I tried an expert-recommended 20-minute stationary bike workout and it was the best fitness test I’ve done

This challenge is sure to set your thighs on fire, and it’s suitable for all fitness levels

This stationery bike workout tested my endurance in just 20 minutes (The Independent / iStock )

Not having enough time to schedule a workout is one of the main blockers for physical fitness. You won’t always have time to train and this can set you back when it comes to achieveing your goals. But being short on time shouldn’t mean you give up on those goals altogether. In fact, some experts recommend shorter workouts here and there to balance your recovery and push certain muscles harder.

To prove this point, exercise machine specialist Concept2 recently shared five leg-burning stationary bike workouts you can do in 20 minutes or less using just the Concept2 BikeErg (or another exercise bike if that’s what you have at home).

Among these workouts are the functional threshold power (FTP) test, loved and loathed by cycling fans in equal measure, and a gnarly combination of bike sprints and jumping lunges sure to turn your quads to jelly. For me, it was another workout called “death by calories” that piqued my interest the most. So, as The Independent’s fitness writer and an ever-willing exercise guinea pig, I decided to take it for a spin.

How to do this Concept2 stationary bike workout

Every minute for 20 minutes:

• Accumulate 10 calories on an exercise bike
• Add one calorie to this target every minute
• The workout ends when you can no longer hit the target number of calories within 60 seconds, or you reach 20 minutes.

This is an example of a “death by” workout. The popular format sees you start a running clock then do a set amount of work every minute. The amount of work you do will increase with each passing minute, and the goal is to keep going for as long as possible. It ends when you can’t complete the prescribed work within 60 seconds.

In this instance, it’s the number of calories you accrue that increases (this metric should be available on most stationary bikes). In the first minute, rack up 10 calories on your bike of choice, then stop pedalling and rest until the 60 seconds are up. In the second minute, accumulate 11 calories then rest in any time remaining.

Keep adding one calorie to your target with each passing minute, and continue until you can no longer complete the number of target calories within 60 seconds. The Concept2 team has laid the gauntlet of surviving for 20 minutes, meaning you’ll be toppling a 29-calorie total in the final round. If 10 calories sounds too ambitious for the first minute, choose a lower starting point to suit your fitness level and work your way up from there.

My experience with this stationary bike workout

I’m no stranger to “death by” workouts. I’ve done them with calories on the rowing machine, thrusters and even burpees – the last one at the behest of the UK’s fittest woman, Aimee Cringle. Given these are all tough full-body exercises, I thought this exercise bike version would be a stroll (or cycle) in the park by comparison, but it ended up being the most challenging of the lot.

The problem with “death by” workouts is that they’re masters of deception. “People will think it’s easy on round seven, but just you wait,” Cringle formerly warned me about this format, and she’s spot on: if you do it correctly, the first few rounds should feel fairly straightforward, and then the metaphorical wheels start falling off.

That’s exactly what happened here. I wrapped up the first 10 calories in 30 seconds then sat back in the saddle and relaxed – the same applied for the next few minutes. It was only after round 10 that I noticed my rest times starting to shrink.

My decline was dramatic. I soon went from having ample time to catch my breath to hitting my calorie target with seconds to spare. There was a drastic change in my body language too, as my chest started heaving up and down and my head dropped towards the handlebars – clear signs I was struggling to meet my body’s ever-increasing demand for oxygen.

Fitness writer Harry Bullmore testing the Concept2 BikeErg previously (The Independent)

By the closing stages I was rolling from minute to minute with no rest at all, standing in the saddle to try and put a little extra power through the pedals. And, in the seventeenth round, my workout finally came grinding to a halt as I fell one short of the 296-calorie goal (although I did use a Bowflex C7 Indoor Cycle, which from my experience is slightly more generous with its calories than a Concept2 BikeErg).

Given the fire that had taken up residency in my quads at this point, and my body’s obvious desire for a sit down, I can’t say I was sad to see the back of this challenge in the immediate aftermath. It took me a good few minutes before my legs felt ready to climb the stairs to the shower too, but I enjoyed the test nonetheless.

My favourite thing about “death by” workouts is that they auto-regulate to provide an appropriate test for pretty much any fitness level. Whether you’re a beginner or a gym veteran, you can pick a suitable place to start and build to a point where you’re pushing yourself beyond your usual comfort zone.

This intensity isn’t something you want to bring to every single session you do, but it can be a fun challenge. It also provides a tangible score to beat in future, so you can come back to this test for proof of progress in your fitness-boosting endeavours.

So, if you want a fast and furious stationary bike workout to try, I’d recommend giving this one a go. Just make sure you’re on the ground floor when you do, because any staircase is sure to feel like Everest afterwards.

Read more: 11 best exercise bikes worth adding to your home gym