Unlike the average mortal, Hollywood stars have stayed busy while in lockdown. Most are used to a complex gym routine, but staying at home is no excuse for celebs who have their biggest assets to take care of: their bodies!
For many, the bike has become a popular and convenient workout whether at home or at the gym; and is clear to the eye that there are tons of benefits of riding an exercise bike!
Celebrities Doing Bike Workouts
Check out these celebs doing bike workouts
1. Khole Kardashian loves a good spinning session and often shares her hard work on social media.
2. Alessandra Ambrosio, the top model keeps her amazing figure thanks to her commitment to spinning.
3. Jessica Alba keeps her abs rocking during long sessions in the saddle.
4. Demi Lovato is another celeb who has shared her obsession with SoulCycle sessions in the past.
5. Vanessa Hudgens -the brunette has been addicted to SoulCycle for years.
Stationary Bike Workout Vs. Outdoor Bike Workout
Bike workout is really popular and is because you not only will get a great workout out of it, but also because it can be a great hobby as well.
Many people think of it in that way, you get the benefits of a workout while enjoying your favorite hobby, is a win-win.
Although everyone knows how good cycling is for your health, there are those who prefer stationary bike vs the outdoor workout.
But isn’t the same thing? Well, not really. So let’s learn more about the main differences and let you choose which works out for you best.
- The impact when using a stationary bike is solely focused on your thighs and buttocks.
Real bikes, however, include every part of your body in the ride. While legs still play the biggest part, your entire core is going to get a workout because you are going to be using your body to maintain balance, streamline yourself, and stand or sit to gain or reduce speed. - Being outside gives you something of a mental workout and you can’t get that in the gym. Studies show that compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy, and positive engagement.
- Seats can be an issue, exercising on a stationary bike can lead to health problems if done too often for extended periods of time. The habit of leaning forward because of the seat can also put stress on the lower back.
The good thing about real bikes in comparison is that they have easily replaceable seats. - Stationary bikes cost more than standard road or mountain bikes. A stationary bike comes with stabilizing mechanisms along with performance monitoring devices and the software they require, making its cost go way higher than its real counterpart.
- When you ride outside you are going to need to be motivated. Unlike indoor cycling, you won’t have a crowd to spur you on.
There is a lot of information when it comes to picking one versus the other; however, the final decision comes down purely to personal preference. What do you think?
Best Home Stationery/ Exercise Bikes
When you’ve decided to get yourself an exercise bike you may want to think about three things; style, flywheel weight and display and programming.
Bike style includes upright, recumbent, and spinning. Upright bikes are typically the most compact. Recumbent bikes, on the other hand, allow you to sit in a more reclined position. Finally, spinning bikes are geared toward high-intensity cardio.
The flywheel is the inner mechanism of an exercise bike, and its weight determines how comfortable and fluid the bike’s motion is.
Display and programming refer to the host of features like heart rate monitoring, calories burned, and more.
Check out our top picks for best home stationary/exercise bikes.
1. The MYX Plus
Get a full-body workout from the comfort of your home with the MYX plus total.
Find it on Myxfitness.com, available for $1499
2. ProGear
This foldable bike is great for small spaces. This ProGear upright has a dual-transmission flywheel, which allows for a higher resistance workout.
The ProGear 225 Folding Foldable Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Heart Pulse -is available at Walmart for $120.31
3. DeskCycle Pedal Exerciser
This DeskCycle Pedal Exerciser is great for seniors or those with mobility issues because it is easy to operate.
The DeskCycle Desk Exercise Bike Pedal Exerciser, White -is available at Walmart for $249.99
4. NordicTrack’s S22i Studio Cycle Bike
Stay motivated and follow a class on the bike’s 22-inch interactive HD touchscreen.
This is available on Nordictrack.com, for $1999
5. Peloton!!
Last but not least, is the Peloton Bike, it’s quiet, adjustable, compact (4′ x 2′) to fit in any place of your home, Peloton connects to your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and comes with a 22″ sweatproof screen where you can take classes with the best instructors; I know the Peloton bike is expensive, but users said it’s worth every penny.
The price of the Peloton Bike starts at $2,245, you can add accessories, check it out here
Top Bike Trainer Workouts
1. Bike Trainer Intensity Mix-up
Warm-up
15 min easy
Incorporate 4×1 min high cadence spinning (95+ RPM) and 4×30 sec single-leg drills. Keep the power at 50–60% for these. The goal is to have a smooth pedal stroke with no jumps or skips and pedaling with one leg only helps highlight any hiccups in your stroke.
Main Set 1
3×7 min easy tempo building from 75–85% over each 7-min period.
1 min rest between efforts
3 min easy spin
Main Set 2
8x(40 sec ON/20 sec OFF)
The ON efforts should be all-out. The OFF efforts should be easy spinning or resting.
Cool-down
10 min easy spin focusing on a smooth pedal stroke at a low resistance
2. Trainer Speed Pyramid
The focus is on higher cadence/speed intervals above lactic threshold.
Warm-up: 15 minutes
6 min easy spin
5×30 sec ON/30 sec OFF high cadence intervals in the small chainring.
Cadence should be above 100 RPM without rocking on the saddle during the ON segments. The upper body should stay still, while the legs do the work. This will make the time pass quickly during warm-up and to also quickly elevate the heart rate. It will also set you up for the fun of the main set. OFF should be an easy spin.
4 min easy spin, prep mind for the main set.
Main set: 26 minutes
1 minute ON /1 minute OFF
2/2 minute, 4/4 minute, 3/3 minute, 2/2 minute, 1/1 minute (the same time ON and OFF).
All of the ON intervals are done slightly above the functional threshold (FT, the maximal pace you can sustain for an effort of approximately 60 min in duration). If you have a power meter, it’s recommended to perform a 20-minute (or similar) power test to determine zones and your FT.
On the perceived effort scale (1-10), the ON intervals would be ~9 out of 10. Heart rate should be monitored but it is not a precise tool to use for effort for this specific workout. However, it’s always recommended to analyze all training data after the workout for any pacing/effort modifications that may help with consistent training.
Use your gear of choice to maintain a cadence above 90 RPM for the ON intervals.
Cool-down: 5 minutes
If you have more time, it’s recommended to flush the legs for at least 10–15 minutes.
Best Recumbent Exercise Bikes and Workouts
Check out our top two recumbent exercise bikes and workouts.
1. Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent
Recommended use-Use in your home for cardiovascular fitness, upper body and lower body toning. It provides the option for a total body workout.
Find the Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Bike on Amazon here.
2. Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike
Available on Walmart for $159.99
1. Workout: The Full Body Workout
- Grab some light weights and set your resistance level about halfway.
- For two minutes, pedal fairly quickly and punch across your body with the weights in your hands.
- After two minutes, drop your weights, increase the resistance by two notches, and pedal a little more slowly for the next two minutes.
- Once those two minutes are up, increase the resistance to another two notches and do some shoulder presses with your weights for the next two minutes.
- You will continue the same two-minute intervals throughout the rest of the workout, but you may have to adjust the resistance level depending on how much you can handle.
- Once you have four minutes left in your workout, set the resistance to the halfway point again, select an arm workout that you haven’t done yet and pedal as fast as you can in order to keep a steady pace to finish up!
2. Workout: Standard High-Intensity Interval Training
- For the first five minutes, set your recumbent bike about halfway on the resistance level scale that it offers. Pedal steadily and consistently for those five minutes as a warm-up
- Once you’ve completed the five minutes, immediately switch the resistance to the highest possible level that you can handle and pedal as fast as you can for one full minute.
- Then set the resistance to the lowest possible level and pedal slowly for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the highest level in one minute followed by the lowest level for 30 seconds until you reach 20 total minutes of time.
- Then for the final five minutes, set the resistance about halfway again and cool down.
Cheap Stationary Bikes
1. Body Rider BRF700 Upright Fan Bike
Available on Walmart for $125.01
2. XTERRA Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike
Available on Walmart for $129.99
Outdoor Bicycles
So you’ve decided stationery isn’t your thing and you want a ride to be outside. When you’re getting a real bicycle you may want to think about the right type, how much you want to spend and finding the right frame.
Getting the right frame size is the first step. Fortunately, most bike manufacturers have size charts that list your frame size based on your height.
There are quite a few bike types, depending on the riding surface we have:
- Paved roads and bike paths: Road bikes, hybrid bikes and electric bikes
- Pavement (from pristine to potholed) and natural surfaces: Hybrid bikes and electric bikes
- All-road riding (from asphalt to outback): Gravel and touring bikes
- Dirt roads and trails: Mountain bikes and electric bikes
Road Bike
Electric Bike
Touring Bike
Mountain bike
There are also factors that make a bike go higher in price, such as; carbon vs. aluminum, going electric and full suspension, hardtail or no suspension.
All these are a few things you may want to keep in mind when browsing for your outdoor ride.
Road Bike Workouts
Road bicycles are designed to be ridden fast on smooth pavement. They have smooth, skinny tires and “drop” handlebars, and can be used for on-road racing. They are usually lighter than other types of bicycles.
1. 60-Second Killers
After a good 10-minute warm-up, using the big ring and a cog in the middle of the rear cassette, get up to ‘lead-out’ race pace in the first five to 10 seconds of the interval, without jumping, and then pedal at a sustainable flat-out pace for the rest of the minute. After the minute back right off to recovery pace for a minute and then go again. Do five of these intervals followed by a five-minute period of recovery.
2. Attack Threshold Intervals
After a good ten-to-fifteen minute warm-up, aim to pedal at your maximum threshold for two-to-three minutes, followed by a light recovery pedal for the same amount of time. Pro cyclists will know their max threshold (the wattage they can output over a set period of time) but for most amateurs, this simply needs to be your maximum work rate for the entire allocated period, followed by a very gentle spin or coast.
Repeat the above twice in the early days and try to extend the sets as your muscles and cardiovascular system adapt.
3. Tabata Training
If you only have 30 minutes to ride a bike outside, and you want to make the most of it, then the HIIT Tabata session is the way to go. The standard Tabata set contains 8 x 20-second maximal efforts, with 10-seconds recovery between, making the entire set last 4-minutes.
Here is how you can fit 3 Tabata sets into a single 30-minute session:
Warm-Up – 7 minutes
Tabata Set – 4 minutes
Recovery – 3 minutes
Tabata Set – 4 minutes
Recovery – 3 minutes
Tabata Set – 4 minutes
Cool-Down – 5 minutes
Celebrities Riding Bicycles Through the Streets
Get inspired by some of your favorite celebrities who enjoy a ride in the outside, because the ‘outdoors are always open’
1. Jannat Fame Sonal Chauhan
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
3. Patrick Dempsey
4. Selena Gomez
5. Usher
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