With the best HIIT bike workout for your age and needs, you'll reap the benefits of improved performance and endurance along with a harder working metabolism, and post-workout calorie burning. Whether you're new to cycling, a seasoned pro, or a senior cyclist, you'll benefit from a HIIT exercise bike workout.
What is a HIIT Workout?
It's exactly as the name suggests - a workout that involves bursts of intense activity followed by intervals of more gentle exercise. For example, on your exercise bike, HIIT involves cycling as hard and as fast as you can for a short period and then slowing it right down to give your body a chance to recover. The good news is, you don't have to take a long chunk out of your busy schedule.
The best HIIT exercise bike workout time for health and improved performance is just 10 to 30 minutes a day. When you know you've got to cycle to your limits for just a few minutes, it's easy to maintain the speed and push yourself just that little bit further. Each period of alternated intense and relaxation activity is called a repetition or round. Every time you jump on your exercise bike, aim to do between six and ten repetitions.
High Intensity Interval Training for Beginners
If you're new to exercise or static cycling, high intensity interval training is much more forgiving than starting off with long sessions at high speed.
Take a few weeks to work up to a 30-minute HIIT workout program by cycling at a steady speed that feels comfortable to you. This gives your muscles, joints, and cardiovascular system time to adjust to your new exercise without causing damage and injury.
Then, introduce one HIIT bike session a week for a month before gradually increasing the number of workouts you do every week. At the same time increase the intensity and length of the intervals.
By following this high intensity interval training for beginner’s advice, you'll not only avoid injuries but also feel more comfortable about your program and more likely to stick to it. We have many high intensity interval training examples for beginners to follow such as this one:
- Set your exercise bike to medium resistance and warm up by cycling steadily for three to five minutes
- Increase the resistance and cycle at high speed for 30 seconds then lower the resistance and cycle for one minute
- Repeat three times
- Cycle at high resistance for 40 seconds and at low intensity for one minute
- Repeat three times
- Cycle at high resistance for 30 seconds and at low intensity for one minute
- Repeat three times
- Cool down by cycling at a steady pace for four to five minutes
- Finish with some leg stretches to avoid post-workout aches and cramps
High Intensity Interval Training for Cyclists
The beauty of high intensity interval training for cyclists is that the weather doesn't matter. If it's pouring down outside or snow is thick on the ground, an exercise bike lets you get in your training from the comfort of your own home.
You can set a HIIT program to replicate cycling on hills, recreate the experience of time trials, or practice your power sprints. To improve your hill-climbing speed and power:
- Do a warm-up on the flat for 10 minutes.
- Set a gentle incline and do a seated cycle for one minute. Lower the incline - cycle for one minute
- Set a more challenging incline and cycle standing for one minute. Lower the incline and cycle gently for one minute
- Repeat six times
- Warm-up by cycling at a comfortable speed for 10 minutes
- Sprint for 10 minutes followed by a five-minute slow cycle
- Repeat
- Sprint for 15 minutes with a five-minute relaxation period
- Repeat
- Sprint for 20 minutes followed by five- minutes of gentle cycling
- Repeat
To prepare for a road race or to get maximum aerobic impact from your bike HIIT, have a go at this workout:
- Warm-up with 10 minutes of cycling at your normal speed
- Do a sit sprint for 30 seconds followed by a 30-second standing sprint. Repeat 10 times
- Cycle at a recovery pace for five minutes
- Repeat two to four times depending on your fitness level
High Intensity Interval Training for Seniors
Keeping fit and enjoying exercise, is a great way of living a healthy active life for longer - after all, age is just a number.
High intensity interval training for seniors brings with it lots of benefits such as weight loss, increased muscle size, stronger heart muscles, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood sugar, control of Type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, more efficient metabolism, and lastly, an improved sense of well-being and confidence.
Aim to feel slightly out of breath at the end of a high intensity interval while you should be able to recover quickly when cycling at a relaxation speed.
Regardless of your starting point, you'll quickly notice an improvement in your performance. Since HIIT is such a time-efficient method of exercise, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your other retirement hobbies.
