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Thread: Does biking build bigger legs?
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04-09-2010, 07:40 PM #1
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04-11-2010, 05:21 AM #2
Well about 3 months ago I regularly started riding my mountain bike 3-4 times a week for about 20km with plenty of hills and such.
I definitely developed muscles I didn't know I had and have leaner quads. They may have grown a bit (1-2 inches) but I don't really see them getting bigger since I've adjusted pretty quickly to the resistance.
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04-11-2010, 08:57 AM #3
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04-11-2010, 03:21 PM #4
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04-11-2010, 03:24 PM #5
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04-11-2010, 05:27 PM #6
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04-11-2010, 07:44 PM #7
I don't think cycling alone will make your legs grow. The pro cyclists have the legs they do because of the sort of weight training they do. Their routines are basically focused almost entirely on the lower body. I started out as a roadie myself (I converted to running by way of triathlons) and I had pretty good quad development back then. For me, every day in the gym was leg day. Squats, lunges, step ups, calf raises, leg curls, and such. I never did bench press, ever.
"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right."
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04-12-2010, 04:45 AM #8
I definately saw growth after around 6 months of cycling, training approx. 15 hours a week, though they did then hit a plateau and refuse to grow anymore - but everybody is different. The because power needed to push down on the pedals really isn't that much (with exception to a standing start whilst sprinting), it is more about sustained power (whether this be for 3 minutes or 4 hours). If you take the stairs 2 at a time, then the power needed is often more then the power needed for cycling at your average speed on the flat.
It is true that the pro's do weights, so it is hard to guess whether the thighs come from the cycling or the weights.
One muscle I would say cycling helps with is the calfs. If you buy clip in pedals then you attempt to push/pull the pedals round for 360degrees of the motion. The calfs are used for the pulling up.
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04-12-2010, 05:18 AM #9
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04-12-2010, 12:56 PM #10
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04-15-2012, 09:35 PM #11
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04-15-2012, 09:54 PM #12
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04-15-2012, 11:24 PM #13
Riding does build legs. And it does have quite a bit of resistance. Just not as much as squatting of course. Lifting weights isnt the only form of resistance. Walking and running involves resistance. You won't get jacked...but who actually wants to get "jacked". We wont to get healthier, leaner and better looking. Riding a bike will greatly help with that.
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04-15-2012, 11:58 PM #14
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04-16-2012, 06:06 AM #15
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04-16-2012, 06:11 AM #16
Sir Chris Hoy (British Olympic track cyclist)
Read an interview with him recently saying the best exercise for lower body development is the squat - heavy and low
he's aware------Current PR----------Goal for 2016
Squat 155kg x 3-----------160kg x 5
Bench 130kg x 2-----------140kg x 5
Dead--220kg x 1-----------250kg x 1
OHP----75kg x 2-----------90kg x 5
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04-16-2012, 06:52 AM #17
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04-16-2012, 08:05 AM #18
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04-16-2012, 09:12 AM #19
It means riding with your shoes attached to your pedals basically.. she's referring to clipless pedals. Go down to clipless pedals, you'll see.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_pedal
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