Air Bike
How to do the Air Bike
- 1
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Be careful however to not strain with the neck as you perform it. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position.
- 2
Bring knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- 3
Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out.
- 4
Go back to the initial position as you breathe in.
- 5
Crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.
- 6
Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.
How to program the Air Bike
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Air Bike responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Air Bike is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Put the Air Bike into a plan
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Air Bike work?
The Air Bike primarily targets the Abdominals.
What equipment do I need for the Air Bike?
You need Body Only. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Air Bike should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
