in

How to Build Leg Muscles With Biking

Bike For Wheels!

Benefits of biking are numerous, and plenty of people use their bikes as a means to get in shape, do a healthy exercise without much strain, and even practice their cardio. However, biking can be used for more intense workouts. Especially if you wish to build impressive leg muscles. In this article you will find all the advice you need to get started, and depending on how buff you want your legs to get, the intensity of your workouts will, and should vary. Without further ado, let’s get to work!

While sitting down

If you’re more inclined to sit down while biking, choose a more uneven terrain. It will increase the resistance to your leg muscles, and you’ll have to push yourself harder to overcome the obstacles. You can also look for a track that has quite a few uphill sections. Surely, from experience, you know how difficult it is to push through them. And if you want stronger quads, then uphill rides are one of the better workouts.

READ: What Muscles Does Cycling Build?

While standing up

Standing up while biking is a proven way to add more weight to the workout. You’re going to carry your own weight in this case, which is great for the beginning of your training. And after mastering the intensity after some time, you can up the game, and carry a heavier backpack, or ankle weights for added weight. Upright biking employs your calves, and eases some of the stress on the quads and glutes, which you should consider for achieving an even muscle volume in your legs.

Without using momentum

The one thing most of us do is biking intensely, without noticing that a lot of our effort is annulled by the chain and pedal momentum. This means that your foot (and leg) don’t really bring up the pedal they’re above. Instead, the opposite leg does all the work when it presses down on the other pedal. To solve this issue and employ your muscles much more, revert to pedaling slowly. However, with this exercise, choose a level track or a slight uphill, as anything more demanding will only lead to quicker exhaustion and slow down your progress.

Find a track that provides resistance

This point is much more straightforward, and perhaps more obvious from the get-go. Choosing a terrain that is more uneven benefits your workout. It requires more muscle power, employing your glutes and quads until they reach that healthy, fatigued burning point. The same goes for finding a track with steeper uphill angles, which we all felt require more strength in your legs, and definitely more stamina. Keeping a balanced breathing tempo during such rides will help in slowing down your exhaustion point, and make you ride for a little longer.

Single leg pedaling

This type of workout is best done on a spinner, at the gym, since you employ one leg at a time. However, if you can keep your bike stationary, you can do it outdoors at the park or a ball court. The idea is to sit on your bike (or a spinner) with one leg clipped in the pedal, while the other is propped on a stool. Then you try to keep a slow, fluid pedaling movement with just the one foot. Normally, we can last thirty seconds until we grow tired, so the goal is to work that time up to four minutes.

READ: Are Spin Bikes Really Effective For Muscles?

Proper equipment

One crucial factor in building leg muscles is, surprisingly, unrelated to workouts and the body. You will want to pay attention to the equipment you have at your disposal. To enhance the weight pressure on your body (and in turn make your legs work harder), get some ankle weights from your local sports equipment store. The admins at Bike Beagle emphasize the importance of choosing the right bike, as well. A good bike will give you the workout you need, but an excellent bike will be well-fitted for your workout needs, and be able to push you to the limit whenever you want to.

Food

Relying solely on workouts isn’t going to give you the results you want. No matter how hard you work towards gaining those killer legs, eating foods that don’t fuel your body the right way is going to annul all the effort. To ensure proper muscle gain, and to lose fat (if you have it), lean on foods rich with protein. That includes chicken, fish, a moderate amount of red meat, eggs and nuts, primarily. Vegetables such as kale and spinach will balance out the meal plan, while avoiding sugar and wheat flour will improve your metabolism speed. 

In conclusion

The leanest, meanest leg muscles require a lot of work, and rigorous training. There is no escaping that. However, if you follow the advice we mentioned, you will find it much easier to adapt, and quickly notice the results. It’s important to find a proper bike first, get your meal plan in order, and start with specific exercises aimed at the muscles you want to develop, instead of just going for a ride every day. And, as with all exercises, determination is key to success. Keep at it, document your progress, and revel in that healthy post-workout exhaustion.

Written by Valentin Bosioc

Valentin Bosioc - wellness specialist, certified personal trainer, certified fitness instructor, celebrity trainer, Musclemania Champion, Ninja Warrior Semifinalist, world wide motivator!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hоw to Uѕе Offѕеt Lоаdіng tо Bооѕt Muѕсlе Mаѕѕ

How To Build Lean Muscles Faster