Arm Bike

Also known as: upper body ergometer, ube

Secondary muscles
Triceps, Delts
Body part
Chest
Position
Seated
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Cardio

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Pedaling with your hands sounds odd until you need it: the arm bike delivers genuine cardio while the legs rest completely, which makes it useful on days lower-body work is off the table and for warming up shoulders and elbows before pressing. Expect a high heart rate at modest wattage, since small muscles fatigue fast.

How to do the Arm Bike

  1. Adjust the seat height and handlebar position to a comfortable level.
  2. Sit on the ergometer with your back straight and feet on the pedals.
  3. Grasp the handles with your hands and position your arms at a 90-degree angle.
  4. Start pedaling with your hands, pushing and pulling the handles in a controlled motion.
  5. Continue pedaling for the desired duration or number of repetitions.

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

Pectorals · Chest

On an air bike or arm bike, the push phase of the handles works the chest and triceps; drive with the whole arm rather than shrugging the shoulders.

Secondary

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

Similar exercises

Without cardio machine

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

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. 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.