[00:00:00] James Breese: Strength Matters Media. Video. Print. Podcasts. 

[00:00:05] Josh Kennedy: Today's topic is assault bike. Is it the best conditioning tool for coaches? I mean, James is going to have a little discussion. Don't you dare just go? Yes. End of episode. Let's talk, let's talk specific. So we're a big fan of the rower, obviously treadmills, you know, if you're a runner, et cetera, but we've used this, we're starting to use the assault bike more and more for our clients and athletes.

[00:00:30] Wouldn't you agree, James? 

[00:00:32] James Breese: Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's. It's something that the Assault Bike is now becoming more widespread. It's more readily available. We always used the Rower as a default go to tool because it was more readily accessible, particularly in hotel gyms around the world and for other gyms and local gyms, stuff like that.

[00:00:49] So, but now it is becoming the Air Bike, or should we call it, you know, whether it's Rogue, the Assault Bike or the Air Bike itself, is becoming more readily accessible. Now, if you'd have asked me [00:01:00] two, three years ago, Would I use the Assault Bike? I'd say yes. I think it's a great tool, but I wouldn't always program for it because not many people had it, but now more people have 

[00:01:09] Josh Kennedy: it.

[00:01:10] That's the thing. Just accessibility, isn't it? And also just quickly, in case people don't know what the Assault Bike or the Air Bike is, uh, it's a bike. Obviously it's the one with the big, big fans on the front and the handle. So you pedal and use the arms at the same time in case you weren't aware of what the Assault Bike is.

[00:01:26] Crack 

[00:01:26] James Breese: on James. Exactly. And it's the big machine of death. If you, if you, and for those who know, know. They literally know so it's it's definitely something that we've always wanted to give more people as a tool to use But they haven't had it readily available for them But they do now more people do have it now and what we've seen in the last couple of years We're getting better results from people who are using the assault bike as a conditioning piece for shorter pieces This is not for you can use it for 60 minutes plus if you want to But I don't think that's the, that's the tool for it.

[00:01:59] It's not the tool [00:02:00] for that sort of stuff. There is a 60 minute assault bike test if you want to do that, but for shorter pieces, more aerobic speed type work, I think this is a great tool to use. For people because a there's no technique required. All you need to do is get the right height and away you go There's no issues with lower back pain I think that's a really important thing to talk about a lot of older athletes and older clients have lower back issues and Sometimes it gets exacerbated by on by being on the rowing machine.

[00:02:28] For example, I can testament to that That's that's me partly as well But I've seen a lot of cricket players that we're working with Yeah, 

[00:02:37] Josh Kennedy: well, we are big fans of the rower as well. Um, and again, it is a great tool for conditioning, but I think if you want to get the maximum amount of benefit from the piece of equipment that you're using, rowing does require decent technique to actually get the, get the benefits as well.

[00:02:52] And it's hard to pick up that technique. I think for shorter athletes like me and you, it's even more difficult, uh, as well. So as a, as a [00:03:00] tool, Accessibility, ease of use, especially for beginners. Then I think if your gym has the assault bike, it is the go to tool. And it's great for, as you say, maximum aerobic speed work.

[00:03:12] You can do high intensity. You can do zone two, easy aerobic repeats, longer work. It's, it's got. Many, many benefits, right? How is your, you've been doing maximum aerobic speed work on it. So talk, talk about how that's been going for you. What have you found? I will 

[00:03:27] James Breese: talk about this first, but I'll have, you know, I'm six foot five.

[00:03:29] Thank you very much. Just, uh, let's just clarify that point right now. Yeah. 

[00:03:32] Josh Kennedy: Yeah. So everybody 

[00:03:33] James Breese: here, there we go. There we go. That's how you 

[00:03:35] Josh Kennedy: roll. Okay. No, you're not as short as me, but you are still short. 

[00:03:41] James Breese: Thank you for that. I appreciate it. No. So like, okay, let's just talk about this in terms of. Development.

[00:03:46] I think the other thing we start to see with people is they start to become like quadzilla, like that's the big thing because just the pump they get on the legs and the quads as they're doing this is phenomenal. So I'd almost call it a [00:04:00] strength endurance exercise to a strength builder, particularly doing a high enough intensities for what I've seen.

[00:04:05] So, yeah, so I think the question is, how do you use it? I'm using it a lot for maximum aerobic speed work, because again, I'm gearing up towards the World Cup. It's wet, it's dark, it's rainy here in Cardiff most of the time. I can't do a lot of work on pitches outside because it's just too muddy. So a lot of my short intensity work has been on the Assault Bike.

[00:04:23] For short bouts of 15, 30, even 60 second pieces in between resting. So I think the question we gotta think about and help coaches is how do you use it? A lot of people just use it as that high intensity hit session at the end to give them that sweaty burn feeling, right? Yeah. 

[00:04:39] Josh Kennedy: Well, I mean it it was popularized by CRO CrossFit wads, wasn't it?

[00:04:43] Basically, that's where the assault bike gained its popularity, but it's, it can do so much more than that. 

[00:04:48] James Breese: Yeah, absolutely. And that, that's the thing I think we try and think of. So the coaches out there, yes. Use it as a sweaty burn end a workout thing for a bit of fun if you wanna do that. But if you're talking program design and development and a [00:05:00] robust aerobic system, I think where the Assault Bike comes into its own is in terms of maximum aerobic speed work and anaerobic development, when they're strong enough.

[00:05:11] Because you have to be strong enough to be able to endure it enough. So yes, aerobic pieces, you can do it. You can do other stuff doing a long piece of aerobic stuff, but for the aerobic speed work and for the anaerobic stuff, I think it falls into a category of its own. Nothing. gives you that feeling of sickness more than the Assault Bike, in my personal opinion, than any other tool that we know.

[00:05:32] Rower comes close, but not quite in the same, same category as Assault Bikes. And I keep going back to the Chicago Summit in 2016, where James Fitzgerald almost killed everybody. As you got 'em doing some aerobic and ect, AEL repeat tests, and that was phenomenal. So there we go. That's a good example of that there.

[00:05:50] Right there. Here's a 

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[00:06:28] Josh Kennedy: You say it was, it was disgusting. It was sick making, sick making. But as you say, I have also experienced that on the rower, um, as well, if, if, if you go hard enough, but yeah, as a sort of, uh, a tool for, you know, for zone two, for aerobic speed, for anaerobic work.

[00:06:44] I don't think you can really beat, uh, the, the assault bike. Definitely not. And again, as we say, ease of use, especially for beginners, it's easier on the joints. Um, but also you've got to look, so that's for general fitness and aerobic conditioning. But of course, you've got to [00:07:00] consider what your goals are.

[00:07:01] If you, you know, need to row for some sort of event or you like, right, you've got to use the rower, if you are a runner, you need to run, et cetera, et cetera. So you've got to consider that as well. Anything you want to add to this James, before we wrap this up? Yeah, 

[00:07:14] James Breese: I think for the coaches is how you use it.

[00:07:16] So the most important thing I think we do with people is how we use it. And it comes down to the 10 minute assault bike test. That's what we're looking for. So to calculate their aerobic speed work, to calculate the calories and how many they should be hitting. We are doing this 10 minute assault bike test as a precursor for a lot of our clients that we're working with to know those stats and know those numbers.

[00:07:35] So that's really important to understand is that we have to test first before we can start using it to its full capacity. And the 10 minute test is what we're looking for. How many calories in 10 minutes? Yeah, 

[00:07:48] Josh Kennedy: yeah, you do need, if you're going to do maximum aerobic speed weight, you do need specifics.

[00:07:51] You can't just jump on and do 15 seconds of work and go, great. It's like, well, what was your goal? What were you aiming for? So, yep, you do have to do the 10 minute assault bike test. [00:08:00] And I apologize to any of our clients listening, uh, who have made do the 10 minute assault bike test because it's horrible, essentially.

[00:08:07] Isn't it? But it is a necessary evil. Yeah, 

[00:08:11] James Breese: absolutely is absolutely is but there you go So that's that's our thoughts on it If you haven't got one and you're a coach and trainer get one if you want to try it out to find a gym That's got one. You'll see exactly what we mean by how powerful this thing is.

[00:08:23] Josh Kennedy: Indeed. You don't want to buy me one Do you James? I'd love one. No I was expecting one of my Christmas bonus 

[00:08:29] James Breese: now. No, not at all this year I might get you a mini one for your stocking for next year. How about that? 

[00:08:34] Josh Kennedy: Hey, thank you very much. That is it for today. Please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe.

[00:08:38] And if you want to find out more about our system of training, go to strengthmanners. com forward slash system.