When many people walk into a gym and see the row of stationary bikes, they probably think of them as easy ways to warm up or cool down before a session of lifting or a great way to read a book or watch T.V. while getting in some low to moderate intensity cardio in.

I , on the other hand, see a device designed for self-induced torture. I have experienced more pain on the stationary in a short amount of time than during almost any other workout (the only possible contender being a session on the elliptical machine). A seven minute 1:1 interval workout done at appropriate intensity will leave me in agony for twice as long--unable to even walk properly. Any bend in my knees threatens to crumple me because the fatigue in my quads is so absolute that my body-weight becomes too much to bear. The fibers of my muscles are bathed in lactic acid and there is no position of rest that relieves the extreme discomfort. Time, which seems to tick by impossibly slowly, is my only source of salvation. It is quite the experience. Here are a some of my best workouts for the stationary bike.

• SB1--1:1 interval. This means your work interval (WI) and rest interval (RI) are the same duration. Some bikes may have this as a preset program. Great! If not, it is easily done manually. I find the easiest metric to be RPM at a given level. For the RI find a level where your power output (most bikes will be able to display wattage) is around 200 watts at your target RPMs. For your WI start with a level that gives you a wattage of 300 at your target RPMs. Your target RPMs should be the cadence at which you find yourself most comfortable when riding. For me it is 80+ RPM. For you it could anything from 60-100. Starting with a RI, alternate RI and WI levels every 1 minute for 10 minutes, ending on a WI. The last several WI should be touch and go whether you're able to maintain the target RPM. If you succeed in maintaining the target RPM for all intervals, increase the level on at least one of the five WI the next time you perform the workout. This is a BASELINE WORKOUT. [10 minutes]
• SB2--2:1 interval. Same as above but 2 min. RI and 1 min WI. 10th minute will be at RI level. Because of the longer RI and fewer WIs, your WI should be at a level that corresponds to a higher wattage (~350). This is a BASELINE WORKOUT. [10 minutes]
• SB3--Hill Program. Many stationary bikes will have a preset hill program. It can offer a great way to get a quick and brutal workout where all you have to do is focus on keeping your cadence above your target level. The program includes a short warm-up section and a longer temp ride section before it tackles four 'hills' of increasing level. Make sure that you choose a hard enough 'program level' so that the last couple of hills challenge every fiber of your being! In general, if my warm-up starts at about 200 watts (target RPM), then I'm pretty challenged by the end. BASELINE WORKOUT [10 minutes]
• SB4--Mountain. Starting at a level equivalent to 200 watts at your target RPM, ride for 1 minute before upping the level for one minute. Continue upping it each minute for 9 minutes or as long as you can. This one messes with your head--when you are feeling shattered at level 14 (for example), it can seem crazy to up the level at the end of the minute--it's pretty easy to give up. This workout is rather advanced for this reason and shouldn't be chosen as a mainstay until you're well 'trained' in the art of high intensity work. BASELINE WORKOUT [up to 10 minutes]
• SB5--Time Trial. Choose a time and ride as far as you can, based on the bike's computer. Level and cadence don't matter for this one--the bike will calculate your speed based on the power output so mash away at low RPMs or spin it out...just go hard, and make sure you go further than the last time you did this one! [10 minutes, or longer]

Notes:

1. SB1-3 involve intervals while SB 4 and 5 involve more steady state, race pace efforts. An ideal workout cycle will involve one workout from each group to focus on.
2. The wattage provided above is just a suggestion. Your own wattage may vary significantly from the values listed. Rest assured, if you follow the protocol and make sure that each time you perform a Baseline Workout you match or exceed your previous performance, you'll quickly get to the point where every session seems to flirt with the impossible. You too will see the stationary bike as a source of suffering--this is where you want to be.