Air Bike
Also known as: assault bike, fan bike
- Secondary muscles
- Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes
- Body part
- Cardio
- Position
- Seated
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Cardio
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Fan resistance is what sets the air bike apart: the harder you drive the pedals and handles, the harder it pushes back, with no settings to hide behind. Arms and legs working together spread the effort across the whole body, which is why short all-out intervals here are so effective and so unpleasant.
How to do the Air Bike
- Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the cycle cross trainer.
- Place your feet on the pedals and grip the handlebars.
- Start pedaling in a smooth and controlled motion.
- Maintain a steady pace and increase the resistance if desired.
- Continue pedaling for the desired duration of your cardio workout.
Tip: Aim for a cadence of 80 to 100 rpm on a stationary bike and adjust resistance rather than slowing your legs down.
Muscles worked
Primary
Cardio · Cardio
The bike is a low-impact way to get the heart rate up and hold it there, and the effort is easy to dial in with resistance or cadence.
Secondary
- Quads — The quads do the bulk of the pedaling work through the down stroke and should feel the burn first on hard efforts.
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
Common mistakes
- Seat set too low — knees that bend deeply at the top of the stroke put pressure on the front of the joint; set the seat so the knee is slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
- Mashing with the toes down — pedaling on tiptoes overworks the calves; keep the foot fairly flat and drive through the ball of the foot.
- Slumping onto the handlebars — collapsing the upper body makes breathing harder; keep the chest open and the hands light on the bars.
- Sprinting every session — an easy steady-state ride is a legitimate session; save all-out intervals for when you have the recovery for them.
Where it fits in a workout
Use the bike as a five to ten minute warm-up before lower body training or as a conditioning finisher at the end. Air bike intervals pair well with kettlebell swings for a short circuit.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.