Just like others I am looking for weight loss. For this time I have two options buying a bicycle or joining a gym to lose extra weight and get the body in shape just like a normal human and not a gym body.
I am looking for suggestion on these two options: bicycling or gym (exercise).
Thanks.
A few misconceptions here.
You will never ever get that "gym body", so don't worry about it
It sounds harsh, but it's true for a few different reasons.
It's hard to achieve in the first place. You need to put a LOT of time and effort, and even money into it, in order to get the "gym body".
A lot of people try, and don't succeed, even WITH the time and money spent.
It takes years. Yes years! In plural!
We can only conclude that someone who doesn't even want it in the first place, will never accomplish it.
As for your question, it's all about the diet
Cardio > weightlifting, when it comes to losing weight. But even then, weight loss is primarily done in the kitchen. If you can't get your diet straight, then no matter how much you run or cycle, you won't lose any fat. In fact, you'll just gain more.
For either of the two to deliver the weight loss you want, a fair amount of discipline is required. Assuming the same level of discipline with either, I think buying a bike would deliver the best result. This is not so much a cardio vs weights thing, as you can clearly do some cardio in the gym, but it is much easier to make cycling regularly part of your daily routine and has a few extra positives.
Here's a longer list of benefits you could expect from picking up cycling.
Assuming you mean weight (resistance) training when you say “Gym”, you're actually comparing two somewhat different, but, complimentary activities. So, if at all possible, why not do both?
As Alec states, your worry about a “gym body” is unfounded for the reasons he lists. However, that should not discourage you from participating in an exercise program to add/improve muscle mass since studies have shown that there are numerous advantages to building a base of muscle. Also keep in mind that muscle is metabolically active, thus assisting in the burning of unwanted calories. In fact, a recent study found Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) was indeed lower for those individuals with lower amounts of mass:
As expected, the RMR of women was lower than that for men (4,12,13,19,27), and the RMR of older adults was less than that for younger adults (9,13,22). Some of the differences between the sexes and age groupings could be related to muscle mass being lower (e.g., less metabolically active tissue) in women and in older adults. RMR is mostly dependent on the amount of metabolically active tissue in an individual; mainly muscle mass (18,35).
(Examining Variations of Resting Metabolic Rate of Adults: A Public Health Perspective )
Bicycling, as a complimentary activity, can assist in further burning calories, as well as, providing the many benefits that can be achieved from cardio exercise. Many gyms offer various cardio equipment including bicycles.
In the end, whatever path you decide, your weight loss success will be directly related to consistent work, sound nutrition (as Alec reminds us), and a long term commitment to exercise.
