If you’re CrossFit Games athlete Brittany Weiss, there may be no piece of equipment that elicits a stronger reaction than the assault bike. The bike uses a fan to generate resistance, which means the harder you pedal, the harder your body works. Due to the arm pumping and pedaling used in the exercise, it provides a full body workout, helps with metabolic conditioning and increases endurance.
Two-time CrossFit Games athlete Brittany Weiss knows those benefits well, even with a love-hate relationship with cycling. It’s a constant in her off-season training now, and something she doesn’t enjoy as much anymore.
Brittany Weiss spoke with Bodybuilding and fitness on why the Assault Bike can be for anyone looking to increase their output and build their aerobic base. She also gave some helpful tips to make sure you get the most out of any workout that includes cycling and provided one of her most recent workouts.
The advantages of the assault bike
I have a love/hate relationship with the Assault Bike ([aughs]. I’m not a very powerful athlete, so I can really benefit from the assault bike. The bike is more about power, the ability to give it your all, and speed. It’s not about keeping pace and staying at that level. It’s actually really good to improve your power output. One of my “favorite” workouts on the Assault Bike is 20-30 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Give it your all for 30 seconds, take 30 seconds rest and keep repeating that. It will also build your engine, your aerobic base and develop your power.
Get on and go
Every day a workout contains a machine. Right now in the offseason we’re doing things with machines that we’re not very good with, so the assault bike is very much part of my routine right now (laughs). But I will say that I think the assault bike is something you can just get on and do it. It doesn’t take a lot of warming up, stretching, preparation and preparation. It’s something where you can warm up as you go. That’s why I love it for people who are hesitant to get one. All you have to do is put on headphones, get on the bike and start riding.
Brittany Weiss shares tips for adding variety
If you want a leg pump, you can do five to 10 rounds, depending on where you are. Let’s say eight calories, 20 overhead squats with 60 seconds of rest in between. Repeat this for five to 10 rounds. In the beginning, you’re squatting in the air, and knowing you’ve got rest in those last eight calories helps you push a little harder. You can do the same with burpees, or maybe add an EMOM. An EMOM of anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes. 45 seconds on the bike, rest 15 seconds. It’s the first minute. The second minute, 45 seconds of burpees, 15 seconds of rest, and you keep going through that for 12-20 minutes.
Knees in, push down
I’ve seen a meme before that explains different Assault Bike techniques and what it looks like when they’re tired. But I think the most important thing you need to focus on is not moving your body from side to side and just letting it all churn. For me, I focus on the knees and really descend into the pedals. You also have your arms to use, so there is strength in your arms and legs. When you push down, you also pull. You don’t want to stay relaxed anywhere. You can relax a bit on the grip, but you want to think about pulling the handles, stepping on the pedals, and keeping your knees aligned. Sometimes when I feel my knees come out, you don’t put as much force into the pedals. On the assault bike you want strength and power.
Focus on your why when the going gets tough
I think about where I am and where I want to go. For me, it’s more about the message I tell myself about where I want to be. Where I want to get is not going to be easy, but if I can stay in it and put all my energy and focus into it, it’s just going to set me up for where I want to go in my sporting career. . The mind is such a big part of it. How you talk to yourself is how you will perform. If you go into a workout saying it’s going to suck or that you’re not good at something, it’s going to suck and you’re not going to be good at it. If you get into something and tell yourself you can do it and you have that positive self-talk, you’re going to exceed your expectations so much. I always try to encourage people by letting them know that how you talk to yourself matters, and that’s how I approach every practice.
Brittany Weiss Carbs for Recovery
Crabs! People are afraid of them. Carbohydrates are your friend when it comes to fitness and all. A carb drink is what I would personally do. After hard training like that, I don’t like to eat. I prefer to drink my calories. I feel like a lot of people are like that. When you’re doing something very intense, you’re not really hungry. But your body needs food and nutrients to recover. I’m a big fan of a carb drink right after and you’ll be surprised how you feel after 30 minutes.
Brittany Weiss Assault Bike Workout
- Time: eight minutes
- Sets: 4-5 sets
- Objective: 60 to 80 calories as fast as possible. Rest for the rest of the time. Repeat after eight minutes.
It’s really up to you how hard you want to push and how much rest you want to get before the next set. If I gave a female/male cal ratio, guys are obviously more powerful. They’re built differently, they’re bigger, and they can put more force into them. Typically in a workout I would do 60 calories in eight minutes, guys would probably do 80 calories. This one is actually really gnarly. You do your first set and you’re glad you did it in four minutes, but you realize you have to do it again and again.
Follow Brittany Weiss on @brittany_weiss
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