There are only so many hours (or rather, minutes) in your day that can be dedicated to exercise, and we understand that. Therefore, when you carve out time to work out, you want to ensure that your sweat session is effective. In a perfect scenario, everyone would achieve the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of cardio and two weekly strength-training sessions as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, wouldn’t it be great if your preferred cardio routine, such as indoor cycling, also considered leg day?
To gain insight on whether a cycling class can effectively target leg muscles and to discover ways to amplify the lower-body benefits of indoor cycling, we consulted certified personal trainer and cycling coach Joseph David, ISSA-CPT, who teaches group fitness and cycling in New York and New Jersey.
Which muscles are engaged during cycling?
Cycling undoubtedly activates your leg muscles—that bike isn’t going to pedal itself! Expect to engage your quadriceps (the muscles at the front of your thighs), glutes (the muscles of your buttocks), and calves (the muscles at the back of your lower legs), according to David.
“As you lift your leg from your core, your quads become engaged, and as you press down on the pedal, you’re activating your glutes,” he explains. If you wear cycling shoes that clip into the pedals, you’ll also engage your hamstrings more effectively during the upward pull of your pedal stroke, as noted by the Arthritis Foundation.
How does cycling stack up against resistance training?
Although cycling does enhance the strength of your leg muscles, specific lower-body strength exercises—such as squats and deadlifts—will yield more significant results if you’re aiming to build muscle mass.
A review published in March 2015 in Acta Physiologica Hungarica indicates that while cycling does lead to increased leg muscle size, any noticeable changes occur at a slower pace compared to the growth associated with traditional strength training.
Moreover, indoor cycling typically involves linear motion; it primarily requires movement in a single direction. Incorporating lower-body exercises like lateral lunges and lateral step-ups enables your leg muscles to be engaged in various planes of motion, which fosters balanced strength by targeting different muscle groups in diverse ways, as outlined by USA Cycling.
If your main goal is to rapidly develop leg muscle, consider integrating some lower-body strength training days into your regimen. However, keep in mind that these sessions might enhance your cycling performance over time, as suggested by a March 2021 study in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology.
Conversely, training through cycling can also benefit your strength workouts, David notes. Engaging your legs through pedaling helps loosen your hips and activates your glutes, allowing for a greater range of motion during weightlifting sessions.
Is cycling sufficient to strengthen your legs?
You will indeed gain some leg strength from solely engaging in cycling without incorporating strength training. If that’s your approach, make sure to ride with resistance. “The key factor here is adding resistance on the bike,” says David. The additional challenge forces your muscles to work harder to rotate the pedals, fostering adaptation and growth. “I like to say hustle to get the muscle.”
You may also prefer to remain seated while pedaling instead of standing on the bike. Standing tends to leverage more of your body weight against the pedal resistance, according to David. By sitting down, you isolate your legs more effectively, which can contribute to strength development over time.
Aim to participate in indoor cycling classes at least four times per week if you’re eager for visible results. This schedule allows for dedicated strength training workouts if you choose to incorporate them. If you prefer to focus solely on cycling, you could potentially cycle six days a week to maintain consistency and drive progress, he suggests.
For those seeking a challenge and who already possess a solid fitness foundation, consider engaging in some lower-body strength exercises prior to an indoor cycling class. “It really exhausts those legs,” David remarks.
Regardless of your chosen exercise path, if muscle and strength building are your objectives, pushing beyond your limits is essential, David emphasizes. Your workouts should feel demanding and progressively intensify over time as you become more adept, a principle known as progressive overload. “Even if it’s [lifting weights that are] just one pound heavier, one pound is still more than what you lifted last time,” he states. “The focus is on gradually increasing resistance, staying consistent, and recognizing that you are already strong.”
