Cycling & Muscle Groups Training
It’s no secret that riding your bike is an excellent form of exercise, but exactly which parts of your body receive the biggest benefit from cycling regularly?
In this post we will break down piece by piece how your body grows stronger by riding your bike! Cycling is a compound exercise, which means that different muscle groups are engaged when you ride a bike.
Quadriceps
Your Quadriceps (Quads) are your thigh muscles. They produce the majority of the force needed to complete a pedal stroke. After even a brief bike outing, these are the muscles that will be the most noticeably sore!
Hamstrings
Hamstrings are located on the back of the thighs, and are also worked out during cycling. This is especially true if you ride with clip-in pedals or on a stationary bike.
Soleus
Calf muscles are the muscles that you use to stabilize and balance yourself on the pedals. You can crank up your calf muscle workout by standing on your bike when you ride to take pressure off your thigh muscles and use more of your body weight to propel yourself faster.
Gluteus Maximus
Gluteus Maximus (Glutes) is the largest muscle in the human body. Even when seated on your bike, your glutes are still getting a workout!
Forearms
When gripping on the handlebars, your forearm muscles activate to maintain control over the bike, as well as engaging shifters, brakes, and bells. If you’re into BMX or mountain biking, forearm strength is especially important.
Abdomen/Core
You unwittingly use your abdominal muscles to maintain your balance at all times when cycling. It’s not as noticeable because cycling being a predominantly lower-body driven exercise, but it’s happening!