Does riding a cycling help build muscle in body and what are some tips?

Question

I'm a college student studying to become a law enforcement officer. I not much into going to the gym cause I don't have much time because of all the studying . I've really thought about taking up cycling to help build muscle and strength. Does anyone have any tips on how to get started?

Answer 1

What you will gain from cycling is cardiovascular health, weight loss and leg strength - if you ride right!

It sounds like you want the leg strength mainly.  To gain the most leg strength you will want to do "stomps".  Put the bike in a medium gear and push hard to come up to a high revolution or "cadence".  Once you reach a high cadence, change to a harder gear (smaller cog in back or larger cog in front).  Continue pushing harder and harder gears as long as you can.  If you do this on the way to school, work, etc. you can build the workout into your every day commute.  I woud pack a moist washcloth to wipe off your body after a commute and perhaps a change of clothes.  You will gain leg strength very quickly as well as increasing your endurance at higher heart rate and lowering your resting heart rate.

To train for endurance and weight loss you need spend lots of time riding at a moderate pace.  A simple way to determine if you are riding fast enough is if you can complete a sentence in one breath.  If you can, speed up a touch.  You should be able to speak, but not casually.  This is probably not your best option given the time constraints you mention.

This is an incredibly over-simplified description, but the method will work for a beginner.  I also recommend doing some upper body strength training and core training (push-ups, sit-ups, dips, etc.)  These are all things you can do at home - take a 10 minute break from the books and do 20 pushups and 2 situps.  It will wake you up, get the blood flowing, and help you overall health!

Good luck.

Answer 2

Bicycling is a good lower body workout. You might be able to do some research online as far as looking up a workout plan if you want to use it for fitness or strength training.

Good luck!

Answer 3

It is great for the lower body, and the cardiovascular system.

How do you get started? Find a bike and start putting on the miles.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.