An all-in-one gym machine is one of those once-in-a-lifetime purchases, yet investing in one pays dividends. Think: Better health, stronger muscles, convenience, and money saved in the long run. Plus, these machines are super space-efficient, which means your home gym area will look less cluttered and, in translation, more inviting for you to work out in. 

But a home gym machine is no small purchase, and shopping for one requires plenty of research on your part. Before signing off on just any machine on the market, you’ll want to consider multiple factors in your ultimate decision, such as how much space you have, what kind of workouts you plan to use it for, whether it’ll be used by multiple members of your household, and your budget.

Sounds like a lot, right? That’s why BarBend has teamed up with MAJOR FITNESS, the company behind the new Spirit B52 All-in-One Home Gym to let you in on all the features to consider before buying a home gym that’ll level up your workouts.

Versatility

If you’re looking for one machine to rule them all, versatility is of utmost importance. The more workouts you can get out of your all-in-one gym machine, the better bang for your buck. So before you go all in on a specific machine, make sure it boasts the versatility you need to perform all your usual lifts, plus some.

Take the Spirit B52, for example: It combines a power rack with 14 adjustable positions, Smith machine with 10 height options, cable pulley system with 17 adjustable positions, multi-grip pull-up bar, and a 360-degree landmine into a single rack. Boasting 11 different attachments, including sandwich J-hooks, safety arms, and cable pulley attachments, you can mix and match between free weights, cable, and Smith machine exercises for more than 90 full-body exercises that maximize your home workouts. 

Extras you’ll want to look for in an all-in-one machine include compatible accessories, such as bars, benches, and plates, that you can add on to help diversify your workouts and challenge your muscles. This is especially important as you progress and get stronger.

The B52, in particular, has a range of accessories to pick from, including a lever arm, leg extension, and multifunctional handlebar (great for lat pulldowns and rows at different grips and angles). These accessories enhance versatility, adding a variety of upper and lower body exercises to the workout routine.

After all, robust research has consistently established that progressive overload is key to hypertrophy — and using different equipment that allows you to increase weight is essential to challenging your muscles and seeing that growth. 

Adjustability

If you’re spending a good chunk of cash on an all-in-one gym machine, you want it to work for everyone in your household. That means your machine should come with multiple adjustment positions to accommodate the tall folks, the shorties, and everyone in between.

Even if it’s just you lifting in the home gym, multiple adjustment points allow you to perform different exercises with ease. For example, you can set the bar at the perfect position for exercises where you’re horizontal, such as chest presses, and then readjust for standing movements like squats and deadlifts.

If your machine comes with a big foot plate (which it should), check that it has adjustable angles to accommodate your height and different exercise positions. 

Space Efficiency

All-in-one gym machines are natural space-savers — they consolidate multiple bulky machines into a single unit. By maximizing the utility of your room, no matter the size, all-in-one machines prove that you certainly don’t need loads of space or equipment to get a solid workout. 

For a comprehensive home workout, look for an all-in-one machine that combines a power rack, smith machine, cable machine, and pull-up bar to cover all your major upper- and lower-body lifts. This also lets you access all the necessary exercise functionalities you need and allows for more convenient transitions between exercises. Seamless switching between exercises also gives you the option to add home HIIT workouts to your routine because you won’t have to walk from, say, the Smith machine for bench presses to the cable machines for face pulls. 

When shopping for a gym machine, make sure to measure out your space before making the purchase. First, decide where you plan on housing the machine (say, your garage or basement) and obtain precise measurements of the space you plan to fit it in. The Spirit B52 comes in under 7 feet tall, about 6.5 feet wide, and around 5.5 feet deep, so it’ll fit in most spaces comfortably. 

Also, keep in mind that you won’t need any extra space to work out because you’ll perform all the movements within the machine. That makes investing in an all-in-one a smart strategy whether you have very limited space in your home or apartment or if you’re after a more streamlined home workout situation. Not to mention, this space-saver is also easier on the eyes than multiple pieces of equipment that fight for space in a small home gym.

Durability

When you swipe your card on an all-in-one gym machine, you’d expect it to last a lifetime. Your purchase should withstand the everyday (or every other day) wear and tear of your workouts and stand the test of time. Spending a little extra dough on a more durable machine will likely also save you money in the long run since you won’t have to replace parts or schedule repairs (which costs both money and time).

Look for a machine that’s made of steel, which is highly durable and resistant to damage. A steel machine is less likely to get banged up when you’re switching out weights or dropping a weight plate after a set. You’ll also want to look for a machine with a high weight capacity to accommodate you as you progress in your lifts. The higher the weight capacity, the more room for progressive overload, so make sure to compare the current capacity to your numbers and choose a machine that will grow with you.

Safety Features

Your gym machine will ultimately act as your personal spotter, which makes checking for safety features that much more important. Certain safety features you’ll want to look for include linear bearings, which allow for super-smooth linear motion in machines. This helps you focus on the movement and tap into that mind-muscle connection rather than getting distracted by the bar or weight stack’s shaky or inconsistent feel of motion. 

You’ll also want to look for a Smith machine with lock-and-release mechanisms that allow you to switch between a locked and unlocked position with a quick turn of the bar. This mechanism guarantees that any weights or moving parts in your machine remain securely in place and prevent weights from falling and potentially injuring you. This handy safety feature also makes switching the resistance between exercises more seamless, so you can keep that heart rate up. Lock-and-release mechanisms also allow you to easily and safely disengage once you’re done. 

Last but definitely not least, you’ll want to look for a safety catch with height-adjustable positions. Properly positioned safety catches prevent the weight from falling on you in case you fail on a rep. Translation: You can add a bit more weight to your next set or test your one-rep max — all without a spotter.

What Are You Waiting For? 

Now that you know what to look for in an all-in-one gym — versatility, durability, and safety features — you can find the one that’s right for you. The Spirit B52 All-in-One Home Gym from MAJOR FITNESS  has all these features and more, and it’s ready to help you hit your fitness goals. Head here to learn all about it. 

The post 5 Essential Features to Look for When Buying an All-in-One Gym Machine appeared first on BarBend.

I Ranked Every CHEST Exercise (Best To Worst)

Evaluating chest exercises for muscle growth is a matter of considering key factors such as stretch and tension, comfort, and the capacity for progression.

An exercise must not only provide substantial tension during a deep stretch, but it should also feel good, avoiding pain while promoting a potent pump and connection with the chest muscles.

Moreover, the ability to enhance the exercise through gradual increases in weight or repetitions plays a crucial role in its effectiveness.

When reviewing popular chest exercises, it becomes clear that some are superior to others, with certain movements awarded the highest distinction for their excellent balance of intensity and progressivity.

At the same time, some exercises fall short, either lacking in the ability to stretch the chest muscles adequately or offering limited potential for progressive overload. In the quest for the most efficient chest workouts, a careful analysis reveals which exercises maximize growth and which ones might be better left out of a routine.

Key Takeaways

Effective chest exercises provide a deep stretch, are comfortable, and allow for progression.

Top-tier exercises combine intensity with a capacity for progressive overloads, such as weighted adjustments.

Lower-ranked exercises fail to effectively stretch the chest or lack a clear path to increased challenge and strength gains.

Chest Exercise Ranking Criteria

Stretch With High Tension

Key factor: High-tension stretch required for top rank

F tier: No deep stretch, no exception

Hex press: No big stretch; triceps take over, not ideal for inner pec fibers

Dumbbell pullover: Limited pec activation, overshadowed by lats and triceps engagement

Comfortable Feel and Resistance Profile

Necessities: Smooth feel, no pain, consistent resistance providing good pump and connection

Bench Press: Generally feels good, some report shoulder discomfort

Flat Dumbbell Press: Deeper pec stretch, less shoulder issues reported

Machine Chest Press: Locked-in motion can enhance mind-muscle connection and pump

Progression Simplicity

Overload: Ability to progressively add weight or reps

Bench Press: Easy to add weight over time

Dumbbell limitations: At higher strengths, larger dumbbells are bulky and gyms may have weight limits

Dips: Various progression methods, from assisted to adding weight

Push-ups: Not ideal once strong due to high rep requirements for failure; banded push-ups add tension but stability is a concern

F Tier Exercises

Hex Press

Tension and Stretch: Hex Press fails to provide a deep stretch with high tension in the pecs, as arms stay bent and do not fully extend, limiting pec engagement.

Feeling and Pump: The movement often causes the triceps to take over. Without a strong mind-muscle connection or a satisfying pump, it detracts from its effectiveness.

Progression: Due to its design, progressive overload is challenging. There is no clear path for increasing weight or reps, which is crucial for muscle growth.

Plate Press

Tension and Stretch: Similar to the Hex Press, the Plate Press lacks in providing a significant stretch and tension across the pecs during exercise.

Ergonomics and Resistance Profile: Awkwardness of the movement compromises the workout experience. The exercise has even less potential for overload compared to the Hex Press.

Progression: Like the Hex Press, the Plate Press also struggles with progression options. The ability to effectively increase challenge over time is minimal.

D Tier Exercises

Dumbbell Pullover

The effectiveness of dumbbell pullovers is often debated. While biomechanics suggests that the pecs are engaged during the exercise, alongside the lats and triceps, and activation data confirms pec involvement, the real-world experience tells a different story. Many lifters find that they don’t actually feel their pec muscles engaging during the movement. In fact, numerous clients have echoed this sentiment, reporting a lack of perceived pec activation.

Performance Tips:

Focus: While the motion works both the lats and the pecs, it doesn’t necessarily target the latter as effectively in practice.

Mind-Muscle Connection: Despite theoretical considerations, the lack of a substantial mind-muscle connection for the pecs makes it suboptimal for chest development.

Usage: Rarely incorporated as a primary chest exercise by top bodybuilders, suggesting its limited impact on chest hypertrophy.

Pullover Positioning:

Grip: Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and position it over the chest.

Movement: Lower the weight in an arc behind the head, then bring it back over the chest.

Elbow Position: Keep a slight bend to target the pecs without overextending.

Given these observations and the limited practical effectiveness for chest development, dumbbell pullovers are categorized as D tier exercises primarily because they seem more beneficial for the lats. This doesn’t deny their utility as a compound movement but acknowledges their reduced impact on chest muscle growth relative to other available exercises.

A Tier Exercises

Flat Bench Press

Offers high tension when barbell is brought to the chest

Easy to progressively overload with weight

Common shoulder discomfort noted by many lifters

Intensity and Overload:

Highly intense with potential for progressive increments

Experience Feedback:

Smooth resistance profile yet occasionally triggers shoulder issues

Incline Bench Press

Emphasizes upper pecs without neglecting mid and lower regions

Comparable effects on lower/mid pecs to flat bench

Study indicates additional upper pec growth

Resistance Profile:

Similar to flat with a slight shift in muscular emphasis

Flat Dumbbell Press

Deeper pec stretch possible as dumbbells move past rib cage

Likely to produce a substantial chest pump

Diminishing progression potential at advanced levels due to dumbbell size

Progression:

Initially amenable to weight and rep increases

Encounters practical limitations with heavier weights

Incline Dumbbell Press

Incorporates benefits of flat variation with an upper pec focus

Progress could be hindered at higher strength levels due to dumbbell size limitations

B Tier Exercises

Decline Bench Press

Target Regions: Mid to lower pecs

Downsides:

Slightly less range of motion than flat or incline

Upper pecs are often the area needing more growth emphasis

Decline Dumbbell Press

Key Points:

Offers variation for lower pec focus

Can feel awkward during setup

Potential Issues:

Might need assistance to get into position with heavier weights

Not ideal if seeking upper pec development

Body Weight Push-Ups

Benefits:

No equipment required

Performable anywhere

Limitations:

Limited stretch at full chest expansion due to the floor

Progressive overload is challenging

Recommended as:

A finisher rather than a primary exercise for chest growth due to high rep necessity for advanced individuals

S Tier Exercises

Machine Chest Press

Stretch and Tension: Offers a deep stretch on the pecs with high tension throughout the range.

Feel: The locked-in nature of the movement increases the mind-muscle connection and provides a solid chest pump.

Progression: Overloading is straightforward with the ability to add weight or repetitions over time.

Safety: Generally safer to push to failure compared to free weights, assuming a well-designed chest press machine is used.

AdvantagesDisentanglement from DisadvantagesDeep stretch on the pecsNone found, according to a muscle building perspectiveHigh tension throughoutn/aEnhanced mind-muscle connectionn/aEasy overloadn/aSafe failure progressionn/a

Given these points, the machine chest press is awarded the S Tier for its comprehensive fulfillment of desired qualities in a chest exercise, meeting all criteria of stretch, feel, and progression without discernible downsides for muscle growth.

Progressive Overload Techniques for Dips

Assisted Dips

Assisted dips are a foundational progression for individuals seeking to enhance their chest muscles through dips. The method entails:

Starting Position: Using an assisted dip machine with adjustable weight to counterbalance body weight.

Progression: Reducing the assistance weight gradually as strength increases, aiming for a more demanding exercise over time.

Body Weight Dips

Body weight dips are a staple for chest development, involving:

Technique: Performing dips with only one’s body weight, focusing on a deep stretch in the chest area.

Overloading: Adding repetitions or extending the time under tension by slowing down the movement, particularly during the negative phase.

Weight Belt Dips

For advanced individuals, weight belt dips offer significant overload potential:

Equipment: Attaching additional weight via a weight belt during dips.

Incremental Loading: Increasing the weight attached to the belt incrementally as one’s strength builds.

Note: While dips provide a profound stretch and high tension, caution is advised for those experiencing shoulder discomfort.

Body Weight Exercise Considerations

Push-ups

When assessing push-ups for chest muscle growth, it’s essential to focus on the exercise’s ability to stretch the muscle with high tension, provide a comfortable experience, and allow for straightforward progression.

This means evaluating the move for effective muscle engagement, absence of pain, and opportunities for progressively overloading the muscle with additional weight or repetitions.

Tension and Stretch: Normal push-ups place a reasonable amount of tension on the pecs, though they fall short of providing a full stretch because the movement ends once the body is close to the ground.

Comfort and Resistance Profile: Push-ups generally feel good and offer a smooth resistance profile, but they do not afford the deepest stretch possible for the pecs as the floor stops the downward movement.

The move should not cause shoulder pain, yet some may find it less comfortable past a certain volume.

Progression Methods:

Assisted push-ups (reducing assistance)

Increasing repetitions

Adding weight (with caution, as stability can be an issue)

Slowing down the movement, especially on the negative phase

Progressive Overload Challenges: As strength increases, conventional push-ups can become less challenging. This means they require a high number of repetitions to approach failure, which may not be ideal for muscle growth.

Moreover, once one becomes proficient, it’s less straightforward to add resistance in a stable and effective manner.

To no one’s surprise, HYROX has become a favorite for CrossFitters. A mixed-modal event with running and hybrid movements in a competition setting? What more could a CrossFitter ask for? 

When it comes to training for one of these races, however, athletes aren’t always sure where to start. 

Chris Hinshaw, founder of Aerobic Capacity and the endurance coach to many elite CrossFitters, has some answers for those looking to do their first HYROX event. 

[Related: The 15 Best Glute Exercises for Size, Strength, and Activation]

What Is HYROX?

HYROX is a global fitness race that pairs substantial amounts of running with hybrid movements mixed in, such as burpees broad jumps, sled pulls/pushes, farmer’s carries, wall balls, and more. The races started in 2017 in Germany and have recently gained popularity in the United States. 

The race consists of eight one-kilometer runs, making it primarily all about an athlete’s running capacity and endurance, Hinshaw tells Morning Chalk Up. 

“What people need to realize is that HYROX created an event that essentially has close to 50 percent running. Therefore, if you think about your finishing time, and this is what I would tell any new athlete, guesstimate what you think that you can finish it in, and 50 percent of that total time is going to be running,” Hinshaw says. 

“If you think about just that alone, then at least half of your training should be running, if you’re targeting it.”

Hinshaw uses the example that if an athlete believes they can finish the race in 90 minutes, that’s 45 minutes of running. That means your average 1,000-meter run in HYROX is going to be roughly five minutes and 30 seconds. What the athlete needs to do is practice at that pace per 1,000 meters. 

“You need to practice and train at that speed because that’s what you’re going to be competing at. It’s called specific training. You train for the event and the speed of that event.” 

But that isn’t the extent of it, Hinshaw adds. 

CrossFitters, by nature, want to train “way too fast.” Athletes shouldn’t just train for one speed; they need to train for slightly faster and slightly slower speeds, depending on which part of the race they’re in. 

Athletes must complete eight stations in addition to the running station. The race can be done individually, as a doubles team, or as a relay. 

[Related: The Gymgoer’s Guide to Whey Protein]

The other hybrid movements should also be trained, but running, given the distance, requires some special attention. Hinshaw recommends athletes go out and first focus on a longer continuous running effort. 

“Get time on your feet,” he says. “Even if you’re not hitting the target paces, what you need to do is get comfortable spending an hour and a half on your feet. [Most] CrossFitters haven’t gone that long, and they lose emotional motivation as they get deeper.” 

The biggest mistake he sees for CrossFitters is that they are “not prepared to go that long.” 

Another mistake is transition time: “When they come into the run, and they go into an obstacle, it’s not uncommon to have five minutes of total transition time. CrossFitters tend to lose way too much time. There’s not a sense of urgency,” he says.

“What traditional triathletes and HYROX athletes do is that they move through the transition quickly, but when they’re in the new movement, they’re just patient. They wait for the body to adapt to that new movement. When the body settles and adapts to the new movement they then bump up their intensity.” 

5 Main Takeaways

Focus on the running portion more than you think. 

Continue training for CrossFit and mixed-modal exercises you plan to see during the race.

Work on transitions and keep the time to a minimum between stations. 

Play with different 1,000-meter paces and find a target pace to work off of leading up to the competition. 

Enjoy the race, and then be more strategic on your second (or third) attempt. 

The HYROX race is a great test of fitness for a CrossFit athlete and is a complement to CrossFit training, Hinshaw says. CrossFit athletes have an advantage because they aren’t intimidated by the obstacles, such as the sled pull or the farmer’s carry. These are all mixed-modal exercises they’re used to seeing and doing.

“It’s an amazing way to give a CrossFit athlete a challenge and to keep them coming back into that gym because they are going to do a second, maybe third event,” Hinshaw says.

More CrossFit Content

Check out the latest CrossFit content from the Morning Chalk Up:

“We Just Do CrossFit”: The Secret to CrossFit Nashville’s Longevity

New Documentary, “Danielle Brandon Energy,” Highlights Softer Side of the Fierce CrossFit Games Veteran

An Ode to the CrossFit Garage Gym

Featured image: @hyroxamerica / Instagram 

The post You Signed Up for HYROX — Now What? Here Are 5 Tips to Follow appeared first on BarBend.

Knocking on the door of an all-time powerlifting world record is a rare feat. Zahir Khudayarov‘s hand has only gotten heavier and heavier, slamming on the door of the all-time world record raw squat with wraps in the 140KG class.

Khudayarov shared a video on his Instagram page on March 17, 2024, wherein he locked out a 475-kilogram squat double in wraps. According to Open Powerlifting, had one of those reps been performed in a sanctioned competition, it would have been the third-heaviest squat ever. Check out Khudayarov’s training below:

[Related: Temur Samkharadze (+120KG) Sets IPF Junior Raw Deadlift and Total World Records at the 2024 EPF European Classic Championships]

When you have a goal we are very close.

Khudayarov’s caption on his Instagram post suggests that his goal for the squat is to lock out 500 kilograms. If he were to accomplish that feat, he would be the only athlete to ever do so below the superheavyweight class. Athletes who competed at +140KG who have achieved the 500-kilogram raw w/wraps squat milestone include Mojtaba Maleki, Vladislav Alhazov, and all-time world record holder Dan Bell.

Khudayarov holds that all-time world record raw squat in wraps in the 125KG class at 480 kilograms, achieved at the 2017 FPO WABDL World Cup. That is the same weight as the all-time world record in the 140KG class, scored by James Searcy at the 2018 RPS Live Large Big Spring Showdown.

Khudayarov also holds the all-time world record raw total in the 125KG class of 1,112.5 kilograms from the 2015 FPO Paimio Power Weekend. However, Khudayarov’s three most recent meets have been in the 140KG class, though he has not competed since August 2019. He has bounced between competing at 125KG and 140KG since 2013.

Time and patience will tell everything.

Khudayarov has competed in 22 sanctioned meets throughout his multi-decade-long powerlifting career. Of those 22, Khudayarov won 17 for a 77.3 percent win rate.

More Powerlifting Content

Amélie Mierger (+84KG) Sets IPF Raw Bench Press World Record of 165 Kilograms at 2024 EPF European Classic Championships

Alexis Jones (+84KG) Sets Unofficial IPF Raw Bench Press and Deadlift World Records at the 2024 Powerlifting America Raw Nationals

Erholove Izobodo-John (84KG) Sets IPF Junior Raw Deadlift World Record of 263 Kilograms at the 2024 European Classic Championships

Featured image: @zahirkhudayarov on Instagram

The post Zahir Khudayarov (140KG) Squats a 475-Kilogram Double In Wraps appeared first on BarBend.

In a recent turn of events, Planet Fitness, a well-known gym chain, has come under fire due to its gender identity non-discrimination policy.

The controversy has sparked a widespread boycott, trending worldwide on Twitter, resulting in a significant financial hit for the company.

Shares of Planet Fitness plummeted, erasing over $400 million in market value, though there has been a slight recovery observed in the stock’s performance.

The issue gained traction after a woman’s membership was canceled by a Planet Fitness location in Alaska.

The cancellation occurred following her attempt to take a photograph of a man in the women’s locker room, which she claimed was violating her privacy.

This incident has led to heated debates on social media platforms, with the hashtag #boycottplanetfitness gaining momentum.

Financial Impact and Social Media Backlash

As the boycott continues, Planet Fitness has seen its stock experience volatility, with investors and analysts closely monitoring the situation.

The gym chain’s response to the controversy has been to limit its advertising on social media and to block users who post critical comments, a move that has only fueled further backlash.

Critics argue that the company’s gender identity non-discrimination policy, which allows individuals to use locker rooms that align with their self-reported gender identity, disregards the safety and privacy of women. The policy has led to several members canceling their subscriptions, some of whom claim their memberships were terminated by Planet Fitness for merely submitting feedback on the policy.

Policy Background and Company’s Stance

Planet Fitness has historically promoted an inclusive environment, stating that its policy aims to respect the rights and dignity of all members, including those who are transgender or non-binary.

However, an old advertisement from the company has resurfaced amidst the controversy, drawing criticism for seemingly mocking gender identity issues. This has led to questions about the consistency of Planet Fitness’s stance on gender identity over time.

The gym chain’s attempts to manage the situation on social media have been met with challenges, as posts related to the controversy have garnered thousands of comments, predominantly negative.

Despite efforts to hide or block these comments, the volume of public dissatisfaction has overwhelmed the company’s online platforms.

The Broader Conversation

This incident at Planet Fitness has ignited a broader discussion about gender identity policies in public spaces, highlighting the tension between inclusivity and privacy rights.

As social media continues to play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate these complex issues without facing significant repercussions.

While the financial implications for Planet Fitness are clear, with a notable loss in stock value and potential loss of membership, the long-term impact of this controversy on the company’s reputation remains to be seen.

As the debate continues, the effectiveness of the boycott and the public’s response to the company’s policies will likely influence how similar policies are approached by businesses in the future.

In conclusion, the Planet Fitness controversy sheds light on the challenges of implementing inclusive policies in a polarized society.

As the situation unfolds, it will be crucial for businesses to find a balance that respects the rights and concerns of all their patrons, while also navigating the powerful currents of social media activism and public opinion.

Las Vegas, NV, will host the 2024 Sampson Showdown Pro Wellness division show on Saturday, March 23, 2024. 12 IFBB Pro League competitors will compete in this edition for a victory as well as a qualification to compete in the 2024 Wellness Olympia, a part of the 60th Olympia Weekend, which will also be in Las Vegas on Oct. 10-13, 2024.

Sampson Showdown Pro Roster

The 2023 winner of this contest was Alexis Adams. She will not attempt a title defense in 2024. The athletes who will compete are listed below in alphabetical order, courtesy of the IFBB Pro League website:

Brooke Hazard (United States)

Haley Johnson (United States)

Wendy Milhorn (United States)

Kali Nakvinda (United States)

Cassandra Pennington (United States)

Yadira Rosado (United States)

Alicia Self (Australia)

Bruna Seredich (United States)

Tammy Sievers (United States)

Janny Smith (United States)

Alisa Sturkie (United States)

Natalia Vasco (United States)

[Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s & Phil Heath’s Upper Body Workout at 2024 Arnold Sports Festival UK]

[Related: Nick Walker’s Post Hamstring Tear Leg Training 9 Weeks Out From the 2024 New York Pro]

Haley Johnson

Georgia native Haley Johnson finished second to Adams in the 2023 contest. She was also seventh in the 2023 Charlotte Pro.

This will be Johnson’s first appearance of the 2024 season; her third year competing in the pro ranks. With nearly a year to prepare for a return to the stage, she could show improvements in her lower body as well as more confidence. 

Tammy Sievers

Masters athlete Tammy Sievers was the third-place finisher in this contest in 2023. She won the Masters Over 35 and Masters Over 40 divisions. Sievers will also compete in those divisions in the 2024 edition of the show.

Sievers’ most recent show was the 2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro, where she finished third in the Masters Over 40 category and 16th in the Open.

Bruna Seredich

Bruna Seredich has been on the Olympia stage twice. She ranked eighth in 2021 and tenth at the 2022 Wellness Olympia, also held in Las Vegas. She took the entire 2023 season off.

This will be Seredich’s 2024 season debut. She’s expected to reveal the best version of her physique yet. There is a good chance she will be in the first callout at this event.

More Bodybuilding Content

From Best to Worst, Jeff Nippard Ranks Chest Exercises for Hypertrophy

How Figure Bodybuilder Ashley Lakomowski Trains Back 2 Months Before a Pro Show

The Stomach Vacuum: What It Is, Benefits, & More From Bodybuilding Experts

Featured image: @haleybabycakess on Instagram

The post 2024 Sampson Showdown Pro Wellness Show Preview appeared first on BarBend.

Your supplement cabinet is packed and ready for a new week of training to help you get those gains you’ve been working hard for. If you’re anything like me, when you go to pop a scoop of creatine in your pre-workout supplement drinks, you may notice a few clumps. If it’s past the expiration date, you may wonder — is it safe? Does creatine go bad?

Credit: Lecic / Shutterstock

Here, I’ll break down what creatine is and how it works. I’ll take you through the latest research on the expiration dates of dietary supplements and which type of creatine has a long shelf life. Plus, I’ll give you tips on how to store creatine so you get the most out of your tub.

Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is one of the most popular, well-researched, fact-checked supplements on the market. Whether you’re serious about bodybuilding, weightlifting, or are a casual gymgoer looking to build muscle, you’ve probably come across it. 

Creatine is an amino acid stored in your skeletal muscles and brain. Over fifty years of research suggests that taking creatine supplements while resistance training can boost exercise performance, muscle growth, and strength gains. 

You can get creatine through supplementing with creatine products or foods with creatine. To do that, you can eat animal-based protein sources like red meat. Vegetarians and vegans can opt for foods that contain glycine, arginine, and methionine — the three amino acids that can stimulate creatine synthesis. (1)

Creatine is generally considered safe, with no harmful side effects for healthy individuals. The primary potential side effect is short-term water retention, which may cause bloating and temporary weight gain. (2)

[Read More: Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?]

Different Types of Creatine

There are many forms of creatine on the market. Creatine supplements typically come in powder form; others come in liquid, cream, and salts. 

Creatine monohydrate supplements are the most well-researched type of creatine supplements. Here’s what the science says.

Research consistently shows that creatine monohydrate is the most effective form of creatine at boosting exercise performance, building muscle mass, and increasing muscle strength. (1)

Creatine monohydrate boosts phosphocreatine stores by 15 to 40 percent, which increases your work capacity for higher volume training and leads to strength and muscle gains. (3)

Vast research insists that creatine monohydrate is more effective and safe than any other type of creatine. (2)(3)

Here are the other forms of creatine you may find at the shop, which are often combined with other ingredients:

Creatine Ethyl Ester

Creatine HCL (Hydrochloride)

Buffered Creatine

Liquid Creatine

Creatine Nitrate

Creatine Salts

Creatine Serum

Creatine Malate

Creatine Citrate

Does Creatine Expire?

As with any product, you can check your creatine supplement’s expiration date (or expiry date). However, it may have a longer shelf life than it states on the label. 

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started the shelf-life extension project (SLEP) to investigate whether drug products (including supplements) may have a longer shelf life than printed. They found that 88 percent of the products lasted at least one year past their expiration date, and most products had an average of 66 extra months. (4)

Credit: ALL best fitness is HERE / Shutterstock

[Read More: BCAA Vs. Creatine Supplements — Which to Take and When?]

To find out when (and if) creatine expires, scientists measure its levels of creatinine, a waste product, to see when it starts to degrade. Higher levels of creatinine indicate that the creatine becomes less effective. 

Creatine monohydrate powder has been found to be stable. At room temperature and high temperatures (104 degrees Fahrenheit), creatine monohydrate remained stable for over three years. At a high temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, creatinine levels only rose after 44 months. (3)

Even if it does start to degrade, it becomes less effective, not necessarily dangerous.

This study also mentions that this is only true for creatine monohydrate powder. Other forms of creatine, like liquid creatine and creatine salts, may turn into creatinine more quickly. (3)

How to Store Creatine

While research indicates creatine monohydrate can last for three to four years, proper storage still matters. Here’s what to do when you get a new tub of creatine.

Avoid Moisture: Store your new tub in a dry place in an airtight container to keep out moisture. Moisture can lead to mold and bacteria. You can keep it in the tub it came in; just close it tightly.

Avoid Direct Sunlight: Keep your creatine away from direct sunlight to avoid high temperatures. A cool, dry place like a cabinet away from the sink will work.

Check Consistency: Clumpy creatine doesn’t mean it’s expired. However, it indicates some moisture may have gotten in, so keep looking. Check for an unpleasant odor or a color, taste, or consistency change. If you notice these signs, then it may have gone bad.

How Does Creatine Work?

When you take creatine, your body stores it as creatine molecules called phosphocreatine. Higher phosphocreatine stores can increase your energy supply for lifting.

When you have more phosphocreatine in your muscle cells, your body is able to create and regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) more quickly. ATP is your energy supply for short-duration, high-intensity exercises like weightlifting and sprint workouts. (5)

[Read More: 6 Creatine Benefits All Lifters Should Know About]

Without creatine, you burn through all your ATP in two to three seconds. If you’re deadlifting, you’ll fatigue and be done with the most powerful part of your set quite fast. With higher creatine stores, you get a few more seconds before fatigue, so you may be able to do a few more reps. Over many sessions and weeks, more volume leads to more strength gains and muscle mass. 

It doesn’t give you instant energy like pre-workout supplements. However, you no longer need a long creatine loading phase to gradually build your creatine stores. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends the following:

Take 0.3 grams of creatine monohydrate per kilogram of body weight every day for five to seven days.

Take three to five grams of creatine every day. Your creatine stores should increase within one month, and you’ll start to feel the gains.

You can take creatine at any time of day; it just needs to get in your system consistently.

Takeaways

Creatine is an amino acid found in your brain and your muscles. 

Creatine is the most well-researched and effective dietary supplement for boosting athletic performance, muscle mass, and strength gains when combined with resistance training.

Research indicates creatine monohydrate is the most effective form of creatine. There are many other types of creatine available, including liquid creatine, buffered creatine, and creatine ethyl ester.

Creatine monohydrate supplements may last up to three to four years past their date of manufacture. Your tub of creatine usually lists an expiration date of one to two years, so you can tack on another one or two.

Even as creatine monohydrate degrades into creatinine, it only becomes less effective, and not dangerous. So, accidentally taking expired creatine should be okay.

Store your creatine in a cool, dry place in an airtight container away from direct sunlight to keep moisture out. 

Clumpy creatine may not be bad if it doesn’t come along with a foul smell, taste, or different color.

Creatine works by building up your phosphocreatine stores to help your body replenish ATP quickly. With faster ATP replenishment, you have more time before you fatigue in heavy lifting sessions, so you can crank out a few more sets and reps for a higher volume and more gains over time.

FAQs

How long does creatine last? Let’s answer some common questions.

References

Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. 

Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 13 (2021).

Jäger R, Purpura M, Shao A, Inoue T, Kreider RB. Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. Amino Acids. 2011 May;40(5):1369-83. 

Lyon RC, Taylor JS, Porter DA, Prasanna HR, Hussain AS. Stability profiles of drug products extended beyond labeled expiration dates. J Pharm Sci. 2006 Jul;95(7):1549-60. 

Dunn J, Grider MH. Physiology, Adenosine Triphosphate. [Updated 2023 Feb 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.

Featured Image: Lecic / Shutterstock

The post Does Creatine Expire? A Certified Nutrition Coach Gives Their Insight appeared first on BarBend.

In the past few decades, practices like intermittent fasting and time-restricted fasting have gained wide acceptance as tools for weight loss and other (potential) health benefits. As is often the case, if a practice is proven to be effective, some people will presume it to be even more beneficial if it is taken to an extreme.

One of the extreme variations of fasting, which isn’t new but has become popular thanks in part to celebrities like UFC President Dana White, is water fasting. The belief is that you can rapidly unlock tremendous physiological improvements by lengthening the time that your body subsists on only its most essential nutrient — good old H2O. 

What is Water Fasting? 

Water fasting is the act of depriving your body of any nutrients other than water for a set period. While terms like intermittent fasting or time-restricted fasting typically apply to fasts of less than 24 hours, water fasting generally refers to fasts lasting longer than 24 hours. In some extreme cases, these fasts may extend for multiple weeks. In his viral video highlighting his own experience, Dana White said his water fast lasted 86 hours. 

The Potential Benefits of Water Fasting 

Studies indicate that there are multiple reasons why you might consider it worth the potential risks to eliminate all food and other supplements from your diet and simply drink water.

Credit: Oleggg / Shutterstock

[Read More: How Much Water Do You Really Need to Drink a Day?]

“Many religious or cultural fasts include water as an option to consume, and short-term fasting for a few days would be unlikely to yield any downsides for a healthy adult,” said Douglass. “During a short-term fast, the body converts to breaking down fat stores to extract nutrients. The downside occurs when the fast goes for too long, at which point muscle wasting will occur.”

Weight Loss 

The most obvious outcome of a water fast is losing body weight. By depriving your body of food altogether, you induce ketosis, during which your body turns to its fat stores for energy, and feeds off the resulting ketones instead of glucose. (1) Across multiple water-fast studies, participants dropped significantly, with more body fat lost than fat-free mass. (2)(3) 

Improved Mood 

Water fasts have been credited with improving the moods of some study participants. Some shorter-term fasting studies have shown some links between fasting and reductions in anxiety, depression, and fatigue. (4) Also, test subjects in one water-only fasting study experienced reduced anxiety following fasting, although this effect was limited to older test subjects. (5)

Lower Blood Pressure 

If you suffer from high blood pressure, a water fast may help bring it back down (though never try anything without talking to your doctor first). A medically supervised water fast of 10 to 11 days resulted in the average test subject experiencing a drop in blood pressure of 33/13 mm Hg. (6) Moreover, the test subjects with the highest initial blood pressure readings experienced the steepest declines in blood pressure.

Reduced Cholesterol 

If you find yourself plagued by chronically high cholesterol, a water fast may offer a potential solution. Similar to the case with intermittent fasting, an extended water-only fast was demonstrated to lower LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol following refeeding. (7)

Insulin Moderation

While low insulin levels are dangerous, high insulin levels are indicative of an overactive pancreas, and also a warning that type 2 diabetes might be looming. (8) Water-only fasting has proven to be an effective intervention for lowering blood sugar levels, thereby reducing the insulin present in the bodies of study subjects. In one study, the insulin levels of test subjects experienced a nearly three-fold plunge below baseline levels. (7)

The Potential Risks and Side Effects 

While the aforementioned water-fast outcomes all sound like study-backed ways to enhance negative health conditions, that’s only half of the story. In most cases, studies exploring the outcomes of water-only fasting have unearthed undeniably dangerous side effects of this type of fasting. If you ever intend to participate in a water-only fast, these risks to your well-being should be considered.

Credit: Shine Nucha / Shutterstock

[Read More: 8 Natural Ways to Decrease Appetite]

“A fast of only a few days would be unlikely to cause serious issues, but if it were prolonged, nausea and GI upset would be among the most mild problems that could happen,” explains Douglass. “This is especially true if negative consequences like muscle wasting occurred during the fast.”

Low Energy 

Extended water-only fasting deprives your body of macronutrients and micronutrients deemed essential for optimal energy production. Most study results suggest that fasting is either detrimental to athletic performance, or has no effect. (9)(10) However, there are no strong indications that your physical performance will improve once your body enters a fasted state. 

Elevated Irritability 

As your body begins to recognize the loss of the nutrients it craves, you will probably experience a downturn in mood, or an increase in irritability. Micronutrients like B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids are all linked with optimal brain and nervous system function. Deficiencies of these nutrients have been linked with depressive symptoms. (11)

Disordered Eating Encouragement 

The results of at least one study found that fasting contributed to the practice of disordered eating. (12) For the record, the study in question specifically involved intermittent fasting and its effects on adolescents. However, it is worth considering the likelihood that regular water fasting might introduce you to a pattern of unhealthy dietary behaviors, like extended food avoidance.

[Read More: 9 Types of Diets — How They Work and Pros & Cons]

Harmful Metabolic Effects 

As a consequence of an eight-day water fast, test subjects experienced several dangerous metabolic issues. This included low serum sodium levels, elevated uric acid levels in their blood, hypoglycemia, and aggravated ketogenesis. (3) Several of these conditions have been linked with diagnoses of gout and kidney stones.

Heightened Insulin Sensitivity

While studies have shown that water-only fasting decreases insulin levels, they also indicate a subsequent increase in insulin resistance. (13)(14) In response to insulin sensitivity, your pancreas will make even more insulin, a general characteristic of prediabetes. As such, while water fasting may temporarily reduce the insulin present in your body, it may increase the likelihood of greater future insulin overproduction. 

Compromised Muscle Recovery 

Eliminating nutrients from your diet means you will not get the recommended amount of protein to repair your muscle tissue after exercise. (15) As a result, lifting heavy weights during prolonged fasting will leave microtears in your muscle fibers without sufficient amino acids available to repair them. (16) This will lead to reduced muscle mass and muscle weakening over time. 

[Read More: How Much Water Do You Actually Need While Training?]

Diminished Health Hormones

Over the course of a five-day water-only fast, participants lost an average of 26 percent of their IGF-1, which is a hormone that contributes to tissue growth in adults, including muscle growth. In addition, participants in the study lost a significant number of B cells and T cells, both of which are white blood cells that are vital to warding off illnesses. (7)

Refeeding Syndrome

If you participate in a fast lasting more than five days, you are at high risk for fatal refeeding problems. (17) Even if all goes well during your fast, low levels of potassium, phosphate, or magnesium are likely to bring about refeeding syndrome. This is a condition marked by adverse effects ranging from muscle weakness and vomiting to seizures, coma, and potential death.

[Read More: How To Stay Hydrated While Working Out]

A Word on Water Fasting for Weight Loss 

BarBend deems all recommended macronutrients and most micronutrients essential to maintaining proper bodily functions. Therefore, we do not advise our readers to casually participate in water fasts. Even if you have been diagnosed with a medical condition for which water fasting has been deemed an appropriate medical intervention, a water fast should only be observed under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.

[Read More: Learn How to Make a Homemade Electrolyte Drink from a Certified Nutrition Coach]

“As with most diets taken for quick weight loss, you probably won’t sustain the losses for very long after the fast ends,” advises Douglass. “Going without food for long periods of time is dangerous, and the longer a fast goes, the more difficult it is to bring you out of it safely. And if you’re doing all of this for long-term weight loss, a water fast is unlikely to give you a true edge.” 

Should You Try Water Fasting? 

While medically supervised water fasting appears to result in some physical benefits to those who follow it, results have been mixed. Any potential positive outcomes of water fasting appear to be accompanied by detrimental consequences. As such, you should exercise extreme caution before you choose to embark on a water fast, as there is an elevated risk that you may not emerge from such a fast completely unscathed.

“Personally, I would never advise someone to begin a water fast, not even post-op patients,” insists Douglass. “That’s because early feeding — especially of carbohydrates before and after surgery — yields better recovery and return of bowel function, with less morbidity. I could never advise a healthy person to undertake such a dangerous course of action on their own.”

FAQs

If you still have questions about the safety and efficacy of water fasting, we provide clear answers for you here.

References:

Masood W, Annamaraju P, Khan Suheb MZ, et al. Ketogenic Diet. [Updated 2023 Jun 16]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/

Dai Z, Zhang H, Wu F, Chen Y, Yang C, Wang H, Sui X, Guo Y, Xin B, Guo Z, Xiong J, Wu B, Li Y. Effects of 10-Day Complete Fasting on Physiological Homeostasis, Nutrition and Health Markers in Male Adults. Nutrients. 2022 Sep 18;14(18):3860. doi: 10.3390/nu14183860. PMID: 36145236; PMCID: PMC9503095.

Ogłodek E, Pilis Prof W. Is Water-Only Fasting Safe? Glob Adv Health Med. 2021 Aug 5;10:21649561211031178. doi: 10.1177/21649561211031178. PMID: 34414015; PMCID: PMC8369953.

Wang Y, Wu R. The Effect of Fasting on Human Metabolism and Psychological Health. Dis Markers. 2022 Jan 5;2022:5653739. doi: 10.1155/2022/5653739. PMID: 35035610; PMCID: PMC8754590.

Stec K, Pilis K, Pilis W, Dolibog P, Letkiewicz S, Głębocka A. Effects of Fasting on the Physiological and Psychological Responses in Middle-Aged Men. Nutrients. 2023 Aug 3;15(15):3444. doi: 10.3390/nu15153444. PMID: 37571381; PMCID: PMC10421233.

Goldhamer A, Lisle D, Parpia B, Anderson SV, Campbell TC. Medically supervised water-only fasting in the treatment of hypertension. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2001 Jun;24(5):335-9. doi: 10.1067/mmt.2001.115263. PMID: 11416824.

Jiang Y, Yang X, Dong C, Lu Y, Yin H, Xiao B, Yang X, Chen W, Cheng W, Tian H, Guo L, Hu X, Fang H, Chen W, Li Z, Zhou W, Sun W, Guo X, Li S, Lin Y, He R, Chen X, Liu D, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Zhao H, Zheng P, Seyfried TN, Hoffman RM, Jia W, Ji G, Jia L. Five-day water-only fasting decreased metabolic-syndrome risk factors and increased anti-aging biomarkers without toxicity in a clinical trial of normal-weight individuals. Clin Transl Med. 2021 Aug;11(8):e502. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.502. PMID: 34459130; PMCID: PMC8320652.

CDC – Insulin Resistance and Diabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/insulin-resistance.html. January 22, 2024.

Gleeson M, Greenhaff PL, Maughan RJ. Influence of a 24 h fast on high intensity cycle exercise performance in man. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1988;57(6):653-9. doi: 10.1007/BF01075984. PMID: 3416848.

Eroglu, M.N.; Rodríguez-Longobardo, C.; Ramírez-Adrados, A.; Colina-Coca, C.; Burgos-Postigo, S.; López-Torres, O.; Fernández-Elías, V.E. The Effects of 24-h Fasting on Exercise Performance and Metabolic Parameters in a Pilot Study of Female CrossFit Athletes. Nutrients 2023, 15, 4841.

Zielińska M, Łuszczki E, Dereń K. Dietary Nutrient Deficiencies and Risk of Depression (Review Article 2018-2023). Nutrients. 2023 May 23;15(11):2433. doi: 10.3390/nu15112433. PMID: 37299394; PMCID: PMC10255717.

Ganson KT, Cuccolo K, Hallward L, Nagata JM. Intermittent fasting: Describing engagement and associations with eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology among Canadian adolescents and young adults. Eat Behav. 2022 Dec;47:101681. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2022.101681. Epub 2022 Nov 4. PMID: 36368052.

Scharf E, Zeiler E, Ncube M, Kolbe P, Hwang SY, Goldhamer A, Myers TR. The Effects of Prolonged Water-Only Fasting and Refeeding on Markers of Cardiometabolic Risk. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 11;14(6):1183. doi: 10.3390/nu14061183. PMID: 35334843; PMCID: PMC8951503.

Sanvictores T, Casale J, Huecker MR. Physiology, Fasting. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534877/

van Loon LJ. Role of dietary protein in post-exercise muscle reconditioning. Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2013;75:73-83. doi: 10.1159/000345821. Epub 2013 Apr 16. PMID: 23765352.

Campbell BI, Aguilar D, Conlin L, Vargas A, Schoenfeld BJ, Corson A, Gai C, Best S, Galvan E, Couvillion K. Effects of High Versus Low Protein Intake on Body Composition and Maximal Strength in Aspiring Female Physique Athletes Engaging in an 8-Week Resistance Training Program. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018 Nov 1;28(6):580-585. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0389. Epub 2018 Jul 3. Erratum in: Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2020 Sep 1;30(5):383. PMID: 29405780.

Mehanna HM, Moledina J, Travis J. Refeeding syndrome: what it is, and how to prevent and treat it. BMJ. 2008 Jun 28;336(7659):1495-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a301. PMID: 18583681; PMCID: PMC2440847.

Kottusch P, Tillmann M, Püschel K. Oberlebenszeit bei Nahrungs- und Flüssigkeitskarenz [Survival time without food and drink]. Arch Kriminol. 2009 Nov-Dec;224(5-6):184-91. German. PMID: 20069776.

Featured Image: Oleggg / Shutterstock

The post Water Fasting: What is It and is It Safe? appeared first on BarBend.

Few training routines are as romanticized in popular culture as boxing workouts. Who among the gym rats isn’t inspired to pick up a jump rope after checking out Creed or Rocky? Boxers remind lifters that hefting around barbells isn’t the only way to get strong and look it.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a pro or a coach — we talked to one for you — to implement boxing-style workouts into your regimen. Keep reading to learn how to take on the best boxing workouts and program them alongside your general strength training. 

Three Boxing Workouts to Try 

Below, you’ll find three 30-minute boxing workouts that don’t pull their punches. They include classic boxing drills — everything from heavy bag work and jumping rope to bodyweight exercises designed to jack up your heart rate and pump up your muscles. 

“We typically separate workouts by intensity levels, or explosive techniques one day and cardio technique the next day,” says Winkeljohn. “We go lighter on the days following explosive training, but with increased reps. I like to set exercises up and arrange them in three-minute rounds, like a boxing match. That way, fighters get that mental timeframe into their heads.”

Boxing Workout for Explosive Power

Boxing Workout for Cardiovascular Conditioning

Boxing Workout for Lower Body Endurance

Boxing Workout for Explosive Power

Winkeljohn’s formula for building explosive power is alternating explosive techniques with jumping rope and other cardiovascular training. Two of his favorite power-builders are heavy bag work and rotational throws with a medicine ball (which helps add power to a fighter’s hook). Winkeljohn also suggests performing shadowboxing while holding light dumbbells (one to five pounds) and then dropping the weights to throw snappier shots.

[Read More: 7 Lessons for Powerlifters Taken From a Boxing Class]

Round One: Moderate-intensity jogging as a warm-up

Round Two: Shadowboxing w/ resistance bands

Round Three: Jumping rope

Round Four: One minute each of: walking lunges, push-ups, crunches

Round Five: Heavy bag work (suggested combo of jab, jab, cross)

Round Six: Heavy bag work (Suggested combo of jab, cross, jab, uppercut)

Round Seven: One minute each of: burpees, squats, jumping Jacks 

Round Eight: Medicine ball wall throws 

Round Nine: Shadowboxing (two minutes holding light dumbbells; one minute without weights)

Round 10: Low-intensity jogging 

Boxing Workout for Cardiovascular Conditioning

Winkeljohn describes this as a pure body conditioning and endurance day. You’ll still shadowbox, sticking and moving, but you’re lightening the load and focusing on body mechanics. Complete as many rounds as you would during explosive training, but at a far lower intensity level.

[Read More: The Best Knee Sleeves on the Market (Personally Tested)]

Round One: Low-intensity jumping jacks as a warm-up

Round Two: Shadowboxing (any combination of punches)

Round Three: Jumping rope

Round Four: One minute each of: walking lunges, push-ups, crunches 

Round Five: Heavy bag work (suggested combo of hook, hook, uppercut)

Round Six: Heavy bag work (suggested combo of jab, cross, hook, uppercut)

Round Seven: One minute each of: jumping Jacks, bodyweight squats, burpees 

Round Eight: Jumping rope

Round Nine: Shadowboxing (any combination of punches)

Round 10: Low-intensity jumping jacks

Boxing Workout for Lower Body Endurance

Winkeljohn stresses the importance of maintaining a durable set of legs so that you can remain active in the later rounds of fights. To that end, he advises that you complete a lot of sprints — ideally in hilly or mountainous locations — and do a ton of rope jumping. He also encourages you to complete a lot of calisthenics training that will help forge an indestructible set of legs. 

Round One: Moderate-intensity rope jumping as a warm-up

Round Two: Sprints (20 seconds sprinting, 20 seconds walking)

Round Three: Jumping rope

Round Four: One minute each of: burpees, bodyweight squats, walking lunges

Round Five: Heavy bag work (suggested combo of jab, cross, jab, cross)

Round Six: Heavy bag work (suggested combo of jab, cross, hook, uppercut)

Round Seven: One minute each of: bodyweight squats, jumping Jacks, burpees 

Round Eight: Jumping Rope

Round Nine: Shadowboxing (any combination of punches)

Round 10: Low-intensity jogging 

The Punches

When you’re shadowboxing, you’ll move around in your boxing stance, punching the air as if you are sparring with an imaginary opponent. Don’t let your guard down here — just because no one’s punching back doesn’t mean you should be any less focused.

Working on a heavy bag means you’ll be striking a dedicated punching bag with protected hands.

To assume a proper boxing stance, you’ll want your feet to be shoulder-width apart, with the foot of your non-dominant hand positioned a full step behind your lead foot. This means if you are right-handed, your left foot will be a full step ahead of your right foot. If you’re left-handed, your feet will switch positions.

Remember that your power and rotations are going to come from your hips. Be steady but light on your feet, ready to pivot with your punches.

Here are the punches you’ll need to know:

Jab: A straight punch delivered with your non-dominant hand. 

“To throw a proper jab, you need to stay loose,” adds Winkeljohn. “That way, you get a good whipping action. Your core goes forward first, and then you get an extension through your arm as it whips forward.” 

Cross: A straight punch delivered with your dominant hand as your body rotates forward. Pivot on your back foot here, with your back knee, hip, and torso driving with the punch.

“With a cross, you need to think about your stance and foundation first,” says Winkeljohn. “You need to use your body to its full potential where you get your hips and lower part of your abdominals spinning first, and then your upper core spins and you retract your front hand aggressively so that it will help the rotation as your other hand follows through with the punch.”

Hook: A looping outside-in punch thrown with your non-dominant hand. You’ll want to similarly pivot your foot and hip here.

“When you throw a hook, you have to think in terms of circles,” states Winkeljohn. “You’re rotating your body toward the center, where your core spins first, and then your arm and fist are sort of following along behind it.”

Uppercut: An upward punch thrown with a supinated hand position.

“Ideally, you would start from a lower position, and begin by driving your body upward,” explains Winkeljohn. “When you deliver the punch, you use a whipping action when attacking the head, and a driving action when attacking the body or liver.”

To complete these workouts as written, you’ll also need access to the following pieces of training equipment and paraphernalia:

Punching Bag (or Heavy Bag)

Boxing Gloves (8 oz to 16 oz)

Jump Rope

Without access to gloves and a bag, you can modify by shadowboxing only. Without a jump rope, you can perform the hopping motions and the movements with your wrists to simulate the effort.

How to Schedule Boxing With Your Lifting Workouts

The frequency with which you schedule your boxing training around your weight-lifting workouts depends upon the duration and intensity of your training sessions. If your primary focus is building muscle or increasing strength, Winkeljohn suggests that you scale back the intensity of your boxing and use it as light cardio. 

[Read More: Can You Use Olympic Weightlifting to Get Better at Boxing?]

“Most of our guys are usually working out a good four or five days a week during the off-season, and two workouts a day,” says Winkeljohn. “One could be a sparring workout, or a striking type of workout, or a ring workout, and the other one would be for conditioning. One day of that might be more cardio, and the next day might be more back work or sprint type activities. They mix it up to not break down their muscle tissue too much with the intense workouts, but the easy workouts can be done daily.”

The Benefits of Boxing Workouts

A well-structured boxing workout will dramatically change your body, from the bottom to the top. Boxing can be a full-body workout routine, whether you engage in it at home or at a dedicated boxing gym.

Effective Cardio

Even short boxing workouts will rapidly elevate your heart rate while training your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. (1) Winkeljohn says that diligent work effectively prepares your body for the fatigue associated with self-defense.

“Everything comes down to intensity level, and when our guys are preparing for fights, they take everything to another level,” says Winkeljohn. “The thing is, even at that light intensity level, you’re preparing your body to fight, and it’s still a fantastic workout for most people.”

A More Chiseled Upper Body

There is a reason why professional fighters are credited with possessing some of the most sculpted, low-body-fat physiques on the planet. Even if you forego the use of any additional equipment like dumbbells, Winkeljohn believes the act of boxing alone can dramatically improve your upper-body strength. He says this is because the repetitive motion of punching goes a long way toward shaping combat-ready muscles.

“People who box get incredible lat and shoulder workouts,” explains Winkeljohn. “Their backs get very strong, and a lot of it is from shadowboxing because of that retraction; the movement of your fist is not always going forward. Most fighters tend to lift weights in a way that helps them move things forward, but when you have to pull things back because you have to retract that punch, I think that’s huge and keeps your body in balance quite a bit.”

[Read More: The Best Arm Exercises to Add to Your Workout Routine]

Note that boxing-style workouts are intense and therefore help you burn more calories. That chiseled look that many fighters possess results from burning many calories consistently, which helps reduce their body fat. And less body fat means more muscle definition. It’s also important to mention that keeping your calories in check is necessary if your goal is to get leaner. If you’re eating calorically dense foods often, it’s much harder to see weight- and body fat-related results. 

Full-Body Functional Power

Mastering the mechanics of the punching motion teaches you how to harness and unleash power in a very precise way. You’ll gather power starting with your lower body, distribute it through your muscles, and project it into your target. Winkeljohn says he specializes in helping his trainees deliver all that energy to a specific location through the cooperation of several muscle groups.

“If you yank your front hand back and extend your other arm, you’re already increasing velocity because you’re making a circle around your spine,” Winkeljohn says. “That has got to be preceded with your hips spinning, which has got to be preceded with pushing off the ground to get your hips to spin. 

[Read More: The 6 Best Rotational Strength Exercises Worth Adding to Your Workout]

A punch involves putting all those things together with proper execution, technique, and turning your knuckles over. All of the energy is coming up from the ground, through your hips, through your arm, and out of the other end through your fist. That’s how you deliver the most powerful punch.”

Durable Calves

One body part undeniably more active than a boxer’s fists is the calves. While a fighter might throw hundreds of punches during a round, Winkeljohn points out how their legs are enduring a far greater number of muscle contractions from all of their stabilizing movement. In other words, it’s impossible to box for very long without developing calf muscles capable of standing up to pressure.

[Read More: Try These 8 Stretches to Improve Ankle Mobility]

“You need to be able to move your feet quickly, because you’re moving them thousands and thousands of times in a fight, and you have to do it without getting tired,” Winkeljohn says. “It’s very important to have that kind of conditioning. The last thing you want to do is get tired because you want to move quickly toward your opponent, away from your opponent, or at an angle. If you have your legs underneath you, you’re that much better of a fighter, so I highly suggest jumping rope or something similar for any of the fighting arts.”

Excellent Coordination

A functional boxing workout teaches you to throw an arsenal of punches from several different postures — while you’re moving forward, backward, sideways, or standing completely stationary. It also requires you to do so while ducking, dodging, countering, and evading. Winkeljohn insists that training all of these elements will do a huge favor to your coordination.

[Read More: The 12 Best Mobility Exercises From a Physical Therapist (+ Tips)]

“There’s just no doubt about the coordination benefits of boxing, including the jump rope, the movement, and the footwork drills,” elaborates Winkeljohn. “I think that helps people with their movement and their mobility. They have better balance and better coordination with everything they’re doing because they learn how to move their feet quickly.”

The Best of Both Worlds

It probably wouldn’t be wise to take up boxing solely for conditioning purposes and then think that you’re prepared to step into the ring with a trained fighter. However, if you’re interested in being conditioned like a boxer, then the best boxing workouts can provide you with all of the benefits without any of the bruises.

FAQs

If you still have questions about what a boxing workout can accomplish for you, we provide some answers for you here:

References

Bruzas V, Venckunas T, Kamandulis S, Snieckus A, Mockus P, Stasiulis A. Metabolic and physiological demands of 3×3-min-round boxing fights in highly trained amateur boxers. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2023 May;63(5):623-629. 

Cheema BS, Davies TB, Stewart M, Papalia S, Atlantis E. The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing training versus moderate-intensity brisk walking in adults with abdominal obesity: a pilot study. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2015 Jan 16;7:3.

Featured Image: nazarovsergey / Shutterstock

The post The Best Boxing Workouts According to a World Champion Coach appeared first on BarBend.

Trying out a new cardio routine in the form of cycling is exciting. The aerobic exercise you get from cycling can strengthen your heart, increase your endurance, and lift your mood. (1)(2) As a beginner, it’s important to navigate your options with a keen eye on reliable and user-friendly features. While the best exercise bikes on the market can help start your journey, we’ve taken that a step further by finding the best exercise bikes for beginners with a focus on high user weight capacities, durability, and accessible programming options. 

Upright, air, recumbent, and mini bikes can help manage weight, aid in recovery, prevent cardiovascular disease, and provide access to cycling routines from your home. (3) We’ve made sure to note which type of bike is best suited for you, whether you’re looking to improve your health, get more movement in your day, or burn some calories. Regardless of your goals or level of ability, we’ve got a choice on our list that’ll suit your needs. Here are our top picks. 

The 8 Best Exercise Bikes for Beginners of 2024

Best Overall Exercise Bike for Beginners: NordicTrack S22i

Best Air Bike for Beginners: AssaultBike Classic

Best Exercise Bike with Screen for Beginners: ProForm Studio Bike Pro

Best Recumbent Exercise Bike for Beginners: NordicTrack Commercial R35 

Best Interactive Exercise Bike for Beginners: BowFlex VeloCore

Best Folding Exercise Bike for Beginners: Marcy Foldable Upright Exercise Bike

Best Exercise Bike off Amazon for Beginners: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 

Best Under Desk Exercise Bike for Beginners: DeskCycle2

How We Tested and Chose the Best Exercise Bikes for Beginners

The makeup of the BarBend team includes former D1 athletes, certified personal trainers, and nutrition coaches. We’ve tried and tested over 30 exercise bikes to bring you the 8 best exercise bikes for beginners. To put ourselves in the consumer’s shoes, we’ve lugged each shipment into our homes, built each product out of the box, and put each bike through rigorous testing to see how it stands up compared to the competition.

To provide you with the information you’ll need to make an informed purchase, we’ve scored factors such as durability, adjustability, dynamic programming, footprint, and more on a scale 1 (yuck) to 5 (fantàstico!). Here are some of the areas we dialed in on when making our selections.

Intended Use

If you’re interested in an at-home cycling experience, you’ll first want to decide what kind of bike you’re interested in, whether it’s a traditional upright bike or a joint-friendly recumbent cycle. “Recumbent bikes allow people with mobility limitations or injuries to enjoy cycling, as they are reclined and take pressure off of the hips and back,” notes BarBend’s expert reviewer, Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC. Upright bikes are your typical stationary bikes, which are excellent for high-intensity exercise and tech-savvy cyclists who love to take fitness classes.” 

Other options include air bikes, which are often used in CrossFit training and incorporate a pair of moving arms for a full-body workout. Mini bikes, meanwhile, have small footprints and are ideal for low-intensity pedaling in front of the TV or under your desk at work. 

[Related: The 9 Best Air Bike Workouts for Every Experience Level]

We worked to include each type of bike on our list, as the intended uses of beginners can vary based on the type of workout and level of training intensity they’re looking for. 

Durability

When you’re dropping that hard-earned cash money on an exercise bike, you don’t want it quickly puttering into extinction due to poor construction. When making our selections, we emphasized durability with bikes forged from steel and, with our budget options, alloy steel. 

Strong materials tend to equal high user weight capacities, which ensures a bike can support a variety of body types. While the standard user weight limit on exercise bikes is 300 pounds, our list includes some options that support up to 350 pounds.

[Related: The 9 Best Exercise Bikes for Heavy People]

Your Fitness Goals

Setting goals is the first step of any fitness journey. Gabby Sansosti NASM-CPT, former Tonal coach and fitness app entrepreneur, said, “Setting big goals is great, but it’s important to be present and proud of all the steps taken in the right direction.” While the benefits of cycling can increase heart health, make you feel good, and help to manage weight, we understand that no two people have the same goals when they invest in an indoor exercise bike.

We made sure to provide options that ran the gamut — from aiding in weight loss, supporting recovery, increasing endurance, and just getting a little more movement into your day. To help support this wide range of goals, we looked for bikes with built-in programming, whether that be via integrated apps or built-in programming that can help track of your progress.

Best Overall Exercise Bike for Beginners: NordicTrack S22i

The NordicTrack S22i has the efficiency and tech capabilities to help newbies start a routine and make your home gym the talk of the town. Via the 22-inch HD touchscreen, you can access more than 17,000 beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes — from cardio to strength and beyond — with the user-friendly iFIT app. Better yet, it’s capable of 24 levels of quiet magnetic resistance, which should be plenty for a newcomer to find their groove and grow from there. Tech capabilities, dynamic programming, and customizations all scored a 5 out of 5.

Our BarBend tester riding the NordicTrack S22i.

Guidance is essential when starting a fitness routine, and iFIT, one of our favorite Peloton alternatives, has numerous beginner-friendly rides that can take you through scenic locations like Moab, Utah, and Japan. You can also take strength and mobility classes off the bike, as the touchscreen display swivels so you can get a better view. 

We also love this bike’s incline and decline capabilities. “It’s something we don’t tend to see on exercise bikes,” noted Kate Meier, a certified personal trainer and BarBend editorial member. Those features, along with the resistance, can be automatically adjusted during certain iFIT classes via the app’s SmartAdjust technology. Dynamic programming and tech capabilities scored a perfect 5 out of 5.

iFIT will, however, cost an additional $39 a month on top of the bike’s $1,999 price tag. “Without the subscription, you lose out on a lot. But users could still use the bike in manual mode,” noted Meier. In manual mode, users can ride at their own pace, keeping tabs on their progress with an oval racetrack graphic.

We love that the bike is forged from steel with an impressive 350-pound weight capacity, but that also makes it difficult to move around. At 205 pounds, it weighs nearly 70 pounds more than the Peloton Bike. “There are front transport wheels to help move this bike around, but the large 22-inch touchscreen can make doing so an even larger challenge,” mentioned Meier, who scored its footprint and portability a 3.5 out of 5.

Read our full NordicTrack S22i Exercise Bike Review.

Best Air Bike for Beginners: AssaultBike Classic

“Air bikes are unique in that they feature moving arms, so cycling becomes a full-body workout rather than a lower-body-focused one,” explains BarBend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC. Air bikes are also relatively utilitarian, often lacking touchscreens and elaborate tech in favor of a user-powered experience that’s ideal for HIIT training. We like the AssaultBike Classic for beginners, as we found it easy to set up and like that it contains seven built-in programs to help you get into a routine. 

Assault AirBike

We love a simple setup, and we know beginners will benefit from this as well. “After this air bike arrived, it was pretty easy putting it together. The flywheel and frame came ready to go, so all I had to do was put the handlebars, seat post, monitor, and pedals on,” noted our tester, who scored delivery and setup a 4 out of 5. What’s more, users won’t need to plug this bike in or fiddle with an app or touchscreen to take off on their ride. 

Unlike standard exercise bikes, the AssaultBike Classic has elliptical-like arms that let you work your upper body during Tabata sessions or a quick HIIT workout. “It’s going to allow you to burn some extra calories,” notes Jake Herod, BarBend’s expert product tester in his video review. 

With a powder-coated steel frame and 20 sealed cartridge bearings, this bike was built to last so long as proper upkeep is maintained. This durability scored a 4 out of 5. 

However, you won’t find much in the way of tech or conveniences. “There isn’t a water bottle holder or a speaker I can blast tunes from, but Assault Fitness makes sturdy bikes meant to simply get the job done,” mentioned our tester who rated its tech capabilities a 3 out of 5 and conveniences a 2 out of 5.

Users will want to be aware that this bike uses a chain-drive system, which is noisier and requires more upkeep than bikes with a belt-drive system. Assault Fitness recommends lubricating this chain every 3 months to keep things running smoothly. 

Read our full Assault AirBike Classic Review.

Best Exercise Bike with Screen for Beginners: ProForm Studio Bike Pro

Investing in an exercise bike with a screen can help immerse you in virtual spin classes or zone out to all 524 seasons of “Survivor” during high-intensity or LISS cardio sessions. The $1,299 ProForm Studio Bike Pro comes fitted with a 10-inch HD touchscreen that’s compatible with iFIT programming. It also has 22 levels of magnetic resistance that can accommodate novice riders and seasoned cyclists. Tech capabilities, conveniences, ergonomics, adjustability, and setup scored a 4 out of 5, and dynamic programming scored a 4.5 out of 5.

“The 10-inch screen is small, especially compared to bikes I’ve tried with nearly double the screen size, but it’s right for the price and I love that it’s compatible with iFIT,” noted our tester, a certified personal trainer.

The ProForm Studio Bike Pro 22.

As of this writing, the bike comes with a 3-year membership to iFIT, granting you access to over 17,000 classes suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced cardio seekers, not to mention outdoor scenic rides. It can also automatically adjust your resistance during select classes, allowing you to focus on your sweat. And since the screen tilts up and down and can swivel 180 degrees, you can get a comfortable view during off-bike strength and mobility classes. This dynamic programming scored a 4.5 out of 5. 

[Related: The 8 Best Exercise Bikes with Screens]

After your three-year membership, you’ll have the option to keep using iFIT by paying the $39 monthly subscription. If you opt out of an iFIT subscription, you’ll still have access to a limited amount of iFIT workouts. Plus, you can use the bike in manual mode.

The 250-pound weight capacity is disappointing, and lower than the 300-pound capacity we’ve seen on comparable bikes. “A 250-pound weight capacity is low for a bike at this price,” said our tester. “I felt pretty steady in and out of the seat, but the handlebars did move from side to side when I pulled on them.” They scored durability a 2.75 out of 5. 

[Related: ProForm Studio Bike Pro 22 Review: A Connected Bike at a Price We Like]

Best Recumbent Exercise Bike for Beginners: NordicTrack Commercial R35

We like the NordicTrack Commercial R35 — one of the best recumbent exercise bikes for seniors — because of its ease of use, lumbar-supporting backrest, and tech capabilities. This recumbent bike places the user in a more reclined position as compared to an upright bike, and provides a cozy backrest to aid in stability and comfort. Value, adjustability, customizations, tech capabilities, and durability all scored a 4 out of 5.

Comfort is key when it comes to recumbent bikes, and the Commercial R35 has an oversized seat with lumbar support that may help those with achy backs. Also, the Easyglide seat adjusts forwards and backwards to make your ride as ergonomic as possible. “The seat was easy to adjust, but if there was a way to adjust the handlebars, I couldn’t find it,” noted our tester, a CrossFit coach. They scored adjustability a 4 out of 5.

If you’re new to indoor cycling, you can access the iFIT app via the 14-inch HD touchscreen to help get a routine going. It has more than 17,000 on-demand cardio, strength, and mobility classes for subscribers, and can even make automatic adjustments to your resistance during select sessions. “With SmartAdjust, you won’t have to mess around with settings since the trainer does it for you,” mentioned our tester, who gave dynamic programming a 5 out of 5. 

Our tester on the NordicTrack Commercial R35

iFIT, however, does cost an additional $39 per month after your 30-day trial. If you opt out of this subscription, you’ll still have access to a handful of coach-led workouts and your stats when pedaling in manual mode.

This recumbent bike is built out of commercial-grade steel that can support users up to 350 pounds. “That weight limit makes it an inclusive option for heavier riders who want a sturdy and stable exercise bike,” said our tester. Durability scored a 4 out of 5. 

You will want to measure your home gym, however, to make sure this bike can fit. It measures between 3 and 10 inches longer than many recumbent bikes we’ve tested and may not work for people with limited floor space. Footprint scored a 3.75 out of 5.

Read our full NordicTrack Commercial R35 Exercise Bike Review.

Best Interactive Exercise Bike for Beginners: BowFlex VeloCore

The BowFlex VeloCore is like a spin bike out of a sci-fi movie, as it includes an immersive HD display and a mode that lets you lean side to side to better replicate the experience of riding a road bike outdoors. The interactive JRNY app, with its access to virtual classes and scenic trails, enhances that immersion that much more. Durability, customizations, adjustability, and ergonomics all scored a 4.5 out of 5. Tech capabilities and dynamic programming scored a 5 out of 5.

JRNY can also suggest training based on an initial fitness assessment and ongoing tracking that makes adjustments as you get stronger. Tech capabilities scored a 5 out of 5.

That said, our tester, a CrossFit coach, didn’t love the class offerings on JRNY. “The classes I took with JRNY weren’t as good as classes I’ve taken on Peloton,” they said. However, they gave dynamic programming a 5 out of 5 because the ability to lean side to side while taking a class was “honestly, really fun.”

In addition to its adaptive training fitness programming, the JRNY app provides access to streaming content from Netflix, Max, Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+. However, it will cost you an additional $19.99 a month after a 2-month free trial.

[Related: The 9 Best Exercise Bikes for Heavy People]

We found this bike plenty durable, and loved its 325-weight user capacity — 25 pounds more than many comparable bikes we’ve tested.“The screen only shook a little, and even though I was leaning over to one side, it never felt like I would tip over,” said our tester, who scored its durability a 4.5 out of 5. Plus, the dual-sided pedals include clips for SPD cleats and toe cages for sneakers, so users can choose the type of ride they want.

Assembly isn’t a walk in the park. “The box that I received was practically impossible to move without help,” noted our tester. “There were only six steps for building this bike, but it was difficult and I’d recommend paying the $199 fee to have BowFlex send someone to do it for you.”

Best Folding Exercise Bike for Beginners: Marcy Foldable Upright Exercise Bike

The Marcy Foldable Upright Exercise Bike is one of the best folding exercise bikes we’ve tried and tested. Sturdy, compact, and portable, users can work up a sweat and then fold this bike up, saving 15.25 inches of floor space as the bike’s length shrinks from 33.5 inches to 18.25 inches. Footprint and customizations scored a 4 out of 5, and durability, warranty, and shipping scored a 5 out of 5.

While the average upright exercise bike weighs in around 150 pounds, this Marcy model weighs just 37 pounds, about the weight of two over-fed (but still adorable) pug dogs. This means when you fold this puppy (not the pugs) up, you’ll be able to easily move it out of the way by either hoisting it overhead or using the transport wheels to roll it away. “It’s not the smallest folding exercise bike, but it’s easy to move and easily fits in my closet or under my bed,” noted our tester, who scored footprint and portability a 4 out of 5.

While folding bikes are great for those with limited space, the trade-off when compared to non-folding bikes tends to be the durability. However, this bike’s frame is constructed with heavy-duty 14-gauge steel, which provides a sturdy ride. “This is easily the most durable folding bike I’ve ever used,” said our tester. Durability scored a 5 out of 5.

While you won’t find impressive tech features, that tends to be the norm with folding exercise bikes. However, we were disappointed at the lack of conveniences. “There isn’t a water bottle holder or a phone or tablet holder. Plus, the monitor requires batteries and unlike other bikes, it didn’t come with any,” noted our tester, who gave conveniences a 2 out of 5 and tech capabilities a 3 out of 5.

We recommend this bike for those who are short on space, but not for serious cyclists, as the eight levels of magnetic resistance may not provide enough of a challenge.

Read of full Marcy Foldable Exercise Bike Review.

Best Exercise Bike off Amazon for Beginners: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002

I will not approach this write-up from an impartial position because I’m biased and will not deny my love! I love this bike. This was a budget-friendly pandemic purchase I made after getting into backpacking, as I needed a way to train from home when I couldn’t hit the streets (a.k.a. I wanted to binge TV while cycling instead of spending eight hours training in nature where there is no TV). Also, Amazon offers a 90-day return window, as compared to the 30-day return window offered on the Sunny Health & Fitness website, which was a big reason I purchased this bike from Amazon. 

[Related: The 7 Best Budget Exercise Bikes of 2024]

Setup and delivery scored a 3 out of 5. The box this bike came in was heavy — I needed to unpack it at the base of my staircase and carry the individual parts up to my apartment. Amazon offers expert assembly for an added fee, and some reviews on Reddit say that the extra $100 to $200 was worth every penny. 

Our BarBend Tester is shown riding the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-B1002 exercise bike.

The seat has four-way adjustability and the handlebars move up and down, accommodating users between 5 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 1 inch. Also, the 49-pound flywheel is one of the largest I’ve seen on an exercise bike at this price point, helping to create a smooth pedaling experience. Customization and adjustability scored a 5 out of 5.

For $399, I think this is one of the best exercise bikes under $500 on the market. I’ve ridden over 1,000 miles on this bike and I’ve found it to be smooth and relatively quiet. Also, the transport wheels are high quality, so I’ve been able to move this from my living room to my office with ease. I do, however, wish it had a media holder or phone mount. 

Because this bike uses friction resistance, there is some minor maintenance to attend to, like greasing the flywheel and checking the leather friction pad for wear. Personally, I’ve yet to replace the friction pad and have greased the flywheel just once or twice in the last 3 years. Durability scored a 5 out of 5.

Best Under-Desk Exercise Bike for Beginners: DeskCycle2

The DeskCycle2 is one of the best portable exercise bikes we’ve tested, and also our choice for the best under-desk exercise bike for beginners. It’s forged from alloy steel, and weighs 23 pounds. That’s roughly 8 to 13 pounds heavier than other mini bikes, but with that extra weight comes more stability, which is essential in an under-desk unit. Also, since a standard desk has a leg clearance of around 29 to 30 inches, the DeskCycle2’s 20-inch height should fit under one nicely. We scored its stability and pedal function a 5 out of 5, and its resistance and durability a 4.5 out of 5.

Our tester, a certified personal trainer, appreciated the bidirectional flywheel’s quiet magnetic resistance during their office workout. “I didn’t expect there to be enough resistance for a real workout, but the top two levels were really hard!” Resistance scored a 4.5 out of 5.

The DeskCycle2 sets itself apart from competitors with Apple Watch and Fitbit connectivity, which allows you to sync it to your tracker to access workout data. The LCD display can also pop off the mini bike so you can keep it on your desk to view training stats. “It’s also super quiet, so I’ve been able to use this while on work calls,” mentioned our tester, who gave adjustability a 4 out of 5.

While the foot pedals can adjust from 9 to 10 inches, and the straps adjust for varying foot sizes, users over 5 feet 10 inches or with long legs may struggle to find a comfortable and ergonomic position with the DeskCycle2. And, despite its lightweight frame, we do wish it had a handle to assist with transport. 

At $199, it’s on the higher end of mini and under-desk bikes, but we think the stability, flywheel, magnetic resistance, and fitness tracker connectivity justify the price. 

What to Consider Before Buying an Exercise Bike for Beginners

Before you invest in an exercise bike to elevate your home workouts, consider what your needs are and what you’d like to accomplish with a bike. Do you want programming to help guide your workouts? How much adjustability will you need to provide for an ergonomic and comfortable experience? Keep these questions in mind as you consider what to look for when buying an indoor cycle for beginners.

Adjustability

For beginners, comfort is key. Users are less likely to stick to a new routine if their bike doesn’t adjust for an ergonomic fit or their feet slide in and out of the toe cages. While standard exercise bike seats and handlebars adjust bidirectionally, some options offer four-way adjustability to dial in your riding position in the saddle. 

For users who are below 5 feet 3 inches or taller than 5 feet 10 inches, you’ll want to look for four-way seat adjustability to make sure you’re bringing a bike into your home that’ll fit you. However, recumbent bikes tend to only have forward and back adjustability, since users won’t need to lean forward to hold onto handlebars. Lastly, keep in mind that mini bikes have few adjustment capabilities, so they may not work for taller riders or those with long legs. 

Programming

There are a ton of high-tech indoor bikes available on the market, and knowing whether or not you’d benefit (or be keen on spending the extra cash) from built in programming, live classes, touchscreens, and apps will help you narrow down your search. Beginners, after all, may benefit from the structure and motivation provided by the dynamic programming available via apps like iFIT, JRNY, SunnyFit, and Peloton. 

However, this coach-led programming often comes with an added cost in the form of monthly subscriptions ranging from $19.99 up to $44. As a beginner, you may be curious about this type of programming, and you’ll be able to try out many of these options with a free trial period that can range from 1 week (Peloton) up to two months (JRNY).

[Related: The 8 Best Exercise Bikes with Screens]

Your Needs

Working on one’s fitness encompasses many different interpretations. Some users may be looking to strengthen their hearts to aid in their everyday life, others may want to drop some weight, and those in recovery may be looking to incorporate some low-impact work to help them heal from an injury. 

Or maybe your needs more closely align with convenience. “An exercise bike eliminates traffic as a reason to skip your session, so it can be someone’s golden ticket to exercising more frequently,” notes BarBend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC. 

Benefits of Exercise Bikes for Beginners

The benefits of cycling include building stronger hearts, increasing endurance, lowering blood pressure, and lifting some symptoms of depression and anxiety — studies have shown that even just one session of exercise can increase people’s moods. (4) (5) If that’s not a tasty list of reasons to start spinning, I don’t know what is. Here are some additional benefits that come along with beginners bringing exercise bikes into their homes.

Time Efficient

Bringing an exercise bike into your home can help save you the time and energy it takes to brush your hair, put on deodorant, find your car keys — WHERE ARE MY CAR KEYS — and drive to the gym. There’s no need to brush your hair or put deodorant on when you’re cruising from your palace! Personally, this is one of my favorite reasons for having a spin bike at home. I often work out in my pajamas.

When you have an exercise bike glaring at you from the corner of your living room, there’s no excuse not to hop on for a quick ride while you’re waiting for dinner to thaw.  

Low-Impact Cardio

Growing older is tough on the body, but trading in your cardio routine isn’t the solution. Exercise bikes provide low-impact cardio for users with bad knees and stiff joints, and recumbent bikes provide additional support for users with bad backs and limited mobility. Due to the seated nature of riding an indoor cycle, you’re taking pressure off of your lower body, giving your heart the training it needs without the high-impact workloads you might experience while running outside or on a treadmill. (6)

[Related: Running on a Treadmill Vs. Running Outside — Which Is Best for Your Goals?]

Safer Alternative to Riding Outdoors

For riders who live in busy cities or climates where the weather is unpredictable and unpleasant, an indoor exercise bike can provide the ability to safely pedal from the comfort of your own home.

BarBend’s Jake Herod riding the NordicTrack S22i.

“Many people do not feel safe cycling outside,” says BarBend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC., “Indoor exercise bikes provide access to cycling no matter the weather or outdoor conditions. As someone who lived in Miami and trained for triathlons there, riding outside can be brutally terrifying for city dwellers.” 

How Much Do Exercise Bikes for Beginners Cost?

Exercise bikes can cost anywhere from a few hundred bucks to nearly $3,000 for connected machines with all the bells and whistles. This range is affected by the intensity of training provided, tech features like HD touchscreens and integrated apps, and the materials used in construction of the bike. The chart below will show you how each bike’s price from our list compares against one another. 

The most affordable exercise bikes for beginners tend to be mini bikes, folding bikes, and friction-resistance upright bikes, all of which tend to be best suited for low-impact cycling as they lack high-end construction. 

Air bikes are a solid mid-range option. Though they tend to lack dynamic programming, they do incorporate moving arms for a full-body workout. 

Upright and recumbent bikes often carry the most cost — on our list, they range from $1,299 up to $2,199 — as they’re the most likely to incorporate screens, app integration, and other high-end amenities.

Types of Exercise Bikes for Beginners

Whether it’s a versatile upright spin bike, a joint-friendly recumbent bike, a user-powered air bike, or a mini bike that can fit snugly under your desk, there’s an indoor cycling bike on this list that can provide the accessibility of use you need and the right amount of intensity for your training.

Upright

Upright bikes are the standard bikes you may come across in fitness studios like SoulCycle or any other type of sweaty, dimly-lit spin studio. “Upright bikes are your typical stationary bikes, which are excellent for high-intensity exercise and tech-savvy cyclists who love to take fitness classes,” says BarBend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC. 

These bikes tend to have a weighted flywheel ranging from 20 to 49 pounds, which provides resistance either through friction or with magnets. While friction resistance is more affordable, it can also be noisier and require more upkeep than magnetic resistance bikes.

Air Bike

If you’ve ever strolled into a CrossFit gym (or strolled in and strolled right back out muttering, “There’s no way I’m doing that”), you’re likely to have seen an air bike with a pair of moveable arms. What’s great about these models is they’re non-motorized and don’t require an outlet to operate. The more you pedal and pump your arms, the more resistance is created by the fan spinning. “Air bikes… engage the upper body, thus providing a full-body workout,” notes Capritto.

Additionally, these bikes are great for high-intensity interval training, which can provide physiological benefits similar to cardio in a shorter amount of time. (4)

Recumbent

With a reclined seat and back support, recumbent bikes are often seen in physical therapy offices since they provide a low-impact and supportive tool for cardio and increased movement. “Seniors and individuals with limited mobility may struggle to get on and off of a [standard] exercise bike, in which case a recumbent bike is recommended,” says Capritto.

Recumbent bikes will have fewer seat adjustments than standard exercise bikes, but fear not, since riders are placed in a reclined position they don’t need to reach forward to hold onto handles, which is why four-way seat adjustability is so important on upright bikes. 

[Related: Best Recumbent Bikes for Small Spaces, Streaming, Seniors, and More]

Mini Bikes

Mini bikes, or under-desk cycles, are highly portable, low-profile cardio machines that can add a light sprinkling of activity into their day. They’re best suited for people who spend hours at their desk and are sick and tired of their Apple watch saying, “Hey! Are you still alive? You haven’t moved in 8 hours. I’m concerned.”

They range in price from around $20 to $250, which is far less than standard exercise bikes, which can cost anywhere from $300 to $2,600 (and beyond). However, users looking for a more serious workout may be disappointed by the limited resistance on these devices.

Final Word

Exercise bikes for beginners can provide access to low-impact cardio capabilities for those new to cycling, recovering from injury, struggling with limited mobility, or simply curious about dipping their toes into the world of spin bikes. 

Exercise bikes can help you increase your cardio, which can strengthen your heart and make chasing your grandkids around a walk in the park (even if it’s actually a run, or a sprint, in the park). Regardless of your experience with cycling, there’s an exercise bike that’ll help you start and maintain a routine to help you reach your goals. We know the market is awash with options for indoor bikes, so we hope this list helps you narrow down your search and find the right fit. 

FAQs

References

Hellsten, Y., & Nyberg, M. (2015). Cardiovascular Adaptations to Exercise Training. Comprehensive Physiology, 6(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c140080

Peluso, M. A., & Guerra de Andrade, L. H. (2005). Physical activity and mental health: the association between exercise and mood. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 60(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1807-59322005000100012

Chen, H., Chen, C., Spanos, M., Li, G., Lu, R., Bei, Y., & Xiao, J. (2022). Exercise training maintains cardiovascular health: signaling pathways involved and potential therapeutics. Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 7(1), 306. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-022-01153-1

Chavarrias, M., Carlos-Vivas, J., Collado-Mateo, D., & Pérez-Gómez, J. (2019). Health Benefits of Indoor Cycling: A Systematic Review. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 55(8), 452. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55080452

Ligeza, T. S., Maciejczyk, M., Wyczesany, M., & Junghofer, M. (2023). The effects of a single aerobic exercise session on mood and neural emotional reactivity in depressed and healthy young adults: A late positive potential study. Psychophysiology, 60(1), e14137. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14137

Sandmeier R. H. (2000). Osteoarthritis and Exercise: Does Increased Activity Wear Out Joints?. The Permanente Journal, 4(4), 26–28.

The post The 8 Best Exercise Bikes for Beginners of 2024, Tried and Tested appeared first on BarBend.