{"id":56343,"date":"2017-02-21T07:15:18","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T12:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=56343"},"modified":"2021-05-18T07:58:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-18T11:58:00","slug":"air-bike-hiit-workout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/air-bike-hiit-workout\/","title":{"rendered":"This Air Bike HIIT Workout Will Leave You Breathless"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Air
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to cardio<\/a>, we love a good piece of equipment that will kick our butts. (Woodway Curve<\/a> and WaterRower<\/a>, we\u2019re looking at you.) And one of the newer machines to hit the floor is actually an oldie but goodie: the air bike. Don\u2019t be fooled, though. It\u2019s just like riding a bike, but not at all. Unlike a traditional bicycle or spin bike, the air bike has a big fan in lieu of a front wheel (check one out here<\/a>). And if you\u2019ve heard rumblings that it ain\u2019t easy, it\u2019s true. These \u201cassault\u201d bikes will blast major calories, but straight up humble you, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 15 Most Underrated Exercises, According to Trainers<\/a><\/p>\n

All About the Air Bike<\/h2>\n

While you\u2019d set a stationery bike at a certain resistance (or watts), the fan bike is different in that the faster you pedal, the more resistance you generate. \u201cThe harder you work, the harder it gets,\u201d says Mike Boyle, co-founder of Boston area Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning<\/a>. Plus, you also use your arms at the same time, which allows you to work both your upper and lower body together. Boyle calls it the bike equivalent of an indoor rowing machine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt becomes a total-body exercise, which you\u2019re not able to get on a regular bike,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re almost like a well-kept secret, because the average person tends to say they\u2019re way too hard,\u201d he says. But now that CrossFit\u2019s<\/a> gone mainstream and HIIT<\/a> is hotter than ever, there\u2019s a desire for equipment that takes your workout up a notch.<\/p>\n

Because you use your arms and legs simultaneously, your heart rate<\/a> soars about 20 percent higher than if you were to just pedal with your legs, says Boyle. So it makes sense that you also get a boost in calorie burn<\/a> by about the same amount, he adds.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3 Fat-Blasting HIIT Workouts to Try Now<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also gentler to your joints. \u201cWith any bike, you eliminate the ground reaction force, so it\u2019s safer. The only thing that gets beat up is your heart and lungs,\u201d says Boyle. Plus, unlike other bikes, you sit up straighter, which puts less pressure on your spine.<\/p>\n

Your Air Bike HIIT Workout<\/h2>\n

So how do you use the air bike? HIIT workouts<\/a> are generally the best place to start. And, because you don\u2019t have to deal with buttons or dials to change the resistance, you can simply hop on and go.<\/p>\n

But before Boyle gets his clients going, he first has them do a \u201cmaximum speed aerobic test\u201d or MAS. Translation: Ride the bike at a sustainable pace for five to six minutes. At the end, the bike should tell you what your average rpm is. The rate that you can hold for five minutes is your max aerobic speed, says Boyle. Once you know that, then you can set up your intervals in several ways:<\/p>\n