You can see air bikes as a mixture of cross trainers, ergometers and even some rowing machines. The movable handles work like cross trainers and ensure that the upper body and especially the arms are involved in the movement with pull and push movements. In addition, an air bike is driven by the pedals like an ergometer. As with some rowing machines, the resistance is generated by air and is therefore particularly even. In addition, resistance generated by air always adapts to the force that is invested. In other words, the harder you pedal, the more resistance the Air Bike provides.
Air bikes therefore combine all the advantages of other training devices into an innovative and efficient endurance trainer for the whole body. The whole-body movement makes training on air bikes a particularly efficient and challenging cardio workout. The air wheel also enables a quick start to training. The resistance does not need to be pre-set. (Only the seat height can and should be adjusted under certain circumstances.) The Air Bike can also be easily integrated into circuit training. But an air bike is also ideal for HIIT, i.e. high-intensity interval training. Thanks to the step-less resistance adjustment, Air Bikes offer a real challenge even for trained athletes.
Since air bikes are not only ridden via pedals like ergometers, but also because the hand grips are also involved in the movement, the upper body primarily trains the arms, i.e. biceps, triceps and shoulders. Meanwhile, the legs, i.e. especially the front of the thighs, are trained through the kicking movement.
The technical equipment of an air bike like the Schwinn ergometer Airdyne AD8 Pro includes a high-resolution LCD display that clearly shows all training data during training. In the upper area, the speedometer display shows the current cadence. All important training values such as watts, heart rate, calorie consumption, time and distance are displayed in the lower area. Thanks to the interval timer, the AirBike is the ideal training partner for HIIT, i.e. high-intensity interval training. The interval timer shows the following: total number of laps, current lap, and remaining time of current lap. But you can also make use of the 9 training programs.
There is also a telemetric heart rate receiver in the training console. For efficient training with the "optimal training heart rate" the only thing missing is an optionally available chest strap.
The technical equipment of the Air Bike is therefore precisely tailored to the construction of cross trainer and ergometer and ideally complements the training possibilities. There can be no question of boring cycling here. Instead, Air Bikes rely on intensive cardio training.
The airflow creates a steady noise that you can get involved with while driving and at the same time gives the athlete a pleasantly cool breeze that cools them down during training. If you don't like that, you can use the optionally available Schwinn windscreen.
Other quality features of every air bike, but also of conventional ergometers, are, for example, the frame construction, the steadfastness, as well as the individual options for adapting the air bike to the body proportions of the athlete.
Air bikes are particularly suitable for athletes who are looking for a real challenge. If you are not very sporty and still like the Air Bike, you can also train the upper and lower parts of the body individually. For example, you can put your feet on the shelf and just pull and push the handles. Or they drive and simply let the handles go with them.
However, the training is really meaningful and effective when the whole body is involved in the movement.
Yes. Especially when the pedals are used at the same time as the handles. This is how complex muscle groups are stressed. Due to the large muscle mass involved, a high calorie consumption can be achieved. Of course, the harder you pedal, the more calories you burn. The high calorie consumption then promotes fat burning, which in turn makes it easier to lose weight in combination with a balanced diet
On the air bike, the circulation (so-called cardio training) and endurance are mainly trained. Plenty of calories are burned, which is why the air bike is very suitable for losing weight. Ideally, training on the air bike is supplemented with intensive crossfit strength training. Even if the focus is not on strength training, plenty of strength is still trained, but rather on strength endurance - of the whole body.
Airbike training is on everyone's lips and very trendy, and rightly so, in our opinion. From our point of view, the air bike training offers almost no disadvantages, apart from the price and space requirement.
The advantages:
The disadvantages:
Are there special workouts for Air Bikes?
But yes, there are a variety of specific workouts for air bikes with different training goals from "mental toughness" (training on an air bike can really be extremely exhausting) to classic fat burning and endurance training. Two popular workouts are the Kenyan Ramp and Tabata.
Whether an indoor rower or the air bike is more suitable for your purposes depends on your personal goals and ideas. The rowing machine mainly trains the upper body. Although the legs are also used, they are not put under as much strain as when training on the air bike.
The use of the whole body leads to a very high calorie consumption and maximum fat burning. However, you quickly reach your limits, which means that intensive training, at least initially, only allows for shorter intervals. In any case, the advantage over the rowing machine is that you can only train your legs or only your arms and upper body.
If you have the opportunity to try both in the studio or as part of a trial session, this will help you choose the device that is right for you. It may also be a good idea to combine both in training and only do the short but intensive HIIT units on the air bike.
Additional accessories required:
An additional floor protection mat, available in different sizes, is not only useful to protect sensitive floor coverings from scratches, dents or sweat. It also offers a non-slip base and can dampen the resulting training noises.
If you want to monitor your training in detail, you need a chest strap, which you can also purchase separately and connect to the Air Bike's training computer.
The resilience of an air bike:
Not only your body weight, but above all the force acting on the material during training, especially in interval sessions, puts a strain on the construction of the air bike. The more intense the training, the higher the material stress. Both the processing and the construction (how are the parts screwed together, how are the handles put on the handles, etc.) are decisive. Nothing is more annoying than parts coming loose through intensive use or a slight play that prevents a really smooth run.
It is therefore definitely worth investing in a high-quality, and therefore correspondingly more expensive, device if you are planning regular and highly stressful training sessions on the air bike. It will pay off sooner or later because it lasts a lot longer. And if the worst comes to the worst, the resale value of a branded device is usually significantly better.
What do you have to consider when buying an Air Bike?
First of all, you should consider the purpose for which you want to buy an air bike. Are you an ambitious athlete or are you looking for an exercise bike that you want to work out on from time to time when you can't make it to the gym? In addition, you should pay attention to the maximum load capacity of the air bike, which should of course be suitable for your body weight. You should also include how important training comfort and longevity are to you in your purchase decision.
This training device makes it possible to train the majority of all muscles and is therefore ideal for a full-body workout.
Whether for endurance or endurance training, this wind wheel ergometer meets different needs. In addition, this is the ideal training device for a warm-up, cool-down, intensive cardio and fitness training.
The front area of the windmill ergometer is equipped with two struts on which the feet can be placed.
The innovative and efficient dual-action system enables arms and legs to be trained at the same time, as a pedalling, pushing and pulling movement is required.
It should be emphasized that the body movements are natural and the joints are protected. It is possible to train the core as well as the arms and legs at the same time or separately as desired. Arm strength is primarily used for upper body training, while the feet are positioned on the integrated footrests. For a leg workout, you only have to let go of the handles.
If you are looking to buy other fitness machines or accessories, look no further! Explore our range of fitness products like treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, exercise bikes, rowing machines, climb mill & steppers, home gym, functional trainer, multi station, power tower, smith machine, dumbbells, football table, and table tennis.
