Bike Your Butt Off!: A Breakthrough Plan to Lose Weight and Start Cycling

by Selene Yeager, Leslie Bonci

Given our struggling economy as well as the national struggle to maintain our waistlines, cycling is enjoying a renaissance as more than 57 million people in the United States use bicycles regularly. Now Bicycling's Fit Chick presents a brand-new, 12-week weight-loss and exercise plan for beginner and experienced cyclists alike.Whether readers have just a little bit of weight to lose or a lot, Bike Your Butt Off! will help them meet their weight-loss goals in no time, thanks to its expert-tested food and exercise plans from authors Selene Yeager and Leslie Bonci. By outlining basic rules of the road, social elements of cycling, and the sustaining weight-loss benefits of cycling, Bike Your Butt Off! distills the core fundamentals of cycling so that any beginner can adopt it as a lifelong endeavor.With delicious nutritional information, tips, training plans, and fat-burning and heart-pumping exercises to help maximize workouts, readers will see the pounds melt off while having the time of their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Bicycles

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insights into becoming a better cyclist, not only technically on the bike, but also, fueling and building your body for maximum performance. I’ve been preparing for my first century ride next year, so I learned a lot. Highly recommended.

[John Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful book for novice and beginner cyclists and those wanting a bicycle exercise plan to assist in weight loss. Has exercise plans for outdoor cycling on a road or mountain bike and for indoor workouts on a stationary bike. Has exercise suggestions for becoming a stronger cyclist. I found the suggested outdoor bike workouts and drills the most helpful feature of the book (especially the HIIT and Tabata). Also, I appreciated the exercise suggestions.

The book is easy to read and well organized. The dietary advice was clear and had lists which would be easy to follow. I follow a ketogenic way of eating so I did not find the emphasis on carbohydrates helpful.

Worth a quick read for getting some helpful suggestions and for many worth taking on the 12 week plan.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course to make this work, I do have to get on the bike more and not just read. Good information, much that I already know, just need a kick-start into action. This has enough to help you be successful at riding.

[Elijah]

Great!

[Agusta · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Ride a bike for dummies”

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Bike your Butt Off is a diet/exercise/health book capitalizing on the current popularity of biking. Written by author and Bicycling Magazine contributor Selene Yeager and Dr. Leslie Bonci, Director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the book offers both a physical and nutritional plan for better health.

The books is designed for those who want a weight loss or health plan but who do not necessarily have a lot of experience with biking. Everything needed for purchasing a decent bike, using it most effectively, and keeping it in good shape are outlined in the book. Ride workouts are presented in addition to warm up and cool down stretches and exercises. As the book progresses, the rides become more intensive. But the beginning rides are nice and easy and a good introduction to starting a riding regime.

The book has nutritional and dietary tips as well as testimonials by those who have tried the program (motivational stories). But this is more than a diet to lose weight - it's about understanding what is being eaten, why, when, and how to work with your own schedule to create better dietary habits.

The book has a pleasant tone and is easy to read and digest. There are pictures of the warm up exercises but otherwise the book is mostly graphical in nature. I feel it strikes the right balance between instructional and yet easily digestible.

I think this is a great way to get into fitness but also to enjoy the pleasure of biking and being outdoors. I've enjoyed doing the ride recommendations as well as the accountability/food logs understanding what I am eating and more importantly, why. What I find most useful is that Biking is an exercise that can be enjoyed with family - including kids and spouses. And it doesn't have to be done in a sweaty hot room staring at a wall.

In all, highly recommended. Received as an ARC from the publisher.

[Aric · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fine book if your goal is to use a bicycle primarily as an exercise tool along with a diet plan (a seemingly thorough one is discussed in the book). My use for a bicycle is one of transportation and occasional recreation so I wish the chapters regarding repair and preventive maintenance was more thorough.
It's the book you might want if you would like an outdoorsy alternative to a crowded gym.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book consisted of things I already knew, but it was nice to have a refresher. I also enjoy the adaptations of outdoor rides to indoor.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Have I biked my butt off? No. The only thing this book lacks is some sort of aperatus to force me onto the bike.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting if you have a certain level of fitness to begin with. You might have to work up to what the authors want you to achieve.