Cycling instead of weight-loss injections: How to burn belly fat simply by getting on your bike

​Forget expensive slimming injections and tedious sit-ups! If you want to get rid of that pesky fat on your hips for good, hop on your bike. Here’s how to break free from the weight trap without the agony and while having loads of fun.

​Conclusion

Ultimately, it becomes clear that sustainable fat loss is no great mystery, and certainly not something that requires outrageously expensive weight-loss injections. If you understand the biological workings of your own body, you need neither radical starvation diets nor painful, extreme workouts. Cycling is the perfect catalyst for this: It’s gentle on your joints, specifically burns visceral belly fat through long, relaxed rides at your base heart rate, and can be easily integrated into even the busiest of daily routines without taking up too much time – whether on your way to work or during a quick session on an exercise bike. Combine your sessions with a moderate calorie deficit, plenty of protein to protect your muscles, and the right mindset – one that focuses on small, consistent habits rather than quick fixes. Take the pressure off, enjoy the breeze and make cycling part of your personal lifestyle. The pounds will then melt away not through sheer torture, but quite automatically as a side effect of doing something you enjoy.

​Does this sound familiar? As the years go by, it suddenly feels as though gravity is pulling twice as hard on your tummy. From your late thirties onwards, your body quietly shifts gears hormonally: in men, testosterone levels drop by about 1 per cent each year, your metabolism slows down a notch and you find yourself having to move your belt a notch wider. By the time you reach 50 or 60, the percentage has added up dramatically, and you’re slowly running out of holes on your belt. The nasty thing about it is that visceral fat – the deep belly fat that wraps itself around your organs – tends to accumulate around the hips of all places.

In their search for a solution, many people are currently turning to the much-hyped weight-loss injection. But it’s expensive, often comes with side effects, and usually only lasts as long as the needle is in. Once you stop taking it, the yo-yo effect kicks in. You get the same effect with crash dieting – that, too, is rarely sustainable. And what about abdominal exercises? Unfortunately, it’s a myth! You can’t ‘work away’ fat from a specific area. Doing thousands of crunches may strengthen the muscles beneath the layer of fat, but that layer itself only melts away if the whole body burns more energy than it takes in.

The solution is probably already in your garage: the bicycle is perhaps the most relaxing and effective fat-burning machine in the world.

Why this bike easily leaves the competition in its wake

If the phrase ‘endurance sport’ immediately makes you think of panting joggers with aching knees: don’t worry! Cycling is in a completely different league:

• Your joints can breathe a sigh of relief: When running, your joints are subjected to a force equivalent to two to three times your body weight with every step. On a bike, however, 70 to 80 per cent of your weight is comfortably supported by the saddle. This is ideal if you’re carrying a few extra kilos.
• They simply last longer: As a beginner, who can actually keep running for two hours? No one. On a bike, two hours fly by when you’re surrounded by beautiful scenery.
• The perfect fat-burning zone: On a bike, it’s extremely easy to control your pace. You pedal at just the right intensity to ensure your body enters its biological ‘sweet spot’, where it prefers to draw on fat reserves.

The secret lies within the body: it’s called mitochondria. These are the tiny powerhouses in our muscle cells. The more often you pedal at a relaxed pace, the more of these powerhouses your body builds up. And they burn fat even when you’re sitting on the sofa in the evening.

The Lazy Pro Training Plan

Pedalling as hard as you can, chain on the right, and powering away with that spectacular rocking stride like Mathieu van der Poel on the home straight? That might make quite an impression outside the ice-cream parlour. The harsh reality: after 20 minutes, your energy’s gone, your thighs are on fire, and you’re crawling home at a snail’s pace with a red face. That won’t give you a flat stomach – just frustration. The key is to set an intensity that you can maintain comfortably. Key phrase: the 80/20 principle:

1. The easy ride (80 per cent of your training)

Cycle at a relaxed pace where you could easily hold a conversation. In technical terms, this is known as the GA1 zone (at around 60 to 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate). As a rule of thumb: if you can still hum a tune whilst cycling, you’re doing it right! This is where your body burns the highest percentage of fat.

• Dosage: Twice a week for 60 to 90 minutes

2. The short burst of intensity (20 per cent of your workout)

Once a week, it’s time to really push yourself! In what’s known as HIIT training, short, intense bursts of exercise alternate with periods of rest. This boosts your endurance and creates that famous ‘afterburn’ effect: your metabolism stays in overdrive for hours after you’ve had a shower.

• Dosage: 30 minutes once a week (e.g. 10 bursts of 30 seconds at full speed, followed by 1 minute of very relaxed cycling each time).

The Kitchen Formula: Eat your fill and still lose weight

Exercise is half the battle – the other half is decided on your plate. But don’t worry: you don’t have to munch on celery sticks.

To lose 1 kilo of pure body fat, you need to cut your calorie intake by around 7,000 calories. Don’t even try to force that in three days! A modest deficit of 300 to 500 calories a day is more than enough. This means you’ll lose about half a kilo a week at a relaxed pace, without going hungry.

The three golden rules of cooking:

• Boost your protein intake: Make sure you eat protein at every meal (quark, eggs, chicken, fish, tofu or lentils). The aim is around 1.5 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. This protects your muscles from breaking down and keeps you feeling full for an extremely long time. Bonus: Your body uses up almost a third of the calories from protein just to digest it!
• Smart carbohydrates: Swap white bread and sweets for wholemeal bread, porridge and plenty of vegetables. This keeps your insulin levels low – and it’s only when your insulin levels are low that your body can access its fat reserves.
• Fuel up before your HIIT session: Before strenuous rides, your body needs carbohydrates (e.g. a banana); for more relaxed rides, a glass of water beforehand is perfectly sufficient.

Short on time? Here’s how to fit exercise into your daily routine

Work, family, household chores – where’s the time for sport? It’s simple: by making the most of journeys you have to make anyway.

• The commute trick: Use your bike to get to the office. Anyone who cycles 25 minutes there and back two or three times a week will have more than 2 hours of endurance sport I’ve already got it done this week, without sacrificing a single minute of my free time!
• A lifesaver in bad weather: An affordable exercise bike or home trainer for the living room works wonders. Watch 40 minutes of your favourite TV series whilst pedalling away at a leisurely pace – it couldn’t be simpler.

Psychology: How to really stick with it this time

Your inner pig is a creature of habit. If you want to outwit it, change your tactics:

• Forget the scales: Your weight can fluctuate by up to 2 kilos a day due to your body’s water balance and bowel contents. It’s better to pay attention to how your trousers fit or how much easier it is for you to climb the stairs at the office.
• The 5-minute rule: Don’t feel like driving? Why not make a plan to, just 5 minutes Get on your bike. Once you’re up and running, your brain releases reward hormones after just a few minutes. In 9 out of 10 cases, you’ll simply carry on cycling.
• Celebrating small successes: Make the most of free apps like Strava. It’s addictive to see the kilometres you’ve cycled increase week by week!