Recumbent Bike

How to do it

1. Set the seat so that the knee has a slight bend when the pedal is furthest away.
2. Sit back with the lower back against the seat and the hips settled.
3. Place the ball of each foot over the pedal axle.
4. Pedal in smooth circles, pushing through the whole foot.
5. Keep the knees tracking straight and the hands resting on the side handles.
6. Set the resistance so the cadence stays even.

Common mistakes

• Sitting too close. A knee that folds sharply at the far end of the stroke is doing the pedal's job; slide the seat back until the leg nearly straightens.
• Letting the knees fall in or out. They track over the feet; knees that wander are usually a seat set wrong.
• Pulling on the handles. The handles are rests; pulling on them to push harder shifts the work off the legs.
• Slouching in the seat. The seat has a back for the lower back to rest against, not to slide down; sit up into it.

Muscles worked

Primary

• Quads

Secondary

• Calves
• Glutes
• Hamstrings