Exercise bike for the press: execution technique * Crossfit

Exercise bike for the press - one of the most common among all sports and healthy lifestyle enthusiasts. It is aimed at the development of the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles. The bike exercise is remarkable in that it engages all the abdominal muscles through dynamic work from different angles.

This makes the bike the most complex abdominal exercise ever. In no other exercise can we immediately work out all the muscle groups of interest to us. If you are limited in time, but want to properly work your abdominal muscles, this exercise is perfect.

The bicycle is loved by athletes from all over the world because of its technical simplicity and variations in performance of different complexity. It is important that it does not require any simulators or additional equipment - the exercise can be performed anywhere and anytime.

In this article, we will analyze how to do a bicycle exercise correctly, as well as such aspects of its implementation:

how useful is exercise bike;
correct execution technique;
mistakes of novice athletes;
variations of the exercise bike.

The benefits of exercise bike

Exercise a bicycle for the press can be attributed to the basic and most effective movements along with twisting and lifting the legs in the hang. Its effectiveness is due to the fact that all fibers of the abdominal muscles are included in the work. Working in a limited amplitude and in non-stop mode does not allow the muscles to relax even for a second. This leads to hypoxia of muscle fibers and anaerobic glycolysis (muscles quickly reach "failure" due to lactic acid retention in cells).

Exercise loads all sections of the abdominal muscles. It also indirectly engages the latissimus dorsi, iliopsoas, intercostal and serratus, and buttocks. Exercising a bike can also make your abs more prominent and reduce your waist. And when combined with a low-carb diet, regular strength and cardio training, and vacuum exercise, the desired result will be achieved much faster.

Besides the obvious benefits in working out your abs, exercise bike can help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism and accelerating the oxidation of fat cells. It is impossible to determine exactly how many calories a bicycle exercise burns, but any experienced athlete will confirm that it causes colossal energy consumption, and because of the strong burning sensation it can even be difficult to stand after the last set. Of course, subject to the correct technique, which you can find below.

Exercise technique

There are several types of this exercise: with vertically raised legs, with holding the fitball between the legs, etc. Now we will consider the most common and effective method in which the athlete contracts all abdominal muscles by simultaneously moving the legs, arms and turning the body. while the lower back is pressed to the floor.

Let's take a step-by-step look at the theoretical side of the question of how to do a bicycle exercise for the press, especially since even a beginner can cope with this task:

Starting position: the athlete is lying on the floor (or gymnastic mat). We bend our knees a little (at about 45 degrees), cross our arms at the back of the head. We press the lower back tightly to the floor and do not tear it off throughout the entire approach, so as not to create unnecessary axial load on the spine and not be distracted from concentration on the working muscles.
We make a movement with our legs, imitating the twisting of the pedals when riding a bicycle. The movement should not be strictly vertical, but pass a little in an arc, so the amplitude of the movement will be greater, which means that a larger number of muscle fibers (including oxidative and slow ones) will be included in the work. The knees should move towards the chest, at the same time we turn the body a little, slightly rounding the back in the thoracic region, and try to reach the knee with our elbow. We work diagonally - with the right elbow we try to reach the left knee, with the left elbow - to the right.
Once you have completed the elbow movement towards the knee, fully extend that leg and bend the other. Do the same with your arms - make a small movement with your neck to the side to change your elbow. Repeat this movement until you feel a strong burning sensation in the abdominal muscles - this is the main indicator that you are doing everything correctly. The main thing is to do everything smoothly and under control, no sudden movements are allowed here.

Typical mistakes novice athletes

A bicycle is a simple exercise from a technical point of view, however, and it has its own little subtleties and secrets, observing which you can get the most out of this exercise. Not all of them are obvious at first glance, so many beginners perform this exercise with technical errors. To fix this, you should seek the help of a competent personal trainer. Or just read our article to the end, saving your time and money.

Below we will analyze how NOT to do the exercise bike on the press:

Exercise your bike on a firm, stationary surface. If you do it on a soft surface, you will have less control over the movement and waste energy on stabilizing the position of the body.
Do not create an axial load on the cervical spine. When performing a bicycle, we simply put our palms on the back of the head, but in no case do we rest against it with all our strength. Yes, it may seem to you that this makes the exercise somewhat easier, but let's not engage in self-deception. When training your abs, you should work with your abs, not something else.
Maintain an even pace throughout the entire set, the movement should be unhurried and smooth. If you do the exercise too quickly, you will hardly be able to fully concentrate on stretching and contracting your abs.
Observe the natural angles for your anatomy, there should be no discomfort. For example, if you feel unpleasant stretching sensations in the region of the sacrum, it means that you are raising your legs too much, and the range of motion should be reduced.
Don't chase the number of reps. This makes little sense, since in such exercises we first of all need a good muscle contraction due to the established neuromuscular connection. And the number of repetitions and approaches is already a secondary matter. Another option is to try cycling for a while, for example, start with 30 seconds and gradually increase the load. So you subconsciously will give yourself a command that the "failure" of the muscles of your abs should come exactly by the time the time expires.
Do not rush to use additional weights in this exercise. Even if you have been training for several years, and your abdominal muscles are strong and well developed, start with the classic version of the bike - this way you will better understand the biomechanics of movement and learn how to correctly contract the abdominal muscles at different angles.
Training variety is the key to constant progress and athletic longevity. Feel free to experiment and add something new to your workout routine. For example, a bicycle exercise can be performed both as part of a separate workout for the press, at the end of a workout on the back or legs, and as part of crossfit complexes.

Other variations of the exercise

Above, we looked at the most popular method of pumping the abs using the exercise bike. But there are other options, which can be conditionally divided into simpler and more complex. Choose the one that works for you based on your tone and fitness level, and take some time to do it as part of your training program.

Let's take a quick look at each of them.

Simple options

Bicycle without elbows and body work

A very simple option that is great for beginner athletes. The bottom line is that the movement is carried out only due to the movement of the legs - we simulate the torsion of the pedals of a bicycle, and the whole body is motionless and firmly pressed to the floor. Hands can be placed behind the head or extended along the body, this does not matter.

Working without connecting the body and elbows, the load is shifted to the lower segment of the press, but almost completely leaves the upper part and oblique abdominal muscles, but the quadriceps, gluteal muscles and hamstrings are additionally loaded.

Bicycle with vertically raised legs

This variety has earned massive love among athletes and athletes who are fond of yoga and Pilates. It differs from the previous version in that we raise our legs up almost at a right angle and help ourselves to maintain this position throughout the entire approach, resting our hands on the lower part of the lower back (as in the classical performance of the birch exercise). At the same time, the knees are fully extended, and the upper back is pressed against the floor.

Exercising a bicycle with legs raised vertically is much easier due to the fact that we do not work with the elbows and the body. Thus, we set an additional emphasis on the upper part of the press, and also perform the exercise in a reduced amplitude - the movement is much shorter than with the classical version. In addition to the physiological benefits, yogis see the benefits of this exercise in the fact that due to the increased blood circulation in the lower abdomen, created by imitation of pedaling, we additionally stimulate the organs of our reproductive system, thereby increasing our libido and sexual liberation.

Bicycle lying on an incline bench upside down

If you work out in the gym, it is probably equipped with a special simulator for working out the press, which is an incline bench with rollers and a small surface for holding arms at the top. This trainer is perfect for doing bike exercise. To do this, you need to sit upside down on it, raise your bent legs and perform an imitation of pedaling without connecting the body and elbows, holding on to the “pin” in the upper part of the simulator with your hands. The fundamental feature of this type of exercise is that due to the small angle set by the simulator, we create a small additional static load on the lower part of the press.

Difficult options

Weighted bike in hand

It is performed in the same way as the classic exercise bike. The only difference is that in this version we keep the additional burden at chest level. This can be a weighted ball, a small dumbbell, or a barbell disc. Due to the use of additional weight, the exercise becomes more powerful. Moreover, each repetition is given with great effort, and the load on the muscles increases, which is accompanied by crazy pumping.

Bicycle with holding the fitball between the legs

Through the use of a fitball sandwiched between the feet or ankles, the legs are slightly wider relative to the classic version, and we spend more effort to bring the knee to the chest. If there is no fitball in your gym, you can use leg weights, but do not forget to spread your legs a little wider - the effect of the exercise will be the same.