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The Morning Assault

img_6093My wife and I bought one of the Assault bikes after this past weekend's, Fittest Games, here in Austin.  Our friend/coach put them up for sale once the games were over.  We picked ours up Monday night and were on it, bright and early, the next morning.
Typically, buying home exercise equipment is always a bit of an sketchy prospect.  I'm sure 98% of the equipment people purchase winds up as a clothes rack a month after purchase and then ultimately ends up in a yard sale for only a fraction of its original price.
In other words, despite your best intentions, never ever buy home exercise equipment.
But...as stated in the opener, we did.  Why did we?  Well, some rules provide exceptions. As in, my wife is a tennis pro.  She really likes fitness.  Now, I like fitness.  In fact, I'm building a pull-up bar in the garage, which might end up as a blog post on how to build a pull-up bar or how to rip a massive hole in your ceiling.
Another exception is with the Assault Bike itself.  If you've never experienced one, these bikes provide an intense endurance workout, in little time.  It completely depends on what you want to do.  The Assault Bike incorporates your arms and legs for full bodied motion or you can choose to ride it like a stationary bike.  You can choose to ride for distance, time or calories.  These bikes are great for recovery efforts or full blown workouts.  You can even use the bike in CrossFit type workouts like:
Round 1
Thrusters #75/55
Jumping pull-ups
Power curls #75/55
AbMat sit-ups
Assault bike (1cal = 1 rep)
Rest 1 Minute (count total reps)
Round 2
Wall ball #20/16 (10ft target)
Jump rope S/U
SDHP #75/55
Burpee bent-over rows
Assault bike (1cal = 1 rep)
Rest 1 Minute (add to total reps)
Round 3
Box jumps #20/16
Push press #75/55
Russian twists #20/15
Push-ups
Assault Bike (1cal = 1 rep)
You'll notice that most of the Assault Bike workouts that you'll find or hear about are based on calories as reps.  This is where things get interesting.
When you base your workout on calories, rather than time or distance, the intensity, fitness level and challenge escalate.  And that is good news.  There are few things more boring than simply running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike.  Or maybe that is just me.  With the Assault Bike, you've got everything moving, which can mean, less time on the bike.  Huge plus.  It can also mean a higher intensity workout, and with that means a higher challenge.  To me, both of those equal more fun.  If it isn't fun and if it isn't challenging, chances are that you won't do it.
I'm looking forward to working high cadio into my morning routine two to three times a week.  From the reviews, etc. I've been reading, people love the way they feel when starting their day with the Assault Bike.  They seem to have more pep in their step and be in a better mood throughout their day.  I like the sound of both.
I found an amazing list of workouts from a guy up in Ontario.  In fact, he refers to it as the "Comprehensive List" of workouts.  I'm looking forward to trying these out.
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