Daily cycling on a recumbent exercise bike is an excellent way of trimming down and gaining strength. Also, for rehabilitation purposes, using a recumbent bike is a less intense way of regaining your fitness level while minimizing the stress on your back and knees. However, don’t be fooled into complacency.
At your local gym, you could follow an instructor-led recumbent bike workout for beginners. But if you’re wondering whether a recumbent bike offers an efficient workout, the answer is a resounding yes!
The recumbent bike can get your heart racing like any upright or outdoor bicycle. Although, as a beginner, it’s wise to do your recumbent bike workout under the guidance of a professional.
This article discusses the different recumbent bike workout routines designed for beginners. These are fantastic for losing weight and building endurance. Also, the slightly reclined, back-rested seating may be preferable to you compared to riding an upright stationary bike.
5 Best Recumbent Bike Workout for Beginners
1. Recumbent Exercise Bike Interval Training
An Interval workout is a fast, vigorous type of aerobic exercise. You alternate heavy activities with less intensive sequences. For e.g., you could run for a while and alternate it with walking. Many cardio exercises, including recumbent cycling, may also be adapted to interval training. For the heavy segments, increase the pedal speed or resistance, and for the recovery segments, decrease these factors.
Bike Interval Workout Routine for Beginners – The Steady State Ride
- Warm-up and cool-down are critical aspects of the cycle that are often ignored.
- First, build your baseline by riding for a pre-determined period of time at a slow, moderate speed with low resistance. We suggest starting at 10 minutes and working your way up.
- If 10 minutes is too easy, increase the time to 20 minutes using the same rules. After you’ve developed a benchmark, you can steadily increase your riding time. You should increase your weekly exercise time by 5 minutes based on your fitness level. Working up to 20 minutes three days a week is a nice target.
- If you can keep this routine, then continue to work on your pace and strength. Start by raising your riding speed. Many bikes, for example, have a console that displays the current speed in miles per hour (mph). If you’re currently riding at a steady 10 mph, gradually raise by one mph before you reach your new baseline.
- You want to keep this accelerated pace reliably for the duration of your ride. Try to cycle for 20 minutes, three days a week.
- If your newest speed is comfortable, try to increase the power by 1 level. Create your benchmark once again. You must be able to cycle without slowing at the elevated pace and resistance for the length of the workout. Again try to cycle for 20 minutes, three days a week.
- As you gain strength, you can increase the speed and resistance until you reach a region where you are pressing yourself.
- Aim to gradually increase the speed of your workouts so you can sustain a heart rate of 60-70 % of your maximum heart rate for the period of the workout. To lose fat quicker, raise your maximum heart rate to 75% and hold it during your workout.
- Work 4-5 days a week for 20-30 minutes.
2. 20 Minute HIIT Workout for weight loss
Here is a video from Dr. Kevin Sarich showing you how HIIT workouts can be used on a recumbent bike. Give this insane 20-minute recumbent bike workout a try.
3. 30-Minute Recumbent Bike Workout for Beginners
Did you know a typical spinning workout burns up to 12 calories a minute, and all that pedaling does some major magic on your legs and butt? Here is another 30 minute Recumbent Bike Workout from a certified personal trainer, Coach Kim
4. Workout with Dumbbells for More Weight Loss
It’s great to use a pair of dumbbells or a recumbent bike to exercise your upper body. This will take more work but is going to accelerate weight loss and help build stamina. Pedaling harder on your bike will shape your lower body, and using the dumbbells will build up your upper parts. The sensation of exhaustion and burning when exercising with the dumbbells and the bike will keep you more stable and fit.
5. Use Preset Workouts
If your recumbent bike comes with a console, it will very likely have some great preset workouts. Premium recumbent bikes may even connect with a workout app on your phone. These are usually manufacturer-specific and keep track of your past recumbent bike workouts. And, you may find that the perfect recumbent bike workout for beginners is waiting for you.
Using this data, over time, the app may encourage you to increase your exercise intensity. It’s also a great way of monitoring your progress–the apps very often include records of your heart rate and recovery data. Most people find this, in itself, a great motivational tool.
Recumbent Bike Benefit
Even a recumbent bike workout for beginners will help build your fitness level while minimizing the stress placed on your joints.
Still, while this low-impact exercise may place less impact on your knees than, for example, running, the repetitive motion may lead to knee pain. Evidence suggests, however, that moving joints aids in their natural lubrication.
Cycling is well-known to strengthen the four quadriceps muscles, namely, the vastus lateralis, vastus medialus, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris. Since these muscles support the knee, a well-designed recumbent bike workout for beginners not only reduces impact but strengthens the supporting muscles.
Chronic back pain often makes people opt for a recumbent rather than an upright bike. While it may not significantly work the lower back muscles, it supports the back and prevents further injury.
Boredom during a workout for beginners may be a factor for some. But the seating position of the best recumbent bikes gives you the freedom to read a book, play games on your phone, or even work on your laptop.
The recumbent bike does not usually come with an arm exerciser. However, occasionally, you’ll find that the best recumbent bikes are fitted with a movable arm exerciser. You’d burn significantly more calories with the muscles worked in this case.
Then, of course, if you own a stationary recumbent bike, there’s the convenience of being able to work out in the comfort of your own home. This gives you the benefit of not braving the traffic or going out in less-than-pleasant weather. And you could exercise while watching your favorite television show.
Tips for Working on a Recumbent Bike for Beginners
A stationary recumbent bike is going to effectively burn calories if it’s used properly. The routines above must be followed, but in addition, you need to think about the following factors to ensure you’re getting the maximum from your bike.
Adjusting Your Seat
It just takes a few seconds to adjust the seat on your bike. This is one of the most important aspects of recumbent bike weight loss exercise, but it is always overlooked. Not only does it make things more enjoyable, but it also improves the efficiency of the workout. Correct the seat by sliding it back and forth until you have a slight bend when on the far side of the pedaling cycle.
Since everybody has their own level of ease, follow your gut instincts. You might prefer things a different way, but do what feels right to you. Uncomfortable seating makes it challenging or impossible to complete workouts, and it does not improve the consistency of the workout routines. Sitting in an uncomfortable seat for extended periods will result in injury.
Maintaining Proper Form
Proper form is important when riding a recumbent bike workout. Not only does it help minimize injury, but it also helps you burn more carbs. This extends not only to exercise bikes but also do aerobics, yoga, and other forms of cardio workouts. If you don’t get the right posture, you’re not going to get the results, and you might even be the trigger of an injury. Keep your back aligned and close to the back of your seat. It’s all right to grip the handles on the sides of the seat at hard cycling sessions. This is not only to deter injuries but also to make sure you lose weight and burn even more fats.
Stretch It a Bit
Cycling on a recumbent exercise bike is similar to any other form of exercise in that you must stretch adequately before starting. Moving while you stretch is one of my favorite exercises. There are several advantages of dynamic stretching that loosen the muscles and increases their range of motion. To get thoroughly stretched, spend about 5 minutes doing exercises like toe touches, trunk rotations.
Choose the Right Resistance
Your recumbent bike workout for beginners is a great way to ease yourself into your new exercise routine. However, be mindful to stick to this program, as many new users try to push themselves to their maximum–hoping to get the most from their workout. This can often leave their muscles feeling stiff and sore for days afterward.
Because of this, they lose motivation and don’t return to the program they’d so diligently assigned themselves. But once you’re fit, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises are the best recumbent bike exercises. This, though, is no workout for beginners.
So, while you may want to push yourself, don’t initially set the resistance too high. Remember that moving your legs at any resistance is better than not moving them. Once you’re in the habit of exercising, you’ll look forward to your workouts.
That’s when it’s a good idea to start increasing the resistance and intensity of your recumbent bike workout for beginners to, perhaps, an intermediate level. Also, at that point, if you would like to strengthen your muscles further, try using a resistance band.
Warm-Up on The Recumbent Cycle
Warm-up is critical as it eases your joints and muscles and raises the temperature of your body before your workout. Don’t rush straight into a workout. Spend an extra 5 minutes pedaling gently on your recumbent exercise bike after you’ve stretched out thoroughly.
Right Duration
The trick to having the most from cycling your recumbent bike is pedaling long enough. You should strive for at least 30 min of cardio a day. Sixty minutes of moderate cardio a day is ideal for weight loss.
Keep Yourself Busy During Cycling Workouts
Staying busy is one of the ways of getting the most out of your recumbent exercise bike workout. While cycling, some like to read a magazine or look at tablets or iPhones. Some people use their laptops to answer emails when exercising. It speeds up the flow of time.
Diet Is Important
What good is it to burn all those carbs if you’re only going to put them back on? That is why, in addition to your food and exercise, you should adopt a balanced diet.
If you wish to lose weight quickly, it is important to stick to a diet schedule. Following an exercise schedule and exercising on a daily basis would guarantee that you enjoy a happy and balanced life.
Wear Sweat Vests & Training Shoes
Whether working out in a gym or at home, wearing training shoes is a must. The shoes’ tread will help keep your feet stable on the pedals, preventing them from slipping and reducing the likelihood of you getting injured.
It’s also recommended that you train in track pants and sweat vests. First, they trap the heat close to the muscles. This helps the muscles warm up more quickly. Also, after your workout, the fabric will dry more quickly than fleecy types.
Maintain Consistency and Track Your Progress
Keep note of how many pounds you shed each week, how long your interval workouts are, and how many minutes you can add to your beginner bike workouts. This is one of the best ways to get you going. For those days when it is too difficult to get up on your exercise bike, track your growth.
FAQs
Is a Recumbent Bike Good for Belly Fat?
Using a recumbent bike is one of the best ways to have a fat-burning workout. This moderately intense aerobic workout will help you lose weight, improve your heart health, and prepare you for more intense workouts, for example, high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Thirty minutes of a low-impact recumbent bike workout for beginners could give you a cardio session that can burn up to 275 calories. Of course, this is influenced by several external factors, including your age, weight, and how vigorously you exercise.
The workout will strengthen and tone your lower body as it works your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. In addition, though, you’ll be working on your core strength. These include the back muscles, abdominal muscles, hip flexors, obliques, diaphragm, and pelvic floor.
Because of the back support, the core muscles don’t work to the same extent as on an upright stationary bike. But you’ll still find your belly fat quickly diminishing.
Does a Recumbent Bike Give a Good Workout?
We can confirm without a doubt that the relaxing bike is comfortable to use and perfect for workouts at home. The recumbent bike is the best way to get a vigorous indoor workout session without having too much stress on your knees and hips if you don’t want to hit the treadmill.
Can You Lose Weight on A Recumbent Exercise Bike?
Some users claim that since you sit back in a semi-reclined posture, a recumbent bike does not offer an extreme, successful workout for weight loss. However, you can perform an intense workout using interval training on a recumbent exercise bike.
How Long Should I Exercise on A Recumbent Bike?
To get the most value from a recumbent bike workout, you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes; with time, you can improve either the speed or the amount of time. It is best to begin with, shorter sessions before your leg muscles get accustomed to cycling. You should raise it steadily over the coming days and weeks. Target ten extra minutes up to an hour each week.
Final Words
On a recumbent bike, there are a plethora of things you can do to mix things up and stop merely pedaling for a workout. By doing the recumbent bike workouts for beginners given above, you’ll definitely lose weight even more quickly than you imagined possible. Use one of these plans or come up with your own.
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