Working out with an exercise bike has many benefits. This simple yet effective machine helps you burn calories and body fat, strengthen core and leg muscles and, more importantly, is beneficial to the heart and lungs. However, if you just sit and pedal for half an hour, you’ll get bored quickly and probably quit exercising.
If you want to keep things fun and get the most out of an exercise bike, a well-planned routine is the way to go. Here, we’ve gathered some amazing exercise bike routines to help you reach your fitness and weight loss goals.
What Are the Best Exercise Bike Routines?
There are plenty of excellent exercise bike routines that differ in duration and difficulty level. Thanks to the varied resistance levels the machine offers, you can easily adjust the intensity of your workout. Choosing the perfect routine should be based on your objectives.
If you’re new to riding an exercise bike or exercising in general, it’s best to start slow with a beginner’s level ride. Then, you can work your way up to longer and more complex routines and choose the ones best suited to your fitness goals.
Exercise Bike Routines for Beginners
Exercise bikes facilitate a low-impact workout that doesn’t put too much pressure on your bones and joints. This makes it ideal for easing you into the fitness world.
This machine is also a good choice if you’re just starting out with cardio exercises. It allows you to reap the same benefits as when using an elliptical trainer or running, without affecting your joints as much.
10-Minute Beginner HIIT Cardio Routine
This routine is a great introduction to high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Although short, it’s highly effective and provides many health benefits.
- Warm-up for one minute, riding at a quick but easy tempo.
- Increase the bike’s resistance and ride at an even pace for four minutes.
- Push your speed as much as you can for 15 seconds.
- Recover for 45 seconds at your base tempo.
- Repeat steps 2-5.
30-Minute Beginner Endurance Routine
If your goal is to build your physical endurance, this routine is an excellent way to start.
- Warm up for three minutes by riding at a steady pace.
- Increase the resistance to moderate and ride at a steady pace for one minute.
- Without changing the resistance and the pace, ride out of the saddle for one minute.
- Sit back down and ride for a minute at the same steady pace.
- Get back out of the saddle for 30 seconds, keeping the same resistance and pace.
- Sit down and ride for two minutes without changing the pace and the resistance.
- Ride out of the saddle once again, this time for 30 seconds.
- Repeat steps 2-7 four times.
- Cool down for three minutes, riding with light resistance.
35-Minute Beginner Interval Training
Interval training is a great way to elevate your cardio fitness relatively quickly. You can easily adjust this routine by reducing or increasing each step by a one-minute increment.
- Ride at a low intensity for 10 minutes.
- Switch to medium intensity and ride for five minutes.
- Push yourself to ride at high intensity for two minutes.
- Alternate between steps 2 and 3 three times.
- Cool down by riding at a low intensity for about five minutes.
Exercise Bike Routines for Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, you should definitely add an exercise bike workout to your weight loss plan. This type of workout can help you burn calories and body fat relatively quickly, depending on the intensity level of the ride. Combined with a healthy, low-calorie diet, it’s one of the most effective methods of reducing body weight.
30-Minute Weight Loss Routine
Pedaling slowly for 30 minutes won’t do much for your body and weight loss journey. However, the routine outlined below alternates between easy intervals and high-intensity sprints that will shock your body into burning more fat.
- Warm up for five minutes by riding with low resistance and at a slow pace.
- While keeping resistance the same, start riding at a high pace for five minutes.
- Slow your pace all the way down but increase resistance to high and pedal for 10 minutes.
- Go all out and sprint for 20 seconds.
- Recover for 10 seconds by riding at your base tempo.
- Repeat steps 4-5 eight times in total.
- Cool down by riding slowly at a low resistance for five minutes.
Explosive 15-Minute Weight Loss Routine
If you’d like to supplement your weight loss workout routine with a short yet highly effective routine, this could well be your jam. Although short, this session will push your body into fat-burning overdrive.
- Get ready for the sprints by pedaling for 10 minutes at a slow pace.
- Sprint for 20 seconds, using all your strength.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat steps 2-3 10 times.
Exercise Bike Routines for Interval Training
Interval training cuts through longer intervals of steady pedaling with short bursts of intense exercise, allowing you to burn more calories and improve your cardio fitness. Depending on the routine, interval training can boost your strength and increase your physical stamina.
15-Minute Interval Training Routine
By alternating between different levels of resistance and sitting and standing up, this routine will prepare your body to conquer the most advanced fitness tasks.
- Warm up for five minutes, riding fast with low resistance.
- Continue at the same pace for the next five minutes but start alternating between sitting and standing up every 30 seconds.
- Increase the resistance as much as possible and pedal as quickly as possible for one minute.
- Cool down for four minutes, gradually decreasing the resistance.
30-Minute Interval Training Routine
Try this effective routine when you’re ready to amp up the short bursts of intense exercise.
- Warm up for five minutes, pedaling fast with low resistance.
- Increase the resistance to medium and cycle for 20 seconds with high intensity.
- Recover for 10 seconds, cycling at a low resistance.
- Repeat steps 2-3 eight times.
- Recover for a minute by riding with low resistance.
- Repeat steps 2-3 two more times.
- Cool down for five minutes, riding slowly and gradually decreasing resistance.
40-Minute Interval Training Routine
If you want to work on your endurance and not just cardio fitness, try a routine with longer riding intervals at a low or medium intensity.
- Warm up for 10 minutes, pedaling at low intensity.
- Switch to medium intensity and continue riding for another 10 minutes.
- Go all out for two minutes, riding at a high intensity.
- Return to low intensity and cycle for another two minutes.
- Alternate between steps 3 and 4 three times.
- Cool down for 10 minutes, riding at a low intensity.
Intense Exercise Bike Routines
After building strength and stamina through shorter and less complex routines, it’s time to take your workout to the next level with these intense exercise bike routines. Furthermore, these routines are perfect for people who are only just taking up cycling but are already in great shape.
45-Minute Advanced Routine
This routine is already pretty demanding, but if you’d like to work your upper body as well, you can throw in a light pair of dumbbells.
- Warm up for five minutes, riding fast but keeping the resistance low.
- Rise from the saddle and pedal standing for five minutes at medium resistance and speed.
- Lower the resistance and ride as fast as you can for two minutes.
- Sit back down and cycle for three minutes, maintaining the same pace.
- Increase the resistance slightly and ride as fast as you can for three minutes.
- Stand up again and cycle fast for one minute with high resistance.
- Lower the resistance to light and sit down but keep the fast pace for three minutes.
- Go back to standing and ride for five minutes at a medium pace and high resistance.
- Sit down and cycle for two minutes, keeping your pace the same but lowering the resistance. Optionally, grab the dumbbells and do some curls.
- Put down the dumbbells and cycle fast for five minutes.
- Maintain the pace for four minutes but slowly increase resistance.
- Cool down by riding slow for five minutes with no resistance.
One-Hour Advanced Routine
When performing this routine, you can choose whether to sit in the saddle or ride standing up. Alternatively, you can mix it up and keep the routine fun and as effective as possible.
- Warm up for five minutes, riding at a leisurely pace and low resistance.
- Increasing resistance to medium, pick up the pace and cycle for seven minutes.
- Increase the resistance some more and ride for five minutes at a moderate pace.
- Slow down your pace but max out the resistance and pedal for two minutes.
- Go back to light resistance and ride quickly for three minutes.
- Switch to medium resistance and moderate pace and keep at it for five minutes.
- Slowly amp up the resistance and cycle for seven minutes.
- Push yourself to ride for three minutes with high resistance but at a slow pace.
- Start riding faster, decrease the resistance, and keep at it for two minutes.
- Bring the resistance and the pace to moderate and pedal for four minutes.
- While maintaining the pace, increase the resistance and go for a seven-minute block.
- Keep increasing the resistance and slowly pedal for three minutes.
- Max out the resistance and do another two minutes at the same pace.
- Cool down by returning to light resistance and riding for five minutes at a leisurely pace.
Something for Everyone
The sheer number and variety of exercise bike routines guarantees that everyone can take up cycling, regardless of age, fitness level, or experience. This incredible machine can help you lose weight and boost your muscle strength while being kind to your bones and joints. Best of all, you’re not dependent on the weather conditions, allowing you to work on your goals daily.