I realize doing those three things is much easier said than done. Doing hard stuff consistently for months and years requires a great strategy!
In addition to the free resources below, we provide a free bodyweight routine, and a comprehensive gym training routine to get you started with strength training in our free guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Grab your guide when you sign up in the box below:
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How Do You Build Muscle and Strength?
If you are going to build strength and muscle, you need to lift heavy things to force your muscles to rebuild themselves stronger.
But what the heck does ‘heavy’ mean in this context? I’m so glad you asked!
Muscle-building is optimized when performing strength-training exercises (bodyweight or weightlifting) within 1 to 3 reps of failure while maintaining good technique.
(i.e. You could do 1 or 2 or 3 more repetitions of the exercise using a specific weight, but not more.) Usually, you’ll repeat this effort for multiple sets targeting multiple muscles in a workout.
That’s what I mean by ‘lift heavy’: you picked the right amount of weight to challenge yourself for the desired number of reps. By forcing your muscles to really tax themselves by picking up heavy things, you are participating in the Holy Grail of muscle building: progressive overload!
Progressive overload: forcing your muscles to rebuild themselves stronger by increasing the challenge they face with each workout. Examples include: lifting heavier weight, doing more reps, frequency, decreased rest, etc.
For example, from one week to the next, progressive overload would look like:
Week 1 Barbell Squat: 4 sets of 6 reps at 150 lbs.
Week 2 Barbell Squat: 4 sets of 6 reps at 155 lbs.
If you do that, you’ve gotten stronger! Then, repeat next week. Consume enough calories and protein, and you’ll get bigger too.
“Got it, Steve. I need to pick up heavy things. Can we talk about which exercises I should do to build muscle?”
Great question, you good looking person. I’ll cover specific exercises in the following section, but let’s start with a broader point:
Free weights, machines, and bodyweight exercises are ALL good options as long as you can adhere to the guidelines we laid out above. [4]
While you can grow muscle using any type of strength-training exercise, having access to a gym with free weights and weight machines makes leveling up your muscle-building game all the easier.
Check out our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym for everything you need to know and getting started in a gym with sample workouts.
So let’s start building muscle!
We’ll want a routine with compound exercises that train multiple muscle groups at once. They’re efficient and they can create solid growth and stimulation.[5]
To create our full-body routine, each workout will make sure it has a big compound leg exercise, push exercise, pull exercise, and a core exercise:
Core Exercises: Reverse Crunches, Hanging Knee Raises, or Ab Mat Sit-ups
Learn these few exercises, get really good at them, and your entire body will get stronger and bigger. Focus each week on adding more weight to each exercise.[8]
Bottom line: if you want to get bigger muscles, you need to challenge them regularly with exercises that bring the muscle close to failure (1 to 3 reps). To start, we recommend picking big, compound movements that work multiple muscles at a time.
“Steve, what about isolation exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, calf raises, etc.?”
Absolutely add these in whenever you want to, though we recommend starting with the workout we laid out above FIRST and getting consistent with that. Muscle-building isn’t just about picking the right exercises and the right weights, it’s about building the habit of working out!
If you try to do ALL THE THINGS at the very beginning, you’re increasing the risk that you won’t be able to make the habit stick.
Start with compound exercises that give you the biggest bang for your buck, THEN sprinkle in isolation exercises that target your specific areas of need.[6]
“What about machines versus free weights? I’ve heard free weights are better…”
Not true! If a machine exercise feels safer, is more easily accessible to you, and targets the same muscles – go for it. The important thing is that you are challenging your muscles to get stronger, that’s it. [7]
Each day has a leg exercise, push exercise, pull exercise, and some core work.
Besides having rest and recovery days in between MWF, adequate rest intervals have been established in the workout itself!
By following the leg exercise, push exercise, pull exercise, and core exercise routine you will maximize rest in-between each exercise, therefore, limiting muscular fatigue and allowing you to perform each strength training exercise to its fullest extent.[9]
Now, this is just a basic, 3-day, Full-Body workout routine. We have a whole guide on how to build your own workout, but there are infinite ways to build a strength training routine.
Bodybuilders often prefer to follow a 5-day “each day gets one body part” workout[33]:
Monday: Legs (quad dominant)
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Back
Thursday: Legs (hip dominant)
Friday: Arms
Each routine has positives and negatives, is dependent on how often you can work out, and each is based on your preference! As long as your muscles are being forced to rebuild themselves stronger, it’s the right workout for you.
While it’s possible to build out the perfect routine on your own, many of our Rebels end up spending hours and hours building something custom – only to realize it isn’t what they need (or isn’t effective) weeks and months later for their goals.
For people who want to avoid that altogether, we built the solution – our uber-popular 1-on-1 coaching program pairs you with your own Nerd Fitness Coach who will get to know you, your goals, and your lifestyle, and handcraft a workout plan that’s specific to your body, your schedule, and your life.
Click the image below to schedule a call with our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other!
For beginners, we recommend starting in the 5 – 15 reps range to increase both size and strength. (If you want to focus on more strength than size, stick to the lower end of that range.)
As you get more advanced, you may find that it’s beneficial to do up to 30 reps of an exercise. (Though 90% of your work will still be in that 5 – 15 rep range.) The biggest drawback to higher rep ranges like this is it can be hard to target specifically that “1 to 3 reps before failure” when the rep count is so high. [10][11]
The good news is that no matter which path you take (pure strength, size, or a mix of both), as long as you are adding weight each week – and eating enough – you WILL be getting stronger.[12]
ANY path will work, provided you are progressively overloading your muscles with an increased challenge!
Progressive overload involves exerting slightly more effort than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently.
Your muscles will have to adapt and rebuild themselves to get stronger. So in order to see improvements, your training must gradually and constantly increase.
We just have to make sure we get the right pace!
According to Mike Rebold, PHD, a professor from from Hiram College:
Keep in mind that if the overload increases too quickly, poor technique and injury may result. And if the overload progresses too slowly, improvements will be minimal or non-existent.
Slowly but gradually increasing your challenge could look like:
If you do 5 sets of 5 squats at 140 pounds this week, aim for 5 sets of 5 of 145 pounds next week.
Or if you’re doing 3 sets of 10 at 100 pounds, then next week try for 3 sets of 10 at 105 pounds.
Get stronger, which is 20% of the puzzle. The other 80% is nutrition (which I cover later)!
#1) Warm-up before exercising – don’t walk into a gym, slap 45-pound plates on the bar, and then start your routine.
Get your heart rate up and muscles warm first by doing a dynamic warm-up of jumping jacks, lunges, bodyweight squats, hip raises, push-ups, leg swings, jumps, etc.
After that, always start with doing a set or two of lifting JUST THE BAR.[13] Only then should you start adding weight for some warm-up sets before moving into your work sets.
However, if you do a barbell squat incorrectly with 405 pounds on your shoulders, you could do some serious damage. If you’re just starting out, check your ego at the door: start with a VERY light weight and make sure you are doing the exercise properly.
There is NO SHAME in starting with just the bar. You can always add more weight next week if this week is too easy.
#3) Stimulate, don’t annihilate – I try to always have one more rep left when I finish a set.
Some trainers will preach working your muscles to annihilation, but I think that’s just asking for an injury, poor form, and beyond-sore muscles.
Your muscles get built while resting, not in the gym, so don’t worry about destroying them completely each day you step in the gym – it’s not worth it.[14]
#4) Change up the time between sets – if you’re doing 3 sets of 5 reps of a really heavy weight, it’s okay to wait 3-5 minutes between sets – you’re focusing on pure strength here.
If you’re doing sets in the 8-12 range, try to keep the time between sets around a minute or so. This will affect your muscles in different ways. The most important thing is to rest long enough that you can give the same level of effort as you did in the previous set.
Just be consistent between sets and when doing the same workout between weeks to track your progress.[15]
#5) Don’t overdo it – More does not mean better in weightlifting. You don’t need to spend two hours in the gym, you don’t need to do 15 different kinds of chest exercises.
My routines last no longer than 45 minutes, I only do three or four sets (after warm-up sets) for each exercise, and it’s enough to stimulate muscle growth. I only need to add more if my growth plateaus or stops, and before I do that I make sure my intensity, diet, and recovery are dialed in FIRST. [16]
Three workouts a week is a great place for most to start – we’ve had clients build muscle on anywhere from 2 days a week to 4 days a week using a full-body routine like this! You need to give your muscles time to regrow bigger – remember muscles are made in the kitchen![17]
Less is often more – just make your routines really intense and exhausting.[18]
#6) Write down everything – Keep a training journal, and write down exactly how many sets and reps you did for every exercise.
That way, you can compare how you did this time with how you did last time. You’ll know how much more you need to lift this week to make sure you’re stronger than last week.
#7) Follow a routine, have a plan and stick with it for months and months. We are training our muscles to get stronger and stronger, so you’ll get the best results if you can fall in love with the boring process of doing the same workout – but lifting heavier weight for months and years. [19]
I’ve been doing squats, pull-ups, deadlifts, and presses once a week, every week for 24 years. The sets, reps, and weights have changed, but the workout is largely the same. I don’t need to be entertained by the workout, I’m excited about, “how much weight can I lift?!”
HOw Many Calories Should I Eat To Gain Muscle (and Which Supplements)
If you’ve been lifting weights for a while “but can’t seem to gain weight,” then you are not eating enough. To gain weight, you’re going to need to seek a calorie surplus (i.e., hypercaloric diet). This usually consuming an additional 250-500 kcal/day or 10-20% above your typical diet. [20]
I thought I was one of those people who just could never gain weight, even after training hard for 6 years…and then I learned it was all diet, started eating 3500+ calories a day (lots more liquid calories, rice, bread, oats, and potatoes!), and I put on 18 pounds in 30 days.
After 6 years of exercising without putting on any weight, it was great to see so much progress in such a short period of time.
So, as a former super skinny nerd who finally realized “it’s the calories, dummy,” here’s the 3 step process for nutrition when it comes to building musscle:
PART #1: Eat More – To gain weight, you’re going to need to seek a calorie surplus (i.e., hypercaloric diet). This can be achieved by consuming an additional 250-500 kcal/day or 10-20% above your typical diet.
You can get an estimate of how much you need to eat to just MAINTAIN your weight in our free calculator here.
I’m not clairvoyant (yet), so I’m not sure how you’re currently eating. But if you’re looking to add more calories, there are 3 key places to look:
Adding more carbs: rice, bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, potatoes, and any other calorically dense food!
Drinking more liquid calories: protein shakes (covered below), juice, milk, weight-gain shakes, etc.
Besides just seeking a calorie surplus, it can help for many reasons to pay attention to your macronutrient (e.g., carbohydrates, fats, and protein) consumption.
If you want more specifics on what foods to eat and how to structure your diet for bulking up, check out our Bulk like the Hulk guide!
PART #2: Eat enough protein – With all the hard training you’re doing, you want to not only gain weight but make sure your body has the resources to turn as much of that weight as possible into muscle.
That’s why we put together this handy protein calculator for you – so you can maximize your gains! For most people, targeting between 0.7-1.0g/lb of bodyweight gets you in the optimal muscle-building range.
In our Protein 101 Guide, we talk about sources of protein and simple ways to include more in your diet. If you’re not used to eating a lot of protein, that can be a struggle!
“Which Supplements Should I Take to Build Muscle Quickly?”
As we lay out in our Nerd Fitness Supplement Guide, most supplements are a waste of money and completely unnecessary for building muscle.
However, there are two supplements that CAN BE helpful in building muscle quickly:
Protein Shakes: If you are struggling to hit your protein and calorie intake goals for the day, adding in a high-calorie protein shake can be a game-changer.[23]
Creatine Supplements: Creatine helps your muscles retain water and can improve your performance, allowing you to push harder, for longer, in the gym.[24]
Bottom line: If you don’t see any change, then you need to eat more.
Yes, it will feel excessive.
Yes, you will feel full all the time.
Yes, it’s a pain in the ass and expensive.
But if you really want to be bigger, then you are going to need to really dedicate yourself in the kitchen.
Unless you’re a genetic mutant, it’s incredibly tough to build muscle and strength without overloading your system with calories and nutrients.
Just keep eating.
Won’t All of This Eating Make Me Fat? I Don’t Want to Get Bulky.
I have amazing news: as somebody who has been trying to get “too bulky” for 20 years, it’s unbelievably difficult for a naturally skinny person to suddenly get too bulky.
Yes, you will put on SOME fat along with the muscle you’re building if you’re running a calorie surplus.
This is why picking the right amount of calories per day is important:
If you can build muscle at 3,000 calories, but you’re eating 4,000 calories, you’ll put on a pound or two of fat per week along with your muscle.
However, if you need to eat 3,000 calories to build muscle and you’re only eating 2,500, you won’t see any changes.
Everybody is different, so you need to experiment and find out what works best for you.[27]
Once you get to your desired weight (actually, aim for about 10-15 pounds heavier than your goal weight), you can scale back the calories, add in some extra sprints to the end of your workout, and keep lifting heavy – the muscle will remain, the fat will disappear, and you’ll be left with the body you want.
I’m not skinny, I need to LOSE weight – what’s different for me?
As Coach Matt explains above, you can actually build muscle and lose body fat at the same time.
Now, this only works if you have plenty of fat stores to pull from. Once you start to lean out a little, you’ll likely have to increase your calories to start putting on more muscle.
Just remember, you can build muscle while losing weight if you:[28]
Sustain a caloric deficit
Lift heavy
Prioritize protein
Rest
Let’s talk about that last one for a bit.
Rest Days for Building Muscle and Strength
As Coach Jim mentions in the video above, if you’re skinny and trying to bulk up and build muscle, avoid cardio like the plague (also avoid the plague).
Why?
Take a look at the best marathon runners in the world, and compare their physique to somebody like Usain Bolt, the best sprinter in the world – tons of muscle, power, and a body to envy.
There’s nothing wrong with EITHER body – we’re all awesome and are special and blah blah blah.
But you’re reading an article about how to build muscle fast, right? So focus all of your effort on building muscle![29]
You want all the calories you’re consuming to go towards “building muscle,” and not “fuel my run.”
I will admit that I’m biased against chronic cardio, but mostly because it bores me!
You can be far more effective when you focused on getting stronger and only do ‘cardio’ on things you enjoy – after all, your success will largely depend on your nutrition, NOT your cardio!
If you’re lifting heavy, and eating enough, make sure you’re also getting enough sleep! 5-6 hours a night isn’t going to cut it – you need to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal muscle-building. Take naps too if you have the opportunity.
Sleep needs to become a priority, because while we’re asleep, growth hormone, a hormone responsible for regulating muscle growth is released.[30]
If you’re a big guy/girl trying to slim down, a little extra cardio might speed up your fat loss but if you’re not eating correctly, it might result in losing some of the muscle you already have.
Don’t worry about going for 10 mile runs on your off days – do 20-30 minutes of intervals or go run hill sprints in your park. The weight will come off more slowly, but you’ll only be losing fat, not fat AND muscle.
Once you hit your goal weight and the target amount of muscle mass, I’d recommend adding back in some cardio for your overall conditioning, but keep it varied (sprints and intervals). The focus is to keep building explosive muscle and not long, slow, boring muscle.
If you love going for long runs and aren’t going to give that up, I’m not gonna stop you. Just know that the long hours of cardio will severely inhibit your progress on building strength and size.[31]
Get Started Building Muscle Today
This is a basic overview to get ya started. It really boils down to a few major things:
Lift heavy
Eat lots of good food
Rest
Simple to understand, tough to implement.
Trust me, I know – I’ve been battling this for the past decade.
If you made it this far, and you want more specific instruction, here’s how Nerd Fitness can help!
You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.
-Steve
PS: Be sure to check out the rest of our Strength Training 101 series:
Legendary bodybuilders like Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman earned plenty of praise and Mr. Olympia hardware by constructing hulking physiques that included sculpted shoulders, killer quads, and bulging biceps. While most people don’t have plans to pose on stage someday, many lifters do have aspirations to walk around with muscular arms that look good in a tank top.
Although the traditional biceps curl will help you inch closer to growing the guns of your dreams, there’s another great biceps exercise that belongs in your training program: the preacher curl. With this no-nonsense biceps builder that makes one muscle group the star of the show, you can look forward to filling out the sleeves of your t-shirt even better.
Credit: nazarovsergey / Shutterstock
Below, you’ll learn everything from the proper form to programming tips to unique variations so you can achieve a fantastic pump and long-term results from the almighty preacher curl.
How to Do the Preacher Curl
When conducted with proper form, the preacher curl will put your biceps and forearms through a grueling test of muscular strength and endurance. You can perform the movement with various free weights, including dumbbells, a barbell, or an EZ curl bar. Whatever piece of equipment you choose, you will also need a preacher curl bench to support your upper body during this isolation exercise.
Here’s a step-by-step guide that will put you in the right position to get the most out of this biceps curl variation using an EZ curl bar.
Step 1 — Set Up
Sit down on the preacher curl machine and adjust the seat height so your upper arms and chest rest on the bench pad. Or, if there is no seat, stand behind the preacher curl bench so your arms and chest are in the correct position. You should have a slight forward lean so that the pad touches your armpits. Then, use an underhand grip to grab the curl bar.
Step 2 — Curl the Weight
With your chin tucked, wrists neutral, and elbows extended fully, contract your biceps and curl the bar toward your shoulders. Squeeze at the top of the movement and hold for one to two seconds.
Step 3 — Lower to Starting Position
Execute the eccentric portion of this curl exercise by slowly straightening your elbows. Maintain complete control during the descent, carefully lowering the curl bar back to the starting position before repeating the full sequence for the desired number of reps.
Want to get the best return on your investment in building bigger biceps? Here are a few common mishaps people make when performing preacher curls that can prevent you from reaping the rewards of your training program.
Taking the Strength Training Approach
Working with intense loads for a limited number of reps will not yield the best results if you’re focused on maximum biceps growth. While that style of training works well for compound movements like the back squat, bench press, and deadlift, you shouldn’t treat the preacher curl like a strength-building exercise.
Instead of going ultra-heavy, use a manageable weight that you can perform for sets of 10-12 repetitions with perfect form. This will provide a better stimulus for hypertrophy than a low-rep, high-intensity protocol more suited to powerlifting.
Incorrect Setup
Credit: Ajan Alen / Shutterstock
Getting in the proper position should be the priority when you’re preparing to perform the preacher curl. That means your chest and upper arms should be in contact with the pad at all times. Having the bench set too low or too high will make it difficult (if not impossible) to execute the movement correctly, causing you to leave gains on the table by shifting the focus away from your biceps.
Failing to Use Full Range of Motion
The goal of the preacher curl is to fully extend and flex your elbows through a full range of motion. However, failing to extend your elbows past 90 degrees means you’re leaving potential gains on the table. While partial reps can be an effective way to finish off a set, focusing on fully stretching and contracting your biceps can maximize your muscle-building efforts.
What makes the preacher curl such a popular choice for lifters of all shapes and sizes? Let’s take a look at some of the ways it pays off to pencil this biceps exercise into your workout routine.
Direct Biceps Development
A true isolation exercise, the preacher curl provides a direct route to growing your biceps by removing your ability to use your lower half for any assistance. The angle of the bench pad allows you to completely stretch the muscle and maximize time under tension — a key factor in hypertrophy training.
Of course, squeezing at the top of the movement is critical for getting the most muscle-building returns. Overall, the preacher curl challenges your biceps during the concentric and eccentric parts of the exercise to create a fantastic stimulus for sculpting well-developed arms.
Assists with Pulling Exercises
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
If you want to be more successful at chin-ups or other pulling exercises, the preacher curl can assist with those efforts. Having strong biceps will allow you to move the weight more efficiently and avoid overtaxing other muscle groups as you perform pull-based exercises.
Plus, developing stronger biceps via the preacher curl can help with other compound movements. For example, you should see an improvement in your deadlift as you progress with your biceps training. And whether you choose the chest-supported or bent-over row, you should perform better at these back-day staples with stronger bi’s.
Eliminates the Cheating Element
Chances are you’ve probably seen at least a few gymgoers contorting their bodies to swing out some poorly executed curls before finally admitting defeat. However, sacrificing form to execute any exercise makes little sense — especially if you’re concerned about maximizing muscle growth.
Luckily, though, the preacher curl curtails your ability to cheat by keeping you grounded and eliminating the idea of using your legs for a boost. Once you set up properly on the machine and grab your free weight of choice, your biceps will quickly learn what it means to be isolated. More importantly, you’ll understand the value of performing slow, controlled reps using a full range of motion — and zero cheating.
Undoubtedly one of the best isolation exercises for growing your biceps, the preacher curl engages a few other arm muscles, too. Here’s what you can expect to hit once you’re set up on the bench.
Biceps Brachii
Credit: Lordn / Shutterstock
This two-headed muscle is the primary mover for the preacher curl. You can specifically target the long or short head via your hand placement if you’re using an EZ curl bar or a barbell. A narrow grip will lead to better engagement of the long head. Meanwhile, the wider you go, the more you will recruit the short head of your biceps brachii.
Brachialis
A flexor muscle of the forearm, the brachialis helps with elbow flexion and is also heavily involved due to the angle of a preacher curl. Training this muscle consistently will help you develop stronger, thicker forearms.
Brachioradialis
Another flexor muscle located near the elbow, the brachioradialis not only helps with flexion but also with supination or pronation depending on the rotation of the forearm. (1) During the preacher curl, it helps stabilize the elbow joint.
Who Should Do the Preacher Curl
No matter if you’re training for a bodybuilding show, looking to improve your other lifts, or just trying to gain strength and size in your arms, you shouldn’t hesitate to call upon the preacher curl for support.
Strength Athletes
Powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters can take advantage of preacher curls to prepare them to dominate in pulling exercises like deadlifts, cleans, and snatches. Growing bigger, stronger biceps should pay off when it comes time to perform — and the aesthetic benefits don’t hurt, either.
Bodybuilders and Physique-Focused Individuals
Credit: Jiri Miklo / Shutterstock
No bodybuilder wants to disappoint on the back double biceps pose. Isolating this two-headed muscle via the preacher curl will help your arms pop on stage, especially if you pair it with other biceps-centric movements like close-grip lat pulldowns and chin-ups. And even if you’re focused on constructing a physique for non-competitive reasons, you can’t go wrong with a curl exercise that isolates your biceps and forearms.
Recreational Lifters
Beginners and general lifters can use the preacher curl to develop strength and endurance in their biceps without having to worry about cheating reps by going too quickly or not using the full range of motion. This curl variation isn’t overly complicated to master, but it does offer plenty of muscle-building upside.
Whether you’re new to lifting or looking to add another biceps exercise to your classic bodybuilding split, you shouldn’t hesitate to incorporate the preacher curl into your exercise program. Determining the number of sets and reps (as well as the ideal load) depends on your goals, as there are different methods to achieve each one.
For Beginners: Perform a warm-up set of eight to 12 reps with a light weight to ensure you’re using proper form. Using a moderate weight, complete two to three working sets of eight to 12 reps.
For Muscle Growth: Complete three to four sets of eight to 12 reps with a moderately heavy weight. For even more gains, decrease the weight and perform a drop set until failure.
For Muscular Endurance: Select a light-to-moderate weight that you can curl for 15 to 20 reps. After you finish your first set, rest briefly for 20 to 60 seconds before repeating for two more sets.
From changing your grip to swapping out the EZ bar preacher curl for a dumbbell-based version, some simple tweaks can shift this exercise in a different direction. Here are some variations you can consider implementing to keep things fresh in the gym:
Dumbbell Preacher Curl
Credit: Dave Kotinsky / Shutterstock
Leaving the barbell behind for a pair of dumbbells will open the door to new bicep-building possibilities. Not only can you work on any imbalances by training unilaterally, but you can also experiment with different grips to change the stimulus. For example, hammer-style preacher curls with a neutral grip will involve your forearm muscles more.
Close-Grip Preacher Curl
Using the same setup as the traditional preacher curl, this version targets the long head of the biceps by having you put your hands closer together.
Wide-Grip Preacher Curl
You can employ the opposite strategy to hit the short head by using a wide grip. For the best results, incorporate both grip variations into your biceps training program.
Reverse Preacher Curl
Whether you use a barbell, EZ curl bar, or dumbbells, a reverse preacher curl will force your brachioradialis to rise to the occasion. Grasping the bar with a pronated (palms-down) grip and keeping your arms in a fixed position to curl the weight makes this biceps exercise particularly useful for developing stronger forearms.
Don’t have access to a preacher curl bench? You can still train your biceps with these muscle-building alternatives.
Incline Dumbbell Biceps Curl
Arguably the most challenging biceps exercise, the incline dumbbell curl swaps out the preacher curl bench for an adjustable weight bench. Sitting on a bench in the incline position provides a larger range of motion by putting your biceps into an even deeper stretch. Plus, stabilizing your body against the bench minimizes your ability to use momentum.
Concentration Curl
Credit: Zamrznuti Tonovi / Shutterstock
Similar to the preacher curl, the concentration curl keeps your upper arm in a fixed position that stabilizes your shoulder. This isolation exercise is an excellent example of the benefits of unilateral training, as you get to attack each side independently while your triceps remain anchored to the inside of your knee to make your biceps do all the work.
Standing Barbell Curl
An option that doesn’t involve sitting down, the standing barbell curl has withstood the test of time as one of the most basic, yet effective biceps exercises. Unlike some of the other alternatives and variations, this movement forces you to engage your glutes and core as you curl the weight. In addition, it also activates your anterior deltoid when the barbell is in the fully curled position.
Spider Curl
Take advantage of gravity and leverage to enhance your muscle-building experience by incorporating spider curls into your training program. Also referred to as the reverse incline curl, this exercise has a similar set-up as the chest-supported row. But instead of pulling your elbows back to target your lats, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts, you’ll contract your biceps to curl a barbell (or dumbbells) toward you.
Let Your Gains Preach for Themselves
Building bulging biceps requires plenty of high-quality reps that recruit the two-headed muscle to fully stretch and contract. While there are ample curl variations that can help you achieve that rounded look, the preacher curl deserves to be near the top of your biceps exercise list because it makes you stay strict with your form and removes momentum from the equation. Earmark it for pull day or whenever you work on your arms and get ready to show off the fruits of your labor when you flex.
FAQs
What are preacher curls good for?
Preacher curls are great for promoting biceps growth and development. As an isolation exercise, it targets your biceps muscle without letting you use your lower half for assistance with squeezing out extra reps.
How do you do a proper preacher curl?
To perform a preacher curl with proper form, you must set up a preacher curl bench so that your upper arms and chest are in contact with the pad. Using an EZ curl bar, barbell, or dumbbells, contract your biceps and lift the weight toward your shoulders. Squeeze at the top, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
What angle should a preacher curl be?
The ideal angle for a preacher curl bench ranges between 45 to 55 degrees. This gives you ample room to stretch and contract your biceps fully for maximum muscle growth and overall development.
References
Lung BE, Ekblad J, Bisogno M. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Forearm Brachioradialis Muscle. [Updated 2023 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526110/
This is definitely true and not a holiday that I just made up.
Okay, I did make it up, and it doesn’t matter what day it is – you’ve decided you want to try again (that’s awesome! .) And you want to find a way to make changes that stick this time.
Luckily, whether this is the first time you’ve had to respawn or the 50th, you’re in the right place.
I’m going to share the same step-by-step strategy we’ve used to help 15,000+ nerds restart their fitness journey in our Coaching Program, and we’re gonna have a tiny bit of fun along the way.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Why It’s Okay to Start Again
So you already bailed on a goal or habit or routine this year.
Welcome to the club.
It’s called “being human!”
There are 8 billion of us.
Statistically speaking, MOST people have already abandoned the resolutions they’ve set for the year, and it’s no wonder! Behavior change is a complex process. [1]
We all start with hopes and dreams for what we can accomplish, but then we encounter this ugly thing called “reality.” We find out that maybe we picked the wrong goal, or we tried to do too much, or life managed to get in the way.
This is amazing news!
I like to think of life like a giant video game, which means we’ll need to get comfortable with running up against a challenge, dying, starting over, and trying again! That’s what makes a game actually fun.
As the saying goes, “Success is moving from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.” So, congrats for already finding a strategy that doesn’t work for you right now.
Let’s get to work on fixing that!
First step’s first…
STEP 1: FORGIVE YOURSELF
We’re often our own worst critic and our own worst enemy.
When we stumble at a task or goal, that voice in our head will very quickly point out all the things we’ve done wrong or how we’ve screwed up.
We might call ourselves a nasty name, or berate ourselves for not having enough discipline.
There’s another way to think about this:
You discovered a strategy or tactic that doesn’t work for you! For example, if you went Keto and bailed, great! That’s a diet that doesn’t work for you. I personally love carbs, so Keto sounds terrible to me too!
Treat the voice in your head like a roommate. You just both happen to occupy the same brain. Just because our brain thinks something doesn’t mean it’s true! I like to imagine my thoughts came from Chaz, a weird roommate. He means well but he doesn’t always know what he’s talking about. Also, he has a ferret.
It’s also possible the strategy or tactic is still USEFUL, just in a different context. For example, if you tried calorie counting, and it didn’t work, that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to throw out that tactic FOREVER. But we need to figure out why it wasn’t a good fit for us RIGHT NOW – so we can learn from it.
You’re reading this, which means you’re trying to improve your life.
You found a few methods that don’t work for you.
And you’re ready to try again.
This is amazing and should be celebrated.
As NF Coach Matt explains in the video below, “self-compassion” is really important when attempting to fulfill New Year’s resolutions:
STEP 2: ASK WHAT WENT WRONG?
So, you conducted an experiment with your goals for this year, and you did not get the results you were expecting.
That’s neither a good nor a bad thing. Like any other experiment, it just… IS. You had a hypothesis (“I am going to stick with THIS diet, and THIS workout plan”), and that turned out to not be true.
Great! That’s information we can use, my scientist friend.
Let’s write down specifically what your experiment entailed.
“I was going to transform into a mythical phoenix.”
Look at your list: this is a combination of variables that don’t work for you right now.
IMPORTANT POINT: Learning from the millions of people who have come through Nerd Fitness over the past decade, my guess is that your experiment didn’t work out for one of two reasons:
#1) You built an idealized goal for a romanticized view of life:
Life is chaos, and we all have a lot going on. When we expect to have a beautifully organized schedule, our kids won’t get sick, and work won’t run late…we’re setting ourselves up for failure.
And when we set our expectation at “perfect adherence to the plan,” one missed day can be enough to derail our progress completely.
Fortunately, as John Steinbeck wrote, “Now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” Perfection is a trap, so we’re instead going to focus on being pretty good, most of the time.
We need a plan that fits into the chaos that is life, and is not built for a perfectly clear schedule! Those don’t exist.
#2) You tried to change ALL the things:
Your goal was 1,800 calories a day instead of your normal 3,000.
You tried to run 7 days a week when you don’t exercise at all now.
You said you were going to write 5,000 words a day but don’t write normally.
Instead of changing all the things completely or not changing anything, what if we changed a few things, a tiny bit?
We’re never going to get everything done, certainly not all at once. So like a video game, we need to stop trying to fight 10 level-100 dragons at the same time when we’re a wimpy level-1 wizard!
We need to pick ONE target, that’s our level, and then as we level up and get stronger, tackle bigger monsters.
So, let’s try to do less with our next experiment, okay? It’s better to laser-focus on building ONE new skill than it is to attempt to change so many things at once that we end up in the same place we started!
To avoid getting the same results, we need to change the variables in the experiment.
You know, science!
Remember, any good experiment has accurate measurements for the factors they are changing! You don’t just put “some uranium” in a nuclear reactor. You know the exact amount.
For your next attempt consider adjusting one of the following:
#1) Change the exercise variable:
Did you enjoy the exercise you attempted? If you discovered that you hate running, great! Never do that again. “Exercise sucks,” so I would pick something that sounds more fun.
Did you try to exercise 5 days a week for 60 minutes a day? What if you instead decided to go for a 5-minute walk every day to practice the habit first, and then increased the difficulty?
#2) Try a substitution rather than addition:
ADDING a brand new exercise routine into an already busy schedule can be really challenging. The same might be true with severely restricting your calories, which can be really uncomfortable and make you hangry and angry.
Let’s try this instead: Substitution! Here are three examples:
Making healthy swaps with our diet: How you eat is 80-90% of the weight-loss equation, and you’re already eating every day. So focus on substituting a vegetable for fries once a week, or swapping sparkling water for soda. You can also keep a food journal and change up your breakfast twice a week.
Temptation bundling: combine an exercise/activity you want to do with an activity we already love: Listening to a great audiobook, but only when we’re out for a walk or on the treadmill, or joining a friend on a bike ride (to a winery or pub!).
Do ONE activity mindfully every day: meditation is amazing for developing the skill of being present and cultivating awareness, but it might be tough for us to set aside 20 minutes to sit alone with our thoughts. So why not practice being mindful during something you’re already doing! Practice mindfulness while brushing your teeth or washing the dishes in the sink. No extra time required, all of the benefits!
#3) Adjust your “win scenario”:
I get it. You were able to train in your home gym for the first few weeks of this year, going for at least an hour.
But THEN…work got busy. And you only had 30 minutes, which wasn’t enough time to get through your workout. So why not set the win scenario at “30 minutes,” or “15 minutes,” or “1 exercise”? Lower the bar!
This is not an on-off switch. It’s a dial that we can turn UP or turn DOWN based on how busy our life is that day:
Let’s imagine we’re on a 10-year journey, and we’re trying out all sorts of tactics, strategies, and rate of change to see what works best for us.
Doing your workout today is not nearly as important as building a routine of working out that fits into your life for the next decade.
We can stop asking, “Do I have time for my workout” and instead ask “What workout do I have time for?”
There’s nothing that says “a workout must be 60-minutes in a gym.”
Example: if you roll out your yoga mat for 1 set of 1 exercise, it counts as a win. Doesn’t matter if you did a full hour-long workout or a 5 minute set of push-ups.
Feel free to turn the dial all the way down when life gets really busy, just don’t turn it off.
STEP 4: RESPAWN and try again
When you play a challenging video game, you’re going to die. A lot. (I died literally thousands of times when playing Hollow Knight, one of my favorite games in recent memory).
What happens after you die in a game?
You respawn, and try again!
You’ve learned a new tactic or pattern. You have a new technique. You’ve uncovered a secret. You also have all the knowledge of every past attempt. You’ve also just gotten better. So you try, again.
And again.
And again.
And then you succeed, and that works for a while. Until it stops working. And then you change your tactics again and keep going.
There’s no shame in trying something that doesn’t work when it comes to our health. Life is one giant experiment, we’re all disasters, and we’re all doing our best!
We have hundreds of stories of normal people who kept struggling to find the thing that would work for them, but they kept reading and they kept trying, and then finally – something clicked.
And that next attempt is the one that changed their life’s path.
This next attempt might be the one that works for you too!
I know hacking your experiments to get better data isn’t exactly “scientifically smart” or “morally responsible,” but I’m the one writing this guide and we’re all friends here, right?
Once you start your new experiment, here’s how you can stack the deck in your favor:
#1) Write everything down. Write down your workouts. Write down what you eat. Treat it like a science experiment, and you’re collecting data! Plan ahead. Be PRO-active (“I will do Strength Training Workout A at 4pm and tonight I’ll have roasted chicken and bacon-wrapped asparagus) instead of RE-active (“What should I do for exercise right now?” and “Ah, what’s for dinner? Oooh, Burger King!”)
#2) Recruit allies to your team. Don’t go this alone, as you’re more likely to succeed based on the people you spend time with and hang around. So recruit allies. Start spending more time with people that empower you (even virtually), rather than people that enable you and drag you down. Join a running group online. Find a lifting “accountabilibuddy,” or someone you can check in with.
#3) Hire a professional. There are two types of coaches worth the investment:
An in-person trainer if you are looking to supercharge your form on specific exercises like Olympic lifts, squats, deadlifts, etc. An in-person trainer can be good for people who need the accountability of somebody they’ve paid to meet them in the gym. Here’s how to find a good trainer!
An online coach that represents mobile, worldwide accountability. I’ve had a coach for years and it’s changed my life. Knowing that I have a workout and nutrition strategy to follow each day helps simplify the process for me. Less thinking. More doing.
As Coach Matt explains below, sometimes “outsourcing” help can be a real game-changer when trying to get in shape (or back in shape):
GET BACK IN THE FIGHT
An old mandrill named Rafiki once taught me: “Yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.”
Okay maybe he taught that to Simba in The Lion King, but I too learned the same lesson:
TO RECAP:
#1) Forgive yourself. You wouldn’t talk to somebody else the way you talk to yourself. So have some freaking compassion! You’re trying.
#2) Identify what experiment you JUST tried. Write down what you believe went wrong over the past few weeks. Congrats – you found a strategy that doesn’t work.
#3) Pick a new path, try a different variable. A good scientist meticulously tracks their data and writes down their hypothesis. I would change one of the following:
Nutrition: change less. If you couldn’t stick with a diet for 3 weeks, it was too restrictive. Try a different path. For help, check out our Guide to Healthy Eating. It’s designed to build on one small tiny improvement over time.
Win scenario: don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good.”
#4) Then try again.
For #5 (“Supercharge your results”), I have two perfect ways to help you respawn today:
We receive free products and receive commissions through our links. See disclosures page.
Transparent Labs is renowned for its commitment to high-quality products, avoiding questionable ingredients like dyes, artificial sweeteners, and harmful additives. Grass-fed whey protein powders, creatine monohydrate powders, and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements are among their most popular products. This article zeroes in on their best-selling BCAA Glutamine product, specially formulated for muscle repair and recovery.
The well-documented benefits of BCAAs make them invaluable to minimize delayed-onset muscle soreness. By incorporating l-glutamine, Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine adds an extra layer to this product’s potential success.
In this Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine review, our team of personal trainers, CrossFit coaches, weightlifting competitors, and registered dietitians breaks down the ingredients, taste, solubility, and effectiveness to assist you in determining the product’s true worth.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.
Key Takeaways
Every serving contains five active ingredients formulated to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, alleviate muscle fatigue, reduce post-workout soreness, boost post-workout muscle growth, and enhance performance.
Contains zero colored dyes, unnecessary fillers, artificial sweeteners, or harmful additives.
Suitable for vegan (made with fermented vegan BCAAs) and gluten-free diets.
All active ingredients are included in clinically effective doses, maximizing your chances of reaping their benefits.
As the name suggests, this BCAA supplement has a transparent ingredient list. It is also third-party lab tested, ensuring you receive a safe product containing exactly what is stated on the label.
The four unique flavor options can help keep your taste buds refreshed and prevent monotony.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Cons
It is pricier compared to alternative BCAA products, making it potentially unsustainable for some budgets.
The flavors come off as too sour for some customers. If you don’t like tart beverages, you may want to try another BCAA supplement with sweeter or milder flavors.
It includes stevia, a natural sweetener that may lead to digestive discomfort in some people.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Specs
Price per serving
$1.33
Flavors
Blue Raspberry, Sour Green Apple, Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical Punch
The Breaking Muscle staff has researched over 50 BCAA products and tested more than a dozen. We’ve acquired a reliable understanding of their comparative strengths and weaknesses by analyzing their taste, the cost per serving, the amount of BCAAs offered per serving, and whether or not they’re third-party tested.
Here’s how we rated Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine:
Factor
Rating (out of 5)
Price per serving
4
Formulation
4
Available flavors
3
Taste
3
Solubility
5
Side effects
5
Third-party testing
5
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Review
Breaking Muscle team member showcases a container of Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
With numbers like those you’re probably wondering why this product rates so highly in several key areas. Without further ado, let’s delve into the details to answer all your burning questions.
Price Per Serving
Each 1.28-pound tub of Transparent Labs BCAAs costs around $39.99 when making a one-time purchase. With 30 scoops per tub, each serving costs $1.33. The company website offers a monthly subscription that gives you a 10 percent discount on the total price, plus free shipping. If you subscribe, the product cost comes to around $35.99, and each serving is $1.20.
In comparison, XWERKS Motions BCAAs are priced at $1.63 per serving, while Jacked Factory BCAA Powder is available at $0.67 per serving at the time of this writing. Since Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine falls in the middle of other BCAA supplements we’ve tried, we gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Formulation
Transparent Labs uses clean, simple, effective ingredients in this product, earning it a solid 4 out of 5 rating for formulation. Active ingredients include a BCAA 2:1:1 ratio of leucine (four grams), isoleucine (two grams), and valine (two grams). These are complemented by five grams of glutamine and one gram of coconut water powder, supplying electrolytes.
BCAAs are essential amino acids (EAAs) that you must consume through food since the body doesn’t make them. Of the three BCAAs, leucine is most notably a key regulator of muscle protein synthesis, needed to build muscle. (1) The suggested “threshold” for leucine intake is often cited as two to three grams daily to maximize muscle building. (1) However, individual dietary needs may vary, and it’s advisable to consider overall protein intake and dietary sources.
Valine and isoleucine aren’t as involved in muscle protein synthesis, but take on other roles. Valine helps stimulate muscle regeneration and is involved in energy production. Isoleucine supports glucose (sugar) uptake by muscle cells to be used for energy. This could help improve muscular stamina and improve endurance during a workout.
Glutamine is an addition unique to this product. As the most concentrated amino acid in the human body, it’s crucial for cell function and growth. (2) By enhancing protein synthesis and muscle tissue development, glutamine aids in muscle building and recovery. (2)
Supplement fact label listing the ingredients in Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
One gram of coconut water provides electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, and magnesium. These minerals help regulate fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions. Since you sweat and lose electrolytes during prolonged exercise, electrolytes are important for maintaining proper hydration for optimal physical performance.
Additional ingredients consist of citric acid for preservation and flavor, natural flavors, stevia for sweetness, tartaric acid for flavor and sourness, and calcium silicate along with silicon dioxide to prevent caking and clumping.
Stevia is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener commonly used in food, drinks, and supplements that may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some individuals. Certain components of stevia that are not fully absorbed in the upper digestive tract reach the colon, where they then undergo fermentation, potentially leading to mild gas and bloating.
Available Flavors
The Transparent Labs website offers a selection of four flavors: Sour Green Apple, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blue Raspberry. This variety allows you to rotate between flavors, so you don’t get bored. However, we’ve tried other BCAA supplements that offer an even larger range of flavors. For example, Xtend Original BCAA Powder is available in 18 flavors on Amazon, and Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy comes in 10 flavors.
Since the number of flavors available in Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine is relatively small compared to the competition, we rated it 3 out of 5 stars here.
Taste
Our expert tester wasn’t thrilled with the Strawberry Lemonade flavor of this BCAA supplement, rating this category a 3 out of 5. She described it as bitter with an unfortunate aftertaste, so diluting it with additional water could help reduce the bitterness. Again, we only tested the Strawberry Lemonade, so your experience may vary depending on the flavor you choose.
It’s important to note that customer reviews on the company website are mixed regarding taste. Like our product tester, some aren’t blown away, but others seem to like it. One customer who approves of the taste says, “Tried a few times, the taste of strawberry lemonade is refreshing and it does boost my energy during the workout!” As taste is subjective, determining your preference for this product may require a personal trial.
Solubility
Breaking Muscle team member pours a scoop of BCAA Glutamine powder into a water bottle
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine shines in the area of solubility, earning it a high rating of 5 out of 5. When mixed with liquid, our Breaking Muscle tester noted it dissolved well and didn’t leave behind any clumps or floaties. This is where the non-caking agents included in this product come into effect, delivering a smooth, well-dissolved amino acid supplement.
Potential Benefits and Side Effects
BCAAs may offer an extended sense of energy and increased time to muscle fatigue, meaning you can train harder for longer. Additionally, BCAAs may reduce muscle damage, inflammation, and DOMS after a workout, so you can get back to training faster. Finally, BCAAs may support the preservation of lean mass during times of fat loss, indirectly supporting weight loss.
The benefits of BCAA supplements are highly dependent on your diet. If you eat enough protein through food or a quality protein powder, your health benefits from additional BCAAs may be limited. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, therefore a high-protein diet delivers adequate amounts of BCAAs.
Our product tester didn’t experience any negative side effects while using this product. When taken in appropriate doses, BCAAs are generally safe. Following the recommended dosage instructions on the product label is advised for safety and effectiveness.
That said, it’s always important to talk with your doctor before starting a new supplement, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition or are taking prescribed medications.
Third-Party Testing
All Transparent Labs products are third-party tested, and we gave their BCAA product a perfect 5 out of 5 here. Third-party testing is crucial for athletes who value product quality, safety, and transparency. On the Transparent Labs website, customers can conveniently access certificates of composition and certificates of analysis. These documents provide detailed information about the quantities of active ingredients in each product, along with the results of testing for harmful microbes and heavy metals.
Customers who purchase Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine can rest easy knowing the product includes what’s on the label and doesn’t contain potentially harmful amounts of heavy metals or contaminants.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine vs. XWERKS Motion
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine and XWERKS Motion may both be BCAA supplements, but they have many differences. Unlike BCAA Glutamine, which only includes two grams of carbs, Motion contains 25 grams of cluster dextrin carbohydrates, which are rapidly absorbed and may enhance physical performance and endurance. Customers using XWERKS Motion may feel more energized due to its carb content.
On the other hand, BCAA Glutamine contains eight grams of BCAAs, while Motion only includes three grams. Unfortunately, XWERKS uses a blend of BCAAs, so it’s unclear how much of each BCAA you are getting per serving. However, with only three grams total, it’s unlikely each scoop contains the two to three grams of daily leucine known to maximize its muscle-building benefits. They both have a BCAA ratio of 2:1:1, which research suggests is ideal for exercise performance. (3)
Furthermore, XWERKS Motion is only available in one flavor (raspberry lemonade), compared to the four flavors available for Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine. All Transparent Labs products are third-party tested, but there is no mention of third-party testing on the XWERKS Motion product page. Finally, Motion is more expensive, costing around $1.63 per serving, compared to BCAA Glutamine, which costs $1.33 per serving at the time of writing.
The product currently isn’t available on Amazon, however, customer reviews on the Transparent Labs website are positive, with a customer rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
One satisfied customer writes, “I’m so excited and happy with my BCAAs. The flavor is amazing! And it’s working wonders on my sore body.” Another customer noticed improvements in muscle recovery and said, “It gives me adequate energy to push myself even further. I have no recovery pain at all, my muscles are at ease & I can go day after day.”
Customers who were less satisfied with the product generally disliked the taste. One verified customer says, “I’ll likely try a different flavor than blue raspberry, as I can’t say it tastes excellent.” Another writes, “I like the fruit punch as the strawberry lemonade was way too sour.” While the flavor was unfavorable for some, most didn’t mind the sour taste and some even described it as refreshing.
Final Verdict: Is Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Worth It?
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine has a lot to offer, with eight grams of BCAAs, five grams of glutamine, and a dose of electrolytes. Depending on your overall diet and training regimen, this product could help you reduce muscle fatigue, improve endurance, and build lean muscle mass. At $1.33 per serving, it’s not the most affordable workout supplement, but the third-party testing and clinically effective doses might make it worth the investment.
FAQs
What are the ingredients in Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine?
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine includes four grams of leucine, two grams of valine, and two grams of isoleucine. In addition to BCAAs, it contains five grams of glutamine and one gram of coconut water for added electrolytes. The product is sweetened with stevia, a natural sweetener, and also contains citric acid.
What is Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine good for?
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine is formulated to support endurance and recovery. The BCAAs may improve endurance, increase time to muscle fatigue, and support muscle building. The glutamine supports muscle cell growth and repair. The coconut water is good for replenishing electrolytes, which supports hydration.
How do you take Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine?
To take Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine, mix one level scoop with 10-12 ounces of cold water or your preferred beverage of choice 30-45 minutes pre-workout, during, or immediately after exercise. Per the label, consume at least two servings daily for optimal results. To avoid potential side effects, do not exceed four servings per day.
What is the recommended dosage for Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine?
Transparent Labs recommends taking one scoop at least twice a day to gain the most benefits. Each scoop can be taken 30-45 minutes before, during, or following a workout. To avoid potential side effects, do not take more than four scoops daily. Consult with your healthcare provider before taking a new supplement.
Research
Plotkin, D. L., Delcastillo, K., Van Every, D. W., Tipton, K. D., Aragon, A. A., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2021). Isolated Leucine and Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation for Enhancing Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 31(3), 292-301. Retrieved Nov 24, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0356
O’Connell TM. The Complex Role of Branched Chain Amino Acids in Diabetes and Cancer. Metabolites. 2013; 3(4):931-945. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo3040931
Gervasi M, Sisti D, Amatori S, et al. Effects of a commercially available branched-chain amino acid-alanine-carbohydrate-based sports supplement on perceived exertion and performance in high-intensity endurance cycling tests. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020 Jan 20;17(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-0337-0. PMID: 31959202; PMCID: PMC6971972.
Want to get strong like these LEGO lifters but don’t how to start?
In this Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training (part of our Strength 101 series), you’ll have both the confidence to start getting strong with resistance training AND a plan to follow.
These are the exact strategies we use with our Online Coaching Clients to help them start strength training, and I’m excited to cover everything you need.
We’ll be digging into the following:
By the way, we’ve combined this article along with the rest of our strength articles into a “Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know” guide.
Grab it free when you join the Rebellion by putting your email in the box below.
Download our comprehensive guide
Everything you need to know about getting strong.
Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
How Do I Start Strength Training?
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.
You’ll look back years from now and thank “Past You” for starting strength training today.
And I promise, you WILL start strength training today.
After all, strength training or resistance training doesn’t need to be scary or overcomplicated!
Strength training really comes down to two things:
#1) Movement of any weight against “resistance”(including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.
#2) Progressive overload: doing slightly more than last time (lift heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will break down slightly during your workout, and then rebuild themselves as you rest and recover to be stronger and able to handle more the next time.{1}}[[1]]Powers SK, Howley ET. (2011). Exercise physiology: Theory and application to fitness and performance. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.[[1]]
Coach Jim explains the ins and outs of progressive overload in this video:
That’s all there is to it:do some resistance training and attempt to make it more and more challenging, and you’ll grow stronger.[2]
This means if you do ONE push-up off of a countertop right now, technically you’ve done a strength training workout.
It also means if you then do TWO countertop push-ups tomorrow, then you are officially following a strength training routine.
In other words…
Now, it’s SCIENCE TIME!
While learning the strength training exercises, you are allowing for proper communication to develop between your neuromuscular systems.
More efficient communication between your neuromuscular systems will result in something known as “proper motor unit recruitment.”
You may be asking yourself: what is a motor unit?
That’s okay because I was asking myself this same question.
A motor unit is a single motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates.
You can think of two different types of motor units:[3]
We all have small motor units, meaning that a single motor neuron innervates relatively few muscle fibers, and these smaller motor units are good for precise and detailed movements (e.g., moving your fingers).
We all also have large motor units, meaning that a single motor neuron innervates hundreds of muscle fibers, and these larger motor units are good for generating a lot of force (e.g., getting larger muscle groups like the quads to generate a lot of force to help in sprinting).
When you start strength training, you really are helping your muscles communicate bettertogether.[4]
How cool is that?
Now, there are many different “strength training” and “resistance training” paths.
Like a “skill tree” in a video game (with branching paths and progressions), you can progress up one path, and mix and match movements from others depending on the situation.
These paths depend on your goals and what equipment you have available to you.
What Are Some Examples of Strength Training?
Let’s chat about a few different types of strength training.
#1) BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
Bodyweight training is simply doing an exercise in which your own body is the “weight” you are “lifting.” For example, you might do a squat, a push-up, or an inverted row. These are all bodyweight strength training exercises.
This is the place where we start many of our 1-on-1 clients on their strength training journey.
Why? Two big reasons:
A) You always have your body with you (unless you are a ghost, in which case, this is awkward). This means you can work out ANYWHERE with bodyweight training:
B) Using your body for resistance training is the most “human” thing ever! By learning to push and pull and hang and squat and lunge, you are doing what your body is literally designed to do.
And by building strength, you’re making yourself antifragile and less injury-prone.
For many of our clients, bodyweight exercises are right in that sweet spot of being challenging while lowering the barrier to entry to get started.
Bodyweight training isn’t as easy to ‘scale’ the difficulty as some of the other strength training methods (“put more weight on barbell”), but you can get REALLY strong with just bodyweight training.
For example, you can start with knee push-ups, then go to regular push-ups, then elevated push-ups, then even up to things like handstands and handstand push-ups.
Dumbbells are a great first step into the world of weight training and strength training:
Most gyms will have dumbbells, even if it’s a basic gym in your apartment complex.
An adjustable set of dumbbells doesn’t take up a lot of room, which means you can have a pair at home without a large footprint.
Dumbbells make it easy to add difficulty to a bodyweight movement: holding dumbbells while doing lunges, for example.
Dumbbell exercises can be less intimidating than barbell training for some, and are a step towards barbell training.
Dumbbells have an added stabilization challenge,[4] and will point out muscle imbalances pretty easily (“oh my right arm is stronger than my left arm.”).
Dumbbells allow for single-arm and single-leg exercises to be performed. This can allow you to strengthen any muscle imbalances and can come in handy, especially after an injury.
You can scale easily. Once the 10-pound weights become too easy, pick up the 15-pound ones!
#3) KETTLEBELL TRAINING
A kettlebell is essentially a cannonball with a handle on it. They come in any weight imaginable, don’t take up a lot of room, and can be used in dozens of ways for a great compact workout.
Our 20-minute kettlebell workout has 8 simple exercises you can do with just one weight.
Although there are “adjustable kettlebells,” you’ll most likely be working with a single kettlebell, and then adjusting your movements for “progressive overload” (making the workout slightly more difficult each time).
If you are a member of a gym, they’ll probably have multiple kettlebells that you can use to level up.
#4) BARBELL TRAINING
Regardless of sex or gender age, if your goal is to get strong quickly, use 20 seconds of courage and get comfortable training with a barbell (I’ll help you, I promise):
“Progressive overload” is easy – you simply add weights to either side of the bar, allowing you to progressively lift more and more weight each week.
It’s much easier to go heavy safely – especially for lower body movements like the squat and the deadlift.
The biggest downside to barbell training is that to train at home, you need to have purchased a squat rack, a barbell, a bench, and enough weights for your house or garage (which can be an expensive investment, especially when starting out!).
If you want to try it before you buy it, you definitely will need to join a gym.
#5) MACHINE TRAINING
Although they’ve gotten a bad rap in previous years, machines are another excellent entry point into strength training! These are going to be one of the most common options at gym franchises like Planet Fitness or Anytime Fitness, and usually come with instructions on the side for how to set up and perform the exercise. They have the benefit of being able to add weight quickly to scale, and usually require less stability to perform. (I.e. you’re not trying to balance and coordinate the movement at the same time as lifting it as much.)
While we still encourage our clients to do free-weights to build stability, when you’re first getting started having the extra guidance from a machine can be helpful!
WHICH RESISTANCE TRAINING PATH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Not sure which path to pick? You’re not alone – this stuff can be overwhelming. The truth is that you’ll probably mix and match a variety of these different options as you go. However, if you’re unsure, we recommend starting with bodyweight exercises. Then you can add in one dumbbell or machine movement at a time to introduce more variety and options for yourself!
Want to take the thinking off of your plate and have a program designed with your specific needs and equipment in mind? Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. We get to know you and your goals, check your form via video, and make adjustments based on your progress!
Which Strength Training Program is Right for Me?
So, what’s the best workout program to start as a beginner?
Realistically, it’s the one that you will ACTUALLY do.
We have a saying that we love around here: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Barbell training might be optimal in terms of building pure strength quickly, but if you don’t see yourself getting to the gym regularly – or you’re too self-conscious to enter the free weight section (for now) – no problem!
Conversely, bodyweight training might seem convenient and easy to start now, but if you can’t motivate yourself to work out at home, you might be better off joining a gym.[6]
So let’s get you a workout program!
As we cover in our “How to Find the Perfect Workout Plan (for you)”: MOST beginners will be best served by following a “full-body” or “total body” routine, 2 to 3 times per week, with a day of rest in between each workout.[7]
This full-body workout will have 4-5 big compound movements.
A compound movement is an exercise that recruits LOTS of muscles simultaneously and forces your body to work in unison. These compound exercises are considered multi-joint exercises meaning that they involve more than a single muscle group.[8]
An example would be the barbell squat, which recruits every muscle in your core, butt, and legs to work together to lift the weight.
This is WAY more efficient – and effective at building pure strength – than doing 5 different isolated leg exercises.[9]
Why do 5 exercises when 1 exercise will get you better results in 20% of the time?
In order to balance our full-body workouts, we want to make sure we pick exercises that spread the work out across the entire body. One helpful way to do this is to think of exercises as fitting into one of three different ‘buckets’:
Push Exercises – these are exercises that generally work the front of your upper body. Things like push-ups, bench press, and overhead press all fit in this category.
Pull Exercises – these are exercises that generally work the back of your upper body. This includes rows, pull-downs, and chin-ups.
Lower Exercises – these are exercises that work your legs. Squats, deadlifts and lunges are some of the biggest bang for your buck exercises here.
By balancing your workouts across all three of these buckets, you get a well-rounded full-body strength program!
I can already tell what you’re next question will be: but how many sets and reps of each of these exercises should I do as a beginner?
Reps in the 1-5 range build super dense muscle and strength.
Reps in the 6-12 range build equal amounts of muscular power, strength, and size.
Reps in the 12+ range primarily build muscular endurance and size and also cardiovascular health.[10]
If you want more, Coach Jim breaks down different set and rep ranges in this video:
Many beginner strength programs will encourage you to keep things simple, doing just 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise.
Personally, I encourage people to aim for a weight that they can lift for 8-10 reps. This gives you a chance to really work on your form and lift safely!
The max lifts will come later, my friend. You gotta learn to walk before you can run!
To recap, our recommendations as you get started are:
Pick a type of strength training that you have access to and are excited to try (body weight, barbell, etc.)
Perform 2-3 full body workouts per week, with at least 1 day of rest in between each
Pick 4-5 compound exercises that work multiple muscles at once for each workout
Perform 8-10 moderately challenging reps of each exercise for 1-3 sets
If your main goal is to get stronger and/or put on muscle, following a more traditional, pure-strength-style gym workout is going to get you there faster.
TRUTH BOMB: ANY strength training workout will help you reach nearly any goal provided you do two things:
Increase the difficulty of your workouts. This is that “progressive overload” stuff we were talking about earlier. Doing 1 more bodyweight squat, lifting 5 more pounds, or completing your circuit 10 seconds faster than the last workout. By forcing your body to constantly adapt, your muscles will never get complacent and have to keep burning extra calories and rebuilding themselves stronger.
The 5 Best Beginner Strength Training Programs
“Alright Staci, are there any ‘out of the box’ beginner workout programs I can start following now?”
Yup! Let me share with you some of our suggestions:
Here are 5 resistance training workouts you can follow TODAY. Pick the level that you feel most comfortable with, and then level up when you feel ready:
#1) BEGINNER BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT:
Our Beginner Bodyweight Workout has a variety of rep ranges to promote endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health. We’ve added new progressions and even created a handy tracking sheet for free if you sign up for our newsletter.
Complete one set of each exercise and then move directly to the next exercise:
10 assisted bodyweight squats
10 elevated push-ups
10 dumbbells rows (using a gallon milk jug)
15 to 30-second knee plank
10 bodyweight good mornings
20 walking jacks
Repeat for 2 rounds
Once that feels easy and you want to level up, try this sequence:
Otherwise, you can move on to weight training when you feel comfortable!
#2A) BEGINNER NERD FITNESS DUMBBELL WORKOUT
If you are just getting started with dumbbells and you’re looking for a beginner workout program to follow, this is an example of a workout that includes dumbbells with your bodyweight training:
10 goblet squats
10 push-ups
10 dumbbell rows per side
I knew you’d ask, so here is a Goblet Squat video explanation:
So, probably not in a phone booth or a closet or a bathroom stall. But other than that, pretty much anywhere else.
Complete 3 Kettlebell Workout Circuits:
8 Halos (each side)
10 Goblet Squats
8 Overhead Presses (each side)
15 Kettlebell Swings
8 Bent Over Rows (each side)
6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)
#3) BARBELL TRAINING: 2-DAY WORKOUT SPLIT
As we cover in our “How to Train in a Gym” guide (where we take you from “lost sheep” to “barbell badass”), this routine is a much more focused weight training, strength-building workout that gets your feet wet with barbell training. Click on ANY exercise to learn how to do it properly.
NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY A
Do 3 rounds of:
NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY B
Do 3 rounds of:
Alternate between these 2-4x per week and there’s your program!
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER POPULAR STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAMS?
#1) “Starting Strength” is considered the gold standard beginner barbell weight training program by many. We highly recommend you pick up the actual book if you are serious about barbell training – it’s one of the most important training books you can ever read.
#2) Strong Lifts 5X5:A solid workout program that starts you out very slow, with just the barbell, and helps you master form before you get too heavy. It also keeps things VERY easy with “do 5×5.” Strong Lifts has been around for a long time and is a solid program.
#3) Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1: This program allows you a little more freedom to do exercises that you enjoy, or work on personal weaknesses, because you choose some of the assistance work.
Note: You can modify any of the barbell training programs to be done with dumbbells, if that’s what you have at home!
Lastly, you can always write your own workout plan! I wrote my own workouts for a decade and it taught me a LOT about training and health.
We do have our own 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program where you’ll work with a coach who will build a strength training workout program for your body type and goals, check your form on each exercise via video, and even help you plan out your nutrition too.
The simple-to-learn but tough-to-implement answer: lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.
And then, try to lift sliiiightly more than last time.
Here are two common questions on strength training:
#1) How much weight should I start with?
If you are using dumbbells or a kettlebell, always err on the side of “too light” versus “too heavy.” You want to learn the movement correctly and build correct form.
If you are training with a barbell, ALWAYS start with JUST the bar, no matter the exercise (By the way, a standard barbell weighs 45 pounds).
#2) How fast should I add weight to the bar?
Here’s what we teach all of our coaching clients: add the minimum amount of weight each week you can, even if you THINK you can lift more. It’s better to finish a workout full of momentum and say “I can do more!” than defeated and saying “That was too much, crapola.”
Think of it this way, even if you are adding just 5 pounds per week to the bar, within a year you would be lifting 300+ pounds!
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recommends a similar approach:[14]
For less trained people (i.e., beginners), it is recommended that for upper body exercises you increase the load by 2 – 5 pounds and by 5 – 10 pounds for lower body exercises.
For more trained people (i.e., advanced), it is recommended that for upper body exercises you increase the load by 5 – 10 pounds or more and by 10 – 15 pounds or more for lower body exercises.
So go SLOW. Even slower than the NSCA recommends if needed.
Team NF’s Steve even bought little half-pound weights and increased many of his lifts by just 1 pound per week. It’s a big part of how he transformed (jokingly) from Steve Rogers to Captain America.
The 9 Best Strength Training Exercises to Learn
If you’re new to all this “strength training” stuff, hopping into a program and going from zero to sixty might be a recipe for failure.
Instead, be patient, and take the time to learn these movements first.
I’m going to share with you the 9 best strength training exercises that every beginner should master (scroll down for full video and explanations!):
1. Push-up: uses every push muscle in your body (chest, shoulders, triceps)
2. Bodyweight squat: uses every muscle in the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)
3. Bodyweight row: works every “pull” muscle and helps prepare you for a pull-up!
4. Pull-up or chin-up: the best “pull” exercise in history! Everybody should have a goal to get their first pull-up.
5. Bodyweight dip: advanced “push” movement that targets your push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) in a different way than push-ups.
6. Barbell squat: the best bang for your buck on muscle building. recruits nearly every push muscle in your whole body, and a great core workout.
7. Barbell deadlift: the favorite exercise of every coach at Nerd Fitness. Uses every “pull,” leg, and core muscle in your body.
8. Barbell benchpress: as basic and powerful as they come. Uses every “push” movement in your upper body and can get you strong as heck!
9. Barbell press: press the bar above your head! Targets shoulders and triceps more than the chest.
All of the exercises listed above are considered functional (closed-chain) exercises. That means they relate to our everyday movements and can be used to predict our success in sports, recreational and occupational activities, and activities of daily living.[15]
When attempting all of these above-listed exercises, aim to master the movement and perform the exercise through its entire range of motion (ROM).
Why?
Because it will decrease your risk for injury, activate all of the appropriate muscle groups, and result in greater muscle hypertrophy.[16]
Let’s go over these now.
Click on any of these exercises to get a FULL explanation of the movement, step-by-step:
1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):
2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose: it is the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!
3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength: your back, biceps, and forearms.
4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your bodyweight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet?)
5) The Bodyweight Dip: As you start to get stronger with push-ups and need to find a way to increase the challenge, consider doing dips – warning: these are very advanced, but incredible strength-building exercises.
And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:
6) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:
7) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”
This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to do it with proper form:
8) The Barbell Press: Press a barbell above your head. This recruits all of the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms in order for you to lift the weight over your head.
As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.
9) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.
NOTE: All exercises were explained according to the guidelines that have been established by the NSCA.[17]
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.
How to Know You’re Doing a Strength Training Movement Properly (Form Checks)
Always start out with just your body’s weight and make sure your movement is correct!
If it’s a barbell movement, use a broomstick (or PVC Pipe).
If it’s a dumbbell movement, use two sections of PVC or something else that is light and small to simulate a dumbbell.
When it comes to movements like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench presses, your form is crucial. Develop good habits with lightweight and you will save yourself months of frustration later and will protect you from injury.[18]
If you’re struggling with certain elements of a movement, don’t get frustrated! Remember, proper communication between your neuromuscular systems needs to develop.
Do regular video form checks! Record yourself and watch the video.
Alternatively, an expert reviewing your specific movement can be invaluable.
If you’re looking for someone who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on your progress, you can check out our 1-on-1 Online Personal Training!
I’ve had an online coach for 4 years and it’s changed my life.
You could also get expert guidance in person: Look around at your local strength and conditioning gyms and see if you could hire a coach (here’s how to find a good personal trainer) for one or two sessions just to go over the basic movements.
When I started, I really liked practicing all of the movements at home because I could watch a video online at the same time as I was watching myself do it in a mirror. Studies have found this can actually help![20]
Not only that, but you can find study after study after study that shows you the benefits of strength training for weight management when combined with “calorie restriction.”[22]
As we cover in our “Why Can’t I Lose Weight?” article, here’s why eating a caloric deficit and strength training is SO magical when combined:
When you strength train – by picking up something heavy – your muscles are “broken down” during the exercise itself, and then they rebuild themselves stronger over the next 24-48 hours.
Guess what happens during those 24-48 hours?
Your body will divert as many calories consumed as necessary to “Rebuild Muscle!”[23]
It also diverts additional calories to “Burn as Fuel” to handle this increased “muscle rebuilding” activity.
This means two amazing things:
Your metabolism is revved up for this time period, burning more calories than normal.
Rebuilding muscle is a calorie-taxing activity!
Not only that, but when you eat a caloric deficit, your body doesn’t have enough calories to fuel all the day’s activities. In these instances, your body will pull from your stored fat to make sure all the work still gets done.
This is the trifecta of physical transformation victory:
You get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
You burn through the fat you’re trying to get rid of.
You’re decreasing your body fat percent and keeping your muscle = look good naked.
In other words, strength training + eating right is the BEST path for weight loss out there! And yes, in certain situations, you can actually lose weight AND build muscle at the same time.
Coach Matt explains how to gain muscle WHILE losing fat in this video:
So how do you put this into practice? Pick one of the strength workouts in this article. Calculate your daily caloric needs. Learn about healthy eating. And start.
STEP #2: TRY A NEW EXERCISE: In addition to following a workout program, I’m gonna push outside of your comfort zone – that’s where real growth happens.
STEP #3) HIRE A YODA: If you are somebody who just wants to be told exactly what to, how to train for your goals, and are good at following directions, consider hiring a coach.
I’ve been working with an online coach since 2014 and it has changed my life – and I do this stuff for a living!
No matter what you do today:
Don’t be afraid of doing anything wrong – truth be told, the majority of the people in the gym don’t have any idea what they are doing, and are just as nervous as you are!
Muster up your 20 seconds of courage if you need to, and let me know in the comments how it goes!
What questions do you have about getting started?
So, what’s the biggest thing holding you back from starting strength training?
-Staci
PS – Check out the rest of the articles in our STRENGTH TRAINING 101 series:
We receive free products and receive commissions through our links. See disclosures page.
Out of all the cardio machines on the market, exercise bikes offer the best calorie burn in the smallest space possible. Certain bikes can work your entire body, some are low-impact, and others add a major dose of FUN to your training.
Despite packing an efficient punch, the best exercise bikes cost similar to rowing machines — as little as $300 to well over $2,500. Imagine the horror of spending thousands of dollars just to find out you don’t love your shiny new cardio equipment?!
Lucky for you, I’ve done the research for you and gathered a list of the 13 best exercise bikes, so you can pick the right one for you.
How We Chose the Best Exercise Bikes
The Breaking Muscle team comprises a passionate squad of fitness aficionados, including conditioning coaches, spin instructors, competitive triathletes, and home gym owners. Altogether, our team has tested and reviewed 50+ exercise bikes — from the cheapest to the most expensive — putting them through rigorous a 13-point protocol.
From there, we chose the best exercise bikes by category rating each from 1 to 5 based on criteria like:
Adjustability: Are the handlebars and the seat adjustable to fit various body sizes?
Customization: Can you swap in your own pedals, saddle, and handlebars for a more custom riding experience?
Tech capabilities: What interactive tech is available, if any? Is there Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity available?
We have lots to cover… so gear up and let’s dive in!
Our Top Picks for the Best Exercise Bikes
Best Exercise Bike Overall: NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike
Pros
Excellent classes and courses with iFIT
Smooth resistance with impressive incline/decline
Multiple convenient accessories
One-year iFIT membership included
Bluetooth connectivity
Cons
Slightly cumbersome to move
Limited workouts without iFIT subscription
Higher-priced exercise bike
The NordicTrack S22i is hands-down the best exercise bike overall. We had three product testers take this bike for a ride to tell us why it won our top pick.
Working out on the NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike
This NordicTrack bike’s programming, screen, and connectivity are excellent. Our product testers love the complimentary one-year iFIT membership because you can do live coach-led workouts, on-demand studio classes, and outdoor courses.
Plus, the 22-inch touchscreen is high-definition, so it looks like you’re riding through a trail in Hawaii or taking a spin class in person. It also swivels, so you can do other iFIT workouts off the bike without needing to see the screen from the rest of your home gym.
With 24 smooth-adjusting, magnetic resistance levels, our Breaking Muscle staff members found the riding experience on the S22i impressive.
They were pleasantly surprised that this bike inclines up to 20 percent grade and declines down to -10 percent, which is rare for a spin bike — the angle can even be auto-adjusted during your workouts by your iFIT coaches. The resistance and incline levels adjust digitally, which feels higher-end than push buttons.
NordicTrack included a series of convenient accessories on the S22i. For starters, our product testers like the dual water bottle holders and the built-in fan to keep you hydrated and comfortable during your rides. Plus, the media shelf helps hold your smartphone, and there’s even an easy-access storage tray for the two (complimentary) three-pound dumbbells.
When it comes to mobility, the S22i is more cumbersome than you’d expect. Our product testers found the front wheels helped it move, but there’s no handle at the back, so you have to awkwardly lift it from the rear stabilizer beam for the wheels to kick in. They also noticed you need to be careful with the big screen knocking into things as you reposition it. Combined with its 205-pound in-box weight, a second person can be helpful when moving the bike.
Unfortunately, the S22i’s programming is limited if you don’t have an iFIT membership. Without it, you essentially just have the machine in manual mode. There are a few free bike workouts in iFIT that you can access without the recurring subscription, but even the live chat agent couldn’t confirm this and suggested we call their Customer Service team.
With the impressive build quality and tech of this NordicTrack Studio Bike, it’s no surprise that it commands a higher price. At the time of publishing, it retails at $1,999 — making it comparable to the Peloton Bike+. Remember, you’ll also need an ongoing iFIT subscription to use the bike to its full potential. That said, I think it’s well worth the cost, considering the bike’s features and the value of the iFIT membership.
All the above considered, we rank this 4.5 out of 5 stars for its excellent classes and courses with iFIT, smooth resistance with incline/decline capability, and convenient accessories.
Best Air Bike: Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X
Pros
Rugged, beefy design
Excellent console capability
Impressive frame and parts warranty
Extreme calorie burn
Cons
Repairs can be challenging
Large and cumbersome to move
Fan-based style is loud
The Pro X is a beast of an air bike. Our product tester loved its belt drive because it’s smoother than their more affordable Assault Bike Classic and the previous model (the Assault Bike Pro), both of which have chain drives.
Working out on the Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X
At first use, its 125-pound weight stood out, as it’s incredibly sturdy even when pedaling and pushing as hard as possible. Almost everything on this unit is metal; a full-metal construction means it’s seriously rugged and should last years, even when used by heavier and stronger athletes.
Assault Fitness uses the same “Elite” monitor on all their air bikes, and after testing 10+ air bikes, it’s become our product tester’s favorite. The physical buttons are easy to touch and colored, which is an underrated feature you’ll appreciate if you’ve done a HIIT workout on an air bike. The console’s high-contrast LCD screen also displays all the essential metrics: heart rate, calories, distance, RPM, and more. The included programming intervals and Bluetooth connectivity are a great benefit as well.
Highlighting the stats displayed on the AssaultBike Pro X’s monitor
Having reviewed dozens of cardio equipment pieces over the past three years, I’m personally impressed by Assault’s warranty on their Pro X. The frame is covered by a seven-year warranty, with a three-year warranty on moving parts.
Many companies try to pass the majority of frustrating part repairs on to their customers by only covering “non-wear and tear” parts. However, Assault breaks the mold by explicitly covering “moving” parts for the first three years. Knowing you can put the Pro X through brutal workouts day after day while being covered on parts delivers serious peace of mind.
One of our Breaking Muscle staff members has extensive experience repairing air bikes and says swapping a belt or changing internal components can be a nightmare. Bike repairs often need special parts and are best done by a certified technician, so expect any significant repairs to take multiple hours, with most of your help coming from how-to/troubleshooting videos. To be fair, this applies to air bikes bought from any company — not just Assault Fitness.
Because the Pro X is large, it can be cumbersome to move. One of our product testers found the easiest way to transport it is to lift it from the rear stabilizer until the wheels contact the floor. Still, the 125-pound weight with its 52-inch x 24.5-inch footprint makes this air bike challenging to move compared to the Concept2 BikeErg, and it might be too much for some users.
In general, fan bikes might not be the best choice for home gyms that have to be careful of noise levels. As a fan-based bike, the Assault Bike Pro X is loud.
That said, the fan-blade system of the Pro X appears to be a regular bike hub with fan blades welded to it — making it much smaller than what you’d find on the Rogue Echo bike. This smaller size means less air displacement, and some Breaking Muscle team members were surprised by how quiet it was in comparison.
All the above considered, we rank this 4.4 out of 5 stars for its rugged design, excellent console capabilities, and impressive warranty.
Best Exercise Bike With Classes: Echelon EX-8s
Pros
Amazing 24-inch HD touchscreen
Huge class selection with Echelor Premier
More affordable Fit Pass is also available
Designed and engineered in the USA
Sleek bike design
Cons
Subscription quality is lacking
High price for bike specs
The one-year warranty is disappointing
One of our product testers took the Echelon Connect bike for a ride and was immediately impressed.
It features an oversized 24-inch curved touchscreen, which feels enormous but immersive when working out. Combine that with the high-definition quality and LED lights that sync to your workout metrics, and it feels like you’re cycling in a live studio class — which is super motivating. The dual-facing speakers offer great sound, and the screen flips 180 degrees, so you can easily view it for Echelon Premier workouts.
By joining their Echelon Premier Membership at $39.99 monthly, you unlock daily live classes and over 15,000 various, on-demand classes. Premier members receive exclusive discounts, a more comprehensive range of class difficulties, and up to five user profiles. With this membership, you can also view a leaderboard and compete against others, see when your friends are online, and check other users’ stats worldwide. Finally, the Echelon app syncs your console with your Strava, Zwift, Apple Health, FitBit, and Spotify profiles and data.
Alternatively, Echelon offers a more affordable “Fit Pass” at $11.99 monthly. This plan is best if you want to work out anywhere, anytime, without needing any equipment. Fit Pass includes 60+ instructors, 40+ daily live classes, challenges, and more. I like their range of workouts; they have everything from cardio and core training to meditation and barre. They even have a travel-the-world-fitness class option, which reminds our product tester of JRNY and iFIT.
Despite the massive class selection, our product tester finds the quality could be better for the monthly price, even if you sign up for a two-year plan ($29.16 monthly). She notes that the price seems high for what it is because it isn’t as produced as Peloton’s live and on-demand classes, but it isn’t bad — the production quality just isn’t quite there yet.
The EX-8S retails for $3,079.50, but it’s on sale for $1,699.99 at the time of publishing. The sale price is way more reasonable, but the original cost seems expensive for the actual specs of the bike. Considering the Peloton Bike+ is more affordable and offers a better warranty, I wouldn’t be surprised if more customers jump ship.
Echelon’s warranty on the Connect EX-8S is flat-out disappointing at just one year. Their 30-day return policy and financing option are typical, but our product tester couldn’t believe the warranty is only one year, especially for such a steep retail price. If you’re an active Echelon Premier member, you can enjoy the benefit of full warranty coverage for up to five years. However, this requires an ongoing monthly membership for 60 months, costing you a whopping $1,700 over those five years in subscription fees.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.8 out of 5 stars for the outstanding 24” HD touchscreen, along with the workout subscription options offered through Echelon Premier and the more affordable Fit Pass.
Best Exercise Bike for Seniors: Horizon 5.0R Recumbent Bike
Pros
Mobility-friendly access
Sturdy and stable design
Simple and intuitive controls
Lighter flywheel is easy on joints
Smooth magnetic resistance
Cons
The bike requires some assembly
123-pound weight might be too hard to move
Touchscreen console requires basic tech skills
The Horizon 5.0R is excellent for seniors due to its mobility-friendly design. For example, the low, step-through frame helps you access the seated position even if you struggle with mobility or leg strength. Once you’re ready to sit down into the seat, there are front handlebars that you can hold for support as you sit down — they also make it easier to stand up after your workout.
I’m impressed by the sturdiness of the 5.0R, which is a blessing because most seniors have trouble with their balance.
The large 66-inch by 25.2-inch footprint and lower seat position result in a more stable machine. The flywheel, however, weighs just 15.4 pounds, which makes it easy to pedal at first and is gentler on your joints. That said, 100 magnetic resistance levels are available, so you can still get a smooth but seriously intense workout.
I’m also glad to see toe clips on the pedals; they help keep your feet from slipping out, which is more likely on a recumbent bike due to the reclined angle of your feet. The extra-large, adjustable seat includes a backrest and handlebars along the sides. Even though you have a near-zero chance of slipping out of the seat during your workout, holding the handlebars for extra support and peace of mind is nice.
Finally, I’m pleased with this exercise bike’s simple controls and convenient features. For one, the screen and control buttons are easy to see and reach while seated. Further, a built-in fan and an included water bottle holder keep you comfortable and hydrated during your rides. All of these features add a nice touch for older populations.
Unfortunately, the bike does require some assembly. There’s a helpful assembly video, but according to Horizon, lifting the main frame out of the box requires two people. Because of the box size, weight, and assembly, this might be too much work, depending on your strength and mobility.
Horizon does have an in-room delivery option for an extra $199 if you’re experienced with basic tools and would prefer to assemble it yourself but want the large box brought in by another person. Alternatively, they offer white glove delivery and assembly for $239, including room-of-choice delivery, complete setup and assembly, and packaging removal.
At 123 pounds, this exercise bike might be too heavy for a senior to move. There is a carrying handle at the bottom rear of the machine, and once you lift it from the handle, you can wheel it to another location. Indeed, you’re not lifting the entire bike — some of the bike’s weight will be resting on the wheels — but combined with its large footprint, you might find it unmoveable without some help.
Finally, the touchscreen console requires basic tech skills. You’ll be okay with the console if you can operate a smartphone or tablet. That said, some seniors rely only on analog (push) buttons and might find the touchscreen and controls too confusing to use if they’re not tech-savvy.
All the above considered, we rank this 4 out of 5 stars for its mobility-friendly access, sturdy and stable design, and simple yet intuitive controls.
Best Spin Exercise Bike: Diamondback 1260sc
Pros
Spin-studio-quality bike
Lots of adjustments to fit many riders
The console connects to many apps
Many convenient add-on features
Cons
Awkwardly placed water bottle holder
Adjusting levers is difficult
No programming included
The Diamondback Fitness 1260sc is a fantastic spin-studio-quality bike. The rear-mounted 31-pound flywheel gives it extra smoothness, similar to riding a bike outside. Even better, Diamondback Fitness uses a belt to drive the flywheel — making it significantly smoother and quieter than a chain-driven system. Although our product tester didn’t think she’d like the magnetic resistance lever, she grew to love its premium-like clicking sound. All these finer touches make the 1260 comparable to an exercise bike from a commercial gym studio.
Riding the Diamondback 1260Sc bike at our testing facility
To add to the studio feel, the 1260 is highly adjustable. The handlebars are two-way adjustable (up, down, forward, and back) and have plenty of grips, so you can find a comfortable hand position whether riding in or out of the saddle. The two-sided pedals have toe clips for maximum safety and cycling efficiency, while the other is a classic flat pedal. Thanks to the two-way adjusting seat and the variety of available heights, our five-foot, four-inch tall product tester fit perfectly with a couple of inches to spare.
This Diamondback Fitness bike connects to many ANT+ apps and wearables so that you can pair it with Garmin and Wahoo products. Our product tester enjoys the vast range of apps connecting via Bluetooth FTMS (Fitness Machine Service protocol). This latest tech lets you connect your fitness equipment to popular apps like Zwift, Rouvy, Myzone, SPIVI, and others — tracking your watts, time, distance, rpm, heart rate, and more.
Our product tester doesn’t love where they put the water bottle holder and vertical adjustment levers on this bike. Since the water bottle holder is mounted in front of the post, she has to awkwardly lean forward and reach around the front post to grab water while riding. The adjustment levers also don’t open easily, so they require a lot of force to pry them open. Once opened, adjustments are no problem — but the initial sticking point of the levers is no joke.
The console on the 1260 is as simple as you can get, and it lacks any interactive features you’d see on a Peloton+. The console doesn’t provide any programming, so you must do your workouts manually, pair the console with an app, find free online classes, or join a subscription service like iFIT.
The monitor on the Diamondback 1260Sc is pretty basic.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.9 out of 5 stars for its spin-studio quality, impressive adjustability, and wide range of console connectivity.
The BikeErg is extremely easy to move, making it the best portable exercise bike due mainly to its materials and construction. Built mostly from aluminum, it’s lightweight and compact (48 inches long by 24 inches wide), which minimizes excess weight while retaining durability. It also weighs only 68 pounds when fully assembled, making it lighter than most exercise bikes and a little over half the weight of the Horizon 5.0R Recumbent Bike.
The C2 BikeErg includes caster wheels that make moving it a breeze. Once the machine tips up for the wheels to kick in, you can roll it smoothly to wherever you want it to go. You can fit it into most vehicles by removing the seat and handlebar posts, making it easier to haul to another CrossFit box or gym.
Its high portability is heightened further by its adjustability, customizability, and versatility. The handlebars can be adjusted up, down, forward, and back. Similarly, you can raise or lower the seat and tilt it to +/-15-degrees. I’m impressed the BikeErg is compatible with most cycling parts — letting you change the saddle, handlebars, and pedals as you see fit.
One of our Breaking Muscle staff members has used the Concept2 BikeErg extensively and is continually impressed by its versatility. They enjoy it for long endurance rides and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Unlike an air bike like the AssaultBike Pro X, the Concept2 is a jack-of-all-trades.
There are a few downsides to the Concept2 BikeErg. First, it’s rather noisy. Like the other Concept2 cardio machines, the BikeErg is also fan-based, so a loud whooshing sound is made when you pedal. Compared to a quiet electromagnetic bike like the BLANK, I could see some users being annoyed by the noise from the fan. The higher damper settings restrict airflow, reducing the loudness, but you might still need headphones or earplugs if it bothers you.
If you enjoy using interactive consoles, you might be slightly disappointed by Concept2’s Performance Monitor (PM5). It lacks the engaging and interactive aspects of the NordicTrack S22i’s iFIT membership console. The screen is small and lacks speakers. Plus, it doesn’t offer live or on-demand workout classes — you must pay for a separate subscription service.
Finally, the BikeErg isn’t cheap by any means. It’s a quality spin bike (technically fan-based, but it doesn’t count as an air bike due to the lack of moveable handlebars), so you can expect it to cost a pretty penny. You’ll save some money going with a more economical brand, but whether you’re willing to sacrifice on performance and the power of the PM5 is up to you.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.9 out of 5 stars for its easy portability, highly adjustable components, impressive customizability, and versatility.
When you lead a busy life, keeping a regular exercise habit is easier said than done if it takes 30 minutes to an hour — enter the CAROL.
Quick note: our product testers trialed the original CAROL bike, but this review is based on the 2.0 version of the CAROL. We’ll note any updated features of the 2.0 version below.
A Breaking Muscle team member working out on the CAROL Bike
This bike is the best for weight loss because it gives you an effective workout in just five minutes, so you can easily fit it into your busy schedule. There’s no excuse with the CAROL because your workout takes just five minutes. This means you can do it any time during your day, making it much more likely that you’ll stick with your new exercise habit.
The CAROL is also ideal for weight loss because the workouts use an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to calculate your optimal resistance. Simply choose one of 18 different workouts and fitness tests; the upgraded console 2.0 will walk you through it without any confusion, making it suitable for any age and fitness level. You even get access for up to eight riders with the home membership, so you can help others in their quest to live healthier, too.
Selecting a workout on the CAROL Bike’s monitor
This bike also supports weight loss through data-driven results. The first model of the CAROL had heart rate monitors built into the handlebars, whereas the 2.0 model includes a chest-strap heart rate monitor to track your training. Each workout refines what it’s learned to tailor workouts to your fitness level, then shows your progress using precise data like your overall fitness score, heart rate metrics, peak power, energy output, and global and local leaderboard stats. Seeing your fitness improve with nearly every workout will entice you to return.
Unfortunately, you’re locked into paying for the ongoing $15 monthly membership if you want a fully functioning bike. Without the membership, you can still do a manual ride, but the resistance will stay at the starting resistance and never change — making it practically useless for a real workout. For this reason, changing the intensity and using the bike to its maximum potential requires a recurring membership.
Next, the CAROL is relatively expensive. Based on the bike specs alone, it doesn’t live up to the price because it costs more than the Peloton Bike+ and doesn’t include live or on-demand classes like iFIT. Further, it’s roughly ten times the price of our most affordable exercise bike, the Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike. Remember, though, this bike isn’t made for interactive fitness classes or enjoyable rides — it’s for people who want the best results from the shortest workout possible.
Sadly, the warranty falls short based on its $2,500 price tag. Like the Echelon EX-8s, it only has a one-year warranty, leaving much to be desired. Our product tester doesn’t think you’ll have any issues with the bike breaking down. and there’s a 100-day home trial if you change your mind. Still, she wishes the warranty was much longer, and I couldn’t agree more.
All the above considered, we rank this 4.1 out of 5 stars for its AI-controlled motorized resistance, detailed and data-driven console, and beautifully sleek design.
The Bowflex VeloCore has a sleek and modern look, and our product tester was impressed with its high-quality build, finding it fun and easy to use. She appreciates the smooth-feeling 33-pound flywheel with 100 levels of magnetic resistance for quiet but intense workouts. This bike’s belt drive requires minimal maintenance and delivers a consistent performance. It has an adjustable seat, two-way adjusting handlebars, and dual-sided pedals that accommodate regular or SPD shoes — essential features for optimal comfort, especially if you’re a triathlete.
The bike comes with a choice of two screen sizes, 16-inch or 22-inch, and each is an HD, responsive touchscreen that connects to the JRNY app for live and on-demand workouts. Based on your level, an initial fitness assessment determines what classes JRNY recommends for you to try. There are also options to “explore the world” by biking around different destinations. The JRNY subscription even lets you stream entertainment like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney+.
The bike’s most distinctive feature is the ability to lean from side to side, creating a more dynamic and engaging riding experience. The leaning feature claims to activate muscles, burn more calories, and improve balance and coordination. The bike also has a stabilizer bar that can lock the bike in place for a more traditional ride. The leaning feature works with the JRNY app, which offers scenic rides and interactive games that challenge you to lean and steer along the route.
One downside to the VeloCore is the price, ranging from $1,799 to $2,199 based on the screen size chosen. Going off the price alone, the Diamondback 1260sc is a better choice if you’re not interested in being able to lean as part of your workouts.
The bike also requires a monthly subscription to the JRNY app, which costs $11.99 monthly or $99 per year. However, the bike’s functionality is severely limited without the subscription because you can only use the manual mode, and you can’t stream anything.
The bike’s leaning feature is the main selling point of the bike, but it may not be as beneficial or enjoyable as it sounds. It claims to activate more muscles, burn more calories, and improve balance and coordination, yet no scientific evidence on the product page supports these claims. Plus, more moving parts and sensors than a regular bike make it more prone to wear and tear. It might not be worth the extra cost and hassle for users who prefer a more stable and less gimmicky ride.
All the above considered, we rank this 4.2 out of 5 stars for its excellent spin bike design, highly adjustable components, and innovative bike-leaning feature.
Best Affordable Exercise Bike: Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike
Pros
Affordable and highly-praised
Excellent value for the money
Highly adjustable like other spin bikes
Convenient features included
Amazon’s 90-day return policy
One-year warranty on parts
Cons
Limited console capability
Accessory parts are flimsy
Durability concerns
The YOSUDA Indoor Cycling Bike is a highly affordable exercise bike, on sale for $249.99 at the time of writing. Compared to many other bikes in this article, it’s the most budget-friendly option. Despite its economical price, I’m pleasantly surprised by its great reviews on Amazon: 4.⅘ stars based on feedback from 21,788 customers.
Our product reviewer is impressed with several features of this bike typically found on spin-studio-quality bikes. First, the flywheel is 35 pounds for a smooth riding experience that rivals cycling outdoors, and the steel frame feels heavy-duty for peace of mind while riding. The belt-driven system also minimizes noise and, combined with the mechanical (friction) resistance, is quiet enough to operate without disturbing sleeping kids or neighbors.
Like the NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike, the Yosuda also offers two-way adjustable handlebars and a four-way adjustable seat to ensure it fits as many cyclists of different sizes as possible. The built-in transportation wheels make moving it around easier, and the bike includes a device and water bottle holder.
However, the YOSUDA bike has some drawbacks that may make you think twice before buying it. The bike’s console has no programming, so you’re on your own for making or sourcing structured workouts. It also lacks Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, so you can’t sync it with cycling apps like Zwift or fitness devices like a heart rate monitor. Further, our Breaking Muscle team member’s LCD monitor was wobbly and seemed like it was about to fall off. It appears that Yosuda invested in some quality parts but cut corners on the rest.
For example, during testing, our product reviewer’s Yosuda had some pieces breaking off, such as the pedal strap. The bike seat was comfortable only for the first few minutes and already started to experience small tears, and the water bottle holder felt flimsy. Many reviews claim it’s a common experience for many parts to wear out or break off after a few months of use.
Finally, he provided some clear guidance on its durability. At around $300, it’s a great price but not a durable bike — it will likely need replacing in about two years. The Yosuda is fine if you’re looking for a quick short-term fix, but it’s not a forever bike.
Suppose you prefer to make your exercise bike investment once. In that case, you may want to save for a more expensive and reliable bike that offers a better value and riding experience, like the Diamondback 1260sc.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.8 out of 5 stars for its affordability, value, adjustability, and high praise on Amazon.
Best Recumbent Exercise Bike: Schwinn 290 Recumbent Bike
Pros
Compatible with JRNY® + ZWIFT apps
Bluetooth speakers and connectivity
Convenient accessories included
Cons
Pedals aren’t easy to adjust
The step-thru area is a tripping hazard
90-day labor warranty is lacking
I’m pleasantly surprised with the Schwinn 290’s console and connectivity. You can use the JRNY® app on the 7″ LCD screen to access 200+ virtual courses that automatically adjust your bike’s resistance to the course’s terrain.
Alternatively, there are trainer-led classes for a workout with a more human touch. There are many workout durations and class types, so you’ll most certainly find an intensity and trainer matching your preferences. Best of all, you get a two-month free trial to JRNY® when you buy the 290 Recumbent Bike.
If you’re a ZWIFT fan, the console is compatible with that platform, so you can virtually interact, train, and compete against others worldwide. The speakers and console even have Bluetooth capability to connect to your smartphone or tablet easily. If you prefer to play your own music playlist or sync your heart rate monitor, both are possible on the 290.
While almost twice as expensive as our choice for the best affordable exercise bike (Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike), the Schwinn 290 packs impressive features to make this an excellent value exercise bike.
The console includes a media shelf and USB charging port to rest your smartphone or tablet on within view for a hands-free workout without worrying about battery life. It also features a water bottle holder attached to the side of the backrest for easy hydration access, whether you like water or the best electrolyte powders during your rides. Due to its 107.6-pound weight, the transport wheels are super convenient for moving, especially if you plan on storing it away between workouts.
Regarding downsides, I don’t like how the foot pedals adjust. You can tighten and loosen them quickly, but you must push the selector tab into your desired strap notch to lock a size in place. Securing the tab is shockingly tricky, even more so if you have big feet or struggle with mobility.
You’re better off getting a rough estimate of the notch you need, dismounting the bike, and adjusting them with both hands. Based on my experience with these, I feel like a classic cinching strap of the Concept2 BikeErg or a plain velcro strap would be more user-friendly.
Further, the step-through area is just too cramped for my liking. It’s so small that you must angle your foot to pass it through the step-through area. As a result, I could see this being a tripping hazard for anyone with mobility or weight challenges. I’m surprised to see this area redesigned because the Schwinn 270 Recumbent — the model that the 290 has replaced — featured a much larger area for you to step through. Because of this safety oversight, I’d recommend the Horizon 5.0R over this recumbent for seniors.
Sadly, you won’t get a great labor warranty with the 290. The parts are free if anything breaks on this exercise bike within the first two years. However, the labor warranty is only 90 days — ridiculously short. This means you’ll have to figure out how to replace the part(s) yourself or pay a technician out-of-pocket to repair your bike.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.5 out of 5 stars for its JRNY® + ZWIFT apps, Bluetooth speakers and connectivity, and convenient accessories.
Best Folding Exercise Bike: Marcy Foldable Upright Exercise Bike
Pros
Folds away to save space
Relatively portable, if required
Multiple surprising features
Two-year warranty
Cons
Console is basic
No programming or connectivity
This foldable upright bike collapses inward to a compact 21.5-inch depth, and the backrest folds down, so the height is only 47 inches. This means it can easily be tucked away in a closet when not in use. Although it didn’t make our top choice list, a Marcy upright bike can fold. While snagging the best upright exercise bike overall spot is unlikely, the folding feature is underrated if you work out in a small space.
Marcy’s folding bike is relatively portable. It features transport wheels, making it easy to move from one corner to another without lifting and carrying the entire bike. Depending on your strength, you could carry it up or down a flight of stairs if needed because it only weighs 37 pounds — making it one of the lightest exercise bikes featured in this article.
The features of this folding exercise bike surprised me. It boasts a 250-pound weight capacity, which is great for its lightweight frame. When folded out, the 14-gauge steel feels sturdy, so I’m confident it’ll hold up to its listed weight limit. The pedals have foot straps like the Horizon 5.0R Recumbent Bike, and they’re also weighted, which makes getting your feet inserted much easier. The two-year warranty was higher than expected for a budget-friendly folding bike like this.
One downside is that the Marcy foldable bike’s console is pretty barebones, displaying only the distance, time, speed, odometer, and burned calories. It has no built-in programming, meaning you’re stuck with the manual mode and might need a subscription to vary your workout. Unsurprisingly, the console also lacks Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity, so no apps or fitness devices will pair or sync with it. If tracking your workout data is crucial, find an alternative method or bike.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.5 out of 5 stars for its folding feature to save space, portability, and multiple surprising features like sturdiness, pedals, and warranty.
The Cubii Move has six adjustable resistance levels using the knob in the center of the machine, so you can customize your workout intensity and challenge yourself as you progress.
The LCD screen displays the metric you’ve selected, and this under-desk exercise bike can track a surprising number of metrics, from stride count and mileage to duration and calories burned. The reset button is large enough to press it with your toe without bending down and using your finger.
This under-desk machine is free and compatible with the Cubii app, which lets you manually add your data, join challenges, and access 300+ expert-guided workout classes. Through it, you can connect with other Cubii users and share your achievements and goals.
The Cubii is lightweight and portable, weighing only 18 pounds. Thanks to its glass-filled nylon construction, you can quickly move it from room to room. This means it’s not difficult to bring it home from your office, so you can continue to use it while watching TV after your workday — storing it under your bed or in a closet when not in use.
This under-desk elliptical isn’t suitable if you’re looking for a high-intensity or full-body workout. It only targets your lower body muscles: quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. However, the range of motion is significantly smaller compared to a recumbent exercise bike. It also doesn’t provide much cardiovascular or calorie-burning benefits compared to other exercise machines.
The Cubii may not work well on thick carpets as the rubber feet might sink, causing the unit to wobble and shift out of place. Also, it might not fit under some desks or chairs, depending on the height and clearance. You may need to adjust your chair or desk height to avoid hitting your knees on the underside of your desk. Lastly, you may also need to wear comfortable shoes or socks to prevent blisters or discomfort on your feet.
All the above considered, we rank this 3.5 out of 5 stars for its low impact, good metrics, free app, and portable build.
The screen on the Peloton Bike+ is amazing. It is a 23.8-inch HD (1080p) touchscreen that rotates 360 degrees, so you can easily switch between your cycling workouts and exercising off the bike. The screen also has a high-fidelity sound system, a front-facing camera, and a microphone so that you can interact with other riders and instructors with crystal-clear quality. The camera even has a privacy cover, which many camera-shy people can appreciate.
I like the screen’s responsiveness and how easy it is to navigate. It displays all the metrics you need to track your performance, like cadence, resistance, output, heart rate, and calories burned. It even features a reduced-reflective and anti-smudge coating, so your fingerprints won’t end up all over the touchscreen.
Peloton offers various live and on-demand classes to suit your preferences and goals. I love the availability of classes and the huge selection of music choices like pop, hip hop, rock, R&B, the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and Broadway. The classes range from five to 75 minutes, though from what I’ve seen, most classes fall in the 20- to 30-minute range. Sometimes, if I’m in the mood for a longer workout but can’t find a 45-minute class that interests me, I’ll “stack” two shorter classes together.
I particularly enjoy the Power Zone classes, where different parts focus on staying within a certain heart rate zone, and the climb or HIIT rides, where the intensity is slightly higher than regular classes. There are also many beginner classes, and even though I consider myself more advanced in fitness, I enjoy the beginner classes occasionally for active recovery.
Unfortunately, the bike is expensive. The Peloton Bike+ costs $2,495, a lot of money for an exercise bike.
You also have to pay for the accessories, such as the shoes, the mat, the weights, and the heart rate monitor, which can add up to another few hundred dollars. The bike also requires a monthly subscription of $39 to access the classes and features, another recurring cost you must factor in. If you are on a tight budget, the Peloton Bike+ might not be your best option.
The Peloton Bike+ only works with the Peloton app and the Apple Watch, which means you cannot use it with other fitness apps or devices you might already have or prefer.
For example, you can’t use the bike with Zwift, Strava, Garmin, Fitbit, or any other third-party app or device. You also can’t export your workout data to other platforms unless you use a workaround involving screenshots or third-party apps. This can be frustrating if you want to integrate your Peloton workouts with your other fitness activities or track your progress on other platforms.
It’s also important to realize that you won’t jive with every instructor. As you ride the bike more and familiarize yourself with their personalities and styles, you learn who you connect best with.
For example, I’m not a big fan of over-the-top cheerleading or motivational talk when exercising, so I avoid the instructors who tend to lean that way during their classes. Several instructors were once competitive cyclists or Ironman/triathlon athletes. They provide a lot of insight into the mindset of an athlete, which I like a lot better, so I take their classes more often. The key is to test out many instructors and stick with who you enjoy most.
All the above considered, we rank this 4.25 out of 5 stars for its outstanding quality console, high-tech screen, and massive range of classes and music.
What Are the Benefits of Exercise Bikes?
Low-Impact Training
Unlike running or jumping, cycling places less stress on your joints, bones, and muscles. This reduces injury risk and makes exercise bike training suitable for all ages and fitness levels, especially seniors and those struggling with excessive weight.
Improved Cardiovascular Conditioning
Cycling increases your heart rate and blood circulation, strengthening your heart, lungs, and blood vessels over time. This allows them to handle higher cardio demands than they could have previously tolerated. Additionally, improved cardiovascular conditioning can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Can Support Weight Loss Goals
Depending on the intensity and duration of your workout, you can burn anywhere from a couple hundred to nearly a thousand calories per hour on an exercise bike. This can help you create a calorie deficit essential for losing weight.
Reduced Stress
Using an exercise bike can help you reduce stress and anxiety, as it releases endorphins and serotonin, which are natural chemicals that make you feel happier and more relaxed.
Lower Body Strengthening
Exercise bikes work out your lower body muscles, such as your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. This can improve your muscle strength and endurance, as well as your balance and coordination. Stronger lower body muscles can also prevent or alleviate lower back pain, knee pain, and other common ailments.
What to Consider When Buying an Exercise Bike
Exercise Bike Type
There are four exercise bike types: upright, recumbent, spin, and air.
Upright: An upright bike allows you to sit upright with the pedals directly below you. The handles are elevated and are closer to you than on a spin bike, and the seat is usually wider and more comfortable. This conventional riding position is great if you like longer rides that focus on your legs, but it’s less effective for high-intensity training than an air bike.
Recumbent: This style of bike has a seat with a back pad to support your middle and lower back, placing you in a reclined riding position. Unlike other styles, the pedals are at the front on a recumbent bike. The recumbent style distributes your weight evenly between the seat and the back pad, making it excellent for longer rides. Since you can relax your upper body more than an upright bike, it’s great for riders with back and joint issues. This style is also lower to the ground, so getting on and off the bike is easier — a major selling point if you struggle with mobility.
Spin: A spin bike, also known as an indoor cycling bike, is the closest style to outdoor cycling. The narrower seat and lower bring your upper body forward, giving your upper body a workout instead of just your legs. This style is less comfortable than an upright and recumbent bike but offers better performance, which is vital for those wanting to train at higher intensities.
Air bike: This fan-based bike style is sometimes called “dual-action.” Air bikes feature moving handlebars that you can operate separately or simultaneously with the pedals and provide resistance by the fan blades displacing air. The seat tends to be broader, and the pedals are below it, like on an upright bike. An air bike isn’t the best for long rides because it’s harder to maintain consistent resistance, but this style is unmatched for high intensity.
The Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X is an example of an air bike.
Cost
Exercise bikes can range from hundreds to a few thousand dollars. Generally, the higher-priced bikes include more features like high-tech consoles, more resistance levels, and better build quality. If you go too cheap, you can miss out on key features that prevent an enjoyable and safe cycling experience.
Dimensions
You want to ensure the bike fits comfortably in your room and doesn’t obstruct your movement or other furniture. You also want to check the weight and portability of the bike in case you need to move it around or store it away.
Remember, you’ll likely need one to two feet of open space on either side of your bike to get on and off and not feel cramped while riding.
Transport wheels, like the ones on the Diamondback 1260Sc, make an exercise bike easier to move around your gym.
Build Quality
The overall build quality of an exercise bike should be top of mind when shopping. Look for a steel frame over aluminum — it’ll be more robust and sturdier. High-quality exercise bikes often feature a higher weight capacity, so you can usually use the bike’s total capacity as a proxy for its build quality.
Noise
If you’ll be using your exercise bike at home, you’ll want to be mindful of how noisy the bike will be, especially if you’ll be working out when kids or neighbors might be sleeping. Noise level depends mainly on the resistance type of the bike.
Air bikes are by far the loudest because they’re fan-based, followed by mechanical-tension bikes since they apply resistance using friction pads. The quietest exercise bikes will be those that use electromagnetic resistance due to magnets applying tension to the flywheel.
You’ll also want to consider whether you’ll be watching live exercise classes or follow-along workouts on your console. These will project sound with speakers, but you can usually use headphones or earbuds to minimize the noise from any tech you use.
Seat and Handlebar Adjustability
The adjustability of your seat and handlebars is paramount to avoid injury, even more so if you’re taller or shorter than average.
Typically, you’ll want a bike that lets you adjust the seat in four ways: up, down, forward, and back. Seats with upward and downward angling are also beneficial for a more customized fit. Look for two-point adjustability at a minimum for the handlebars, which means they can be adjustable forward and back.
Adjusting the seat height on the NordicTrack Studio S22i
Console
Like all of the best cardio machines, exercise bikes vary widely in design, so it’s no surprise that consoles can be ultra-basic, high-tech, or even lacking altogether. Although rare, some exercise bikes don’t have a console.
The key is that not every console will show your revolutions per minute (rpm), distance traveled, heart rate, or calories burned — all of which aren’t mandatory for a workout but can be highly motivating for your long-term adherence and progress. Just remember that more detailed displays tend to come with a higher price.
Pedals
Typically, you’ll find three main types of pedals on exercise bikes: flat, cage, and clip-in.
Flat: This is your classic type of pedal, also known as the “platform” pedal in the cycling world. Flat pedals are precisely as they sound — flat. You just put your feet against them and pedal, making them incredibly easy to use. Unfortunately, they’re harder to control on the ascent of each revolution when you’re pedaling fast, and if your feet slip, you can bang your ankles or scrape your shins against the pedals.
Cage: This type of pedal is a flat pedal with toe clips attached to the front, which are flexible “cages” that slide over the toe box of your shoes. Toe clips hold your feet in place and make biking more efficient because you can apply force upwards without having your foot come off the pedal — allowing you to transfer that force back into the downward stroke. Since you can pull up on the pedal and push down, you can work your legs more to burn more calories.
Clip-in: Lastly, there are clip-in pedals. Exercise bikes built for serious cyclists will tend to feature clip-in pedals connecting to cyclists’ special shoes. Not to worry though, you can upgrade the pedals of most bikes to clip-in pedals if you like the bike itself, but they only have flat or cage pedals.
Available Programming
Exercise bikes with consoles can have all kinds of built-in workouts. The most popular are hill climbing, cardio, fat burning, and strength training.
Some bikes don’t include programming, like the Diamondback 1260sc. If you’re using your smartphone or tablet, a console lacking programming might be fine. If not, make sure the bike has Bluetooth connectivity at a minimum.
Bluetooth connectivity is the most popular connectivity method, allowing you to use apps like Peloton and Zwift. AMP+ is another type of connectivity, but it’s mostly limited to heart rate monitors, so I’d recommend using Bluetooth instead. It’s a bit more money upfront but opens up the available connections for apps, workouts, and more.
Available Conveniences
Exercise bikes can come with several convenient accessories to make your workouts more comfortable and enjoyable. Not all bikes include these, but you can often buy them separately to customize your exercise bike later.
Phone/tablet holder: If you have an exercise bike with a console lacking in streaming service and classes, then a media shelf is a convenient plus. A media shelf is just a hard plastic ridge that sticks out from the console to lay your device without it falling off. Without one, you’ll have to hold your device for the duration of your workout.
Water bottle holder: Having a water bottle holder is seriously underrated whether you’ll be doing shorter HIIT classes or longer endurance rides. The last thing you want is to interrupt your workout just because your water bottle isn’t within reach. One of our Breaking Muscle staff members runs into this problem every workout — they have an upright bike without a water bottle holder. While it’s possible to buy the holder separately, its absence from the stock version of the bike is an annoying omission by the manufacturer.
Built-in fans: Built-in fans are more common on the best treadmills than on exercise bikes, but some bikes, like the NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike, include them. If you sweat heavily, live in a hot or humid climate, or enjoy the added comfort of built-in airflow, it can be a convenient add-on for your bike. Remember, if your bike doesn’t include this feature, you can buy and mount a mini fan separately.
Weight rack: Some riders like combining bike rides with weight lifting using the best dumbbells. Similar to the water bottle holder, having a small weight rack to keep them within reach will save you from getting off your bike whenever you need to use them.
Wheels: If you’ll be moving your bike often, having wheels built into the bike is a nice feature. It means you don’t have to drag your bike and risk ruining your floor, making it easier to transport bikes over 100 pounds.
Heart rate handles: Most bikes are compatible with heart rate monitors, but it’s even more convenient to have handles with heart rate reading capability. Unfortunately, you’ll tend only to see these on upright or recumbent bikes in the premium price range.
Resistance Types
There are three types of resistance for exercise bikes: fan-based, electromagnetic, and mechanical.
Fan-based: An air bike is fan-based and creates resistance by the fan blades displacing air. This style offers a (theoretically) unlimited amount of resistance because the harder you pedal and push, the more air the blades will displace, causing greater resistance.
Electromagnetic: These bikes work with magnets on either side of the flywheel. As the magnets get closer to the flywheel, they apply more resistance. Because they use magnets, these bikes are smoother, quieter, have lower maintenance, and are easier to select during workouts but more expensive.
Mechanical: This style uses mechanical resistance in the form of friction pads made from wool or rubber. Most are designed so that you physically twist the resistance knob to add or remove the tension placed on the flywheel. Because of the friction, these bikes are noisier and often need more maintenance as pads wear out and become misaligned with heavy use — however, they are cheaper as a result.
Drive Type
When you turn the pedals on an exercise bike, the “drive” is connected to the flywheel; when that moves, you’ll feel resistance. There are two types of drives: chain and belt.
A chain-driven exercise bike will be more durable because the chain is metal, which makes maintenance cheaper in the long run. Unfortunately, it requires regular lubrication to ensure metal parts glide smoothly along each other. Also, chains are noisier than belts and feel rougher, so they’re often in fan-based and mechanical bikes.
Belt drives are quieter and smoother, so they’re usually in magnetic resistance bikes. The downside to a belt-drive bike is that the belt can loosen over time with heavy use and won’t last nearly as long as a chain — costing you more over time.
Resistance Levels
Exercise bikes have a vast range of resistance levels. Because there are also different types of resistance, there’s no universal standard or comparison method.
While knowing how many resistance levels there are on the exercise bike is helpful, the best way to see whether it offers the rate resistance range is to test it in person.
Once you have an exercise bike in mind, look for a local store where you can test it out in their showroom. Remember to bring your athletic attire and cycling shoes if you have them.
Warranties
There’s a massive range of warranties for exercise bikes, from as little as 30 days to as long as 15 years. I wouldn’t recommend settling with any less than a one-year warranty.
Based on the exercise bikes included in this article, ten years on the frame, three years on parts, and one year on labor is a solid warranty to look for if you value peace of mind from your purchase.
Weight Capacity
Weight capacity is an essential factor that affects the safety and durability of the bike because it reflects the craftsmanship and quality of the materials and parts used to build it. Choosing a bike with a higher weight capacity usually means getting a more robust frame and more durable parts like the pedals and flywheel.
Exercise bike weight capacities range from 200 pounds to over 400 pounds.
If you’re a heavier user, I’d recommend choosing a bike with a weight limit of at least 125 percent of your body weight. The closer you are to the bike’s weight capacity, the higher the risk of damaging it or injuring yourself. The bike can also become unstable, noisy, or shaky, reducing the quality of your workout.
Flywheel Weight
If you’re investing in the best exercise bike overall, flywheel weight should be one of the top things you consider. The flywheel is the heavy wheel at the front or back of the bike that spins when you pedal to create momentum. It’s linked to the pedals by a chain or a belt, similar to one in your car’s engine.
Flywheel weights can vary widely, from as little as six pounds to as much as 50 pounds. Most people will have a better biking experience with a heavier flywheel because it closely simulates riding a bike outside. I recommend looking for a flywheel between 14 and 20 kilograms (about 30 to 44 pounds). Typically, a heavier flywheel offers a smoother ride.
Suppose you’re working with a tight budget. In that case, I encourage you to sacrifice some bells and whistles like a sleek built-in tablet or a monthly class subscription because the flywheel weight is crucial for an enjoyable riding experience.
As a caveat, one Breaking Muscle staff member has used the Keiser M3i Bike extensively, with a flywheel weight of just eight pounds. It’s positioned at the bike’s rear to provide a different feel, but it can still offer an intense workout.
Final Thoughts
Exercise bikes have transformed home fitness, offering amazing exercise variety and adjustability in a small space.
The best exercise bikes combine interactive tech and powerful metric tracking without going overboard on the price.
At the end of the day, the best exercise bike for you depends on your budget, the size of your workout space, and the exercise bike features you value most.
Best Exercise Bikes: Side-by-Side Comparison
Best Exercise Bike Overall
Description:
Dimensions: 60″ L x 22″ W x 63″ H
Resistance levels: 24
Available programming: Yes (requires iFIT subscription)
Weight capacity: 350 pounds
Type: Spin
Best Air Bike
Description:
Overall dimensions: 51.73” L x 24.52” W x 52.51” H
Weight: 125 pounds
Weight capacity: 330 pounds
Display: High-contrast LCD screen
Best Exercise Bike With Classes
Description:
Dimensions: 59″ L x 23″ W x 65″ H
Resistance levels: 32
Available programming: Yes
Weight capacity: 300 pounds
Type: Spin
Best Exercise Bike for Seniors
Description:
Dimensions: 66″ L x 25.2″ W x 52.2″ H
Resistance levels: 100
Available programming: Yes
Weight capacity: 300 pounds
Type: Recumbent
Best Spin Exercise Bike
Description:
Overall dimensions: 59” L x 23” W x 50” H
Weight: 130 pounds
Weight capacity: 300 pounds
Display: LCD monitor to track workout metrics
Best Portable Exercise Bike
Description:
Overall dimensions: 48” L x 24” W; seat to pedal height ranges from 31″ to 40.5″
Weight: 68 pounds
Weight capacity: 350 pounds
Display: PM5 monitor
Best Exercise Bike for Weight Loss
Description:
Dimensions: 45.5″ L x 22″ W
Resistance levels: Not listed
Available programming: Yes
Weight capacity: 330 pounds
Type: Spin
Best Magnetic Exercise Bike
Description:
Dimensions: 59.8″ L x 24.1″ W x 55.3″ H
Resistance levels: 100
Available programming: Yes
Weight capacity: 325 pounds
Type: Spin
Best Affordable Exercise Bike
Description:
Dimensions: 40.16″ L x 21.65″ W x 46.06″ H
Resistance levels: 100
Available programming: No
Weight capacity: 270 pounds
Type: Spin
Best Recumbent Exercise Bike
Description:
Dimensions: 66.4″ L x 28″ W x 47″ H
Resistance levels: 25
Available programming: Yes
Weight capacity: 330 pounds
Type: Recumbent
Best Folding Exercise Bike
Description:
Dimensions: 39″ L x 22″ W x 48.5″ H
Resistance levels: Seven
Available programming: No
Weight capacity: 250 pounds
Type: Recumbent (foldable)
Best Exercise Bike for Small Spaces
Description:
Dimensions: 21.7″ L x 19.7″ W x 9.7″ H
Resistance levels: Eight
Available programming: No
Weight capacity: Not listed
Type: Under desk
Best Exercise Bike With a Screen
Description:
Dimensions: 59″ L x 22″ W x 59″ H
Resistance levels: 100
Available programming: Yes
Weight capacity: 297 pounds
Type: Spin
FAQs
What is the best exercise bike for home use?
The best exercise bike for home use is the NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike due to its excellent iFIT classes, smooth flywheel with incline/decline capability, and convenient add-ons.
How do I choose a good exercise bike?
To choose a good exercise bike, consider the type of bike, flywheel weight, adjustability, display, and convenient features. You also need to compare different models based on your budget, space, fitness goals, and personal preferences.
How long should you ride a stationary bike to get a good workout?
To get a good workout on a stationary bike, you should ride for 10 to 60 minutes. The exact duration depends on your goals, your fitness level, and the intensity of your ride.
How much does the best exercise bike cost?
The best exercise bike cost depends on what you consider to be the “best.” The best affordable exercise bike costs about $300, whereas the best exercise bike with a screen is roughly $2,500.
What are the best exercises for a stationary bike?
The best exercises for a stationary bike are light dumbbell-based exercises because they can fit on your exercise bike’s storage tray and be within reach without you needing to get off the bike.
“Can I get rid of my man boobs quickly and naturally?”
Awkward phrase? Sure.
But that’s not gonna get us to shy away from the topic here on Nerd Fitness.
We work on solutions to questions just like this with our Online Coaching Clients:awkward questions and challenging situations that are tough to talk about, but can be helped!
This is what we do, and we’re really good at it.
Today, let’s tackle the “moobs” situation head-on by covering all of the following in this MASSIVE guide:
Okie dokie, let’s jump in!
What are “Man Boobs”?
Let’s chat about some medical definitions, because it’ll help us put “man boobs” in some proper context.
Gynecomastia is defined as the benign growth of the male breast glandular tissue. The National Institute of Health states it’s usually caused by “increased estrogen activity, decreased testosterone activity, or the use of numerous medications.”[1]
Pseudogynecomastiais when male breasts are enlarged by fat deposits, due to an increase in body fat which distributes itself on one’s body according to genetics.
Most men who struggle with “man boobs” or “moobs” are in this second category, and the “pseudo” means they don’t really have the condition “gynecomastia.”
There is no hormonal imbalance.
Instead, the body is just storing extra fat in the chest area.
I’ll mostly be talking about shedding body fat and building muscle to lose “moobs,” but I will also talk about gynecomastia and medical conditions later.
Next up!
Can You Get Rid of Man Boobs?
Why do some men store fat in their chest?
We all process and store calories differently in our bodies.
And how our body stores excess calories is a critical concept for our discussion on “man boobs.”
If you eat more calories than you burn, day after day, month after month, year after year, your body has to do something with all that extra energy.
If we’re sedentary, more often than not, the body will choose to store that energy as fat to be used for later.
Depending on our genetics, our body might choose to store that fat in our butt, gut, thighs, or chest.
Probably a combination of all those things.
And for some of us, a large portion of that body fat deposits itself in our chest area.
And thus, man boobs.
So, in order to start reversing the process, we need to have a two-pronged approach to tackling the “moobs” problem naturally and safely:
Exercise and nutrition.
Specifically, strength training and calorie restriction.
If you are somebody that wants EXACT instruction and a nutritional plan that is designed to help you reduce your man boobs, check out Nerd Fitness Coaching. We’ve helped people just like you do this the right way.
Can Exercises Target Chest Fat?
Fat and muscle are two different ‘systems’ in our body.
Fat sits on top of the muscle, like oil on water.
When we target a specific area for weight loss, like with a Thighmaster, all we’re really doing is exercising the muscle underneath the fat on our thighs.
And don’t get me wrong – this is GREAT (the muscle, not the Thighmaster).
Strength train so more calories are diverted to rebuilding our muscle mass rather than getting stored as fat.
Strength train (again) to build up the muscle under the fat. Muscular pecs with a low body fat percentage look dramatically different than man boobs.
Here’s why: strength training preserves the muscles we have (and can help build pectoral muscles).
Our body also has to rebuild the muscle that breaks down while we exercise, so it uses any extra calories we have to do that rather than storing it as fat!
Think of it kind of like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter (come on, this is Nerd Fitness after all).
When we strength train, our body will act like The Sorting Hat and divert calories coming into House “Rebuild Muscle” and away from House “Store As Fat.”
It’s a message we really strike home in our video for Body Recomposition:
With a strategy of slight caloric restriction combined with enough protein and heavy strength training, we’re decreasing the body fat on top of our muscle, while also building up that same muscle underneath.
This results in tighter skin, with less padding (fat), stretched over firmer muscles.
Build up oour pectoral muscles (chest muscles under your “man boobs.”)
Same with broadening our shoulders.
We can also improve our posture to make sure we stand tall and proud, puffing our chest out and pulling our shoulder blades back.
In order to accomplish each of these goals, we’re gonna focus on building up strength in our PUSH muscles and our PULL muscles.
Our first stop will be push-ups, a foundational exercise for developing upper body strength.
We show the correct way to do one right here:
I don’t care if you need to do them from your knees or doing an elevated push-up:
KNEE PUSH-UP
ELEVATED PUSH-UP
We all start somewhere, and the name of the game is progressive overload – getting stronger with each workout!
In addition to the push-up, let’s consider the following as the best 5 Advanced Chest Exercises.
These are the types of exercises we build into the workout programs for our Coaching Clients looking to reduce chest fat and build up muscle in that area:
#1) Bench press (barbell or dumbbell).
If one piece of equipment is visually associated with a fitness gym, it would be a bench press. If you’ve never used one before, check out our guide on using a bench press safely right here.
#2) Incline bench press.
We can also work on an incline bench press to develop a more rounded-pectoral muscle that targets your upper chest.
Not only can our pectoral muscles help push forward, they also get worked out when we do an overhead press (though much less so than the bench press variations.)
Varying chest exercises is a good way to help attack all different sides and parts of our chest and build well-rounded pectorals.
Here’s a dumbbell variation if you can’t train with a barbell yet:
The dumbbell fly is another great exercise that targets the chest. This is one you want to make sure you do with good form. Lie on a bench like you are about to do a dumbbell bench press (but you’ll want to use MUCH lighter weights to start.) Keep your elbows slightly bent and your chest puffed up. Reach to the sides until you feel a great stretch RIGHT in the chest muscle, and then come back to the starting position.
As we cover in our “how to build your own workout” guide, make sure to do a push exercise in every workout to start building up pectoral muscles.
Again, start with push-ups.
Start doing them today.
Again, if you can’t do a regular push-up, a knee push-up is totally fine.
Just do them.
After you get cozy with push-ups, move onto the above advanced moves or follow some of the following workouts:
I asked the male members of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion about man boobs, and many have reported improving their appearance with these pectoral exercises.
Outside of improving man boobs, strength training will make every other aspect of your life better.
Bringing groceries in from the car, doing that thing that consenting adults do, and defending yourself against ninjas will all be much easier after strength training.
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include two other exercises that can change your life:
Show me somebody who is super strong at those four movements, and I’ll show you somebody who has a great physique.
Seriously, don’t neglect those PULL muscles!
This exercise might seem counterintuitive: why work on your back muscles if we’re trying to build up the muscle in our pecs?
Balance and posture.
By building strength in our PULL muscles, we strengthen and tighten our back muscles. This will naturally cause us to pull our shoulder blades back and down into proper position, and give us a better posture.
If we ONLY do chest exercises, we’re more likely to get out of balance, which leads to contracted chest muscles, hunched shoulders, and poor posture.
Here are some options for building up our back muscles and improving our posture:
And if you can’t do a pull-up yet, here’s a great pull-up progression that will show you how to do assisted pull-ups to build up strength, like so:
Too long didn’t read:get strong, and your life will get better.
Build muscle in the right places, and it can help you reduce “man boob” problems.
Now, if you’re all:
“Steve this sounds awesome. I want to strength train, but damn man. I’m already self-conscious enough about my man boobs.
How the hell do I get enough confidence to go into a gym when I don’t know what I’m doing!”
Great question.
If you want expert guidance, form checks, and a custom build workout (and nutritional guidance) to help you transform your physique, we have a private, 1-on-1 coaching program that spurs nerds into action.
After all, temporary changes create temporary results.
And we want to get rid of man boobs permanently.
So, in order for us to lose body fat, we need to expend more calories than our body consumes, consistently.
Let’s put some numbers to this: 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat.
So if we do the math here:
There are seven days in a week.
If we want to lose one pound of body fat in a week (a worthy, sustainable goal for some), we need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day.
We can do this by consuming 500 fewer calories, burning 500 more calories, or a combination of the two.
Remember this: a daily 500-calorie deficit compared to how we normally eat to lose a pound a week.
(Note: in our coaching program, we’ve found clients have the most success targeting 0.5%-0.75% of their body weight per week as a fat loss goal. This is fast enough to see consistent results and stay motivated, while not SO restrictive that it’s completely unsustainable.)
What does 500 calories look like?
Here are two examples:
The number of calories found in a Big Gulp of Mountain Dew.
Hopefully, those two dots above made your head explode.
“Steve, you’re saying that in order for me to counteract just sipping on a Mountain Dew while owning noobs in Fortnite, I’d need to run 5 miles?
I haven’t run a mile since gym class. And that was 15 years ago.”
Yup.
Nutrition is 90% of the equation when it comes to weight loss.
NINETY. PERCENT.
Okay, I don’t actually know the exact percentage, but 90% is dramatic enough.
I hope to get you to realize that changing your nutrition is the most important thing you can do to reduce “man boobs.”
Sure, exercise is important.
However, when it comes to creating a caloric deficit, it’s much easier to decrease calories consumed vs. increase “calories burned.”
Put a different way: would you rather pour out that Mountain Dew, or run five miles?
Let’s tie together our discussion on “man boobs” with our philosophy on fitness: we’re eating too much, and our body is choosing to store these calories wherever it sees fit.
Unfortunately in this situation, it’s choosing to store them in our chest area.
We can’t change the past.
But we can change your future…and you won’t even need a wacky scientist.
This is why we’re gonna reverse the trend: eat a caloric deficit, consistently, until we reach our goal. Then learn how to eat AT our caloric needs to sustain it for the long run.
Over time, our body will respond by burning fat from certain areas, in a certain order (again, this is out of our control).
As our body fat percentage drops far enough, it should start to remove the body fat from your pectoral area.
We have two paths forward.
PATH ONE: Count calories. If you’ve never done this before and are interested in trying, we recommend recording every meal and morsel for 3-5 days to start. (We can use a food journal, a calorie-counting app like MyFitnessPal, etc.
It’ll teach you a lot about the food you eat, and yourself. From there, calorie counting can be a viable strategy for SOME to continue to monitor and dial in their caloric intake. For about 25% of our coaching clients, this is the process that works for them.
PATH TWO: follow our “simple plate” approach from our Healthy Eating Guide. Learn portions sizes, and start making slightly better choices. Focus on getting enough protein and veggies and cut back on liquid calories. Over 60% of our coaching clients find this method to be more sustainable and successful for them in the long-run.
I know that overhauling one’s diet is easier said than done.
But it’s time to take a proactive approach to nutrition.
You’re reading this article because man boobs are a real problem for you – educate yourself on what you’re eating and work on cutting back on the calories!
And that’s what we’ll cover in the next section: what foods to eat that will help you reduce your calories without you being miserable.
What should I be eating to lose “moobs”?
The Nerd Fitness philosophy on what constitutes a ‘healthy food’ can be written like this:
“Foods I can eat frequently that give me enough fuel to get through the day AND don’t make me miserable.”.
Protein like poultry, meat, low-fat dairy, and legumes.
Fruits and vegetables.
Healthy carbohydrates like rice and quinoa.
Healthy fats like almonds and olive oil.
Occasional full-fat cheese and dairy.
These are the types of foods that form the foundation of a well-balanced diet.
Do you know WHY these types of foods help with weight loss?
Because if we stick mostly to this list, we’ll likely create a caloric deficit naturally.
But why tho?
The fine folks at WiseGEEK did an awesome post where they took pictures of what 200 calories of a certain food look like.
200 calories of broccoli gets you enough broccoli to fill up an entire plate:
Or half a Snickers bar:
Yeah. And who eats half a Snickers and says “I’ll save the other half for later?”
Literally nobody.
If we want to create a caloric deficit consistently, focusing on foods that give you a ton of bang-for-your-buck from a nutrients vs calories standpoint is the answer.
Of course, I know a Snickers bar is way more delicious than broccoli – it was designed in a lab by scientists to be AMAZING!
And I’m not gonna tell you to never eat a Snickers ever again either.
Instead, we need to start being proactive about our food choices. If we’re gonna eat a Snickers, we better damn well be planning for that by reducing our calorie intake elsewhere.
And if the scale isn’t budging, and our man boobs aren’t getting smaller – we’re still eating too much!
They all follow the same premise: by changing the foods we eat, we’re more likely than not to eat a caloric deficit. Certain people respond better to certain diets than others.
Minimize and plan for processed food – they’re designed for us to overeat them. Take a look again at that Snickers bar. Do you really think you’d only eat half of one to stick to 200 calories? Of course not.
Eat veggies.Vegetables are nutrient-dense and light on calories. Because of all the fiber, they are also tough to overeat. Imagine eating all that broccoli. Are you going for seconds? Probably not. So eat your veggies to help keep you full. Here’s how to make vegetables taste good.
Avoid liquid calories. Cut back dramatically on soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverage with calories. Even most coffee orders (with sugar, cream, etc.) have a ton of hidden calories. Stick to water, and unsweetened tea or black coffee. Here are our thoughts on diet soda.
Prioritize protein.Our body uses protein as the building block of muscle rebuilding. Outside of repairing our body, protein will also work to keep us full and satiated: 400 calories of chicken will leave us wayyy more full than 400 calories worth of Gatorade.[3] If you prioritize protein on your plate, you’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on proper nutrition. Some great sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products. Check out our Guide to Protein to measure how much protein you need every day.
These four points will help you on your journey to create a caloric deficit.
I know this is much easier said than done. After all, everybody knows they should eat more vegetables, and yet 70% of the country is overweight.
Clearly, there’s more happening here than just “I need willpower and I need to try harder!”
If you’re struggling with portion control and challenges, jump fully into the NF community.
We cover human behavior and psychology to help you:
We’ve helped thousands of people like you here at NF, and we really focus on nutrition.
As we said, it’s 90% of the battle!
It’s why we created our 10-level nutritional system. Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick!
You don’t have to search far on the internet for the advice “avoid soy because it causes man boobs.”
It’s repeated so much, it’s assumed to be fact.
Is it?
The definition of gynecomastia (medical condition of man boobs) mentions “increased estrogen activity” as a major cause.
So when people say stay clear of soy, they’re worried about its impact on hormones like testosterone and estrogen.
Why the concern?
It comes down to a compound found in soy called “isoflavones.” Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, which acts a little like estrogen, the central female hormone.
“Phyto” is derived from Greek and means “plant.” “Estrogen” is estrogen. So phytoestrogen more or less means plant-derived estrogen.
The fear of isoflavone rests with our bodies using this plant-like estrogen as actual estrogen. A report from Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology found that this is potentially possible.[4]
I should now note, we are about to wade into a controversial subject.
We’ll be careful and rely on good old-fashioned science and studies for guidance.
However, sometimes science can point us in a couple of different and contradictory directions. When this happens, it’s important to acknowledge the uncertainty.
Compounds in soy may act like estrogen in the body. Does this apply to men though? And do they cause “man boobs?”
A 2005 study out of The Journal of Nutrition did find a relationship between soy intake and hormone levels in men.[5] However, they concluded these to be “minor.”
In 2010, Fertility and Sterility tackled the question on whether soy had “feminizing effects on men.”
Neither isoflavone supplements nor isoflavone-rich soy affect total or free testosterone levels.
The journal concluded:
There is essentially no evidence from the nine identified clinical studies that isoflavone exposure affects circulating estrogen levels in men.
Case closed?
Probably, but I’d be remiss not to mention the following:
There is one documented case published in Endocrine Practice, where a man may have given himself gynecomastia by drinking three quarts of soy milk a day.[7]
His gynecomastia went away when he stopped. Granted, this is anecdotal evidence, which is far from proof.
However, it is interesting and worth noting to round out this discussion. And as mentioned earlier, the ability for phytoestrogen to act as actual estrogen does seem possible…
“Steve, Just tell me: Should I ditch soy to ditch my man boobs?”
Well, as with anything, quantity and context matters. Virginia Miller, an estrogen researcher at the Mayo Clinic, told a Vice journalist:[8]
The amount of phytoestrogens in various soy products varies by process method.
Dr. Miller didn’t think it was too problematic to eat soy, specifically mentioning that:
Eating tofu is probably OK.
Interestingly, Miller suggested that BPA found in plastic is more harmful to our endocrine (hormone) system than eating or drinking soy.[9]
Confusing stuff.
In general, the consensus seems to be that as long as you don’t binge soy products, the amount of phytoestrogens found in a normal diet is fine.
If you have the actual condition of gynecomastia, soy is unlikely to be the root cause.
As more and more research is being done on this subject, this answer could change.
My opinion: this is a tiny piece of the puzzle…
…not the whole picture.
If we’re overeating food every day, worrying about the soy we consume is missing the forest for the trees.
That’d be like…putting on a long sleeve shirt instead of a t-shirt for added protection, before driving 50 miles an hour into a brick wall.
Instead, maybe focus on wearing a seat belt, or better yet – not driving into the wall in the first place!
I swear that analogy made sense in my head before I typed it out.
Anyways – back to real specifics.
Here is the Nerd Fitness philosophy on soy: focus on total calories consumed and get that dialed in for consistent caloric deficit.
Only THEN, as our body fat starts to decrease, and we’re analyzing how our body responds to any and ALL types of food, see how our body responds to removing soy from our diet.
Want to have an expert guide you on this process? A fitness partner to help guide you on nutrition, including eliminating and then re-introducing certain foods? You can by checking out Nerd Fitness Coaching.
Do I actually have gynecomastia?
The only way to really know if you have gynecomastia is to go to a doctor.
They’ll be able to tell you (often with an ultrasound) if it’s a glandular breast enlargement or just fatty tissue.
They might also do some blood tests to check testosterone levels and female sex hormones like estrogen.
If you have an imbalance, gynecomastia could be a side effect. They’ll know for sure and can prescribe a treatment.
Also, they can verify that something very serious isn’t going on. In very rare cases, male breast enlargement can be a sign of cancer. Yes, men can get breast cancer.[10]
It should be noted: obesity itself is tied to increasing the development of real gynecomastia.
Excessive fat stimulates the body’s production of estrogen, spurring the growth of actual breast tissue.[11]
Said another way:
Pseudogynecomastia can turn into actual gynecomastia.
If you are diagnosed with gynecomastia, it’ll be between you and your doctor as to the next steps. I’ve seen men take one of three paths, as I’ve read anecdotes from our private support community for Nerd Fitness:
Men who had elective surgery (liposuction in some instances and skin tucks) to remove the fat due to gynecomastia. They are thankful for no longer being self-conscious about their chest areas. This is not an option for everybody for various reasons.
Others have worked hard to reduce their man boob size through exercise and nutrition.
Some have elected to not treat gynecomastia, or are working to reduce the fat around their pecs through diet and exercise before deciding what to do next.
If you’re concerned with “man boobs,” weight management is the path of action we’d recommend, whether you’re facing either gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia.
One important note here. Your unique situation is just that: unique.
I know many men who have treated pseudogynecomastia with diet and exercise, and I know others who are VERY thankful they had surgery to treat the symptom and are much happier as a result.
No judgment here. You do you, brother.
At this point, I bet you have an additional question:“Can hormone balance be affected in the opposite direction? By increasing testosterone?”
Is there a way to boost my testosterone naturally?
If you do suspect you have a hormonal imbalance, speak with your doctor. They can run tests and tell you exactly what is going on, why, and how to treat it.
I will not be digging into medically supervised testosterone therapy (which is above my pay grade, and between you and your doctor), but here’s our guidance on naturally boosting your testosterone levels:
However, if you are looking for a natural way to boost testosterone, strength training would be a good way to go about it.
One 2017 study found, that although temporary, testosterone levels were shown to: “acutely rise immediately following an acute resistance exercise bout.”[12]
Because of the short-term increase, consistency is key with resistance training and testosterone levels. That’s likely why “regular exercise” has been linked with increased testosterone overal.l[13]
#2) Stress.Cortisol is a hormone that is promoted by stress and reduces free testosterone levels (in addition to signaling for your body to store fat).[14]
The more stressed out we are, the lower our testosterone will be. What’s a cure? Being mindful.
Meditation practices have been shown to help control cortisol levels.[15] Want to start a mindfulness practice? Scope out our Nerd’s Guide to Mindfulness to get going.
Do you know what else is connected with higher cortisol levels and increased stress? Lack of sleep! If this is you, shut off Netflix and get to bed sooner.
#3) Overtraining.There can be too much of a good thing. Studies have found that both professional basketball and soccer players drop their testosterone levels by the end of a season.[16]
Which makes sense.
Tons of activity in a short amount of time gives no time to repair and heal. The same phenomenon has been found in ultra-marathoners.[17][[17]]That study on ultra-marathoners is right here.[[17]. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and schedule rest days.
#4) Eat red meat.Red meat is a great source of the amino acid carnitine, which has been linked to improved fertility.[18] Plus, it’s a good source of zinc, which has also been shown to help regulate testosterone.[19]
#5) Your results may vary. My friend Brett over at Art of Manliness did a 90-day experiment in which he doubled his testosterone levels through diet and strength training.
To be honest with you, even if you don’t have low testosterone levels, you should strength train, be mindful, and prioritize rest.
And maybe even eat a little red meat.
And yes, I read that study that says red meat will kill you. I don’t agree with the fear-mongering.[20]
If you want help with strength training, nutrition, or even starting a mindfulness practice, check out Nerd Fitness Coaching! We help men (and women) level up their lives by providing actionable goals and accountability.
How to Start Reducing Man Boobs
So you have pseudogynecomastia.
And you’re interested in trying to do this the old-fashioned way before going down the route of surgery.
This would be my recommended path to everybody, though remember I’m not a doctor and I would recommend working with your doctor to put a plan in place together.
OUR NON-DOCTOR ADVICE FOR A DUDE TRYING TO GET RID OF MAN BOOBS NATURALLY:
Take front and side photos without a shirt on today. This will help give you a frame of reference as you move forward with your changes. Pictures will round out your story.
Consider a tape measure and take weekly chest measurements too. Just be consistent with how you take the measurements and look for overall trends! Here’s our Guide on Tracking Fitness Progress.
Follow the above nutritional guidance and workout routine for the next month. Remember, I gave you four tips for healthy eating. If you requested our 10-Level Nutrition Guide, it’ll help make those suggestions permanent. Plus, I want you to start doing push-ups (on your knees is a great start). Do it immediately. It’ll help prep you for those Advanced Chest Exercises I talked to you about.
If the scale is dropping, and your photos are showing “moob” improvement, keep it up! As I said earlier, consistency is the name of the game here at Nerd Fitness. “Slow and steady” beats “fast and quitting” every time.
If you want to talk to a doctor to see if anything can or should be done about it, go for it! Medical advice is generally good advice. Bonus points if you find a doctor who strength-trains and seeks to treat through nutrition and exercise first!
I do want to stress, that many male members of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion have reported improving their “man boobs” through the strategies listed in this article.
We are dealt a certain hand from the genetic lottery: whether we gain muscle quickly or slowly, whether we lose our hair or not, and whether we store fat in our legs or in our chest.
We can get mad about it, or we can play the hand we are dealt.
Until somebody develops robot legs, I’m not growing any taller.
However, let’s not justify our internal excuses, or throw ourselves too big of a pity party.
What we do with our genetic fate, is completely up to us. And we have hundreds of thousands of people in the Nerd Fitness Rebellion who have overcome shitty genetics to transform themselves dramatically.
If you want 1-on-1 help to transform yourself, we got you!
We come in all shapes and sizes: you do you.
The goal of this post is educational. To teach us how our body stores fat, and what can or cannot be done about it.
It’s more than okay to love yourself and also want to improve your physique.
Body positivity and wanting to look better are not mutually exclusive.
We’re all works in progress, and that’s great.
If you want to use this post to spur you to change, like cleaning up your diet or lifting some weights, awesome!
I’m glad Nerd Fitness can help lead you into action:
Reduce your body fat percentage through nutritional changes (which includes eating a caloric deficit).
Strength train to increase the amount of muscle you have, increase the “calories burned” portion of the weight-loss equation, and increase your testosterone.
Work with your doctor if you are reducing your body fat but not seeing any changes in your chest area – you might actually have a medical condition called gynecomastia.
Want help knowing exactly how to progress from here?
I have MULTIPLE options for you. Pick the path below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:
1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:
2) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign in the box below and not only will you receive our free weight loss guide, but our step-by-step plan for starting a Strength Training practice:
Download our comprehensive guide
Everything you need to know about getting strong.
Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
I know it’s easier said than done to say “f*** the haters,” but seriously, f*** the haters.
Take your shirt off at the beach: you deserve to enjoy the sun and sea like everybody else.
We’re all a work in progress, and I hope this post helps you continue to work on yours!
-Steve
PS: No seriously, f*** the haters:
###
All photo sources can be found in this footnote right here [21]
We receive free products and receive commissions through our links. See disclosures page.
The Assault Bike ProX is one of the best cardio machines currently offered, as it provides a full-body, low-impact workout that can still be high-intensity. Popular in the CrossFit community, this fan bike consists of a belt-driven system and a heavy-duty steel frame, making it a great tool to build both endurance and strength.
Here at Breaking Muscle, our experts include athletes, strength and conditioning coaches, and certified personal trainers who are intimately familiar with this fan bike. We put it through hours of strenuous cardio workouts to see if it could take on the challenge. In this Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X review, we’ll highlight our results, how well the bike ranked in testing, and how it compares to other fan bikes.
Key Takeaways
The Assault Bike ProX is a great choice of cardio equipment for those who want a total-body workout. This fan bike, also termed an air bike, requires you to engage in full-body exercise using both the handlebars and bike pedals to generate movement through a belt-driven system.
The LCD monitor tracks stats such as calories, distance, speed, watts, and RPM, all of which can help you understand energy output.
The Assault Fitness App, which you can access through your phone and connect to the bike’s Bluetooth-enabled console, allows you to take part in virtual and instructor-led programming.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Pros
The AssaultBike Pro X features a smooth belt-driven system to keep the workout efficient and quieter than chain-driven fan bikes. This makes it a great piece of equipment for a home gym, where limiting noise can ensure your workouts aren’t a nuisance to your roommates or family members.
With 11 height settings and six front-to-back settings for adjustments, the seat can move upward, downward, forward, and backward to help accommodate your body proportions.
Made of a heavy-duty steel frame that makes it pretty stable for exercise, the AssaultBike ProX has a weight capacity of 330 pounds, so even heavier athletes can safely use it.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Cons
Running at $899 at the time of this writing, it’s relatively expensive and may be out of reach for those with tight budgets. In comparison, the AssaultBike Classic and the Titan Fan Bike are both around $699.
The Assault Fitness App, although interactive and a step up from other brands, has been termed “glitchy” through the many reviews at the Apple store. As such, it only has a a 2.1 out of 5 star rating.
The ProX has a large footprint, especially compared to the AssaultBike Elite. The ProX is 51.73 inches long, 24.52 inches wide, and 52.51 inches high, while the Elite is 50.95 inches long, 23.34 inches wide, and 50 inches high. Depending on your home gym setup, the Pro X may take up too much room and prevent you from doing workouts off the bike safely.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Rating
At Breaking Muscle, we know exercise equipment. We have a product testing team that has put hundreds of machines through the wringer, using them for everything from gentle warm-ups to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. Many of our staff members are home gym owners themselves and use these products nearly every day.
With the knowledge we’ve gained over the years, we created a proprietary scoring system that we used to rank the AssaultBike ProX in various categories. Not only did we evaluate how the bike performed on its own, but we also compared it with nearly 30 other exercise bikes to see how it stacked up against the competition.
Factor
Rating (out of 5)
Price
4
Materials, build, and construction
5
Delivery and asssembly
5
Performance
4
Included workouts
3
Heart rate monitor
4
Display and stats tracking
5
Conveniences
4
Workout app and subscriptions
4
Bluetooth connectivity
5
Noise level
4
Portability
4
Warranty
5
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Overview
From the founders of the AssaultRunner (one of the best treadmills to train with), the Assault Bike ProX is made with a heavy-duty steel frame finished in a black powder coat that helps keep it corrosion-resistant and capable of standing the test of time. It is a top-tier fan bike that can provide a brutal workout for any athlete.
The AssaultBike Pro X at the Breaking Muscle testing facility
In addition to its tough and durable frame, it incorporates a belt-driven system for a quiet, smooth training experience. It also requires less upkeep than chain-driven systems, which should come as a relief to busy individuals who can’t be bothered with complicated maintenance protocols.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX In-Depth Review
Price
At the time of writing, the Assault Bike ProX costs $899. Fortunately, there is also an option to finance it at around $82 a month through Affirm. For comparison, the Assault Bike ProX is more expensive than the AssaultBike Classic at $699 but cheaper than the Concept2 BikeErg, which costs around $1,100.
The Assault Bike ProX also provides free shipping, which is a big deal for equipment this size. Buying an air bike from another brand could set you back another $100 in shipping costs.
All of the above considered, we’ve rated this bike 4 out of 5 stars for its shipping rate, finance options, and value.
Materials, Build, and Construction Quality
The Assault Bike ProX weighs 125 pounds, has a max user weight of 330 pounds, and boasts a heavy-duty steel frame with a corrosion-resistant black powder coating finish. We love this type of frame and finish because it means less maintenance over time.
It’s also similar to what you would see with the Rogue Echo Bike, which has a black powder coating and almost looks like it was built from scraps of a heavy-duty squat rack! But the Assault Bike ProX isn’t as bulky as the Rogue Echo Bike, making it more compatible with small spaces, which our product testers enjoyed. For comparison, the ProX is 51.73 inches long, 24.52 inches wide, and 52.51 inches high, while the Echo Bike is 55 inches long, 29.5 inches wide, and 52.25 inches high.
The Assault Bike ProX provides a wide padded seat that can adjust to 11 different heights and six different directions either forward or backward. These adjustments were the same on the Assault Bike Pro, which the ProX replaces. The rubber handles on the ProX help you maintain your grip and keep your hands comfortable throughout the workout as well.
This fan bike also comes with footpegs at the base of the handlebars for you to place your feet. This gives you the option to do an upper body-only workout, which is great for injury recovery or arm day.
Based on the quality and construction of the Assault Bike ProX, we rated it 5 out of 5 stars.
The AssaultBike Pro X comes with foot pegs where you can rest your feet if you only want to use the handlebars.
Delivery and Assembly
We gave the AssaultBike Pro X 5 out of 5 stars for delivery and assembly because of how straightforward it was to build. The bikes arrived at our testing facility 75 percent built, so all we had to do was attach the LCD console, pedals, handlebars, seat post, and saddle. Assault Fitness provides all the tools needed to build your air bike, and it should take roughly 35 to 45 minutes.
Performance
When testing the Assault Bike ProX, we noticed a smoother and quieter ride than what we’ve experienced with other air bikes, like the Titan Fan Bike or the AssaultBike Classic. This is predominantly thanks to the belt-driven system. A belt-driven system requires less maintenance than a chain-driven system, but it is also harder to use. When you pedal, the steel fan wheel generates resistance based on your effort. The harder you pedal, the more resistance is applied.
Working out on the AssaultBike Pro X
However, once you stop pedaling, the fan wheel will stop moving, requiring more effort to get it started again. This might be tough if you’re not prepared for a high-intensity workout. Due to this, we gave the Assault Bike ProX a 4 out of 5-star rating for performance.
Included Workouts
The Assault Bike ProX’s LCD monitor provides seven built-in training programs and a competition mode for those ready to take on the challenge. Through the Assault Fitness App, which we’ll review below, there is also an option to follow instructor-led programs or create customized workouts.
All in all, we give it a 3 out of 5 star rating in this category. The included workouts aren’t as robust as what you’d see in a more interactive bike like the Peloton. However, we do appreciate having them and think they can be valuable for people who may not know where to start.
Heart Rate Monitoring
While the AssaultBike Classic was only compatible with the Polar T34 heart rate chest strap, the Assault Bike ProX is compatible with other brands, like Garmin. You can link a heart rate monitor through the bike’s Bluetooth features. However, you need to purchase a compatible one separately, which is why we only rated it 4 out of 5 stars here (though to be fair, this is common for most exercise bikes).
Display and Stat Tracking
The Assault Bike ProX comes with a five-inch by eight-inch monitor, which is a common size amongst other fan bikes. This high-quality LCD monitor is powered by four AA batteries, which Assault includes with your purchase. The console is great for tracking stats such as calories, distance, heart rate, speed, watts, and RPM. It also connects to the Assault Fitness App.
An over-the-shoulder look at the console on the AssaultBike ProX
Our product testers loved that it could track power output in addition to distance and speed, which is a great measure of energy expenditure to quantify workout intensity. The Rogue Echo Bike monitor doesn’t provide feedback such as watts and RPM on its monitor, which gives the Assault Bike ProX the edge.
All things considered, we’ve given this bike 5 out of 5 stars for its display and tracking capabilities.
Conveniences
When testing the Assault Bike ProX, we noticed a ton of conveniences. First, the air bike requires no electric outlet, and we loved being able to use it anywhere. This feature is also a welcome benefit for commercial CrossFit gym owners, as you don’t have to worry about your members tripping over power cords.
Other conveniences include a device holder and a water bottle holder. Some fan bikes like the Titan Fan Bike also include these conveniences. Others, like the Rogue Echo Bike, don’t (though they are available to purchase separately). We always appreciate it when a brand throws in little extras like this. They allow you to have all your workout essentials within reach. Plus, you don’t have to worry about potentially placing multiple orders or paying extra shipping fees to get them.
Overall, our product testers rated the conveniences 4 out of 5 stars. The only reason we docked a point is that we wish the bike came with a wind guard to prevent cold air from blowing in our faces when training in a cold garage. There is one available on the Assault Fitness website, but you have to buy it separately for an additional $39.
Workout Apps and Subscription Options
The Assault Bike ProX is a part of the Assault Fitness line of exercise machines that operate using the Assault Fitness app. The app was one of our product testers’ favorite features.
Free to download from the App Store and Google Play, the Assault Fitness App provides you with a multitude of instructor-driven workouts. You can do these workouts on your own or compete against other athletes virtually. Many of the workouts also integrate other types of equipment, such as dumbbells and kettlebells, to help you get more well-rounded programming.
While we enjoyed the app, we only gave it 4 out of 5 stars. As of this writing, it’s not available on the most recent version of Android. Athletes with newer Android phones may not be able to use it.
Bluetooth Connectivity
The Assault Bike ProX is Bluetooth-enabled. We don’t necessarily consider Bluetooth connectivity a standout feature, as dozens of cardio machines we’ve tested now come with it. But we’ve also tried inexpensive cardio equipment that doesn’t have this feature, and even Assault Fitness’s classic AssaultBike lacks Bluetooth capabilities. As such, we rated the ProX 5 out of 5 stars here.
Noise Level
When comparing other fan bikes we tested, the Assault Bike ProX generated less noise due to its belt-driven system. The belt-driven system operates more smoothly than chain-drive systems such as those on the Schwinn Airdyne. A noisier system can make it tough to perform workouts at home, especially if you train early in the morning or late at night when others are sleeping.
That said, no fan bike will be completely silent, so you should still expect some noise as air travels through the flywheel. Due to this, we give the noise level of the Assault Bike ProX 4 out of 5 stars.
Portability
The Assault Bike ProX offers some portability, thanks to two small transport wheels at the front. To move it, all you need to do is tilt it onto its wheels to help glide it across the floor. However, although it might be easy for some athletes to move this fan bike, others might struggle to relocate it because it weighs 125 pounds. Based on these findings, we give the portability of the Assault Bike ProX 4 out of 5 stars.
Warranty
The Assault Bike ProX has a three-year non-wear parts warranty and a seven-year frame warranty. The three-year non-wear parts warranty doesn’t cover normal wear and tear on parts like the seat, pedals, and handle grips. This may seem like a drawback, but in our experience, this is common in warranties on other brands’ fan bikes. But the length of Assault’s warranty is longer compared to Rogue, who only offers a two-year warranty on their Echo Bike, and Titan, who only offers a one-year warranty on their fan bike. We gave the warranty of the Assault Bike ProX 5 out of 5 stars for this reason.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Specs
Overall Dimensions
The Assault Bike ProX is 51.73 inches long, 24.52 inches wide, and 52.51 inches high. Compared to the classic AssaultBike, these dimensions are one to two inches bigger in each category. If you’re between the two, we definitely recommend measuring carefully to ensure you choose the one that will best fit your space.
Resistance
The Assault Bike ProX is a fan bike, meaning it builds resistance based on how much air you recruit in the fan wheel as you work. The harder you pedal, the more air resistance is applied, making your workout more challenging.
In addition to air resistance, the ProX uses a belt-driven system, meaning it only operates when you begin to pedal. If you stop pedaling, the machine stops moving. This makes it harder to operate compared to a chair-driven system, like what you’d see with the AssaultBike Classic.
Weight Capacity
The weight capacity of the Assault Bike ProX is 330 pounds. This is more than the Classic bike, which holds 300 pounds, but less than the Elite, which holds up to 350 pounds.
Seat and Handlebar Adjustments
The Assault Bike ProX can accommodate most body sizes with 11 different height settings and six front-to-back settings. These adjustment levels are relatively standard based on what we’ve seen on other fan bikes. However, some competitors like the Rogue Echo Bike only have five front-to-back seat settings.
Adjusting the seat on the AssaultBike Pro X
Electrical Requirements
Because the Assault Bike ProX does not require an electrical outlet, you can transport it wherever you want to go —outdoors or indoors. The monitor, however, does require AA batteries to operate.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX vs. Echo Bike
At first glance, it seems the Assault Bike ProX and Rogue Echo Bike have many similarities. When you analyze them more closely, you’ll find that there are several key differences between the two.
Below are the dimensions of both fan bikes:
Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X
Rogue Echo Bike
Length
51.73 inches
55 inches
Width
24.52 inches
29.5 inches
Height
52.52 inches
52.25 inches
Weight
125 pounds
123 pounds
Materials
Black powder-coated, heavy-duty steel
Textured black powder coat, 2×3″, 1.2 x 3″, and 1.625 x 3.125″ steel
Even though the Rogue Echo Bike is bulkier in material and dimensions, it has the same 330-pound weight capacity as the AssaultBike ProX. Both of these fan bikes are also powered by movement, so no electrical outlet is needed. Further, weighing in at 123 and 125 pounds, respectively, the Rogue Echo Bike and the Assault Bike ProX are equally portable, especially given they both have wheels.
Finally, both products use belt-driven mechanics, providing a smooth and quiet riding experience. But the Assault Bike ProX gives more metrics on the monitor, such as watts and RPM. This feature alone could make or break your decision, depending on how important tracking is to your training.
Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Customer Reviews
The Assault Bike ProX comes in with a strong 4.6 out of 5-star rating on the Assault Fitness website. Many users claim that it is super easy to set up, requires low maintenance, and is a favorite piece of equipment in their home gyms. Customers also praise its sturdiness and its ability to handle a tough workout.
One user mentioned that the left peg became loose during their workout. Another buyer mentioned that the Assault Bike ProX was very noisy and didn’t think it was as stable as other reviews might suggest — note, however, that complaints like this are in the minority.
Final Verdict: Is the Assault Fitness AssaultBike ProX Worth It?
After extensive research and testing of the Assault Bike ProX, we can say that this air bike is worth it. Made with a heavy-duty steel frame finished in a black powder coat, it can take on the toughest workouts. It’s ideal for anyone looking for a full-body, high-intensity interval training machine for improving both endurance and strength.
The smoother and quieter experience you get with the Assault Bike ProX is thanks to the belt-driven system integrated into the design. Although this system might require more effort to operate, this bike can still be a great purchase for everyone from CrossFitters to health and fitness enthusiasts.
FAQs
Is the AssaultBike a good workout?
The Assault Bike provides a great workout, combining air resistance and a belt-driven system for a tough cardio and muscular endurance workout. You can use both the foot pedals and the arm handles to get a full-body workout. Or you can just use the arm handles to work out your upper body exclusively.
Is the AssaultBike Pro X belt driven?
The Assault Bike Pro X is a belt-driven system. The fan bike only works when you operate the pedals and/or handlebars. The belt-driven system also offers a smoother and quieter workout.
Is the AssaultBike good for fat loss?
The AssaultBike alone may not aid fat loss if you’re eating too many calories. However, it can provide a strong enough stimulus for an intense enough workout to help you burn more calories and hit multiple health and fitness goals.
Is the AssaultBike good for muscle building?
Because the AssaultBike Pro X requires a full-body effort and utilizes a belt-driven system, you could potentially build a small amount of muscle by using it consistently. However, resistance training with implements like dumbbells or barbells (and following a diet that supports muscle growth) will be your best bet if you want to pack on as much muscle as possible.
“…Tony the Tiger tells us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It’s grrrrrreat!”
This adage about breakfast has become commonplace that it’s readily and unquestionably accepted as fact.
Well then, what’s with the growing popularity of Intermittent Fasting and SKIPPING breakfast?
(Tony just audibly gasped.)
In this Ultimate Guide to Intermitting Fasting, I’ll teach you everything about the science of fasting and what results you can expect:
Let’s dig in!
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but rather a dieting pattern:
Intermittent Fasting: making a conscious decision to skip certain meals, or avoid consuming food for a specific time period.
Let’s talk about why it’s become so popular: because it can work incredibly well for weight maintenance!
When you skip meals or only eat during certain hours, you’re more likely to eat fewer calories overall, which can result in a lower number on the scale!
(We dive deeper into the science on this in the next section.)
Let’s now talk about some popular Intermittent Fasting Strategies:
#1) INTERMITTENT FASTING 16/8 PLAN
What it is: Fasting for 16 hours and then eating within a specific 8-hour window. For example, only eating from noon-8 PM, essentially skipping breakfast.
Some people only eat in a 6-hour window, or even a 4-hour window. This is the “feasting” and “fasting” parts of your days and the most common form of Intermittent Fasting. It’s also my preferred method (5 years running).
Two examples: The top means you are skipping breakfast, the bottom means you are skipping dinner each day:
Adjust this window to make it work for your life:
If you start eating at: 7AM, stop eating and start fasting at 3pm.
If you start eating at: 11AM, stop eating and start fasting at 7pm.
If you start eating at: 2PM, stop eating and start fasting at 10pm.
If you start eating at: 6PM, stop eating and start fasting at 2AM.
#2) INTERMITTENT FASTING 24-HOUR PLAN
With this plan, you eat your normal 3 meals per day, and then occasionally pick a day to skip breakfast and lunch the next day.
Eat on a normal schedule (finishing dinner at 8PM) and then don’t eat until 8PM the following day.
If you can only do an 18 hour fast, or a 20 hour fast, or a 22 hour fast – that’s okay! Adjust with different time frames and see how your body responds.
Two examples: skipping breakfast and lunch one day of the week, and then another where you skip lunch and dinner one day, two days in a week.
These are just two popular strategies, though there are many variations of both that you can modify for yourself:
Some people eat in a 4-hour window, others do 6 or 8.
You’ll need to experiment, adjust to work for your lifestyle and goals, and see how your body responds. If there’s one thing we’ve learned after Coaching over 15,000 1-on-1 clients: there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to exercise and nutrition that works for everyone, all of the time.
Let’s first get into the science here behind Intermittent Fasting and if you should consider it!
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Now, you might be thinking: “okay, so by skipping a meal, I will eat less than I normally eat on average (2 meals instead of 3), and thus I will lose weight, right?”
All things being equal, yes.
By cutting out an entire meal each day, you are consuming fewer calories per week – even if your two meals per day are slightly bigger than before. Overall, you’re still consuming fewer calories per day.
In this example, you’re eating LARGER lunches and dinners than you normally do, but by skipping breakfast you’ll consume 500 less calories per day.
And thus, weight loss!
However, that doesn’t mean this works 100% of the time, for everyone. By understanding the underlying mechanism of weight loss (i.e. calorie deficit), we can better understand how our dieting strategy is affecting our behavior. Then we know if this strategy will work for us or not.
In the case of intermittent fasting, by condensing the eating window, many people feel more full and naturally eat less (like in the example above.)
However, it’s also totally possible for somebody to be so hungry as a result of fasting that they overconsume calories during that same period, which would result in weight gain instead of weight loss.
If you were reliant on the idea that “Intermittent Fasting works for weight loss” – full stop – you could be easily discouraged if it didn’t work.
You might think: “Is my metabolism broken?” But because we know that intermittent fasting is one dieting strategy that CAN work for weight loss if it helps you stick to a caloric deficit more easily, you’re empowered to decide if this is a good fit for you. Eureka!
This is highlighted in a recent JAMA study[2] in which both calorie-restricted dieters and intermittent fasters lost similar amounts of weight over a year period.
You might be thinking: “Ok, ok, I get it. Caloric deficit. But what about the timing of meals – can’t that also influence how your body reacts?”
Yes, your body operates differently when “feasting” compared to when “fasting”. But it’s important to understand how this fits into the big picture.
When you eat a meal, your body spends a few hours processing that food, burning what it can from what you just consumed.
Because it has all of this readily available, easy-to-burn energy (thanks to the food you ate), your body will choose to use that as energy rather than the fat you have stored.
During the “fasted state” (the hours in which your body is not consuming or digesting any food) your body doesn’t have a recently consumed meal to use as energy.
Thus, it is more likely to pull from the fat stored in your body as it’s the only energy source readily available.
However, when we compare the differences in energy used from body fat over an entire day, that’s entirely dependent on the total calories consumed. So while your body is more likely to pull energy from a recent meal, and will rely on fat stores once that energy runs out, if you eat the same amount of calories throughout the day, the result is the same amount of energy pulled from fat. It all balances out in the end.
The same goes for working out in a “fasted” state.
Without a ready supply of glucose and glycogen to pull from (which has been depleted throughout your fasted state, and hasn’t yet been replenished with a pre-workout meal), your body is forced to adapt and pull from a source of energy that it does have available: the fat stored in your cells.
While many of us get excited about the idea of being in a “fat-burning mode”, the same principle holds. If we burn an equal amount of calories, whether fasted or not, the result is less total energy stored in our fat cells at the end of the day. (There’s even an argument for athletes whose sports require glycogen to be readily available to meet their energy demands – making sure these stores are never depleted is important so an athlete doesn’t ‘bonk’ in the middle of their competition.)
Hopefully, you can see how easy it is to take a true fact of our biology (we burn more fat from fat stores when in a fasted state) and extrapolate it to seem more than it is. The same goes for six meals a day!
The truth is, there isn’t a magic pill or solution that’s going to overcome the basics. The best reason to do Intermittent Fasting is because you like it and it fits within your lifestyle.
TL/DR: Fasting can help promote weight loss and muscle building when done properly ~ though it isn’t the ONLY method that works.
Should I Eat 6 Small Meals a Day?
There are a few main reasons why diet books recommend six small meals:
1) When you eat a meal, your body does have to burn extra calories [9] just to process that meal. So, the theory is that if you eat all day long with small meals, your body is constantly burning extra calories and your metabolism is firing at optimal capacity, right? Well, that’s not true.
Whether you eat 2000 calories spread out throughout the day, or 2000 calories in a small window, your body will burn the same number of calories processing the food [10].
So, the whole “keep your metabolism firing at optimum capacity by always eating” sounds good in principle, but reality tells a different story.
2) When you eat smaller meals, you might be less likely to overeat during your regular meals. I can definitely see some truth here, especially for people who struggle with portion control or don’t know how much food they should be eating.
However, once you educate yourself and take control of your eating, some might find that eating six times a day is very prohibitive and requires a lot of effort. I know I do.
Also, because you’re eating six small meals, I’d argue that you probably never feel “full,” and you might be MORE likely to eat extra calories during each snack.
This is why personal preference is so important when picking a diet strategy that works for you.
Although grounded in seemingly logical principles, the “six meals a day” doesn’t work for the reason you think it would (#1), and may feel prohibitive to prepare and eat 6 times a day (#2). Other people may find that 6 meals a day fits them perfectly. If you find what works for you, that rules!
If we think back to caveman days, we’d have been in serious trouble as a species if we had to eat every three hours. Do you think Joe Caveman pulled out his pocket sundial six times a day to consume his equally portioned meals?
Hell no! He ate when he could, endured and dealt with long periods of NOT eating (no refrigeration or food storage) and his body adapted to still function optimally enough to still go out and catch new food.
A recent study (written about in the NYT, highlighted by LeanGains) has done a great job of challenging the “six-meals-a-day” technique for weight loss [11]:
There were [no statistical] differences between the low- and high- [meal frequency] groups for adiposity indices, appetite measurements or gut peptides (peptide YY and ghrelin) either before or after the intervention. We conclude that increasing meal frequency does not promote greater body weight loss under the conditions described in the present study.
That’s why we made this:
Should I Try intermittent fasting? (4 Big Benefits)
Now that we’re through a lot of the science stuff, let’s get into the reality of the situation: why should you consider Intermittent Fasting?
When you fast, you are potentially making it easier to restrict your total caloric intake over the course of the week, which can lead to consistent weight loss and maintenance.
#2) Because it simplifies your day. Rather than having to prepare, pack, eat, and time your meals every 2-3 hours, you simply skip a meal or two and only worry about eating food in your eating window.
It’s one less decision you have to make every day.
It could allow you to enjoy bigger portioned meals (thus making your tastebuds and stomach satiated) and STILL eat fewer calories on average.
It’s a point that Coach Matt makes in this video on intermittent fasting:
#3) It requires less time (and potentially less money). Rather than having to prepare or purchase three to six meals a day, you only need to prepare two meals.
Instead of stopping what you’re doing six times a day to eat, you simply only have to stop to eat twice. Rather than having to do the dishes six times, you only have to do them twice.
Rather than having to purchase six meals a day, you only need to purchase two.
#4) Plus, Wolverine does it:
If adamantium-clawed superheroes do Intermittent Fasting, it can probably work for you too, if you can make it work for your particular lifestyle and situation!
What Are the Negative Effects of intermittent fasting?
It’s important to understand Intermittent Fasting is NOT a cure-all panacea.
Let’s talk about some of the potential drawbacks of Intermittent Fasting:
#1) If you skip breakfast, you might be so hungry from this that you OVEREAT your other meals, which can lead to weight gain. The important thing here is that with an intermittent fasting plan, you’re eating fewer calories than normal because you’re skipping a meal every day (if your goal is weight loss.)
In other words, don’t delude yourself into thinking that if you skip breakfast and then eat 4,000 calories of candy bars for lunch and dinner that you will lose weight.
This is simply a math and behavior strategy for giving yourself fewer chances to overeat and put your body into a caloric surplus.
(If you struggle with portion control, figure out your calorie goals and track your calorie intake in your meals to make sure you’re not overeating.)
#2) Skipping meals can result in feelings of lethargy, hunger, and “hangriness”!
If you eat breakfast every morning, your body expects to wake up and eat food.
Once you retrain your body to NOT expect food all day every day (or first thing in the morning), it’s possible that these side effects become less of an issue. In addition, ghrelin (a hormone that makes you hungry [13]), is actually lowest in the mornings and decreases after a few hours of not eating.
#3) Intermittent Fasting can be more complex for people who have issues with blood sugar regulation, suffer from hypoglycemia, have diabetes, etc. If you fit into this category, check with your doctor or dietitian before adjusting your eating schedule.
Can I Build Muscle and Gain Weight While Intermittent Fasting? (Pros and Cons)
It is possible to build muscle and strength while Intermittent Fasting, though it’s not inherently superior to building muscle and strength while following a traditional eating pattern.
Let’s talk first about the nutritional strategy first, and then we’ll get into the exercise portion.
Here’s how I built muscle while simultaneously fasting: In order to gain weight and build muscle, I had to be in a caloric surplus.
And because I was not eating for 16 hours, that meant I was cramming 3000 nutritious calories into an 8 hour window, which often left me feeling bloated and overly full.
11 AM Work out with heavy strength training in a fasted state.
7 PM Consume the second portion of my calories for the day in a big dinner.
8 PM – 12 PM the next day: Fast for 16 hours.
After following this strategy for a number of years,I gave up fasting in 2019, and instead consumed my calories throughout the day.
Here’s a different strategy for Fasted Muscle Building: my friend Nate Green packed on a crazy amount of muscle while fasting for a full 24 hours on Sundays. [15]
Let’s now talk about strength training!
If you want to build muscle while fasting, you need to work out. Specifically, by lifting heavy, so here are a few workout options!
#1) “Build Your Own Workout Routine” and get your hands dirty. Our guide will walk you through building a full-body exercise program in 10 simple steps.
By only eating fat and protein, your body must adapt to run on fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. In the absence of carbs/glucose, your body converts fats to ketones and uses them for fuel.
This process is called “ketosis,” and there are two ways for a body to enter ketosis:
Eating in a way that induces ketosis (very low carb, high fat).
Fasting…Hey, that’s what you’re reading about right now!
We actually have an amazing success story here on Nerd Fitness, Larry, who followed our strategies, went Keto and start intermittent fasting. He ended up losing weight, getting stronger, AND overcame the challenges of rheumatoid arthritis (click on the image for his story)!
Why Keto and Fasting can work: eating Keto can be really challenging. And every time you eat, it’s an opportunity to do it wrong and accidentally eat foods that knock you out of ketosis.
You’re also tempted to overeat.
So, by skipping a meal, you’re eliminating one meal, one decision, one chance to screw up.
Note: if you’re thinking “Steve, am I losing weight because I’m skipping 1/3rd of my meals for the day, AND eliminating an entire macronutrient?”, then you’d be right.
Both Keto and IF have secondary effects that could also be factoring in – physiological benefits which I explain in both articles.
Your value may vary!
You need to decide what works for you.
You probably won’t become “keto-adapted” (your body running on ketones) just skipping breakfast every day – your body will still have enough glucose stored from your carb-focused meals for lunch and dinner the day before.
In order to use fasting to enter ketosis, the fast needs to be long enough to deplete your carb/glucose stores, or you need to severely restrict carbohydrates from your meals in addition to IF in order to enter ketosis.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Experiment and try different strategies that will work for you.
By skipping a meal or minimizing carbohydrate intake, you’re more likely than not to lose weight:
You can do intermittent fasting without eating a Keto Diet and lose weight.
You can do a Keto Diet without intermittent Fasting and lose weight.
Does Intermittent Fasting Have Different Effects on Men and Women?
The quick answer is: “yes, Intermittent Fasting can affect men and women differently.”
Anecdotally, we have many women in our online coaching program that swear by Intermittent Fasting, while others have had adverse effects.
Let’s dig into the science and studies.
A recent PubMed summary concluded that “fasting can be prescribed as a safe medical intervention as well as a lifestyle regimen which can improve women’s health in many folds [18].
Now, in that extract, many of the studies cited are focused on specifically calorie restriction (and not just fasting), and they also say that “future studies should address this gap by designing medically supervised fasting techniques to extract better evidence.”
Digging into the PubMed Archives brought me to the following conclusions [19]:
One small study (with 8 men and 8 women, all non-obese) resulted in the following: “Glucose response to a meal was slightly impaired in women after 3 weeks of treatment, but insulin response was unchanged. Men had no change in glucose response and a significant reduction in insulin response.”[20]
Another small study (8 women) studied the effects on their menstrual cycles after a 72-hour fast – which is significantly longer than any fast recommended in this article: “in spite of profound metabolic changes, a 72-hour fast during the follicular phase does not affect the menstrual cycle of normal cycling women.” [21].
Yet another study tracked 11 women with 72-hour fasts (again, longer than we’d recommend) and it found that “Fasting in women elicited expected metabolic responses – included increased cortisol (a stress hormone) – and apparently advanced the central circadian clock (which can throw off sleeping patterns). [22]
Those studies above, in working with small sample sizes, and different types of fasting than recommended here, would lead me to believe that fasting affects men and women differently, and that many of the weight loss benefits associated with intermittent fasting (that affect insulin and glucose responses) work positively for men and negatively for women.
There are also a series of articles[23] out there that dig into the potential reproductive health issues, stress challenges, induction of early-menopause [24] associated with fasting (and calorie restriction) for women.
Precision Nutrition – a great resource – recommends not attempting Intermittent Fasting as a woman if:
The challenge associated with all of this is that there aren’t enough long-term studies, with large enough sample sizes, specifically targeting female humans, with relation to the different types of Intermittent Fasting.
It does appear that men and women will have different experiences with intermittent fasting; we’re all unique snowflakes (yep, especially you), and your body will be affected by intermittent fasting differently than the person next to you.
There is enough evidence as cited in the articles and studies above that would give me pause to recommend Intermittent Fasting for women, especially if you are considering getting pregnant in the near term.
If you are looking to attempt fasting for weight loss reasons, my research has shown me that Intermittent Fasting could be less effective for women than men with regards to weight loss, and thus you would be wise to keep your efforts elsewhere:
Now, if you’ve read the above warnings, you are still curious about Intermittent Fasting, and you want to give it a try as a female, that is your choice!
You know your body best.
So, get blood work done, speak with your doctor and get a check-up.
Give intermittent fasting a shot, track your results, and see how your body/blood work changes as a result of Intermittent Fasting and decide if it’s right for you.
Your mileage may vary, so speak with a doctor or find a doctor versed in intermittent fasting plans and treat it like an experiment on yourself!
Top 5 Questions about Intermittent Fasting
1) “Won’t I get really hungry if I start skipping meals?”
As explained above, this can be a result of the habits you have built for your body. If you are constantly eating or always eat the same time of day, your body can actually learn to prepare itself for food by beginning the process of insulin production and preparation for food.
After a brief adjustment period, your body can adapt to the fact that it’s only eating a few times a day. The more overweight you are, and the more often you eat, the more of an initial struggle this might be.
Remember, your body’s physical and cognitive abilities most likely won’t be diminished as a result of short-term fasting.[25]
2) “Where will I get my energy for my workouts? Won’t I be exhausted and not be able to complete my workouts if fasting?”
This was a major concern of mine as well, but the research shows this might not be the case: “Training with limited carbohydrate availability can stimulate adaptations in muscle cells to facilitate energy production via fat oxidation.”[26]
In other words, when you train in a fasted state, your body can get better at burning fat for energy when there are no carbs to pull from!
The caveat to this is that pulling energy from fat oxidation is a slower process than breaking down carbohydrates. If your workout is super intense (high-intensity interval training, MMA, even bodybuilding) – you’ll likely benefit from having more readily available energy to fuel your workouts for better performance.
3) “I like the idea of fasted training, but I work a regular 9-5 or a night shift and can’t train at 11AM as you do. What am I supposed to do?”
Depending on your training schedule, lifestyle, and goals, go back to the portion above where I talk about the 16/8 protocol and simply adjust your hours of fasting and feasting.
Don’t overthink this. If you can’t train until 5pm, that’s okay. Consume a small meal for lunch, or shift your Intermittent Fasting window to eat all of your meals in the 8 hours post-workout. Better to do that than abandon it as a lost cause and have 0% compliance.
If you are an elite athlete, speak with a coach or nutritionist about your specific concerns and expectations. Otherwise, make intermittent fasting work for you Consider trying the 24-hour protocol below instead of the 16/8 protocol.
If you train later in the day (say, 7pm) but break your fast before training (aka Lunch), make it a smaller meal focused around fats and protein – which should be a solid goal even if you aren’t Intermittent Fasting! Try to time your carb and big meal consumption to happen AFTER your workout.
If you exercise BEFORE work, but then don’t eat until lunchtime: consider a protein supplement immediately after your workout, or simply wait until lunch to start eating. See how your body responds and adjust accordingly.
Do what you can, and don’t psyche yourself out! Get started and adjust along the way.
4) Will Intermittent Fasting cause muscle loss?
Good news: Our bodies are quite adept at preserving muscle even when fasting [27], and it turns out that protein absorption by our body can take place over many many many hours.
If your goal is weight loss, you still need to consume fewer calories than you burn every day to lose weight, full stop. If your goal is bulking up, you’ll need to consume more calories than you burn every day. Intermittent Fasting isn’t a cure-all, it’s a PART of the puzzle.
To start, begin intermittent fasting and eat your normal-sized meals and track your weight and performance. If you are losing weight and happy with the progress, keep doing what you’re doing! If you are NOT losing weight, you could be eating too much. It’s a message I really strike home in our guide “Why Can’t I Lose Weight?”
#1) Don’t freak out! Stop wondering: “can I fast 15 hours instead of 16?” or “what if I eat an apple during my fasted period, will that ruin everything?” Relax. Your body is a complex piece of machinery and learns to adapt. Everything is not as cut and dry as you think.
If you want to eat breakfast one day but not another, that’s okay. If you are going for optimal aesthetic or athletic performance, I can see the need to be more rigid in your discipline, but otherwise…freaking chill out and don’t stress over minutiae!
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good when it comes to your intermittent fasting plan. It’s just one tool in your toolkit.
#2) Listen to your body during your strength training workouts. If you get lightheaded, make sure you are consuming enough water.
If you notice a significant drop in performance, make sure you are eating enough calories (especially fats and protein) during your feasting window.
And if you feel severely “off,” pause your workout. Give yourself permission to EASE into intermittent fasting and fasted workouts. This is especially true if you are an endurance athlete.
#3) Stay busy. If you are just sitting around thinking about how hungry you are, you’ll be more likely to struggle with this. For that reason, I time my fasting periods for maximum efficiency and minimal discomfort:
My first few hours of fasting come after consuming a MONSTER dinner, where the last thing I want to think about is eating.
When I’m sleeping: 8 of my 16 hours are occupied by sleeping. Tough to feel hungry when I’m dreaming about becoming a Jedi.
When I’m busy: After waking up, 12 hours of my fasting is already done. I spend three hours doing my best work (while drinking a cup of black coffee), and then comes my final hour of fasting: training.
#4) Zero-calorie beverages are okay. I drink green tea in the morning for my caffeine kick while writing. If you want to drink water, black coffee, or tea during your fasted period, that’s okay. Remember, don’t overthink it – keep things simple! Although be aware that Dr. Rhonda Patrick over at FoundMyFitness believes that a fast should stop at the first consumption of anything other than water, so experiment yourself and see how your body responds.
If you want to put milk in your coffee, or drink diet soda occasionally while fasting, I’m not going to stop you. Remember, we’re going for consistency and habit-building here – if milk or cream in your coffee makes life worth living, don’t deprive yourself.
There are MUCH bigger fish to fry with regards to getting healthy than a few calories here and there during a fast.
80% adherence that you stick with for a year is better than 100% adherence that you abandon after a month because it was too restrictive.
If you’re trying to get to a minimum bodyfat percentage, you’ll need to be more strict with overall calories – until then, however, do what allows you to stay compliant!
Track your calories, and see how your body changes when eating the same amount of food, but condensed into a certain window.
#6) Don’t expect miracles. Yes, Intermittent Fasting can potentially help you lose weight, increase insulin sensitivity and growth hormone secretion (all good things), but it is only ONE factor in hundreds that will determine your body composition and overall health. Don’t expect to drop to 8% body fat and get ripped just by skipping breakfast.
This is just one tool that can contribute to your success.
Getting Started with Intermittent Fasting: Next Steps
Intermittent fasting can potentially have some very positive benefits for somebody trying to lose weight or gain lean body mass.
Men and women will tend to have different results, just like each individual person will have different results. The ONLY way to find out is through a conversation with your doctor and self-experimentation.
There are multiple ways to “do” an Intermittent Fasting Plan:
Fast and feast regularly: Fast for a certain number of hours, then consume all calories within a certain number of hours.
Eat normally, then fast 1-2x a week: Consume your normal meals every day, then pick one or two days a week where you fast for 24 hours. Eat your last meal Sunday night, and then don’t eat again until dinner the following day.
Fast occasionally: probably the easiest method for the person who wants to do the least amount of work. Simply skip a meal whenever it’s convenient. On the road? Skip breakfast. Busy day at work? Skip lunch. Eat poorly all day Saturday? Make your first meal of the day dinner on Sunday.
After that, get started! Take photos, step on the scale, and track your progress for the next month.
See how your body responds.
See how your physique changes. See how your workouts change.
And then decide if it’s something you want to keep doing!
4 years later, I have no plans on going back to eating breakfast. Sorry General Mills and Dr. Kellogg!
Thanks for reading, and I hope we gave you ALL the information you wanted about Intermittent Fasting, it’s underlying mechanisms for success, and reasons it may (or may not) work for you!
-Steve
PS: Before you take off, grab our Intermittent Fasting Worksheet to help you start your fasting practice:
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
PPS: Make sure you check out the rest of our guides on losing weight:
We receive free products and receive commissions through our links. See disclosures page.
Your gym bag is probably packed with some of the best supplements for building muscle, including protein powder, creatine, and pre-workout. Crucial for boosting energy and strength during a gym session and reducing muscle soreness afterward, you wouldn’t dare train without them. But imagine a single supplement that combines the benefits of all three.
Enter XWERKS Motion — an innovative supplement formulated to enhance endurance during intense exercise and support a quick post-workout recovery. Sounds too good to be true? We’ll find out in this XWERKS Motion review.
Our team of personal trainers, CrossFit coaches, nutrition experts, and competitive weightlifters shared their feedback on the formulation, price, taste, and solubility of this one-of-a-kind product. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I’ll do a deep dive into the ingredients and potential health benefits of XWERKS Motion, so you know if it’s worth adding to your supplement stack.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.
Key Takeaways
XWERKS Motion contains 25 grams of cluster dextrin carbohydrates, which can help you exercise for longer before exhaustion.
This formula includes three grams of BCAAs to help promote muscle growth and recovery.
Made with electrolytes, XWERKS Motion can also support fluid balance and proper muscle function.
XWERKS Motion contains a 2:1:1 BCAA ratio, meaning the amount of leucine is double the amount of isoleucine and valine. This ratio is shown to be the most effective for enhanced exercise performance.
This BCAA supplement provides a quick energy source from cluster dextrin carbohydrates, which are easy to digest and absorbed rapidly pre-workout.
Dairy and gluten-free, XWERKS Motion is ideal for those with a sensitive digestive system who want to avoid uncomfortable bloating, gas, and stomach cramps.
XWERKS Motion Cons
One serving contains 110 calories solely from carbs, which isn’t ideal for those already consuming adequate carbs who don’t want to increase their intake.
It includes sucralose, an artificial sweetener that may disrupt healthy gut bacteria and inflammation when consumed on an ongoing basis.
Only one flavor is available (Raspberry Lemonade), which could get old quickly if you’re taking this supplement several days a week.
Our Breaking Muscle product testing team has tried nearly 20 of the best BCAA supplements, gaining a thorough understanding of what meets customer standards and what falls short. Here’s how our expert testers rated the following categories after trying XWERKS Motion themselves.
Factor
Rating (out of 5)
Price per serving
3.5
Formulation
4.
Available flavors
3
Taste
5
Solubility
5
Side effects
4
Third-party testing
1
XWERKS Motion Review
In this XWERKS Motion review, we’ll explore the product’s cost, formula, flavors, taste, and more. We’ll include honest, reliable feedback straight from our Breaking Muscle expert testers, so you’ll know exactly what to expect from this supplement. With transparency in mind, we include the good and not-so-good aspects of XWERKS Motion to give you the full picture.
Price Per Serving
A single bag of XWERKS Motion costs $59 for a one-time purchase. Each bag contains 30 one-scoop servings, and a serving costs $1.96. XWERKS offers the option to subscribe to a 30, 45, or 60-day delivery option for a five percent discount on each bag. With that discount, each order costs $56.05, and the price per serving comes down slightly to $1.87.
In comparison, Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine costs $1.33 per serving, while Jacked Factory BCAA Powder is available at $0.67 per serving at the time of this writing. XWERKS Motion is on the pricier side, earning this category a 3.5 out of 5, but also contains ingredients not found in most other BCAA supplements.
Formulation
XWERKS Motion is thoughtfully and originally formulated, earning it a 4 out of 5. It is unlike other BCAA supplements in that it contains 25 grams of cluster dextrin carbohydrates, also known as highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD). Cluster dextrin passes through the stomach into the intestines rapidly, where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream and taken up into muscle cells to replenish glycogen content and provide a quick energy source. (1)
Breaking Muscle editorial member Kate pouring XWERKS Motion into a shaker bottle
Human studies suggest that when used before or during a workout, cluster dextrin carbs may decrease perceived exertion and enhance endurance when compared to maltodextrin and glucose, especially when prior carb intake is low. (1) However, those who eat plenty of carbs may not experience any added benefits when supplementing cluster dextrin.
In addition to carbs, each serving offers three grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). The product contains the BCAA ratio 2:1:1 of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs are essential amino acids (EAAs), meaning you must consume them because the body doesn’t synthesize them on its own. Leucine is often thought of as the king of BCAAs because it activates muscle protein synthesis, which is necessary for muscle growth and recovery. (2)
Other active ingredients include calcium, magnesium, and sodium. During exercise, you lose electrolytes through sweat that need to be replenished. The electrolytes in XWERKS Motion help prevent dehydration and maintain proper muscle function during a workout.
Enhanced with natural flavors, sucralose, and citric acid, this product contains ingredients that add sour and sweet notes.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener considered safe when consumed in moderation. Unlike table sugar, most research shows sucralose has little to no effects on blood sugar levels or insulin. (3) However, some animal studies suggest it could disrupt healthy gut bacteria and increase inflammation when consumed long-term, but more human studies are needed. (4)
Breaking Muscle team member Kate Meier holding a scoop of XWERKS Motion
Available Flavors
You won’t have any difficulty picking a flavor if you choose to try XWERKS Motion, considering there is only one option available — Raspberry Lemonade. Obviously, if you prefer to stick with one flavor on repeat this won’t be a problem. For those who like to switch things up, the lack of variety may leave you feeling bored, hence the middle-of-the-road rating on flavor.
Taste
Luckily, the Raspberry Lemonade flavor delivers. Our expert tester was more than pleased with the taste of the raspberry lemonade supplement, rating it an impressive 5 out of 5. She noticed hints of the tart lemonade with a more robust berry flavor overall. The supplement wasn’t too sweet and had a very refreshing taste to it. Our tester even went as far as to say that she could happily sip on this drink all day.
Solubility
Another winning category of XWERKS Motion is solubility, which our tester rated a perfect 5 out of 5. She didn’t experience any clumping, grittiness, floaties, or difficulty mixing — a feature you’ll want when drinking it at the gym or on the go. Because the cluster dextrin in this product is highly soluble in water, it dissolves easily and forms a smooth, uniform mixture. Several customer reviews on the XWERKS website rave about the product’s superior solubility, mentioning it “blends so smooth” and is “easy to mix.”
Side Effects
Cluster dextrin is believed to be safe for consumption, with no apparent safety concerns. (5) Our product tester didn’t experience any adverse side effects during her use of this product. As for beneficial effects, she didn’t notice any superhuman strength or noticeable bursts of energy, but she did feel good during longer lifting sessions.
Switching gears, BCAAs are considered safe when consumed in appropriate dosages. It’s best to adhere to the suggested dosage instructions on the product label for optimal safety and effectiveness.
Nevertheless, always consult with your healthcare provider before adding a new dietary supplement to your routine, particularly if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are currently taking prescribed medications. This precaution ensures that the supplement aligns with your individual health needs and won’t pose any risks or interactions.
All of the above considered, XWERKS Motion gets a 4 out of 5 rating for the lack of side effects from its formulation.
Third-Party Testing
Unfortunately, there’s no mention of third-party testing on the XWERKS Motion product page, which is why we gave it a 1 out of 5.
We always encourage consumers to consider supplements that are third-party tested, because it serves as a quality control measure, ensuring that products are safe, effective, and meet certain regulatory requirements. Third-party testing enhances transparency and builds consumer trust by verifying that high-quality products contain what’s on the label and don’t include harmful levels of heavy metals or contaminants.
The nutrition facts and potential benefits of XWERKS Motion
XWERKS Motion vs. XTEND Original BCAA Powder
XWERKS Motion and XTEND Original BCAA powder have both commonalities and differences. To start, both products contain BCAAs and electrolytes to enhance muscle recovery, reduce muscle soreness, and maintain hydration.
However, that’s where their similarities end. While XTEND Original BCAA powder doesn’t contain any carbohydrates, XWERKS Motion contains 25 grams of cluster dextrin carbs for extra energy and prolonged endurance.
XTEND Original BCAA powder also has a much higher BCAA content of seven grams, compared to the three grams in XWERKS Motion. The Original BCAA powder even contains a whopping three and a half grams of leucine, exceeding the recommended two to three grams per day to maximize muscle-gaining capabilities. (2) The same can’t be said for the leucine content of XWERKS Motion.
Customers on the XWERKS website give Motion a 4.4 out of 5-star rating. There are only 35 reviews on the product page. Motion is not available on Amazon at the time of writing.
One happy customer says, “Great taste! No issues with digestion, gives you the fuel needed during most intense workouts.” Another customer says, “It mixes well, I like the flavor, and have no digestive or other issues. Performance-wise I feel great. I feel more energetic during my workouts and that I’m getting more out of them.”
Reviews from customers who were less pleased with the product were written over a year ago, and the formulation and flavors may have changed. One customer says, “I’m not sold on this product. I don’t really notice any difference on the days I take this. Also, it takes a blender to get this stuff mixed! That’s a deal breaker for me.” Other customers complain of the grape flavor, which is no longer available.
Final Verdict: Is XWERKS Motion Worth It?
XWERKS Motion provides a synergistic blend of cluster dextrin carbs, BCAAs, and electrolytes to support endurance and recovery during and after a workout. Those who enjoy leisurely activity and consume enough carbs to sustain their energy levels may not benefit from this product.
However, it might be worth it for endurance athletes and bodybuilders with high training loads. Taking XWERKS before, during, or after intense physical activity may reduce perceived effort, extend the time to exhaustion, and decrease muscle soreness.
FAQs
Do you drink BCAA before or after a workout?
You can consume BCAAs pre, post, or intra-workout depending on your fitness goals. Some prefer to take BCAAs before or during a workout to provide their muscles with amino acids to help prevent muscle protein breakdown. Others like to take BCAAs post-workout to support muscle repair and recovery.
Do BCAA supplements work?
If you eat a whole-food diet high in protein, then you likely consume enough amino acids and may not experience further benefits by supplementing them. If you struggle to eat enough protein, BCAAs may support endurance, helping you train at a higher intensity for longer. Additionally, BCAAs may reduce muscle damage and DOMS post-workout.
What are branched-chain amino acids?
BCAAs are a group of three EEAs—leucine, isoleucine, and valine— that must be consumed through the diet. They get their name from their unique molecular structure. While all EAAs are important, BCAAs are thought to play an important role in protein synthesis, muscle recovery, and preventing loss of lean mass.
What are the benefits of BCAA?
BCAAs may provide an extended feeling of energy and delay the onset of muscle fatigue, enabling you to work out longer. Moreover, BCAAs might diminish muscle damage, inflammation, and DOMS post-workout. Lastly, BCAAs may aid in preserving lean muscle mass during periods of fat loss, contributing to weight loss efforts.
How much BCAA should you take?
There are no official recommended daily requirements for BCAAs. The suggested sweet spot for leucine intake is often cited as two to three grams per day to optimize muscle building. (2) Avoid exceeding the recommended serving size on the product label. If you take protein powder or eat a high-protein diet, BCAA supplements likely won’t provide added benefits.
Research
Wilburn, D., Machek, S., & Ismaeel, A. (2021). Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin and its Ergogenic Effects in Athletes: A Brief Review. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.53520/jen2021.103100
Plotkin, D. L., Delcastillo, K., Van Every, D. W., Tipton, K. D., Aragon, A. A., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2021). Isolated Leucine and Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation for Enhancing Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 31(3), 292-301. Retrieved Nov 24, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0356
Ahmad SY, Friel JK, Mackay DS. Effect of sucralose and aspartame on glucose metabolism and gut hormones. Nutr Rev. 2020;78(9):725-746. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuz099
Bian X, Chi L, Gao B, Tu P, Ru H, Lu K. Gut Microbiome Response to Sucralose and Its Potential Role in Inducing Liver Inflammation in Mice. Front Physiol. 2017;8:487. Published 2017 Jul 24. doi:10.3389/fphys.2017.00487
Choi SS, Danielewska-Nikiel B, Ohdan K, Kojima I, Takata H, Kuriki T. Safety evaluation of highly-branched cyclic dextrin and a 1,4-alpha-glucan branching enzyme from Bacillus stearothermophilus. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009;55(3):281-290. doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2009.07.011
