How To Break Down Belly Fat On A Exercise Bike

by proformadmin · Published October 22, 2018 · Updated July 8, 2022

UPDATED, May 6, 2022

Riding an exercise bike is an excellent way to stay in shape. Exercise bikes are known to strengthen your heart, hips, as well as your abs (1). And just like every exercise that is performed, having proper form is essential. That being said, a number of factors, including having proper form on your exercise bike, can help you reap the full benefit of the stationary bike workout, especially when it comes to your abs. Tightening your abdominal muscles as you perform the exercise will help strengthen your abs to stabilize your spine.(4, 5).Let’s take a closer look into how to use, and take advantage, of a home exercise bike. When assessing your exercise results, it’s important to consider your body’s regional compositional changes rather than whole-body changes alone (7).

Abdominal Fat Explained

There are two types of abdominal fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the layer of fat that sits just beneath your skin; you can pinch the subcutaneous fat on your belly with your fingertips (8). You cannot pinch visceral fat, in contrast, because this type of fat sits deep within your abdominal cavity. Visceral fat surrounds your liver, pancreas, kidneys, and the intestines.

Unlike subcutaneous fat, which is soft and squishy, visceral fat is rather firm. Visceral fat, also known as active fat, can be dangerous (8). The higher the amount of visceral fat a person has, the higher his or her risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health complications (9).

About 10 percent of a person’s body fat is visceral fat (10). This means that the more fat you carry around, the greater amounts of visceral fat you probably have. It also means that losing any amount of fat helps decrease visceral fat. Performing a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day can help you burn visceral fat when incorporated with a low-calorie diet (11).Exercise is an important factor in trying to lose visceral fat. According to Rush University Medical Center, moderate-intensity exercise can aid in fat reduction fat (12).

Diet And Exercise

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While losing stubborn abdominal fat is difficult, it isn’t not impossible. This is especially true when you incorporate regular activity with a healthy, low-calorie diet, among the other factors mentioned in this article. Avoid fad diets that involve long periods of starvation or unusual foods as these can be difficult to sustain long enough safely and effectively (13). Opt instead for a low-calorie, low in sugar diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats (14).

In general, 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat. This means you have to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume to lose one pound of fat (14). You can cause that 3,500-calorie deficit over the course of several days, so that you could cut 500 to 1,000 calories a day to lose 1 to 2 pounds over a week.

Riding your exercise bike should be able to help you achieve this calorie deficit without drastically cutting the number of calories you eat. The number of calories burned per exercise varies and is again dependent on a variety of factors, such as your body size, the speed at which you ride, and whether you use special techniques, such as your exercise bike’s incline feature and how long you ride each week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, along with muscle strengthening on two or more days each week (15). Consistency is also important when it comes to burning calories on your exercise bike (16). Create a workout schedule that fits into your routine, so that you are more likely to stick to it.Be sure to take advantage of the incline feature on exercise bikes. Not many bikes out on the market have an incline feature, but thanks to ProForm, your bike options have extended. Avoid adding too much resistance, though, as the added workload can actually prevent you from working at maximum capacity. Increase the incline to where you can still perform the exercise without disrupting your form.

Relieve Stress

Another way to break down fat is to reduce stress (18). Easier said than done, but you’ll thank yourself later for trying. There is a strong link between fat cells and stress. Fat causes the body to release cortisol, which is a stress hormone (19). The role of cortisol is to help give you the energy you need to overcome a stressful situation, which can stimulate your appetite and lead you to eat more. Fortunately, working out releases the endorphin hormone that relieves stress while helping you reduce fat storage (19). That way, you’re attacking abdominal fat from multiple angles.

Exercise Bike Training Types

Once you establish a convenient workout schedule, switch up the exercises that you do during each workout session. Mixing up your routine about every two weeks can help you avoid falling into a rut or hitting a fitness plateau. Your body can actually get used to performing the same movements, which means you may not be getting all of the benefits of your exercise bike. Switching things up is particularly important for meeting long-term goals.

Here are a few different types of training that you can do on your exercise bike:

Steady-State Cycling

Steady-state cycling, where you ride at the same pace throughout the workout session, is perfect for the novice exerciser. Build up to a regular routine of moderately intense work by pedaling at a pace that increases your heart rate to between 50 percent and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate (21).

High-Intensity Cycling

Once you establish your routine, turn up the heat. One study showed that overweight participants who exercised at a high-intensity rate at two workout sessions per week, then at a low-to-moderate intensity at three workout sessions appeared to lose abdominal fat more effectively than did those who did low- to moderate-intensity exercise during all of their sessions (11).

High-Intensity Intermittent Training

Research shows that high-intensity intermittent training may have a better impact on body composition than moderate-paced workouts (22).