Maximising Your Workout with Assault Bikes

Assault bikes, also known as air bikes, have become increasingly popular in the fitness world. These bikes provide a full-body workout, making them a favorite among elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts. But in order to get the most out of your workout, it's important to understand how to properly use an assault bike and the different parts that make up this powerful machine.

Why is it called an Assault Bike?

An Assault Bike is a brand name (Assault Fitness) of an air bike, so it's much like calling a vacuum cleaner a Hoover or a Dyson. Regardless, likely since the original 80's air bike was designed for very low intensity workouts and got trashed the moment it was repurposed in CrossFit, it makes sense that the modern-day air bike be named after a brand which pretty much reinvented it for the CrossFit market and has become the staple air bike of many gyms. Although, there's now many other air bike brands that are commonly referred to as an "Assault Bike".

Several other brand names/products include Xebex Air Bike, Rogue Echo Bike, ATX Air Bike, and Schwinn Airdyne. Numerous own brand air bikes are also present in the market. For the price of these known brands, opting for one of these brands would be my recommendation. In the FIBO event as far back as 2016, I had the chance to compare the two industry leaders at that time, Assault Bike and Xebex Air Bike. While both were fantastic and incredibly similar, I thought Xebex held the upper hand; however, it's worth noting that Xebex is more affordable in the USA, but in the UK, Assault is the cheaper option and its parts are more easily accessible. Here's a video I made at the time, alongside the Xebex factory owner, Michael:

Understanding the Assault Bike

An assault bike is a stationary bike with two handles that move back and forth as you pedal. Unlike traditional stationary bikes, the resistance on an assault bike is created by a large fan that spins as you pedal. This means that the harder you pedal, the more resistance you will feel. This makes for a challenging and effective workout.

Proper Form

To get the most out of your assault bike workout, it's important to maintain proper form. Start by sitting on the bike with your feet on the pedals and your hands on the handles. Keep your back straight and engage your core muscles. As you pedal, make sure to push and pull the handles with your arms, rather than just holding onto them. This will engage your upper body and provide a full-body workout.

Interval Training

One of the best ways to maximise your workout on an assault bike is through interval training. This involves alternating between periods of high intensity and low intensity. For example, you could pedal at a high intensity for 30 seconds, followed by 60 seconds of low intensity pedaling. This type of training has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and burn more calories than steady-state cardio. Really, this sort of training is what the Assault Bike has become famed for.

Assault Bike Parts

To fully understand how to maximise your workout on an assault bike, it's important to know the different parts that make up this machine. The main components of an assault bike include the frame, seat, pedals, handles, and fan. The frame is the main structure of the bike, while the seat and pedals are self-explanatory. The handles are connected to the fan and provide resistance as you pedal. The fan is what creates the resistance and can be adjusted to increase or decrease the intensity of your workout.

A high-quality build design's simplicity ensures its durability and longevity, even with intense workouts, and requires minimal maintenance.

Adjusting Your Assault Bike

One of the great things about assault bikes is that they can be adjusted quickly and easily to each user. You can adjust the seat height and handlebar position to ensure proper form and comfort during your workout. You can also adjust the resistance of the fan to make your workout more challenging or easier, although in a gym environment many will leave as is. Some assault bikes also come with additional features such as a digital display to track your progress and heart rate monitors.

Conclusion

Adding an assault bike to your workout regimen can greatly enhance it, especially if you're short on time and can manage high-intensity interval training. I wouldn't recommend this type of intense interval training, which is gaining popularity, for beginners in fitness. They would benefit more from a low-intensity cardiovascular routine initially.