Hi!
I’m a little discouraged to write a feature request here since I’m not a serious cyclist like most of the people here. I do own an indoor bike trainer and the I like the TrainerDay app and would love to use it for weight loss since I’m overweight.
I know I have the option of creating the training plan myself based on my own needs but it would be really nice if Coach Jack could do that for me.
Thank you for such an amazing app!
Best regards, Ali
Hi, don’t worry there are all kinds of people here, many just looking for health and/or weight loss. I am not exactly sure what you are asking for but there is a lot of controversy regarding exercise and weight loss. Many people will tell you weight loss all happens in the kitchen. I myself work to maintain various levels of health/fitness and weight and now at 58 it takes a lot more than it did in my 30s and 40s.
Science and “experts” will give conflicting advice. I believe my advice is not overly controversial. Which is the only thing that matters is consistency. So this means do what is fun and sustainable. The more fun or at least “least un-fun” the easier. The beginning is usually the hardest part but then staying on the path then becomes the hard part. I suggested people do the bare minimum but more often, that could be 7 days a week with a minimum 5-minutes and if it feels ok then do a bit more. If having a plan like a Coach Jack plan inspires you then that is great. Many people do well sticking to a plan and others not so well. I would set a goal for a date for 6 months from now and just follow the plan jack gives you. It will be 3 blocks, base, build and peak.
Either that or just start with a 12-16 week base plan and then we can go from there. Find something to pass then time. Watching netflix and easy pedalling is great. Listening to music, making phone calls to friends… You don’t need to be breathing hard at this time to make gains and each phase just safely prepares you for the next phase. Going too hard in the beginning for fast results is not the solution. We all want fast results but focus on the process not the results. Consistency is all that matters.
I have a lot more advice than this but not even sure that was what you were looking for. You are right we should also add a weight loss plan to Coach Jack. If that is all you are saying you are 100% right.
Yes, that is basically what I would like to see. For me it would be beneficial if someone (in this case Coach Jack) could take the guesswork away from me and just create some sort of a plan that would probably follow what you wrote in your reply and suggest me the most common sense approach to stay active on a trainer and focus on losing weight. For me that would mean that I would not have to think about VO2Max, differences between HIIT, endurance rides, power intervals and if it would make sense to start with base, base+ or base++ and all the other things I don’t understand. You know, like a no-brainer approach. You answer a couple of questions and proof, the plan gets created for you.
I do thank you for the detailed suggestions above - I have created a plan and can’t wait to try it out.
Sorry for my English, it’s not my primary language.
Best regards, Ali
I find cardio to control weight is tough because the more cardio I do the more I’m hungry. I’m not saying it won’t work, but whatever you end up doing it needs to be sustainable.
I would think if weight loss if your goal you may want to consider base or base+ and use this along with your dietary plan to achieve your results, these kind of rides won’t put too much of a load on you compared to the higher intensity training.
I don’t have studies off hand to support, but I recall seeing that people report having success with weight lifting/resistance training to maintain/add muscle. This is a good way to improve body composition and if you’re successful in adding the muscle it will increase your daily energy expenditure.
Classic base or base plus plans: Trainer Day
Dave
Your English is fine, I agree with Dave, Base+ is great, all these other workouts just give variety. After your initial base period you can ask again and I can give you ideas to experiment a little.
I also agree with Dave their is likely more support for adding muscle for weight loss than cardio work. But cardio can boost your motivation and be a good place to start. Once your motivation goes up adding some weight training can help. I personally see I lose weight with higher volume cycling, like cycling outdoors 8-10+ hours a week of easy riding outdoors. Indoors it’s hard for me to be motivated enough to do that kind of volume so use indoor more as a short duration period just trying to hold on to some fitness. So in general, I think exercise and feeling in shape is the critical component to weight loss as it helps drive motivation for a full life embrace of health. Without the exercise I seem to struggle to hold on…
I think strength training can be very minimal, especially in the beginning. 10 minutes a week can actually do a lot for the first 2-3 months until you get into a good pattern and even after that you can have a plan to keep it very short.
So we are looking forward to hearing about your progress. For me I have set myself a goal of a 150km gravel “race” in May. Having a goal like this helps with motivation.