Assault Bike Technique – Knee and Arm Control Â
Video by Holden Rethwill
Do you get a sick feeling when you think of the Assault Bike? Like most CrossFitters, this conditioning tool has played a part in some of the worst workouts you have ever done. Luckily, Invictus Athlete Coach, Holden Rethwill, is here to hopefully ease this pain and share some tips to help optimize your Assault Bike experience. As you can see in the video above, Coach Holden will share with us how to control your arms and knees to maximize your efficiency in the middle of an Assault Bike workout.
Assault Bike Knee and Arm Control
Coach Holden takes us through how to control our bodies when we are pedaling on the Assault Bike. The tendency is for people to bow out their knees when they get tired. The goal is to focus on keeping your knees straight up and down which will allow you to put more power into the pedal. With your arms, you want to keep them compact and focus on actively pushing and pulling the handles.
Assault Bike Knee Pain?
If you are experiencing knee pain from an Assault Bike workout it most likely is caused by the bike setup. If your seat height is too high or low it may be causing too much bending or overextending within your knee. Proper seat height is found by matching the seat to your hip when you are standing tall next to the bike.
Assault Bike Arms Only WorkoutÂ
Assault Bike Tabata Workout
20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 rounds
*Use the “20-10 interval” training option on the Assault Bike control panel
For all eight of your twenty-second rounds only use your arms to power the bike.
Assault Bike vs. Echo Bike
You are most likely more familiar with the Assault Bike than the Rogue Echo Bike. The Echo Bike is relatively new to the market and offers a surprisingly different riding style than you might expect when compared to the Assault Bike. Both bikes offer similar measures of the work you are putting into the bike through calories, RPMs, etc. However, you may find that the Echo Bike winds down faster which eliminates the “ghost calories” that riders are able to get when they are using the Assault Bike.
Assault Bike Pros & Cons
The Assault Bike retails for slightly less than the Echo Bike at $750. The bike is smaller and narrower which lends advantages to smaller athletes looking to compete against larger athletes in a power output workout. However, the bike is known to have a weak chain and tends to break down often. One of our long-time Invictus Athletes, Matt Bickel is famously known for ripping off the handle of an Assault Bike during a 1-minute max calorie test.
Echo Bike Pros & Cons
The Echo Bike has a larger build with wider handles. The bike tends to produce less noise than the Assault Bike because it is Belt powered rather than chain-driven. The large size of the handles and seat have been known to be awkward and uncomfortable for smaller athletes. The price of the Echo Bike starts at around $850 which is about $100 more expensive than the Assault Bike however the Echo Bike is known to be more durable.
Invictus Athlete Program
For more coaching and tips from Coach Holden check out our Invictus Athlete Program! The program is designed to help you improve and compete at a higher level in the sport of fitness.
Also Check Out…
Get Dirty with this Assault Bike Warm-Up
How to Assault Bike Like the Pros
Why We Use The Assault Air Bike
