The Assault Air Bike The Toughest Cardio Machine Out
It all started a year ago when I was advised by a friend to put in a request for the assault bike for the work gym. Since then this machine has broken many of my clients but also made plenty of them by toughening them up both physically and mentally. I have a leaderboard to keep each client who gets on the machine accountable and to track progress.
The machine has a nickname the "Devil's Tricycle" for a reason as it incorporates similar muscle groups used in cycling such as the gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves along with the upper body muscles used in swimming and rowing latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps and triceps. The machine has a fan based resistance so the harder you go the more resistance it stacks on so you are constantly in a state of much lower rpm or cadence then you would be on a regular road bike allowing for great strength and high heart rate efforts.
Most functional training based PT's and cross fitters use the assault bike for interval based training such as a 20 calorie burn on the AB followed by 20 Burpees, 20 Pull Ups, 20 Squats for example or they will do interval work as 1 minute max 3 minutes recovery 3-5 times through. Another example of an interval they might do is 1 minute hard 1 minute recovery 5 times through. 1 minute is considered a sprint, 3 mins is considered moderate and 5 mins is considered a long sprint on this machine. There is also shorter interval Tabata type training settings on this machine for beginners.
To break it all down simply the machine scores distance in miles and calories based on your wattage that you put out. I have put down an example below of what you would roughly need to average watts wise to achieve a certain calorie score:
1. 125w for 5 mins- 25 calories
2. 250w for 5 mins- 50 calories
3. 375w for 5 mins- 75 calories
4. 500w for 5 mins- 100 calories
5. 625w for 5 mins- 125 calories
6. 750w for 5 mins- 150 calories
For myself in my own training with the endurance work I do, I perform 30 minute and 1 hour efforts on the Assault Bike regularly then get off onto the spin bike and have a run on the treadmill. I acknowledge that it is filthy hard but know the benefits completely outweigh the short term pain as it strips the fat off your body and hardens your physique with a good healthy diet. Incorporating some kettlebell work and body weight exercises is also a great way to improve your overall conditioning and fitness when used with this machine.
About the Author
Nic Rider is a corporate health and well-being coach with 8 years experience in the health and fitness industry. He is one of the top age group triathletes in Australia practicing what he preaches as he believes in leading by example to help inspire others. Nic has coached 100's of corporate professionals to start exercise, lose weight, build muscle and improve cardiovascular health along with injury rehabilitation. He has coached clients to run marathons and participate in triathlons along with climb mountains in the Himalayas.
