Bike over treadmill.

[!Nhan]

How much of a disadvantage, or how much slower does riding a bike instead of running on a treadmill do in terms of cardio and fat burning. I only ask this because I have a leg problem which makes it hard to put lots of stress on my hip. Riding the bike is less painful than running.

TIA

[azzurro32]

Not really answering your question, but try doing elyptical as it's more of a smooth motion? Even the ones where you can power it more with your arms than legs
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[RayBot]

Theres no disadvantage at all. Cycling is an awesome excercise as well. I alterntate between running and biking all the time.....

However, i prefer using SPIN bikes. IMO its a better feel and excercise. Unfortunately, i don't see it that many gyms....and if i do, theres only a few. The electronic excercise bikes usually found at the gym i find doesnt give that smooth of a cycle when you hit higher resistences.

Secondly, if the spin bikes are in use, i will use the recumbent bike. Also a good excercise if you don't want to put any pressure on your hip...and its a better excercise for your hip flexors and core on higher resistences.

[dread604]

Elliptical > All.

Treadmills are a waste of money, running outside is best and its free.

[RRxtar]

you could also row machine

[RayBot]

Originally Posted by dread604

Elliptical > All.

Treadmills are a waste of money, running outside is best and its free.

Treadmills aren't a waste of money.....just use treadmills that arent yours. Running outside is the best, but hey....if u got a gym membership, use theirs on a rainy/snowy day.....plus its good to have a running machine that can control incline.

Problem for me with elliptical, it seems that the machine seems to do most of the work. And the arm excercises on an elliptical seem meaningless.

Not sure if its a big impact on knees, but stair treadmills are awesome. Not the stairmasters, but those machines that really make you climb stairs. You don't have to go fast to make your heart rate go.

[Volvo-brickster]

bikes never get the heart rate up for me....only treadmills do

u going to physio?

[LemonH2O]

Originally Posted by !nhan

How much of a disadvantage, or how much slower does riding a bike instead of running on a treadmill do in terms of cardio and fat burning. I only ask this because I have a leg problem which makes it hard to put lots of stress on my hip. Riding the bike is less painful than running.

TIA

Carbs burning vs. fat burning is based on your intensity level, your heart rate during the workout. Regardless of any activity, even sitting, your body is always utilizing fat AND carbs, but of course in various %'s. The lower the intensity, the more % of fat you're burning, and in opposite, the higher the intensity, the more carbs you are burning. Keep in mind, a lower intensity workout should be extended in the length of the workout and higher intensity = shorter length.

With that said, cardio workouts is solely based on your interest. What I always tell my Clients is that your best cardio workout will be achieved when you are ENJOYING the activity. Your effort level is what counts at the end of the day. For some people, they use only one kind of machine, others like to alternate between all of them to keep things fresh.

Originally Posted by RayBot

However, i prefer using SPIN bikes. IMO its a better feel and excercise.

Spin bikes are pretty awesome, just got 2 new ones at my gym, people love them. Ever try a spin class?

I also alternate between bike and treadmill. However, for anyone who has already achieved a desired cardio fitness level, interval training is then best recommended to progressively overload your body, your cardio system.

Interval training I find best on the spin bike because it's less of a hassle when it comes to adjusting your resistence level, and speed you just control yourself anyway. Treadmills are a bit of a pain because you have to adjust both speed and incline, it's just a less productive method of interval training, IMO. But they are great for endurance, same speed, same incline for an extended period of time, if you can bare the boredom.

People who do interval training for a shorter amount of time will find their endurance level also improves. Before I started intervals, I would be able to run maybe 5k without stopping at jogging pace. After a couple months of interval training, I ran 7k+ and at a much higher speed.

[DancingTeg]

Elliptical machines do nothing for me.... I like to run outdoors but find the treadmill is pretty much equal to the results as long as your increasing the incline or doing some sprints.
Just started doing spin classes at my gym, never was a big biker but starting to really enjoy these classes.

[LemonH2O]

Originally Posted by DancingTeg

Elliptical machines do nothing for me.... I like to run outdoors but find the treadmill is pretty much equal to the results as long as your increasing the incline or doing some sprints.
Just started doing spin classes at my gym, never was a big biker but starting to really enjoy these classes.

Often times, the problem with ellipticals is that people use all legs. The elliptical is designed to resemble a cross-country skiing type of workout, which should ideally be using 50 legs, 50 arms to push and pull.

Next time, if you're interested, try not moving your legs at all and let your arms do all the push-pull.

[DancingTeg]

Ill try that next time at the gym, Thanks!

[RayBot]

Damnit...no spin classes in any of my local community centre gyms.

[hamsup]

Can someone list some places where I can try out a spin class??

[taylor192]

I burn 1200 calories running for an hour at a good pace
I burn 600 calories biking for a hour at a good pace
I can burn 1000+ calories in a spin class, yet that's at an insane pace

The OP seems to be looking for how effective biking will be at burning calories. Unless you're really giving'r on the bike, you'll burn far fewer calories than running.

What kind of leg problem do you have?

[RayBot]

Originally Posted by hamsup

Can someone list some places where I can try out a spin class??

Steve Nash gym in Richmond for sure, so i will assume that all Steve Nash locations (pre Fitness World buyout) will have spinning classes.

[SizzleChest]

Originally Posted by taylor192

I burn 1200 calories running for an hour at a good pace
I burn 600 calories biking for a hour at a good pace
I can burn 1000+ calories in a spin class, yet that's at an insane pace

you're not going by what the machines are telling you, are you? calorie burning is varied quite a bit from person to person even if they are the same weight (which is all the machines go by)

Originally Posted by dread604

Elliptical > All.

Treadmills are a waste of money, running outside is best and its free.

my initial instinct is to flat out say that you are totally wrong, but i'd like to hear why you feel this to be true.

Originally Posted by Volvo-brickster

bikes never get the heart rate up for me....only treadmills do

i find my heart rate gets higher from running, but i sweat like a pig on the bike. have you tried a spin class? 5-10 minutes of no-bounce (as if you were balancing a book on your head) in the middle of the workout is torture.

[azzurro32]

For pure fat burning I would say walking 30 min incline treadmill > spinning bike > regular gym bike.

Walking uphill you use your leg muscles, your core, along with your waist and arms. I don't necessarily pay attention to the "calories tab". After a good workout you've more than enough burned your calories for healthy weight loss no matter what form of training you've done.
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[RayBot]

Nobody ever uses the stair-treadmills??