My cardio workouts usually consist of running so when I hit the gym I’m always hopping on the treadmill. Not too surprisingly, being on the same piece of cardio equipment for 40 minutes gets a little boring so I’m always looking for ways to spice it up. Recently I paired the recumbent bike with some kettlebell swings and a killer 15 minute workout was born! I love this since my idea of a great workout is one that gets me in out of the gym as quickly as possible and is still burns enough calories to keep my in my skinny jeans.

Print it here…Recumbent Bike Wkout

WORKOUT DETAILS

• Warmup for 5 minutes. Start on a recumbent bike at a level 2.
• Bike for one-quarter-mile (.25) as quickly as you can once you’ve completed the quarter mile hope off the bike.
• Grab a kettelbell double the  number corresponding to the resistance on the bike  and do that many kettlebell swings. So do 4 swings.
• Increase the resistance by 1 so move from a level 2 to level 3 on the bike. Bike one-quater-mile then move back to kettlebell swings. Do 6 swings. (Double the resistance number)
• Repeat this back and forth Level 4 on bike 8 swings, Level 5 on bike 10 swings, Level 6 on bike 12 swings and so on until the resistance is so high you can’t pedal the bike anymore. (or until 15 minutes is up since this workout is pretty intense).
• Tip: take breaks when you need them especially with the swings so you keep good form.

MODIFICATIONS

In case you don’t have access to a recumbent bike or  kettlebells I’ve added a few modifications. (FYI kettlebell swings are a great exercise but they’re also super intense so make sure you’ve had a professional teach you the correct form before you try them in order to avoid injury)

• Replace the recumbent bike with a regular bike, the elliptical trainer or the treadmill. If you’re using the treadmill just increase the incline.
• Replace the kettlebell swings with burpees (squat thrust) or squat jumps
• To make it harder start at a higher resistance