Stationary bikes simulate climbing hills and riding through various terrains. This aerobic workout, which cycled its way into gyms in the late 1980s, has people shedding pounds in fitness facilities and home gyms throughout the United States. Exercising on a stationary bike burns between 400 and 600 calories in an average 45- to 60-minute class, and consists of riding in and out of the seat for both an anaerobic and aerobic workout.
Seated Workouts
The simplest seated stationary cycling exercise is the Seated Flat, in which you sit on the bike and simulate riding on a flat road with your tension knob--a knob that adds tension to the flywheel, controlling your momentum and resistance during the ride--set to "light," or about 60 to 110 revolutions per minute. This position is the foundation by which you build upon for other riding drills. For instance, while in this position, you can also do the Seated Speed, in which your tension knob is slightly higher and your expected RPM is 145. This exercise builds stamina and strength. Or you can do the Seated Climb, in which you're simulating climbing with an expected RPM between 40 and 80.
Standing Workouts
Standing workouts require you to stand out of the seat on the pedals of the bike. The most common standing exercises are the Standing Flat and Standing Climb. In the Standing Flat, you stand with a slight bend in your upper body so you can fully grip the top of the handlebars, and simulate running on the bike with a light to medium resistance. The Standing Climb is similar to the Standing Flat, but your tension is set to a higher resistance as if you're climbing a hill. A vertical drill involves standing straight up and down on the pedals, with no bend in your upper body, your shoulders back, your fingertips resting lightly on the tip of the handlebars and your tension set to moderate. This requires abdominal strength, and the drill strengthens your legs. You can also hover your body over the seat while standing; this works your glutes.
Intervals
During Intervals, you’re either standing or sitting, and switching between ascending and descending a hill to stimulate your heart rate. For instance, you could ride out of the seat with a high intensity for 30 seconds, then decrease the intensity to a flat road for 30 seconds.
Jumps
Jumping combines both seated and standing positions. When you jump in an indoor cycling routine, you're transitioning from a sitting to a standing position in a controlled movement using medium to heavy resistance.
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