A stationary bike, the popular cardio equipment in the gym, primarily involves lower muscle work. Its use, however, turns out to be very versatile. What can you use the bike for? How to train on it? What effects can be achieved? What else can bring training on a stationary bike?
Training on a stationary bike
A stationary bike is an indispensable equipment in virtually every fitness club and gym. Although it can be associated with lazy training, it can be used for
- warm-up before training. A few minutes on the bicycle as a general part of the warm-up to speed up the heart rate;
- cool down. 10-15 min spent on a bicycle after a hard workout allows you to speed up regeneration and reduce muscle pain;
- cardio training. This can be treated as a pro-health training for the circulatory system or the possibility of burning a greater amount of calories, e.g. during the reduction of body fat, building muscle mass, work on the condition etc.
- endurance training (continuous or alternating). It is also a good tool for building endurance and allows you to perform training with various methods, eg interval, aerobic, anaerobic.
In the autumn and winter season - when the weather limits driving outside - a stationary bike is a great replacement for a traditional bicycle. Thanks to this, it allows maintain form and condition.
What muscles develops exercise on a stationary bicycle?
A stationary bicycle is a device that engages the legs to the greatest extent
- quadriceps,
- two-headed muscles,
- calves.
Training on a stationary bike should be treated in strength training as a addition, for example warm-up and cardio. It is also difficult to build muscle mass in traditional training.
Training on a stationary bicycle - effects
The effects achieved with training on a stationary bicycle will depend on many factors. Properly choosing the type of training and method, such training can include improve aerobic and anaerobic endurance. Training on this equipment can be the basis, as well as the addition in training for the reduction of body fat.
It is true that it does not allow the construction of powerful legs, but during the mass period it can help, for example in maintaining the condition and the appropriate level of metabolism.
Training on a stationary bicycle
Below are the types of training that can be done on a stationary bicycle.
Aerobic training on a stationary bicycle
Aerobic training on a stationary bicycle can be done using a continuous and continuous - variable method.
The continuous method consists in performing continuous work at a constant rate at a strictly defined pulse interval. In order for this type of training to have an impact on the correct strength, work should be carried out in the range of 60-80% of maximum heart rate, of course, the more advanced the person is, the more it will be able to work on the higher percentage of maximum heart rate, but maintaining oxygen effort. Such training can last from 10 minutes to even a few hours in the case of professional athletes.
The continuous - variable method, in turn, involves continuous work but with strictly determined changes in intensity. For example, for 10 minutes we perform work on 60% of maximum heart rate, and another 10 min on 80%. Such a process is repeated several or even several times.
Anaerobic training on a stationary bicycle
Anaerobic training on a stationary bicycle is a way of endurance and speed. The interval method allows to increase the strength, and the repetition method - will increase the speed.
The interval method consists in alternating maximum work and rest
- active;
- passive (with strictly determined time of work and rest).
It is recommended to take active rest - this allows for faster removal of metabolites from the muscles. The ratio of working time and breaks is usually applied to 1 to 1, eg 30 seconds of work and the same number of breaks or 1 to 2, eg 30 seconds of work and 60 seconds of break. It is characteristic for this method that each successive series of maximum effort is performed on fatigue after the previous one.
The repetition method is used primarily in typically speed and strength sports. This method consists in performing short (about 10s) efforts at maximum intensity, with a break to a full rest, so that each repetition was performed with full intensity without any major signs of fatigue. It is natural that with the next repetitions of the effort, the break time between them will be longer.
Stationary bike at the gym
The stationary bike in the gym turns out to be a very versatile equipment. It can be used as a training element, for example warm-up, cool down. It is also a tool to perform a full training, e.g. of fitness or for better health state. The training methodology allows you to perform various forms of training on a stationary bike.
