Many people do not realise the benefits of an exercise bike in the gym, whilst those who have one at home, just have it mainly for convenience. The fact is, there are several tips when using an exercise bike, especially if usage is optimised and you make an effort to get the maximum out of using one of these machines.
A stationary exercise bike works a lot of muscles:
- Your buttocks or glutes
- Your hip flexors
- Your hamstring
- Your quadriceps
- Your Tibialis Anterior and
- Your rectus abdominis (abs)
How does a stationary exercise bike work?
These bikes produce results each time you pedal. The bikes actually come with built-in resistance that can be adjusted by turning up this built-in resistance that increases the amount of workload your body is exposed to, this building and working your muscles and basically giving you a rigorous and complete workout.
The different type of workouts
There is a varying type of workouts that can be done on a stationary bike. These workouts are centred on burning calories and fat whilst simultaneously building and toning your muscles plus increasing your cardiovascular capacities. The good thing about a stationary exercise bike is that they are pretty good at helping you achieve your fat loss goals when effectively used. Additionally, there are basically two types of ways in which you can use a stationary exercise bike, you can either cruise along at a level that I will deem mediocre, or you can pedal at an intense speed on higher resistance levels, therefore really burning those calories.
Tips before working out
- There is a fundamental and general rule that cannot be changed for anyone, no matter who you are before you start to work out. That rule is simple, before embarking on strenuous exercises, a person MUST always visit their doctor first to make sure that they are generally healthy and suitable to complete strenuous tasks; exercising on a stationary exercise bike is no different.
- The next tip is to ensure that you do eat properly before as well as after exercise. Do not eat too close to the exercising session, though, as you may become sick or even vomit due to indigestion. Not eating can cause you to collapse, or blackout as your body is deprived of food that helps to keep your strength up during exercise sessions. Eating properly is also essential as it would basically mean that you are defeating the purpose of exercising. After burning off those calories, you go straight to the nearest fast-food restaurant to eat some meaty a chunky meal.
- Next, it is critically important that you engage in basic warm-up exercises before taking on rigid workout sessions. Simply put, not warming up at all or failing to warm up properly can cause all sort of things to go wrong during and after a workout session. You can injure yourself by pulling a muscle or straining your muscles if you do not warm up properly. Warming up is done by stretching your muscles to prepare them for the workout to come.
Beginner Workout Session
I know from experience that as a beginner, you might find it daunting to embark on a workout session, especially if you are not sure at what exactly it is that you are supposed to do. Below is a table that I have to put together that includes a workout session designed to get the best out of a stationary exercise bike if you are a beginner. This session lasts for about 24 minutes. If done once a week or twice weekly, I can guarantee you that you will see the benefits of exercising plus the added bonus of feeling super brilliant about yourself and your accomplishments.
Resistance Levels
- Time Lapse
- Effort required
- Instructions
Warm-up off bike
- 5 minutes
- light
- Warm-up
Level 1
- 5 minutes
- 35 per cent
- Cycle comfortably
Level 3
- 2 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 4
- 2 minutes
- 60 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 3
- 5 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 5
- 3 minutes
- 75 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 3
- 2 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 1
- 5 minute
- 35 per cent
- Slow cycling
Work out for Regulars
If you are a regular, then your workout session should generally be a bit more demanding. It would mean that you have already acclimatised to the rigours of the beginner workout session. As a result, to maximise the exercise bike, you would have to do more in a workout. Below is a table entailing a workout program that lasts around 43 minutes in length for regulars at working out.
Resistance Levels
- Time Lapse
- Effort required
- Instructions
Warm-up off bike
- 5 minutes
- light
- Warm-up
Level 3
- 5 minutes
- 35 per cent
- Cycle comfortably
Level 5
- 2 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 6
- 2 minutes
- 60 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 5
- 5 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 7
- 3 minutes
- 75 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 5
- 4 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 6
- 2 minutes
- 60 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 5
- 5 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 7
- 3 minutes
- 75 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 5
- 2 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 3
- 5 minutes
- 35 per cent
- Slow cycling
Workout Session For Advanced
Naturally, suppose you are at an advanced level when working out on a stationary exercise bike. In that case, it will require a more rigorous effort to get the most out of the exercise bike. Below is a table put together of a workout session lasting for 55 minutes that an advanced level person should try.
Resistance Levels
- Time Lapse
- Effort required
- Instructions
Warm-up off bike
- 5 minutes
- light
- Warm-up
Level 5
- 5 minutes
- 35 per cent
- Cycle comfortably
Level 7
- 2 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 8
- 2 minutes
- 60 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 7
- 5 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 9
- 3 minutes
- 75 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 7
- 4 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 8
- 2 minutes
- 60 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 7
- 5 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 9
- 3 minutes
- 75 per cent
- Fast Sprint
Level 7
- 4 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprint
Level 8
- 2 minutes
- 60 per cent
- Fast Sprinting
Level 7
- 5 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprinting
Level 9
- 3 minutes
- 75 per cent
- Fast Sprinting
Level 7
- 2 minutes
- 50 per cent
- Moderate Sprinting
Level 5
- 5 minutes
- 35 per cent
- Slow
Conclusion
These sessions are to be done continuously to ensure you get fit and make the most of an exercise machine. However, the key to completing this workout is to do the right thing and acknowledge the fitness levels that you are operating at; in other words, you must listen to your body.
It is vital that you set the resistance level on the machine to a level that your body can manage. Doing this will ensure that you are comfortable completing the workout, thus doing the exercise continuously without stopping, therefore allowing yourself to get the maximum out of the workout session.
This workout program can be done once or twice a week, depending on your schedule.