Those that cycle - what has it done to your body?

[Anonymous]

I’m considering investing in one of the indoor cycling bikes and using as my primary source of cardio exercise. (I’ve recently had a knee surgery so thinking it’s the best thing for me right now.) However, my question is, those that cycle regularly- what has it done to your body? I’m short and petite and don’t want to bulk up my calves and thighs. Has this happened to you or have you gotten toned/ built muscle, gotten leaner, lost weight, etc? Just curious to hear from others.

[Anonymous]

Following..

[Anonymous]

How do you normally respond to resistance training? I bulk up easily for a woman, so am expecting our newly-acquired Peloton to give me larger leg muscles as I get stronger, in part because I prefer higher resistance and (relatively) lower cadence.

[Anonymous]

I got pretty into spinning classes for a few months (started going 2-3x a week) and ended up stopping because I didn't like what they were doing to my thighs. They got noticeably thicker. That is my body type though - my thighs and butt are quick to bulk up. There were some people in my class who clearly didn't have the same problem.

[Anonymous]

Any Pelotoner’s care to chime in?

[Anonymous]

Do you want an answer from an outdoor bike rider/bike commuter? Won't answer if that's not what you want (and I suspect that the work out is not identical?)

[Anonymous]

It's the same as running

Sprinters (think higher resistance shorter spurts) tend to bulk up

Longer distance folks tend to lean out

If you want to lean out stick with lower resistance and longer rides but be careful most marathoners have crappy bodies

The sweet spot is around 20 minutes low resistance with some HITT sessions thrown in

[Anonymous]

I’m short and muscular. I stopped spinning because it made my butt and quads absurdly big and muscular. If you just spin without doing a lot of hill work, and keep the resistance low, you will probably be fine in terms of bulking up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the same as running

Sprinters (think higher resistance shorter spurts) tend to bulk up

Longer distance folks tend to lean out

If you want to lean out stick with lower resistance and longer rides but be careful most marathoners have crappy bodies

The sweet spot is around 20 minutes low resistance with some HITT sessions thrown in

Oh, FFS. No, running and cycling are not the same.

Sprinters look bulkier because they have different body compositions than elite distance runners, and that's amplified by their training.

I don't even know what to do with "most marathoners have crappy bodies," other than to SMDH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the same as running

Sprinters (think higher resistance shorter spurts) tend to bulk up

Longer distance folks tend to lean out

If you want to lean out stick with lower resistance and longer rides but be careful most marathoners have crappy bodies

The sweet spot is around 20 minutes low resistance with some HITT sessions thrown in

Oh, FFS. No, running and cycling are not the same.

Sprinters look bulkier because they have different body compositions than elite distance runners, and that's amplified by their training.

I don't even know what to do with "most marathoners have crappy bodies," other than to SMDH.

Agreed, and well put. I am a runner. A short, muscular, size four but not skinny, fast distance runner. I do lean out a little when I'm seriously training, but my calves get crazy strong and big. If you are a person who puts on muscle quickly, and you are short, cycling will change the way your lower body looks. For me, it wasn't a positive, so I stopped cycling. It did lean out my upper body a little, but that didn't help me when I was trying to fit into my jeans.