Most people looking for an assault bike body transformation have a hard time using this awesome piece of equipment correctly. They limit themselves to short high intensity interval sessions, or just use it in the occasional WOD or Metcon. While those methods can work, that is not the ideal way to use the Assault Bike. In this article I’m going to review an awesome method I’ve developed to pair your Assault Bike with some incredible online software, for amazing results. I’ll also review some of the key upgrades that can help you get the most bang for your buck. Keep reading for more.
Over the years, I’ve used every type of fan bike there is. I’ve used ancient Schwinns, the Rogue Echo Bike, and all three current Assault Bikes. I’m firmly on Team Assault Bike. They are one of the best fitness tools because of the sheer amount of muscle mass that you can use when powering them.
Most pieces of cardio equipment use only lower body muscles, like quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. While this is great, it does limit the amount of adaptation you can build in your upper body. I would go so far as to say that a good full-body workout on the Assault Bike is all you need to build a lot cardiovascular fitness, and some strength. Here’s a quick overview of this article.
Max Your Assault Bike Body Transformation: Overview
- To Maximize Your Assault Bike Body Transformation Increase Training Time
- Use Zwift to Build Engagement and Fun on the Bike
- Must Use an Assault Bike Version with Bluetooth Monitor or Upgrade Current
- Zone 2 Cardio on the Assault Bike Burns Pure Fat
The biggest mistake most users make when using the Assault Bike is misunderstanding what they’re trying to accomplish on the bike. Sure, nothing will kick your ass more than a super hard Tabata, or other types of high-intensity interval training. The research is quite clear on that fact.
The problem is that no matter how hard you push yourself, you can only do so much work in most HIIT sessions, even when using your entire body. This type of HIIT session almost completely neglects some of the most effective aerobic training, Zone 2 cardio.
Steady pace riding is easy to recover from and low impact. These full body workouts really build your aerobic conditioning in a short amount of time. If you like great fitness articles join the email list below, and we’ll send them directly to you.
Lastly, we all know that the Assault Bike is hard. That can certainly be a factor that keeps you away from it on days when you just don’t want to scrape yourself off the floor after a workout. Notice that I’m not saying you shouldn’t train your anaerobic energy system like this. I’m saying you shouldn’t neglect your other energy systems to do so.
If you want to transform your body and fitness with an Assault Bike, the recipe is simple. Spend more time on the Assault Bike, at lower intensities. As you gain fitness you can ratchet up the high heart rate training to really increase your cardiovascular endurance. Most importantly, you need to find novel ways to keep engaged while using the bike. Zwift has now entered the chat.
Make Assault Bikes Fun Again
For those of you who read my 20 Pound Weight Loss article, you’ll remember that I mentioned Zwift there as a great weight loss tool. It really helped me increase the number of calories I could burn, while losing weight. For those of you unfamiliar, Zwift is an online bicycle racing game that allows you to do some great workouts, explore, and race against people of all fitness levels.
There are numerous worlds to explore and Zwift does an excellent job creating different events and activities you can do. Similarly, there are hundreds of preprogrammed workouts that are automatically adjusted to your fitness level. You can also create your own workouts, based off of your current program. There are group rides, and my personal favorite, races!
Racing on Zwift
The best thing about racing with Zwift is that it allows you to compete against others of similar fitness levels. When you first start Zwifting you take a quick test, to determine your current fitness level. This helps to place you in the right category for events. There are events of all lengths, from short sprints, to multi-hour races.
Currently there are 4 categories. The lowest category is D class, next is C class, where most athletes find themselves. Up from that are the B class athletes, who are incredibly fit, and at the top are the A class athletes, some of which are professional cyclists. Check this video out for a quick intro on Zwift.
All of this does come at a price. Zwift currently charges $19.99 a month or $199 a year if you pay upfront. You can also try a month free to see if you really like it. Given the wide variety of activities on Zwift, this is a very reasonable price. Now that we’ve covered the basics, lets cover some of the hardware requirements you will need to pair an Assault Bike with the Zwift App.
Assault Bike Hardware for Zwift
Traditionally Zwift is used with a normal bicycle, paired with a smart trainer, that replaces the rear wheel. I use a smart trainer like this one (Amazon Affiliate Link) in the winters to maintain my fitness. A smart trainer paired with traditional stationary bikes can be a little more realistic, as it simulates terrain by providing adjustable resistance, mimicking hills. However, you can actually pair any type of trainer with Zwift, provided it can export power data.
Assault Fitness has a monitor that comes standard on their Assault Bike Pro X and Assault Bike Elite (Amazon Affiliate Link) that exports this data. They also sell the monitor separately, so you can upgrade your Assault Bike Classic. This is what I did.
Assault Bike Versions
I’ve owned an Assault Bike Classic (Amazon Affiliate Link) for about 5 years, and I’ve put a lot of hours on it. It’s by far the most economical bike to purchase, even including the $150 monitor upgrade. If you purchase an Assault Bike Classic, and the required monitor upgrade you’re looking at about $850 in total.
If you want a quieter setup, with with a little smoother ride, then you can purchase an Assault Bike Pro X, which has the same comfortable seat as the Classic, but relies on belt drive, not chain drive. This makes it quieter. It also comes with the upgraded monitor. This version of the Assault Bike costs around $899.
The top of the line model is the Assault Bike Elite. I’m not a huge fan of this version, as I find the seat to be less comfortable. It also has a slightly different handle set up. As you would expect, it’s built a little more sturdily and has everything you need to connect with Zwift out of the box.
Optional Zwift Hardware
All you need to start Zwifting is a bike and Zwift account. However, you’ll find that you can get a lot more data from it if you use a heart rate monitor. If you have a smart watch, like my favorite Garmin Epix 2, you can have it export heart rate data. Because the sensor can briefly lose contact when you push on the bike’s handles, I’ve found it can be inaccurate for this purpose.
I would recommend something like a simple heart rate monitor like this one from Garmin (Amazon Affiliate Link). I’ve used it for several years, and it gets the job done. Almost any heart rate monitor will work with Zwift as they all broadcast via the same methods. Now let’s cover how to pair your hardware, with the Zwift app. Don’t worry, it’s as simple as a button push.
If you want to try a great program that is designed to work with Assault Bike training then check this out below.
Pairing Your Assault Bike with the Software
Every time you start the App it will attempt to find your hardware. For our purposes we need to pair the Assault Bike monitor, and the heart rate monitor, if you’re using one. Once you reach the pairing screen, you simply push the Bluetooth button and let Zwift find the Assault Bike. It looks like this.
Similarly, you can click on the heart rate monitor box, and it will search for your monitor. As long as your monitor is on and has power, it will automatically be detected by the software. That’s the only thing you need do. Now you can start Zwifting with your setup.
Assault Bike Training With Zwift
The real magic in Zwift is that it’s so engaging that you find you can spend a lot of time doing cardio, training both your aerobic and anaerobic system. If you’re a CrossFit Athlete, Hybrid Athlete, or someone that wants to build a lot of aerobic fitness, then you will greatly benefit from Zwift training on your Assault Bike.
I recommend following one of my hybrid programs like my Apex Program, or my Strength and Endurance Hybrid Program, using this as your cardio method. You can follow my programmed workouts on Zwift and know that it won’t interfere with your strength training.
I find that I tend to do 3-4 hours a week of Zone 2 training, via a custom workout I made in Zwift. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make your own workout. I tend to do 60-90 minute sessions while exploring Zwift or tackling a new route.
Roughly 2-3 times a week I will do a race on Zwift. While you can find short, mini races, you’ll find that most races tend to be 10-20 miles. At C class speed, thats around 30-60 minutes for the complete race. Needless to say, 60 minutes at high heart rate, is an awesome hight-intensity workout, for all most all major muscle groups.
Your Assault Bike Body Transformation
Using my self as an example, I can tell you I went from a VO2 max of 45 to 54 in 3 months, after using Zwift for this type of workout. I also lost 25 pounds in 4 months, while maintaining my strength. Sure, this is a sample of 1, but I see no reason why you couldn’t do just as well or even better!
As a programming note, I do not recommend racing hard, and lifting hard on your lower body in the same day. You can do it, but you’ll notice that you don’t have much energy. Zone 2 workouts are much less taxing, and can be done in the same day as needed.
If you stay consistent, you’ll find this to be the best way to really maximize your Assault Bike body transformation. Not only can you drop body fat, and increase weight loss, you’ll find your conditioning (and calorie expenditure) goes through the roof. This has a natural tendency to increase your WOD performances as well. Even the shortest WODs rely heavily on your aerobic energy system. Now let’s wrap this article up.
Final Thoughts
I want to be clear, I’m not promising you anything you won’t earn without hard work. You’re making those gains no matter how you use the Assault Bike. The real secret to training, with this method, is that the Zwift app naturally encourages you to spend more time on the bike.
After all, you’re not going to quit mid race and let that Norwegian jackass S. LARS 3560 beat you are you? Hell no! While this is a bit tongue in cheek, you see what I mean. The best workouts are those that keep you engaged and on the bike!
If you want to build some muscle mass with your conditioning, check out my most popular program below.
Even if you’re not a super competitive person, you can still maximize your Assault Bike body transformation by following the preprogrammed Zwift workouts, or simply riding around and exploring on your own. High-intensity workouts are great, but they aren’t the only option with the Assault Air Bike.
I also want to point out that I have several killer Assault Bike workouts that you can find here, that don’t rely on Zwift. These workouts are more traditional HIIT workouts that will really develop your cardiovascular system.
If you have any comments or questions, let me know. Now get out there and get Zwifting, Don’t forget to join the email list below for more fitness and tactical articles. Good luck!
The opinions and information expressed in this article are solely those of the author and are not affiliated with any corporation, group, public or private entity. This web site is not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorized, or sponsored by Crossfit Inc, Zwift, or Assault Fitness. All product and company names are the registered trademarks of their original owners. The use of any trade name or trademark is for identification and reference purposes only and does not imply any association with the trademark holder of their product brand. Furthermore it’s recommend that you consult a medical doctor prior to exercise. Always exercise under the guidance of a qualified professional. All links to Amazon are affiliate links.
