biking for the abs/fitness advice in the d.c. area

[ctrlaltelite]

i was wondering what good biking does in terms of waist/stomach area. i know it's good cardio and my legs have been killing me off and on for the past month, but personally i don't feel any difference above the midsection, and i'm not fat or anything but plenty of times i see what appears to be regular bikers with a gut, and it does nothing to prove my theory otherwise. don't get me wrong, it's still my preferred way to travel but i just wanted to know if crunches/sit-ups are doing more for my abs than cycling.

also, i'm thinking of starting a new fitness plan that would require a diet, i'm comfortable with my weight i just need to tone a lot more than i am, and i was wondering if anyone could reccomend a place where i could get advice from fitness professionals about what i should be doing. hopefully fairly cheap since i am a broke college student.

 

[Tiranis]

Cardio takes of fat, crunches build up muscle that is behind that fat. So to your question: no crunches are not doing more for your stomach if you have a gut, as they are simply building up muscle behind all the fat. How often and how much do you usually go on your bike? You also might have a bad diet, too many fats or carbohydrates. If you want to lose weight, you should be eating smaller meals five or six times a day, with more protein and less carbs/fat. Also, 3500 calories = 1lb. as such you need to use up 3500 calories to lose one pound, providing you're eating just the right amount. If you're overeating you might just be preventing yourself form gaining weight. Here's a table of cal/hr for cycling: http://www.nutristrategy.com/fitness/cycling.htm

 

[velobran]

Cycling won't do much for the midsection. Possibly mountain biking might do a bit more since you would be moving around a lot more in the saddle. If you are only cycling, I recommend mixing in a little bit of running and working on your diet. Then, you are sure to loose extra midsection fat. Just be careful when doing crunches to keep good form. Cycling already stretches out your back and neck muscles, so unecessary pullling and tugging on them may hurt your cycling form and cause unwanted pain.

 

[Merckx]

Cycling won't do much for the mid section in terms of strengthening your abdominal muscles as the other two previous posters had stated. But on the other hand, if you work on having a strong core - mid section it does help with your cycling. If you are climbing a lot of hills, coming out of your saddle, or doing a lot of mountain bicycling, having a strong core is a benefit.

Tweaking your diet, and possibly a full body weight training plan, along with cycling for your cardio will give you the results you are looking for.