There is a general misconception among the masses that, the recumbent bike is only for the people who are recovering from an injury, or has a joint problem, or basically those people who aren't physically fit to go through intense workouts.
While that is true, still you can also perform some high-intensity workout too.
For this reason, that misconception is beginning to fade away.
Most people opt for an indoor exercise bike to do some casual workouts. Meanwhile, if you are able to integrate your arms, it will lead to a better workout.
In case you are not familiar with a recumbent bike, let me tell you why it's better than an Upright bike.
In a recumbent bike, you will be sitting low in a seat, your back resting against a comfortable back pad, while your legs are straight out in front of you.
Thus making it an ideal bike to incorporate upper body workout.
Be careful on your recumbent, or you will lose your balance leading to injuries.
Bicep Curls
Grab a pair of dumbbells, it's better if you go for some lightweights, now start the exercise while pedaling.
Remember to focus on both since you are aiming for full body workout.
Depending upon how rigorous you are pedaling, most likely you will feel more worked up in your arms rather than your legs.
A couple of reps of 10 sets (it varies on your upper body strength and weight of dumbbells) will help your upper body get involved in the workout.
Overhead Press
Focusing on form and technique to perfect the overhead press.
The overhead press will get your shoulders and arms worked up. Since you are only raising your arms to shoulders height, you need not worry about losing your balance.
Don't burn yourself out to such a point where you can't lift anymore. The secret is to stay active and use your arms in tandem with your exercise bike, it will significantly help you in getting the result more quickly.
Lateral Raises
Unless you choose light weights, these are pretty tricky workouts. So it's better if you start without weights.
If done correctly, you will start to feel the burn in your shoulders just after a few reps.
Resistance Bands
It's a pretty good investment if you are looking to work your arms and back while exercising your recumbent bike.
It's quite simple to work with, all you got to do is wrap the resistance band around the center console, or adjust your seat to get the right length.
With your elbows tucked in, pull back your band as far as you possibly can. Hold on to that position for a few seconds (if possible) then slowly release.
For an intense workout, open your arms as wide as you can while pulling the band to do a reverse fly, it's a little harder, but your back and arms will get quite worked up.
Full Body Workout
Being my personal favorite, this workout is the perfect amalgamation of upper and lower body workout. Furthermore, you will be definitely going to need a recumbent bike for this exercise.
All you have to invest is, just 25 minutes in this workout or with intervals.
Let's discuss the steps involved.
- Grab some dumbbells (8-10 lb), set your resistance level to moderate.
- For 2 minutes pedal quickly, and punch across your body with dumbbells.
- After 2 minutes drop your dumbbells, increase the resistance of your bike by two notches now pedal a little more slowly for the next 2 minutes.
- After completing those 2 minutes, crank up the resistance again by two notches, and for the next 2 minutes go for some shoulder presses.
Follow These Benefits of Recumbent: The 7 Major Benefits of Recumbent Exercise Bikes.
At this point, you will definitely feel wholly exhausted but just think about for a moment on how fantastically you are burning your fat.
Keep that in mind and keep pushing, trust me you will be grateful in the end.
- Continue that same 2-minute interval throughout your remaining workout. Depending on how much you can handle you will be needing to adjust your resistance level, also don't forget to incorporate different arm workouts as you proceed. For instance, Side raises, alternating Shoulder presses, Front raises, Bicep curls, Upright rows etc.
- Once you are down to your last 4 minutes set the resistance back to moderate, now go for an arm workout that you haven't included yet and pedal as fast as you possibly can, while keeping a steady pace until you finish up.
With these exercises, you will quickly realize how you can get an excellent workout with a recumbent bike.
But the impressive part of these workouts is, it can be done at home while watching football on TV.
Read Also: What Muscles Does a Recumbent Bike Work?
