Lisa
I would like to work on developing my leg muscles. Would it be allright to ride in the highest gear/slowest cadence possible in the name of strength training (and strength training alone, no distance or speed work) or would I be better off going to the gym?
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I would like to work on developing my leg muscles. Would it be allright to ride in the highest gear/slowest cadence possible in the name of strength training (and strength training alone, no distance or speed work) or would I be better off going to the gym?
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Go to the gym. Squats, leg presses, leg curls and extensions will all tone more muscle. Bikes are more for endurance, though you will develop some strength.
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Gym.
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you want big, beefy, muscle-y legs? you need the gym.
if you want stronger legs (and they will get more muscle-y too) turning big gears can do that for you. the good part is you don’t have to pay for a gym membership, you can do something you (hopefully) like, and cycling will almost certainly make you leaner–which allows you muscles to show a bit more.
i’m also a big fan of “practical exercise”, gym muscles may look good to you–but i’ve found they’re not nearly as useful as you might guess…witness the multitude of gym-muscle-meatheads at a rock climbing gym, they almost always suck at it.
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I agree with all above. Low cadence & high resistance is the right thinking… but cycling won’t provide the very heavy resistance for optimal muscle growth nor work all parts of you legs evenly. Also, weight machines allow you to isolate muscle groups for a much more effective work out.
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Hey Lisa, this really depends on your endpoint. Are you trying to make your legs huge and muscular? Go to the gym and press heavy weights/low reps. Are you looking to just make them tone-as-hell and able to kick down a door? Cycling may be a good alternative. You can get huge legs by spending a few hours a week in the gym. This will give you explosive power over very short time intervals. I bike around 12 hours a week, and my legs are very tone and defined without being huge. I also have incredible leg stamina. If this is what you are shooting for, cycling may be for you. Just be prepared to put in the time.
-c.
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go to the gym. pedaling big gears will put too much pressure on your knees and joints and that is not good. the key to be a better cyclist is to spin, spin spin.
carlos