, you can assess an indoor bike that will solve your needs.
If you want to see quick results, get an indoor bike that:
- Allows full-body training. Spin bikes are good fat-burners, but they’re not everyone’s cup of tea because spinning is highly challenging. Instead, opt for a stationary bike with included resistance bands.
- Has accurate measurements. Make sure you’re training in your fat-burning heart rate zone most of the time. If your bike doesn’t have handlebars with pulse sensors, invest in a separate chest strap or fitness watch.
- Boasts plenty of programmes. Varying your workouts keeps your body guessing and your metabolism forging ahead at full speed. If you get too used to a routine, your body will slowly start burning fewer calories – and that’s what you should avoid.
- Allows you to set your goals. Some stationary bikes adjust their programs automatically according to the goals you’ve inputted.
- Is challenging for you. Ensure that the bike’s not easy by checking its speed limit, resistance level, and included programs. Remember that a bike with a heavier flywheel will help you build some muscles. As a result, you’ll sculpt your body and increase your metabolic rate to burn more calories in the long run.
Mary advocates for one powerful idea: fitness is about challenging yourself, but it’s not a race against the clock. She wants people to understand that the best fitness equipment doesn’t have to be expensive or very popular. The best workouts and machines should always fit your style and needs, not the other way around. So, Mary’s dedication and hard work are the engines that keep this website going.
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