Recumbent Bike

A beginner cardio exercise for the quads, done with a machine.

Main muscles: Quads
Also works: Calves, Glutes and Hamstrings
Equipment: Machine
Level: Beginner

How to do the Recumbent Bike

To begin, seat yourself on the bike and adjust the seat to your height.
Select the desired option from the menu. You may have to start pedaling to turn it on. You can use the manual setting, or you can select a program to use. Typically, you can enter your age and weight to estimate the amount of calories burned during exercise. The level of resistance can be changed throughout the workout. The handles can be used to monitor your heart rate to help you stay at an appropriate intensity.
Recumbent bikes offer convenience, cardiovascular benefits, and have less impact than other activities. A 150 lb person will burn about 230 calories cycling at a moderate rate for 30 minutes, compared to 450 calories or more running.

Sets and reps

Conditioning	3–5 rounds of 20–40 seconds, rest as long as the work
Power	3–5 sets of 3–5 fast reps, full rest

Log every set in MyoStats and it works out your estimated one-rep max and suggests the next weight or rep target, so you keep progressing without guessing.

Alternatives to the Recumbent Bike

Questions

What muscles does the Recumbent Bike work?

Mainly the quads, with the calves, glutes and hamstrings helping.

Is the Recumbent Bike good for beginners?

Yes. It's rated a beginner exercise: start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

What can I do instead of the Recumbent Bike?

Good alternatives that train the quads: Bicycling, Stationary, Jogging, Treadmill, Running, Treadmill or Walking, Treadmill.

How many sets and reps of the Recumbent Bike should I do?

Conditioning: 3–5 rounds of 20–40 seconds, rest as long as the work. Power: 3–5 sets of 3–5 fast reps, full rest.

Exercise steps and photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).