Re: Resistance vs speed (repost)

01-14-2005, 11:39 PM

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:36:29 -0500, frank-in-toronto wrote:

>
> When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
> So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.
> Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
> legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.
>

Great explaination.

I try to keep a cadence of 120 strokes/min in 45 minute sessions on
an elliptical. I use the heart rate control and it's amazing to watch
the machine vary the resistance to keep my heart rate dialed in to
my selected value. If my body tries to cheat and slow down the heart rate
- the computer kicks the resistance up!

If you've never experienced heart rate control, you might want to go to a
gym for a month to try out this feature. You sure won't regret it.....

01-14-2005, 11:39 PM

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:36:29 -0500, frank-in-toronto wrote:

>
> When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
> So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.
> Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
> legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.
>

Great explaination.

I try to keep a cadence of 120 strokes/min in 45 minute sessions on
an elliptical. I use the heart rate control and it's amazing to watch
the machine vary the resistance to keep my heart rate dialed in to
my selected value. If my body tries to cheat and slow down the heart rate
- the computer kicks the resistance up!

If you've never experienced heart rate control, you might want to go to a
gym for a month to try out this feature. You sure won't regret it.....

01-14-2005, 11:39 PM

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:36:29 -0500, frank-in-toronto wrote:

>
> When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
> So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.
> Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
> legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.
>

Great explaination.

I try to keep a cadence of 120 strokes/min in 45 minute sessions on
an elliptical. I use the heart rate control and it's amazing to watch
the machine vary the resistance to keep my heart rate dialed in to
my selected value. If my body tries to cheat and slow down the heart rate
- the computer kicks the resistance up!

If you've never experienced heart rate control, you might want to go to a
gym for a month to try out this feature. You sure won't regret it.....

01-15-2005, 04:36 AM

Reposting to include the bike newsgroup. I made a boo-boo
the first time.
....thehick
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:14:26 -0500, Bernie Cosell
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>I exercise with an elliptical trainer and one thing I've never understood
>is the tradeoff between resistance and speed. Assuming that I work out for
>however-long with my pulse in the correct "zone", I'm never sure whether it
>makes a difference [and what difference it makes] if I get to that zone by
>working against a higher resistance [and so moving more slowly] or working
>against a lower resistance [and so moving more quickly]. Is there some
>rule of thumb or whatever for this sort of thing? thanks!
ok. Here's something to think about. I read this is reference
to biking, but you can figure it out for the elliptical.

When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.
Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.

So, generally, when just biking for fun, you'll select a gear to
utilize all of your body. Not too high. Not too low.

I hope someone else can explain this better than me
because I realize this explanation sounds silly. But it
made sense when I read it somewhere.

One thing you need to figure out is your goal in "exercising"
on an elliptical. This is not so easy as most think. If you
know something you'll probably say "cardio-vascular".
OK. Then think about what muscles you want to improve.
Your legs? Move your feet close to the front of the pedals
and stand erect. Your butt? Feet close, lean back.
Your arms and back? Use more arm pull/push, less
leg involvement. Everywhere? Change around through
the session.

Realize that time is your friend. Endurance doesn't come from
doing something hard for a short period of time. You earn it.
With time. and a relatively low level of effort. Not crazy hard.
Think LongSlowDistance.

If you are one of those that exercise to "burn off calories",
good luck. I try to view it the from the other side. You
exercise to improve a bunch of stuff, you eat better
to stay healthy and feel good, the calorie burn is just
a by-product. Free so-to-speak. Allows you to eat
MORE to workout harder/farther/faster etc...
....thehick.

01-17-2005, 08:05 PM

frank-in-toronto <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Reposting to include the bike newsgroup. I made a boo-boo
>the first time.
>...thehick
>On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:14:26 -0500, Bernie Cosell
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>I exercise with an elliptical trainer and one thing I've never understood
>>is the tradeoff between resistance and speed. Assuming that I work out for
>>however-long with my pulse in the correct "zone", I'm never sure whether it
>>makes a difference [and what difference it makes] if I get to that zone by
>>working against a higher resistance [and so moving more slowly] or working
>>against a lower resistance [and so moving more quickly]. Is there some
>>rule of thumb or whatever for this sort of thing? thanks!
>ok. Here's something to think about. I read this is reference
>to biking, but you can figure it out for the elliptical.
>
>When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.

Neuromuscular fatigue.

>So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.

Moreso to your heart.

>Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
>legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.

If you're trained your legs or heart will limit you in
all cases. You'll be panting in either case, but you'll
have some overhead there. (If you're not trained at all,
anything could happen.)

But this paper on resistance, cadence, and power looks interesting:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

And may answer a question posed here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

about finding empirical evidence that spinning at a higher
cadence when trying to maintain higher power output
is actually more efficient from a muscular activation
standpoint.

Not sure yet how it applies to the question of increasing
resistance on a trainer, which tends to demand a decrease
in cadence, though usually an increase in power output.

--Blair
"Now I'm going to shank the next three
drives trying to figure it out."

01-17-2005, 08:05 PM

frank-in-toronto <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Reposting to include the bike newsgroup. I made a boo-boo
>the first time.
>...thehick
>On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:14:26 -0500, Bernie Cosell
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>I exercise with an elliptical trainer and one thing I've never understood
>>is the tradeoff between resistance and speed. Assuming that I work out for
>>however-long with my pulse in the correct "zone", I'm never sure whether it
>>makes a difference [and what difference it makes] if I get to that zone by
>>working against a higher resistance [and so moving more slowly] or working
>>against a lower resistance [and so moving more quickly]. Is there some
>>rule of thumb or whatever for this sort of thing? thanks!
>ok. Here's something to think about. I read this is reference
>to biking, but you can figure it out for the elliptical.
>
>When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.

Neuromuscular fatigue.

>So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.

Moreso to your heart.

>Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
>legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.

If you're trained your legs or heart will limit you in
all cases. You'll be panting in either case, but you'll
have some overhead there. (If you're not trained at all,
anything could happen.)

But this paper on resistance, cadence, and power looks interesting:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

And may answer a question posed here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

about finding empirical evidence that spinning at a higher
cadence when trying to maintain higher power output
is actually more efficient from a muscular activation
standpoint.

Not sure yet how it applies to the question of increasing
resistance on a trainer, which tends to demand a decrease
in cadence, though usually an increase in power output.

--Blair
"Now I'm going to shank the next three
drives trying to figure it out."

01-17-2005, 08:05 PM

frank-in-toronto <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>Reposting to include the bike newsgroup. I made a boo-boo
>the first time.
>...thehick
>On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:14:26 -0500, Bernie Cosell
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>I exercise with an elliptical trainer and one thing I've never understood
>>is the tradeoff between resistance and speed. Assuming that I work out for
>>however-long with my pulse in the correct "zone", I'm never sure whether it
>>makes a difference [and what difference it makes] if I get to that zone by
>>working against a higher resistance [and so moving more slowly] or working
>>against a lower resistance [and so moving more quickly]. Is there some
>>rule of thumb or whatever for this sort of thing? thanks!
>ok. Here's something to think about. I read this is reference
>to biking, but you can figure it out for the elliptical.
>
>When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.

Neuromuscular fatigue.

>So you lower the gear. This moves the effort to your lungs.

Moreso to your heart.

>Now, say you're in too low a gear (spinning too fast), your
>legs will be laughing, but you'll run out of breath.

If you're trained your legs or heart will limit you in
all cases. You'll be panting in either case, but you'll
have some overhead there. (If you're not trained at all,
anything could happen.)

But this paper on resistance, cadence, and power looks interesting:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

And may answer a question posed here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

about finding empirical evidence that spinning at a higher
cadence when trying to maintain higher power output
is actually more efficient from a muscular activation
standpoint.

Not sure yet how it applies to the question of increasing
resistance on a trainer, which tends to demand a decrease
in cadence, though usually an increase in power output.

--Blair
"Now I'm going to shank the next three
drives trying to figure it out."

01-18-2005, 06:43 AM

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

> >When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
>
> Neuromuscular fatigue.

As well as glycogen depletion in the muscles. Muscle fatigue appears
to be quite complex, and still not well understood. See the
following article:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

01-18-2005, 06:43 AM

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

> >When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
>
> Neuromuscular fatigue.

As well as glycogen depletion in the muscles. Muscle fatigue appears
to be quite complex, and still not well understood. See the
following article:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

01-18-2005, 06:43 AM

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

> >When biking in a big gear, your legs will get tired out quickly.
>
> Neuromuscular fatigue.

As well as glycogen depletion in the muscles. Muscle fatigue appears
to be quite complex, and still not well understood. See the
following article:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]