Ask Lemmy

My stationary bike has a display that tracks loads of stuff but there's also a phone/tablet holder if you prefer an app. You can use anything you want but you just gotta commit to a certain run plan.

As for me, I do about 10 minutes at low resistance, high pace. My dash shows me a virtual speed indication. I do the first 10 minutes around 25 kph.

Then I slowly move through the gears and try to keep the pace flat. After 25 minutes I do a short intermission where I get the lowest gear and paddle loose the legs.

Then the buildup again and trying to keep the pace above the previous pace.

Essentially it's all about what you want to gain.

For strength, you'll do better with explosive bouts (after proper warmup or you'll tear off your leg muscles). For endurance, it's all about keeping up a pace in intervals. The higher the pace you can consistently keep during a set time period (for instance an hour), the better, but it's important to find your base level first by taking it easy. Consistency is key above all else.

Keep in mind that if endurance is your goal, you should never think 'oh this is going pretty easy, I can take it up a notch' because you might not last the full hour without over exerting yourself which will lead to sore muscles. The other way around is also true, though: don't give up if it gets tough. But there's a difference between stretching your comfort zone and going outside the lines.

Why so complicated? You just get on and do what you want as long as you feel like it. Want to go fast? Go fast. Want to go up the hill? Turn up the resistance. Just want to pedal along for a while? Just pedal.

Of course you can set yourself times and goals, if that makes it more effective for you, but you don't have to make it too hard for yourself by implementing rules.

When I use mine, I don't do training like that. I end up playing Xbox or watching TV or 2-3 hours while I just pedal.

However, when I was doing that, the bike had preset "routes" you could do where the resistance changed on it's own, and I'd just try to keep the same pace up for the 30min-1hr I was doing. It could also do it across distances. When I wasn't doing the preset courses, I was just setting the resistance to what felt decent, and then keeping up my RPM (usually ~100). If I was really feeling myself, I'd up the resistance a bit. If it was a bad day, I'd drop it down. The total distance at the end would change based on the resistance I used, so I could at least always tell what days were "better" and which weren't. The motivation was just wanting to see if I could beat my previous distance.

Get a hear rate monitor and do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It's by far the fastest way to increase your stamina if you're untrained and even if you are trained it's a very effective means of increasing your stamina.

This is backed by science.

While significant improvements in endurance performance and corresponding physiological markers are evident following submaximal endurance training in sedentary and recreationally active groups, an additional increase in submaximal training (i.e. volume) in highly trained individuals does not appear to further enhance either endurance performance or associated physiological variables [e.g. peak oxygen uptake (V . O 2peak), oxidative enzyme activity]. It seems that, for athletes who are already trained, improvements in endurance performance can be achieved only through high-intensity interval training

It is generally believed that in sedentary (VO 2max <45 ml/kg/min) and recreationally active individ- uals (VO 2max ≈ 45 to 55 ml/kg/min), several years are required to increase VO 2max to that of the highly trained athlete (VO 2max > 60 ml/kg/min). [21,42] However, Hickson et al. [43] showed, in eight sedenyary and recreationally active individuals, that VO2max could be markedly increased (+44%; p < 0.05) after 10 weeks of high-intensity exercise training (alternating 40 minutes cycling intervals at VO 2max 1day, with 40 minutes high-intensity running the next, 6 d/wk

Could you set a timer or somesuch? I did that when I was doing windsprints and it worked out. (Though never felt like it came quickly enough.)

I have a kickr snap. You can choose rides from all over the world and it automatically adjusts resistance. It's pretty fun. They're kind of expensive, but i like that i use my own bike on it so it fits well.

If you’re into apple (with the watch) give apple fitness a shot.

Peloton has a standalone app if you don’t mind a non-data experience (you can still wear a hrm/watch of course, but no feedback about exertion in the peloton app.)

Next option is some sort of trainer. You can either bolt a real bike to one, or use a stationary bike that fills the role. A trainer can connects via ANT/BLE to an app. Just google “bike trainers”. With this comes lots of options for apps to track training. E.g. wahoo, zwift, etc.

Best of luck.

If you have a power meter you can try out zwift or rouvy. You can see yourself riding specific routes on screen and they have workout programs that prompt change of intensity. Otherwise I think GCN has some follow along youtube videos, and there might be others as well.

Is it a spinning bike? Plenty of virtual classes for free on the interwebs.

https://youtu.be/CsF-bpdNJvA

Put on some music that's about the right length, or work out through some number of songs, or pedal some number of "miles" if the bike has an odometer.

I usually set a timer, then focus on keeping a certain RPM until the timer goes off.

When I was in HS I ran cross country, and the coach had us do a running workout that involved staying right on the edge between aerobic and anaerobic respiration. You can tell you’ve entered anaerobic respiration because your muscles start to burn.

That kind of thing is really useful for developing the ability to work out self-directed. Being able to sense when your body is in its sweet spot is a valuable skill.

I have a Kickr Core connected to Zwift, which is nicer than just spinning endlessly since it’ll adjust the resistance (unless in ERG mode). But it still gets boring and it’s not like riding on the road. My ass still takes a hit. Standing once in a while helps, but I think the idea another poster had of just taking occasional breaks is best.

I’d like to get a rocker plate, but even there I suspect for longer rides breaks will be needed since you just don’t get the same movement as out on the road.