Assault Bike
The Assault bike (air bike) is a stationary bike with moving handles and a fan, so your arms and legs drive it together and the resistance rises the harder you pedal. It is a low-skill conditioning tool used for intervals, sprints and steady cardio rather than for building strength or muscle.
Also called: Air Bike, Fan Bike, Airdyne, Air Assault Bike · Equipment: cardio
Step by step
- Set the seat height so your knee is slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point, and set the seat position so your knee sits roughly over the pedal.
- Sit tall with your feet on the pedals and hold the handles at about shoulder width, trunk lightly braced.
- Start pedalling at an easy pace. The handles are linked to the pedals, so push one handle forward and pull the other back in time with your pedal stroke.
- Let your legs lead and use the arms to add output, keeping a steady push and pull on the handles rather than holding them passively.
- To go harder, pedal and drive the handles faster; to ease off, slow the cycle, since the fan sets the resistance from your own effort.
- Breathe in a steady rhythm on longer efforts and breathe hard and fast on sprints, keeping your trunk upright.
- After hard intervals, keep pedalling easily for a few minutes before stepping off.
- Legs lead, arms add
- Push and pull the handles on every stroke
- Sit tall with your trunk braced
- Faster cycle for more output
- Breathe hard and rhythmically on sprints
- Pace long intervals so the last is as strong as the first
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps | Prime mover | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Hamstrings | Secondary | C |
| Gastrocnemius | Secondary | D |
| Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid) | Secondary | D |
| Latissimus dorsi | Secondary | D |
| Posterior deltoid: posterior | Secondary | D |
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Secondary | D |
| Triceps brachii | Secondary | D |
| Biceps brachii | Secondary | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | D |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Rounding and hauling on the handles
Fix: Sit tall with your trunk braced and let the pace settle before your posture goes.
Seat set too low
Fix: Raise the seat until your knee is slightly bent at the bottom of the stroke.
Arms passive
Fix: Push and pull the handles actively on every stroke unless you are training legs only.
Starting sprints too fast
Fix: Build to top speed over the first few seconds and hold it to the end.
Holding your breath on sprints
Fix: Breathe hard and in rhythm with your pedalling throughout every sprint.
Going out too hard on long intervals
Fix: Choose a calorie or watt target you can repeat on every interval.
What the research says
General fitness · first choiceFat loss & conditioning · first choicePowerRehab & prehabSport performanceEndurance
- Sprint intervals — Meta-analyses of sprint interval training on cycle ergometers find repeated all-out efforts raised aerobic fitness (VO2max) by roughly 4–13% over 2–8 weeks, similar to longer endurance training. Gains were smaller in fitter people, and these studies used leg-only bikes, not air bikes.
- Common formats — Sprint sessions commonly use 6–10 efforts of 10–30 seconds all-out with rests four to eight times as long. Harder intervals of 30 seconds to 3 minutes and steady rides of 10–40 minutes are also widely used.
- Time efficiency — A review of low-volume interval training describes fitness adaptations similar to traditional endurance training for a fraction of the time spent.
- Repeated sprints — Research on repeated-sprint ability finds it depends on both sprint and aerobic qualities, and that combining interval work with maximal sprints develops it better than one method alone.
- Measuring effort — Because the fan sets the resistance from your own output, sessions are usually set by time, calories, watts or perceived effort rather than a resistance level.
- Fatigue — All-out intervals cause little muscle soreness but a high whole-body fatigue cost, so many people keep true maximal sessions to two or three a week.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the assault bike in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.