would a stationary bike be enough for cardio

would a stationary bike be enough for cardio? about 3 days a week? for 30 mins?

Maybe. It will never be as good as an old fashioned run though.

biking is ok.... but it may not be best for everyone.. my body responds well to the run (although i hate it), but some may respond well to stairclimber or recumbant bike.. and when i say respond to i just mean that they feel they can go more intense on the other types of cardio training.. i guess it's the same calories either way... do what you feel you can do best.

Can be! I have a Schwinn Airdyne which is an ergometer type bike (arms and legs). It will kick your glutes!

Lynne

i think they are really good...

Well, some argue that running is better, as you are supporting your whole bodyweight on your feet, while this is not the case with a stationary bike. So, yeah, you are burning more calories when you run than on a stationary bike at a low intensity. But of course you can adjust the resitance on an exercise bike. I never use the lowest settings, I always set it so I can go comfortably for 30 min or a little more (I don't do that HIIT crap and never will). The stationary bike is also non-impact, so it is better for your knees. I alternate between running and the stationary bike. Both are good.

depends on what your goals are. the bike is fine if all you want to do is burn a few calories and keep your cardiovascular system in good shape. if you have higher goals, then you probably will need to branch out.

Tell that to Lance Armstrong.

for fat loss the bike is excellent.

3 x 30minutes isn't much for someone obsessed with seeing their abs. :)

lol damn straight, gotta see those abs! :)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Ex-Trainer [/i]
[B]Tell that to Lance Armstrong. [/B][/QUOTE]

haha, yeah true. although just for comparisons sake, i'd like to see how well armstrong does in a marathon...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Boilerkid [/i]
[B]haha, yeah true. although just for comparisons sake, i'd like to see how well armstrong does in a marathon... [/B][/QUOTE]

Errr........ I'd be willing to bet he would get a pretty respectable time.

yeah i would think he'd be able to kick most peoples ass...then again, i've never seen any type of results from something like this before.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Tim [/i]
[B]Well, some argue that running is better, as you are supporting your whole bodyweight on your feet, while this is not the case with a stationary bike. So, yeah, you are burning more calories when you run than on a stationary bike at a low intensity. But of course you can adjust the resitance on an exercise bike. I never use the lowest settings, I always set it so I can go comfortably for 30 min or a little more (I don't do that HIIT crap and never will). The stationary bike is also non-impact, so it is better for your knees. I alternate between running and the stationary bike. Both are good. [/B][/QUOTE]

Hiit crap?

Please, do elaborate.

High Itensity Interval Training?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Ex-Trainer [/i]
[B]High Itensity Interval Training? [/B][/QUOTE]

Uh, I know what it stands for. I was challenging his "crap" statement.

Personally, I'm going to start getting most of my cardio on a stationary bike (spinning), as I've had good experience with it in the past and I HATE running more than I could possibly begin to describe.

I believe that an exercise bike with moveable arms and wind resistance like I have can be used every day, even when trying to build mass through heavy lifting.

Let me explain why I think this:
It is completely non-impact, minimal stress and minimal strain. All you are doing is getting your heart rate up and delivering oxygenated blood throughout the body, which may help to speed recovery. Keep in mind that professional athletes often use electronic devices to increase oxygenated blood supply to injured muscles to speed healing. This type of aerobic exercise can do the same thing, except to the whole body at once. I use mine about five days a week, 45 minutes a day. It provides health benefits that weightlifting does not, along with allowing you to keep your body fat percentage low even when trying to bulk up. And since it is very low strain but still gets my heart rate up into the fat burning zone, I do not feel fatigued or tired as a result and it does not effect by weightlifting. Three days a week or less may not provide the full benefits of aerobic exercise.

However, if the resistance setting is high, or you are doing some high impact or stress inducing aerobic exercise like running or cross country skiing, this may actually be causing too much stress for the body when you are concurrently engaged in a weightlifting program.

But if you can get your heart rate up without straining yourself in the least, I think this is a good thing even done five or more days a week.

The obvious thing to point out is that in combination with lifting weights, this much cardio along with it means serious calorie burning. For this reason, many may find it difficult, although people with high body fat wishing to build muscle and lose fat at the same time may find that this type of cardiovascular exercise may help them achieve their goal.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by devl [/i]
[B]Uh, I know what it stands for. I was challenging his "crap" statement. [/B][/QUOTE]

I'd also like to know what he meant by that. Never heard anyone call it "crap" before...

Stationary bike is more than enough for cardio, in fact it's the best thing.

Just play sports or get a punching bag. warning: I have no idea what's good for cardio, but I know sports are more fun than running or biking and they get your heart rate up, so it should work

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by devl [/i]
[B]Hiit crap?

Please, do elaborate. [/B][/QUOTE]
Well, I admit that both are equally effective. You burn more fat while doing cardio, but you burn more fat after-the-fact with HIIT. The thing is, HIIT is so unenjoyable, I fu[b][/b]cking HATE sprinting more than anything, but I actually kind of enjoy sitting on the stationary bike or jogging along at a liesurely pace listening to my music. I will NEVER use HIIT for my cardio.