If I want to use indoor cycling on a stationary bike as a cardiovascular supplement to my running, what should my heart rate be on the bike? I have heard 150-180 is the range, is that correct?
If I want to use indoor cycling on a stationary bike as a cardiovascular supplement to my running, what should my heart rate be on the bike? I have heard 150-180 is the range, is that correct?
You're going to be about 10% lower on the bike as you would running until you build up the muscular endurance/strength needed for the bike.
Alan
150-180? absolutely, if you're a bumblebee. if you are looking for cardiovascular development try to stick it in the 130-140 range.
psychlown wrote:
150-180? absolutely, if you're a bumblebee. if you are looking for cardiovascular development try to stick it in the 130-140 range.
Agreed. Pretty much the higher the better to a certain extent, but I doubt you'll be able to hold 140+ for very long on a stationary bike. Try to go more on effort than on HR until you get used to it and learn how to gauge your intensity.
ok, so an hour at a heart rate of 140 would benefit me? because i did 45 minutes today at around 160 bpm, maybe that was a bit hard
I cycle about eight hours a week. I'm 51 years old, and my max HR is about 172. I spend a lot of time on a spin bike at this time of year. My favorite LT workout is 3 x 15 mins. of "cruise intervals" with a 5 min. recovery. I shoot for a heart rate of 130-135 for each of the 15 minutes. If I tried to maintain that for an hour without the rest interval, it would be a pretty tough workout.
If I ride for an hour or more on the spin bike, I figure that a "high-steady state" equivalent would be a heart rate of about 125. An average heart rate of 145 for an hour would be just below race effort for me.
By the way, I find that it's harder to maintain a given heartrate on a spin bike than it is on a real bike. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it's more fun to be on a real bike and, consequently, one is less conscious of the fatigue.
psychlown wrote:
150-180? absolutely, if you're a bumblebee. if you are looking for cardiovascular development try to stick it in the 130-140 range.
Are you suggesting that a higher HR has no cardiovascular benefit?
Just tossing this out there.
Runners who attempt to get a moderate or high HR (an HR approaching their daily runs) on an indoor bike/trainer will have dead quads after 2-3 days and will struggle with attaining a low aerobic minimum HR once the muscle fatigue and soreness sets in.