Does Cycling Help Tone Your Abs, Legs, Stomach, Bum?

Can cycling help improve your muscle tone?

In the battle to get the body you deserve- When you're heading off to the gym, it's easy to overlook the old bicycle you have in the shed which you could be putting to use.

We all know that cycling is a fantastic exercise which can be of great benefit to your health and fitness. As an endurance sport it can be exceptionally good for development of cardiovascular fitness while helping with weight loss or maintaining your figure.

Cycling can offer an excellent alternative to a gym environment for an exerciser in their quest for a better physique, lower weight and improved body image.

Cycling can help to improve muscle tone in the areas of your legs, butt and stomach.

Which muscles does cycling work?

We all know that cycling is a fantastic workout for our muscles- but which muscles do we exercise (and tone) while we're riding a bike?

Leg muscles used while cycling

• Quadraceps muscles (front of thighs)
• Hamstrings (Rear of thigh)
• Calf muscles
• Hip Flexors
• Gluteus Maximus (Your butt!)
• Plantarflexors of the Foot
• Dorsiflexors of the foot

The Upper body muscles used while cycling are mainly for support and stabilisation but this still can give them a great workout.

• Abdominal muscles (Internal and external)
• Arm muscles
• Chest and shoulders
• Muscles of the back

• How can cycling help you tone your butt muscles?

  We'd all like a little more lift and tone to our rear and cycling can offer an exceptionally good activity to tone your gluteus maximus muscle.

  Your Gluteus Maximus muscles are responsible for the initiation of the downward phase of the cycling pedal stroke and are therefore worked whenever you're pedalling.

  You can help to improve your muscle tone by heading for the hills and getting out of the saddle. Steep hills force you to work harder to start each pedal stroke. Riding uphill is hard work and will place large amounts of stress on both your glutes and thigh muscles to give them a hard workout and stimulate muscle damage. This leads to improvement in strength and muscle tone once your muscles recover.

• How can cycling help you tone your calf muscles?

  Cycling works the muscles of your calf (Soleus and Gastrocnemius muscles) through the action of plantarflexion during the pedal stroke.

  Plantarflexion is effectively the same action of your feet as you stand on tip-toes. This happens in the points of the pedal stroke which correspond to the hairs of 5 and 6 on a clockface as your foot flexes and toes point downwards.

  Your calf muscles only play a small role in cycling but the benefits you get in muscle tone will be well worthwhile for digging out those shorts or short skirts to be able to show off your legs.

  How can cycling flatten your stomach?

  Many of us have a layer of adipose tissue around our mid-sections stopping us from achiving that flat stomach. Cycling can help us achieve the body we desire by helping to burn more calories which can lead to weight loss.

  Can cycling help tone your abs?

  Cycling doesn't use your abdominal muscles as a prime mover. Instead it uses your abs as a stabilising muscle as part of the movement. Your abdominal muscles form part of the body's core muscle unit and these provide a stable platform for riding which allows you to use your upper body for support and smooth steering.

  Your abdominal muscles (and posterial muscles of the abdomen) contract isometrically to provide stability. These constant contractions help you to develop well toned abdominal muscles from cycling. It also helps to improve abdominal muscle strength and endurance.

  How to correctly activate your abdominal muscles for cycling

  To ensure correct form while you cycle tense your stomach muscles to pull your navel inwards while pulling your stomach in tightly and downwards slightly towards to your pubic bone. Try to maintain this throughout your cycling workout and after a short time it will become your natural cycling posture.

  Tips to get the most out of cycling for better muscle tone

  Follow these tips to get the most out of your cycling exercise.

  • Make sure you have you seat height set right for comfort and to avoid injury. At the base of the pedal stroke you should have a slight bend in your knee when the foot is at a right angle to the floor
  • Always build up cycling volume slowly to avoid overuse injuries.
  • Try to maintain a cadence of 90-120 rpm as this will put minimal stress on your joints
  • If you don't feel comfortable riding outside a stationary bike or spinning class is a great way of gaining muscle tone through cycling.
  • Make sure you dress accordingly for the weather. There's no logic in cycling if you can't keep warm or feel comfortable to continue
  • Take your muscle toning to new levels by using clip-less pedals as your foot remains clipped into the pedal your muscles are in control of the whole pedal stroke which leads to a better toning effect.
  • Hills are your friend in your attempts to improve fitness, strength and muscle tone. Don't be afraid to get out of the saddle.
  • If you're struggling for comfort on a spin bike or your own bicycle, consider a cheap and easy comfort fix- A gel saddle cover can enhance comfort and you can easily move it from bike to bike.