If you thought Regina George was mean, then you clearly haven’t met Overland Park CrossFit’s “Black Betty”. Black Betty was the first assault bike we ever bought and then slowly her “crew” of additional assault bikes grew. They look harmless enough right? I mean most of parents in the 70’s & 80’s owned some type of stationary bike or airdyne. Let’s be serious, even Jane Fonda was talking while riding it in her leg warmers. But then again, Jane Fonda was an unstoppable fitness queen, and those bikes are no joke!
In all seriousness, assault bikes are a great addition to an athletes programming. The bikes are equipped to provide Tabata training to help increase your overall aerobic capacity. They are a great substitute for rowing, running, swimming, etc.. But there is no hiding on that assault bike! Every drip of sweat is earned and rest is begged for as this machine works your entire body including your mind. Just like in CrossFit you learn to work through the pain and find what you are capable of.
Now, we don’t want assault bikes to get a bad rap! Yes, they can rock your world, and give you one hell of a workout, but they can also be used for recovery and rehabilitation. It can be a safe haven for those with injuries providing a no impact exercise. It can also aid in recovery for not only an injury but on your rest days. On rest days, you may not be doing a high intensity workout, but you need to keep your blood pumping to those muscles you have torn down that need to rebuild. You’d be surprised how a cool down on the assault bike will drastically help with your recovery and decrease how sore you could be the next day.
Whether you are looking for a workout that will leave you on your back at the end or just for a nice recovery ride, we recommend you jumping on Black Betty & crew and seeing what they’ve got to offer! They might even get you singing “Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)”.