Assault Bike

Anton YefanovUpdated September 6, 2026

The AssaultBike drives a 27 inch steel fan through a chain, so resistance is generated by your own output rather than set on a dial. Legs push the pedals while the arm bars are pushed and pulled, which turns a cycling pattern into a whole-body effort across quads, glutes, calves, shoulders and trunk. Because the fan answers every extra watt, the workload never settles at a fixed level, and the console programs are built around time, distance and heart-rate targets rather than resistance steps.

How to do the Assault Bike

Set the saddle so your knee stays slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
Sit tall, take the arm bars at chest height and brace your trunk.
Start pedaling smoothly and let the fan build resistance before you add effort.
Push one arm bar away as you pull the other back, matched to the pedal rhythm.
Hold your target output rather than a fixed resistance, since the fan answers your pace.
Spin down against light effort for a minute, then release the bars and step off.

Muscles worked

Primary:: Quads
Secondary:: Glutes, Calves, Shoulders, and Core

Why train it

Loads legs, arms and trunk in one low-impact cardio pattern.
Fan resistance rises with your own pace, so the workload never caps out at a dial setting.
Effort translates directly into measurable output for pacing and testing.

Common mistakes

Dropping the arm bars and pedaling only, which halves the muscle involvement.
Rounding the back and hauling on the bars, moving load off the legs and into the spine.
Opening at full effort, so output collapses within seconds of the interval starting.
Sitting too low, which crowds the knee and shortens the drive through the pedals.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the assault bike so hard?

Because the resistance comes from a fan, and it rises the harder you push. There is no easy setting to coast on: the more effort you put in, the more the bike pushes back. It also uses your arms and legs at once, so more of your body is asking for oxygen. That is why a short sprint on it feels so brutal.

Assault bike vs rower: which is better?

Both are excellent for hard intervals. The assault bike is easier to learn and better for all-out sprints, since technique hardly matters. The rowing machine takes some skill but trains the back and hips more and is easier to do for long, steady sessions. Pick the bike for short, brutal efforts and the rower for longer work.

Are the calories on an assault bike accurate?

Treat them as a rough guide. The calorie number is estimated from how fast the fan spins, not from your body, and it tends to run higher during sprints than at an easy pace. Use it to compare your own sessions on the same bike, not as an exact count of what you burned.

Does the assault bike help with running?

It builds the same heart and lung fitness, so it helps your endurance, and it has no impact. It does not train your legs to absorb landing forces or improve running form. It is a good way to add fitness without extra miles, or to keep training through a running injury.

What muscles does the Assault Bike work?

The Assault Bike works the quads hardest, with the glutes, calves, shoulders, and core pitching in. As cardio, though, the bigger demand is on your heart and lungs rather than any one muscle.

What equipment do I need for the Assault Bike?

Only an air bike. Nothing beyond that is required to run the movement the way it is described above.

Is the Assault Bike suitable for beginners?

With some base fitness. The Assault Bike is rated intermediate: it assumes you can already hold 20 minutes or so of steady effort. Build that first with easier steady sessions, and the alternatives below are the easier way in.

Can I do the Assault Bike at home?

Yes, if you own an air bike. That is the whole requirement, and it is the reason this one travels well between a home setup and a gym floor.

How long should I do the Assault Bike for?

Five to ten rounds of 20 to 60 seconds hard with equal rest, or a few minutes steady as a warm-up. It fits at the end of a lifting session as well as on its own.

What are good alternatives to the Assault Bike?

Cycling Intervals, Running Intervals, and Man Maker train the same primary muscles as the Assault Bike. Pick whichever one suits the equipment in front of you.