An exercise bike offers an excellent cardio workout, with some limited muscle building in the lower legs. In order to expand the benefits of an exercise bike, you'll need to vary the resistance settings, your position on the bike, and the intensity with which you peddle. A little planning will help you improve your bike routines so you can burn more calories and build more muscle.
Step 1
Experiment with the exercise bike's resistance settings by getting on the bike and pedaling using each setting. More resistance will provide more muscle building and raise your heart rate by requiring you to use more muscular effort. The harder you have to peddle against a higher resistance level, the more you'll raise your heart rate. The faster you can peddle against a lower resistance level, the more you'll raise your heart rate.
Step 2
Stand in the peddles to vary and increase your muscle use. Standing while peddling requires you to push more of your body weight, previously resting on the seat, up and down. Additionally, standing while cycling use more cardiovascular effort, according to an article in "The Sport Journal," which confirmed previous studies on this subject. This includes more upper body muscles. You may want to shift down a gear or two before you begin standing.
Step 3
Set the resistance lower so that you can peddle faster if you want to create a high-intensity, anaerobic sprint workout. You will peddle at a rate near your maximum heart rate for 30 to 90 seconds, then coast and recover for 90 to 120 seconds, depending on your conditioning.
Step 4
Set the resistance level high to create more muscle building in the leg. The harder it is to peddle, the more muscle you will challenge.
Step 5
Set the resistance level to a setting that will allow you exercise at 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate to create an aerobic workout. Calculate this heart rate range by subtracting your age from 220, then multiply that number by .70 to .80. The setting you choose should allow you to maintain this target heart rate for 15 minutes or more, preferably to create a workout of at least 30 minutes in duration.
Tips and Warnings
- Drink water during your ride to stay hydrated and prevent cramps. Cool down after your workout by pedaling at a rate that brings your heart rate down to below 100 beats per minute, and follow with a stretch of all the muscles you used during your ride.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise bike
- Water
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