FBR

A stationary bike is one of those pieces of equipment that can help you work out when you have no other option. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, the weather outside isn’t always friendly or you simply prefer to exercise in the intimacy of your own home, then the stationary bike is your next best friend.

Cycling helps you train even in the event that you have bad knees or your joints often hurt when trying to perform any other type of training. It has a low impact on your joints and modern stationary bikes have advanced control systems.

There are many ways in which you can exercise efficiently using an indoor bike. Here are some of the most popular stationary bike workouts:

1. Cycling spin-ups

This interval training is simple and helps you boost your cardiovascular system in a matter of days. Moreover, it is one of those types of training that help you build a pace and exercise without having to think about the routines.

The training:

• 2 minutes at 75 RPM
• 2 minutes at 80 RPM
• 1 minute at 85 RPM
• 1 minute at 90 RPM
• 1 minute at 90 RPM

Repeat this interval 3 times if you can. Stick to 1 interval if you are a complete beginner and consider doing a proper warm-up before you begin.

2. 8-minute climb

This is a pyramid interval that will help you get used to cardio workouts and will help you burn a lot of calories in just 8 minutes. Play some electronic music while cycling on your stationary bike and enjoy yourself.

During this workout it is recommended to cycle at 8 RPE when sprinting and 6 RPE when resting.

The training:

• Sprint for 10 seconds, Rest for 50 seconds
• Sprint for 20 seconds, Rest for 40 seconds
• Sprint for 30 seconds, Rest for 30 seconds
• Sprint for 40 seconds, Rest for 20 seconds
• Sprint for 50 seconds, Rest for 10 seconds
• Sprint for 40 seconds, Rest for 20 seconds
• Sprint for 30 seconds, Rest for 30 seconds
• Sprint for 20 seconds, Rest for 40 seconds

Make sure that you warm-up for at least 5 minutes before beginning this interval.

3. Heavy 6-minutes workout

This workout is ideal for those of you who don’t have a lot of time for training. In just 6 minutes you get to boost your cardiovascular system and sweat the calories out for the entire day. Of course, if you feel like you can do more, feel free to repeat the workout during the day.

Keep the RPM between 60 and 80 and focus on the routine. At the end, you might feel like your heart is racing, but that’s a good sign.

The training:

• 12 rounds of 20 seconds (maximum effort)
• 10 seconds of recovery between the rounds

Keep the RPM to 60 if you are a beginner but no lower than that.

4. 4-minute drill

If you enjoy working out in the shortest time possible and yet getting the best of it, then this is the perfect drill for you. Your muscular activity is boosted during this training and the tissues that connect your joints become stronger.

You need high resistance levels and a lot of motivation.

The training:

• Pedal for 30 seconds at 60 RPM
• Sprint for 20 seconds at 60 RPM
• Rest for 10 seconds by pedaling at 40-50 RPM
• Repeat 5-6 times

Choose a song that helps you motivate yourself. Sometimes visualizing a certain route is also very helpful.

5. 28-minute spin

Should you have a little more time at your disposal, this workout is great. It doesn’t exhaust you of all your power like the shorter ones do, but it is still intense. It uses the 30/20/10 interval, just like the workout above.

Repeat the following interval 4-5 times, depending on your resistance, but don’t give up too fast.

The training:

• Pedal for 30 seconds at 80 RPM
• Pedal for 20 seconds at 90 RPM and 5 RPE
• Pedal for 10 seconds at 9 RPE
• Rest for 2 minutes by spinning at your own pace
• Repeat

6. 1 hour routine

If you are one of those people who don’t like to rush things up and you have your own, slower pace of doing everything, then this workout is better for you.

It takes 60 minutes to finish this routine, which means that your resistance level must be quite high. It is not too hard, but not too easy either. Enable your heart rate monitor and keep your pace under control.

The training:

• Pedal at your own pace for 10 minutes
• Pedal for 10 minutes at 50 RPM
• Pedal for 10 minutes at your own pace
• Pedal for 10 minutes at 90 RPM and observe your heart beat rate. Don’t push any harder when it reaches 80%
• Pedal for 5 minutes until you observe that your HR has normalized
• Pedal for 5 more minutes at 90 RPM
• Recover for 5 minutes
• Pedal for 10 more minutes at 90 RPM
• Cool down

7. Reverse Ladder

During this training you will begin with the highest RPMs and end with the lowest. You can increase your speed level and endurance when exercising like this. There are many ways to perform this workout. Here’s an example:

The training:

• Pedal at your own pace for 10 minutes
• Sprint for 60 seconds seated at RPM 110, RPE 8
• Pedal at your own pace for 60 seconds standing, RPE 5
• Sprint for 45 seconds seated, RPM 100, RPE 7
• Pedal at your own pace for 45 seconds standing, RPE 5
• Sprint for 30 seconds seated, RPM 90, RPE 6
• Pedal at your own pace for 30 seconds standing, RPE 5
• Sprint for 20 seconds seated, RPM 90, RPE 6
• Pedal at your own pace for 20 seconds standing, RPM 5

Repeat once more if you can.

8. Sprint Drill

This workout type is ideal if you have a rushed lifestyle and you are short on time. You can prolong it when you can, but it’s not essential to do it. Your movements will have to be fast and correct and you have to focus on your body.

The training:

• Play a song with 3 intense refrains
• Stay seated and breathe deeply, then start pedaling at RPM 75
• Increase the speed after a few seconds
• Recover between refrains
• Sprint when the refrain begins

9. One leg workout

It’s not a joke. This is actually a one-leg workout. However, you will be able to change the leg you pedal with. Medium resistance is required for this training, so don’t go higher.

The training:

• Pedal for 10 minutes at your own pace
• Isolate one leg for 30 seconds
• Recover for 1 minute
• Isolate the other leg for 20 seconds
• Repeat 5 times
• Pedal using both legs for as long as you can at 100-120 RPM

10. 50-minute intervals

This workout is suitable for those who need high-intensity trainings, as well as for those who need moderate-intensity trainings. Make sure you warm up properly because this workout lasts about 50 minutes.

The training:

• Pedal for 3 minutes at 90 RPM, RPE 5
• Recover for 5 minutes
• Pedal for 3 minutes at 90 RPM, RPE 5
• Recover
• Repeat 4-5 times

Choose at least one of the workouts above if you are just starting to create a routine and see how you’re doing.