Looking for tips here. Obviously it's not the same as running muskuloskeletally, but while injured I'm going to use the assault bike for aerobic fitness. Any tips on how to get to the same HRs as easy runs, long runs, tempos and interval sessions using this machine? Thanks
Training aerobic fitness with assault bike - how to best mimic running training
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Interested to hear what others say, but I think it will be difficult to achieve the same heart rate on the assault bike. For the same perceived effort, my heart rate is about 20 beats slower on the bike.
With that said, I have used the assault bike during injury recovery and have found it to be very effective. A few of my favorite workouts:
1) 60 minutes (or whatever your usual easy-moderate run duration is) with 1 minute hard efforts every 5-10 minutes. The hard efforts shouldn't be all out, but a good strong effort. If possible, I would stand during these and sit for the rest of the time. In general, I like standing when I can
2) After a good warmup, a strong tempo effort mixing in standing with sitting. The tempo part could be 15-20 minutes
3) Cutdowns: I like doing something like 1-2 x (5 min, 3 min, 2 min, 1 min) with ~3 minutes between reps and ~5 minutes between sets. Again, where you can, stand.
4) Straight up "cruise intervals": 3-4 x 5 min moderately hard with ~3 minutes rest
Just some ideas for you. In general, I think you can replicate a lot of your running workouts on the bike. Standing in my opinion better replicates the running motion. Take care not to go extremely hard to avoid pulling something.
Hope this helps a bit! -
Thanks, it does. I should wait a bit before starting but when I do I’ll keep this stuff in mind. Hope I don’t get too bored.
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Cool. I follow some of the nordic skiing pros and they also use the assault bike and always comment how tough it is. I think it will work well for you. Plus, you get the arm and legs involved vs. just straight cycling. Good luck!
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It's a great machine. Also, it's very easy to get your heart rate up...just as easy as running. You can do all the same kinds of workouts that you do for running...easy, long, tempos etc.. When you come back to running, you will have lost some performance because you will likely gain some weight and the movement is different from running and is a lower cadence. But your comeback will go faster because of your overall aerobic condition.
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Here are some of my favorite AB only workouts:
3x(4x40/20s), 4:00 rest between sets.
3x(6x30/30s), 4:00 rest between sets.
3x 5:00, 3:00 rest between sets
2x 20:00, 10:00 easy between sets.
300FY: 10:00 Max calories, goal is 300 on Airdyne, about 240 on the AB. -
My heart rate is higher on the assault bike than running at an easy effort. Easy run 125-130 and assault bike 135-145.
Going hard running 155-165 and bike a bit lower 150-160.
So heart about the same. -
Thanks, that’s encouraging. At first I just want to do easy rides, to build up an aerobic base again after time off from any cardio
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injuredrunner1746 wrote:
Thanks, that’s encouraging. At first I just want to do easy rides, to build up an aerobic base again after time off from any cardio
One note:
On cycling easy rides should be longer by duration 2-3 times than easy runs. As you seat and vertical height between working muscles and heart is shorter, thus required more time in order to stretch left ventricle same as running.
By the way, during swimming is not possible to train heart due to no vertical distance between heart and working muscles, as your body has horizontal position.
I am a cyclist and runner as well. -
At the end of the day, exercise improves your mood and you feel better. Your main priority is the become injury free. You won't lose cardio by cross training during this time but may lose some running specific fitness but it will come back quickly!
As far as the AB is concerned, I have done 45-60 min sessions trying to hold a pace per mile (say 2:45, etc). This requires a bit of focus to hold the pace and is a very solid session.
If you can add strength, especially hamstrings and some core. -
Canefis wrote:
injuredrunner1746 wrote:
Thanks, that’s encouraging. At first I just want to do easy rides, to build up an aerobic base again after time off from any cardio
One note:
On cycling easy rides should be longer by duration 2-3 times than easy runs. As you seat and vertical height between working muscles and heart is shorter, thus required more time in order to stretch left ventricle same as running.
By the way, during swimming is not possible to train heart due to no vertical distance between heart and working muscles, as your body has horizontal position.
I am a cyclist and runner as well.
Then you need to go back to anatomy and physiology because everything you just said is 100% PURE BS.
Cycling can be 2-3x (or longer) because it is a closed circuit motion pattern with no impact vs an open circuit with impact you donut. The CNS fatigue wall is far greater than running so the activity can be done longer with lower injury risk. Easy rides should be just that - easy. Easy recovery rides are anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. A long ride can be anywhere from 3 to 6 hours and a workout anywhere from 30 to 115 minutes.
Swimming absolutely trains the C/V system as muscles demand oxygen, heart has to move blood. Swimming demands lots of different muscles used so the CV system works overtime to supply enough blood flow. Has absolutely nothing to do with gravity. Good grief please tell me you're trolling. -
This is spot on. Swimming places on great demand on the heart/cardio without the impact. If just considering heart rate/cardio you probably will spend more time at a higher rate swimming than running since it's low impact.
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Canefis wrote:
injuredrunner1746 wrote:
Thanks, that’s encouraging. At first I just want to do easy rides, to build up an aerobic base again after time off from any cardio
One note:
On cycling easy rides should be longer by duration 2-3 times than easy runs. As you seat and vertical height between working muscles and heart is shorter, thus required more time in order to stretch left ventricle same as running.
By the way, during swimming is not possible to train heart due to no vertical distance between heart and working muscles, as your body has horizontal position.
I am a cyclist and runner as well.
What? You can't train the heart by swimming?! Someone tell Michael Phelps aerobic system!! -
I’m feeling quite optimistic about the assault bike which is arriving in a few days , having read some of the responses here. Once I am cleared by the doctors to run again I will probably be scared to, having suffered my worst injury yet
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Used the assault bike today for the first time. Fun experience . Good HR stimulus
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herewegoagain... wrote:
What? You can't train the heart by swimming?! Someone tell Michael Phelps aerobic system!!
Some numbers:
Phelps resting HR was a steady 38, measured on land during a set of repeats.
His lactate after a 100m all-out fly (WR) was only 5.6, just a bit over half what other elite swimmers or general population have after the same event.
So not just did he grow a really big heart by swimming, he also developed excellent abilities to recycle lactate.
People think because max HR is ~10-15 bpm lower in the water than on land you can't train your heart/VO2MAX, but tests on swimmers show that this doesn't matter at all. Think about cyclists - super strong hearts, lower resting HR's than runners, but also max HR ~10 lower on average than running (seen in triathletes who train both sports). -
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