Would hill cycling increase quad muscles?

Remmy

Hi all
I'm just wondering does cycling{particularly up hills}build up the muscles in the thighs?Since it is an aerobic activity do they increase in size or just become more efficient?Also which muscles are worked?

thanks

eroo

If you want to build up your quads(thighs),hit the gym and do leg press' and leg extensions,squats etc.I've found cycling just makes them more efficient.Cycling works your quadriceps and glutes mainly afaik!

Remmy

thanks eroo!I was thinking that myself just wasn't sure.

Mikel

I could see you getting some muscle growth in your legs if you're pushing a high gear uphill, but it would level off quickly since you're not progressively overloading. Most of the benefit would be tolerance to lactic acid.
Incidentally, if big legs are what you want, don't bother with leg presses or extensions. Squat and deadlift.

Smellyirishman

Mikel wrote: »

I could see you getting some muscle growth in your legs if you're pushing a high gear uphill.

I could see some banged up knees too.

OP, if you want size, cycling is not going to give it to you.

rubadub

It would be similar to a machine really, and for hypertrophy most will recommend 3 sets of 8-12 reps. So really you want a hill steep enough and gear high enough so you will get on your bike, be able to do 8-12 rotations of the pedals, be so knackered you have to get off, wait a min to recover and get back on and do it twice more. I doubt anybody would do that, but I read some article on a site ages ago comparing squats and cycling up hills.

As said -better off with deads & squats, if it is big legs you want.

EileenG

Put a trailer behind your bike, fill it with children and school books, then cycle up hills into a headwind and yes, you will grow your quads. Ordinary cycling, not so much. It'll do great things for your CV system, though.

Remmy

thanks guys!Would they make the muscle more dense perhaps?Ah great deadlifts are one of the exercises i use most often.I usually DL around 30kg 10 reps for about 3 sets.I know thats laughable compared to most peoples standards but i'm a skinny guy{65kg!:eek:}.I dont do squats as much.there seems to be something wrong with my form that when i do the behind the back variety i get very bad knee pain for a day or two after.I think its to do with bouncing to get the weight up on the upstroke.

thanks guys

EileenG

It should bring out great definition. Cyclists typically have visible teardrops.

You could try front squats or dumbell squats. Vary your stance too, if your feet are too close, it can make the squat difficult.

Hanley

Mikel wrote: »

I could see you getting some muscle growth in your legs if you're pushing a high gear uphill, but it would level off quickly since you're not progressively overloading. Most of the benefit would be tolerance to lactic acid.
Incidentally, if big legs are what you want, don't bother with leg presses or extensions. Squat and deadlift.

I wouldnt be so quick to dismiss leg presses and leg extenstions when it comes to building big a55 legs. Everyone's on such a "functional" buzz that they've forgotten the traditional exercises have worked for decades and will continue to do so for decades more.

sunnyjim

All I'd say about cycling for hypertrophic results is that cycling tends to bring out the worst in knees, particularly anything to do with how the quads develop.

Rubadub posted a great link a while ago, and somewhere in it it mentioned the fact that the inner quads - :mad: - are only really doing much of anything on the last 20% of a leg extenstion.

So if your gonna start doing tons of road cycling, go get a fat saddle and makesure your legs are fully extending on each rev. of the pedals.

TKD SC

sunnyjim wrote: »

All I'd say about cycling for hypertrophic results is that cycling tends to bring out the worst in knees, particularly anything to do with how the quads develop.

Rubadub posted a great link a while ago, and somewhere in it it mentioned the fact that the inner quads - :mad: - are only really doing much of anything on the last 20% of a leg extenstion.

So if your gonna start doing tons of road cycling, go get a fat saddle and makesure your legs are fully extending on each rev. of the pedals.

Hi,
Could you explain more about bringing out the worst in knees and quad development? Is it because cycling will develop the outer thigh more so than the inner thigh (vmo muscle) and hence lead to imbalances?

Re leg extension - the odd time I use this machine, I just do the last maybe 30 - 40% of the range in order to mainly try to hit my inner thigh muscle. Haven't used the machine in a while though - might start again...

Thanks,

Simon

brianon

Remmy wrote: »

.I dont do squats as much.there seems to be something wrong with my form that when i do the behind the back variety i get very bad knee pain for a day or two after.I think its to do with bouncing to get the weight up on the upstroke.

thanks guys

There shouldn't be much 'bounce' at all. There is a natural bounce provided by the muscles worked but it wouldn't be that noticable. Keep your knees out over your feet. Don't turn your knees in.

How deep are you going ? Above parallel, Parallel, below ?

Remmy

brianon wrote: »

There shouldn't be much 'bounce' at all. There is a natural bounce provided by the muscles worked but it wouldn't be that noticable. Keep your knees out over your feet. Don't turn your knees in.

How deep are you going ? Above parallel, Parallel, below ?

thanks for the reply!maybe its that my stance is too narrow.I do notice my heels wanting to slide out.I'd go a bit below parallel.

Degsy

the blokes in my gym with the biggest legs do every excercise and machine in the place,raises,squats,extensions,leg press etc.If you want big legs(like big arms) work for them and do as much as you can of everything.

Daveref

da gym is great but u cant beat manual stuff like press ups etc.
du pilates for ur legs too it works

Degsy

Daveref wrote: »

da gym is great but u cant beat manual stuff like press ups etc.
du pilates for ur legs too it works

How are press ups better for your legs than weight-bearing leg excercises?

Daveref

weight machines can stunt your rowth if u 18 r under
da machines r gud but iv found dumbelss nd sit ups more effective
circuit trainin is great too

g'em

Daveref wrote: »

weight machines can stunt your rowth if u 18 r under
da machines r gud but iv found dumbelss nd sit ups more effective
circuit trainin is great too

excuse me what now? I'm sorry, I don't speeka de text.

BrowneusMaximus

On the above comment.......weights wont stunt your groth....old wifes tale.....the only time a chld shouldnt do resistance is if their under 8, theres no problem with a child over 8 doing LIGHT weights for endurance (+15 reps) as part of a balenced excercise programe.

cycling will build endurance into your quads/hams, some slight toning, if its big muscles your after forget the bike hit the gym they will come from lifting heavy weights. If your a cyclist focus on doing endurence weights (lighter weights 3 or more sets 15+ reps), training for bulk wont help improve your cycling .

Mikel

Hanley wrote: »

I wouldnt be so quick to dismiss leg presses and leg extenstions when it comes to building big a55 legs. Everyone's on such a "functional" buzz that they've forgotten the traditional exercises have worked for decades and will continue to do so for decades more.

Horses for courses I suppose. I don't leg press, I think it's an ego lift tbh. But I could see an argument for someone interested just in growth doing them after say heavy squatting if they wanted to really overload their legs without the risk of failing with a bar. Not at the expense of squatting though.
Also because it's not functional I don't see any strength carryover to any athletic endeavour, which is what I'm interested in.

Leg extensions though are the devils work. I know the bbers like them because they can see their quads sticking out, but to me they spell imbalance and bad knees

Hanley

Mikel wrote: »

Horses for courses I suppose. I don't leg press, I think it's an ego lift tbh. But I could see an argument for someone interested just in growth doing them after say heavy squatting if they wanted to really overload their legs without the risk of failing with a bar. Not at the expense of squatting though.
Also because it's not functional I don't see any strength carryover to any athletic endeavour, which is what I'm interested in.

He asked about leg size. All the exercises I mentioned are great for increasing it. If he'd asked about improving as an athlete the answer would have been VERY different. When used properly the leg press can be a great tool. But unfortunately you tend to see a lot of tools using it too.

Colm_OReilly

weight machines can stunt your rowth if u 18 r under

Pooey! It's breaking bones that stunt your growth. Can't recall the exact part/substructure of the bone that does it but iirc it's the growth plate.

the only time a chld shouldnt do resistance is if their under 8, theres no problem with a child over 8 doing LIGHT weights for endurance (+15 reps) as part of a balenced excercise programe.

Children do resistance work from the time they can move. A child who hasn't developed the ability to walk starts crawling - this in itself is resistance work. Then standing requires a great deal of strength for them. They're also pulling themselves up all day (pull ups anyone).

As they grow, they pick things up all the time. They climb trees, wrestle with each other, etc.

Love the quote in the sig btw.

Hanley, kinda funny that you'd call a leg press a trad exercise. Surely squats and deads were around for yonks before we had machines?