Switching It Up on the Bike

Rumor has it that it's Spring. You know, the time of year when the temps warm and the sun shines.

"Spring my ass," she said.

Because Mother Nature is, apparently, a bitch, I haven't been able to ride my bike to work as planned. So I'm still on my trainer in the basement two or three times a week.

It. Is. So. Boring.

My normal bike day consists of a little stretching and then 45 minutes of hard pedaling, with "spin" speed on the commercials of the News 3 Morning Show. I ride in the highest gear and I usually sweat a little. I never lallygag.

In an attempt to keep my sanity until Mother Nature decides to lighten up, I've made a change in the process.

I still stretch a little. Then I do my shoulder and/or chest strength sets as fast and heavy as possible. Then I hop on the bike and pedal. I still speed up during the commercials, but then as soon as they are done, I hop off the bike and do 15 push-ups as fast as possible.

While I know intervals are good, this little change doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Yet, I am surprised at how much more I sweat this way. 

Regardless if it's better or not from a calorie burn perspective, it is really good from a mental perspective. It makes those 45 minutes go so much faster.

For that, I am grateful.

Here's a cool infographic that describes three interval workout styles:
http://www.purelifenutrimedics.com/blog/maximum-fat-loss-through-high-intensity-interval-training

And here's a sample workout. http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/3-indoor-cycling-workouts-for-the-winter