Pyramid training on exercise bikes is ideal for weight loss as it aims to gradually build up your workout intensity. Moreover, this type of workout has several other benefits that support your weight loss plan.
Read on to learn what is pyramid training and what makes it a great addition to daily workouts.
What is Pyramid Training?
Pyramid training is a form of interval training. That means it’s a progressive type of workout with increasing intensity.
From the name itself, you can visualise this training method as a triangle divided into three layers.
In between each layer is a short period of rest.
The bottom (Zone 1) is the low-intensity section, where you’ll spend 75% of your workout session.
The centre (Zone 2) is the moderate-intensity section that takes 20% of the total workout.
Some call this the aerobic threshold training part, where your maximum heart rate should be around 60-70%.
Researchers of a 2019 study from the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine also noted that Zone 2 of pyramidal training is crucial to better athletic performance.
Finally, the top (Zone 3) is the high-intensity section, which is 5% of the workout.
How to Do Pyramid Training Workouts
You can apply pyramid training to your cardio workouts. One example is doing pyramid training with an exercise bike for weight loss.
You can also adapt this form of interval training to strength building. No matter the type of pyramid training, the process is the same.
You perform more repetitions with light resistance or weight. Then, gradually reduce them as you work towards the peak or the zone with the heaviest load. Once you reach the top of the pyramid, you repeat everything in reverse order.
You can also do the inverted pyramid training.
With this method, you’ll start at the peak and work down to the base (Bostani and Shariati 2012).
Why Is Pyramid Training on Exercise Bikes Good for Weight Loss?
Pyramid training is an excellent workout for dropping the extra weight. Here are a few reasons why.
1. It lets you burn calories efficiently.
Changing your exercise duration and intensity during pyramid training is essential to keep your metabolic rate high.
As it is a form of interval training, a pyramid workout can help you burn more calories in less time.
Compared with steady-state cardio, pyramidal training can boost your heart rate faster, encouraging your body to take more oxygen and use its energy stores.
Fitness enthusiasts with limited time for exercise will surely appreciate how pyramid training affects the body and its caloric burn rate.
Reading this step-by-step guide on interval training can help you start things right, too.
2. It encourages workout consistency.
Pyramid training is a simple workout style. Its logical progression is easy to understand and apply. More importantly, it promotes adherence.
Adhering to a regular workout routine can help you lose weight efficiently. For best results, complement pyramidal training with a physical activity you enjoy.
For instance, if you like indoor cycling, create a pyramid training plan for weight loss that you can do using your exercise bike.
That way, workout sessions are more motivating, and commitment to a long-term active lifestyle is doable.
Check out this article for more about sustainable weight loss with exercise bikes.
3. It helps overcome fitness plateaus.
A fitness or workout plateau is a weight loss hindrance where your body becomes less responsive to workouts.
This usually happens when you do the same exercise routine for an extended period.
Over time, your body adapts to a repetitive workout style, duration, and intensity, making it less motivated to burn more calories. In turn, weight loss progress slows down and eventually stops.
Pyramid training is one way to prevent this from happening.
As you work out at varying intensities, you push your body to its limits, forcing it to keep burning calories. If you use an exercise bike for pyramid training, adjusting its resistance levels activates more muscles.
This strategy also contributes to weight loss.
4. It is versatile and adaptable.
Pyramid training applies to cardio and strength-building workouts – both are essential to an effective weight-loss plan.
You need cardio to boost your heart rate and burn calories.
On the other hand, strength training preserves your muscle mass as you lose weight and body fat.
With pyramid training know-how, it should be easy for you to create a balanced workout week for better weight loss outcomes.
For instance, you can allocate two days for indoor cycling and two days for weight lifting with rest days in between.
The adaptable nature of pyramid training also ensures that you target your other muscle groups and protect certain body parts from overuse.
How Can You Combine Pyramid Training with Indoor Cycling?
Pyramid training is less common in cardio workouts.
If you want to do it on your exercise bike as part of your weight loss plan, your training will be similar to an uphill climbing session.
You start at a comfortable pedalling pace, then gradually adjust your speed or resistance to increase the intensity. Continue doing this until you reach the maximum or peak.
Here are two pyramid-infused cycling workouts you can try.
1. Pyramid Indoor Cycling Workout
This workout is like a Tabata session where each interval set is short.
Remember that you can adjust the interval periods and intensity to fit your capacity.
- Start with a 2-minute warm-up. You can do 30 seconds of relaxed cycling, then 30 seconds of easy climbing twice alternately.
- Shift to medium resistance and cadence for 20 seconds, followed by a 20-second recovery.
- Shift to moderate resistance and cadence for 15 seconds, followed by a 15-second recovery.
- Shift to intense resistance and cadence for 10 seconds, followed by a 10-second recovery.
- Repeat the interval sets in reverse order.
- Cool down for 2 minutes or do a few more interval sets, depending on your capacity.
2. Ladder Indoor Cycling Workout
Unlike the pyramid version above, the ladder technique sticks to intense cycling with gradually decreasing duration.
Here’s how to do it.
- Start with a 2-minute warm-up. You can do 30 seconds of relaxed cycling, then 30 seconds of easy climbing twice alternately.
- Shift to intense resistance and cadence for 3 minutes, followed by a 1-minute recovery.
- Repeat the same intense cycling for 2.5 minutes, followed by a 1-minute recovery.
- Keep doing this cycling flow, decreasing each interval set by 30 seconds.
- Cool down for 2 minutes.
Thoughts on Pyramid Training on Exercise Bikes
Pyramid training on an exercise bike promotes weight loss for sure.
It can boost your heart rate faster than steady-state cardio workouts, allowing you to burn optimum calories in a shorter period.
The varying intensities also keep your body motivated and challenged so you can avoid fitness plateaus.
Pyramid training is also a doable and flexible technique, and you can design pyramid cycling workouts that match your fitness level.
It is a physically demanding workout style, though. So, make sure you have the proper exercise bike for the job.
Questions on Exercise Bike Training
1. Is heart rate zone-based cycling good for weight loss?
Your heart rate is a good indicator of workout intensity and calorie burn. Both are crucial if you want to lose weight. Specifically, the quicker the heart rate goes, the more calories you burn, the better for your weight loss plan. In addition, cycling based on your heart rate zone prevents you from working out aimlessly or beyond your capacity.
2. Why should I consider stationary bike interval training to lose weight?
Stationary bike interval training is a more efficient way to lose weight. This technique allows you to perform intense cycling at a maximum effort, followed by brief periods of active recovery. In turn, you get to burn more calories within a shorter time.
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