Indoor cycling is a coordinated program led by an instructor. This type of class is a high-energy activity that includes movements like “jumping” on the bike where you sit on the seat, then quickly pop up. Your bicycle is much like a stationary bicycle that features resistance that can be adjusted quickly. One minute you may be at a high resistance, pushing your legs to climb up a hill, the next minute you may be pedaling at a rapid sprint. The result is a calorie-burning workout that helps you build muscle.
Considerations
The muscles worked during an indoor cycle session can depend on the instructor and the intensity at which you exercise. To build muscle, you must challenge your muscle fibers in a way that damages the muscle tissue enough that the body must repair itself. That’s when you have worked enough to build muscle. When you take an indoor cycle class, you must challenge the legs at a high enough resistance and engage in arm-muscle building exercises like pushups on the handlebars to gain muscle. If you do work the muscles hard enough, you can experience muscle gains in addition to burning calories.
Leg Muscles Worked
When you pedal, increasing the resistance on the bicycle challenges your quadriceps muscles. These are four muscles that make up the front of the thigh that help you to flex your leg, bringing the knees closer to your chest. When you stand and pedal on the bike, you are working a number of muscles, including the calf and hamstring muscles. Hovering just over the bicycle seat can help you build muscles in your buttocks. Because these are major muscle groups, you can experience muscle-toning benefits when working hard enough.
Arm Muscles Worked
When you pedal and are seated, you should not put too much pressure on your hands. Instead, you should rest lightly enough to where you could quickly lift the hands off the handlebars. However, you can work the arm muscles during an indoor cycling session by performing simulated pushups on the bicycle’s handlebars. This pushup variation helps to work the shoulder, biceps and triceps muscles.
How to Tell
When you pedal to build muscle, you want to exercise at a level that allows you to complete the class but is hard enough to leave your leg muscles sore. If your leg muscles are sore the day after your workout, you have worked hard enough during your cycling session to build muscle. The same is true for your arm muscles. If you do not experience muscle soreness, increase the resistance at your next exercise session.
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