What Muscles Does Cycling Work? A Breakdown of Muscle Groups

An Overview of Cycling and the Muscles It Uses

Cycling is a popular cardio exercise that works various muscles throughout the body. As a low-impact exercise, cycling is gentle on the joints while providing an effective workout. Whether you're cycling outdoors, on a stationary bike, or in spinning classes, you're using major muscle groups in the legs, core, back, and arms.

The main muscles worked during cycling include:

• Quadriceps - The quadriceps are made up of four muscles on the front of the thighs. These are some of the most powerful muscles in cycling and help to extend the knee and propel the pedal stroke.
• Hamstrings - Located on the back of the thighs, the hamstrings work to flex the knee and pull the pedal up in the pedal stroke.
• Gluteal muscles - The glutes, which include the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, are the main muscles that power pedaling. They extend the hip to drive the leg down.
• Gastrocnemius - The calves or gastrocnemius help to point the toes and stabilize the ankle while cycling.
• Core muscles - Muscles including the abdominals, obliques, and lower back engage to stabilize and support proper cycling posture.

In addition to the major leg muscles, cycling also utilizes muscles in the upper body:

• Biceps - The biceps in the front of the upper arms contract to bend the elbows while cycling.
• Triceps - The triceps on the back of the upper arms straighten the elbows during the pedal stroke.
• Forearm muscles - Gripping the handlebars engages the forearm muscles to flex and extend the wrists.
• Shoulders - The deltoids and rotator cuff muscles stabilize the shoulders while leaning forward over the handlebars.
• Upper and middle back - Muscles including the latissimus dorsi help stabilize and extend the spine while cycling.

Cycling Intensity and Muscle Activation

The intensity at which you cycle impacts which muscles are targeted most. During light cycling, you'll use more slow-twitch muscle fibers, while high-intensity sprints and climbs activate more fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Seated cycling versus standing cycling also changes which muscles are emphasized. Standing climbing engages more muscles for stabilization and power, like the hamstrings, glutes, and core.

Interval training, hills, and cycling drills that include pedaling one-legged or pedaling faster against resistance are examples of ways to challenge different muscles with cycling.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps muscle group includes the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis, and the vastus intermedius. Together, these four muscles on the front of the thigh work to extend the knee and engage during the downstroke when cycling.

The rectus femoris sits in the middle and originates from the pelvis. On the outer thigh, the vastus lateralis helps to stabilize the knee. The vastus medialis on the inner thigh also stabilizes the knee joint. And deep under the rectus femoris is the vastus intermedius.

During cycling, the quadriceps provide power and endurance for continuous pedaling. They contract concentrically on the downstroke to propel the leg down and drive the crank around.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus on the back of the thigh. Their role is to flex the knee as the pedal comes up in the recovery phase.

The biceps femoris runs along the outer thigh. The semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles extend more inward along the back of the thigh.

In addition to knee flexion, the hamstrings assist hip extension and stabilize the pelvis when cycling from a seated position. Engaging the hamstrings properly helps to prevent injury by providing counterbalance to the quadriceps.

Gluteal Muscles

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the gluteal region. It creates power and drive during cycling by extending the hip and straightening the leg to push the pedal down.

The gluteus medius and minimus on the outer hip also engage along with the maximus to stabilize the pelvis and allow proper hip and knee alignment when pedaling.

Strong glutes are important for injury prevention and generating power on the bike. Cyclists often have well-developed glutes from the concentrated muscle usage during cycling.

Gastrocnemius

The gastrocnemius muscles, more commonly referred to as the calves, include the lateral and medial head. These muscles plantarflex the ankle and foot to point the toes while stabilizing the lower leg during the pedal stroke.

Cycling at higher resistance, climbing hills, and sprinting engage the gastrocnemius muscles more to generate extra power. The calves provide endurance over long rides as well.

Core Muscles

Core muscles activated during cycling include:

• Rectus abdominis - Helps flex and stabilize the spine
• Obliques - Rotate and side bend the torso while stabilizing
• Erector spinae - Extend and laterally flex the spine
• Transverse abdominis - Compresses the abdomen and provides stability
• Pelvic floor muscles - Support pelvic organs and stabilize hips

The core musculature engages isometrically to maintain proper cycling posture and transfer power from the lower body to the upper body. A strong core also allows you to ride with less strain placed on the back.

Arm and Shoulder Muscles

Though the legs do most of the work in cycling, the upper body plays an important supporting role. The arms and shoulders engage the following muscles to stabilize your position on the bike:

• Biceps brachii - Flexes the elbow to bend the arm
• Triceps brachii - Straightens the elbow when grasping handlebars
• Deltoids - Abduct, extend, and medially rotate the arms
• Rotator cuff muscles - Stabilize the shoulder joint
• Forearm flexors - Grip and maneuver the handlebars
• Latissimus dorsi - Extend and adduct the arms

Maintaining proper arm and hand positioning reduces strain placed on these muscles during long rides. Also building strength in the upper body can improve cycling power and endurance.

Cycling Intensity for Different Muscle Fibers

Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibers

Slow-twitch muscle fibers, or type I fibers, are endurance-based. They fire slowly but are resistant to fatigue, making them ideal for lower-intensity, longer-duration exercise like cycling.

Slow-twitch fibers rely on oxygen for energy and are activated below the lactate threshold. They allow you to keep pedaling continuously without hitting muscle fatigue quickly.

Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

Fast-twitch fibers, also called type II fibers, generate quick, explosive contractions. These high-power fibers fatigue faster than slow-twitch.

Fast-twitch fibers are broken down into type IIa for moderate power output and type IIx for maximum power capacity. Sprinting, climbing hills, and high resistance cycling utilize the fast-twitch fibers more when quick bursts of leg power are needed.

Training Intensity

Long, low-intensity rides primarily tap into slow-twitch fibers. The quadriceps, glutes, and calf muscles get continuous muscle stimulation, enhancing endurance.

Higher-intensity interval training, sprints, and climbing hills rely more on recruitment of the fast-twitch fibers. The hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calves generate more powerful contractions for acceleration.

A combination of low, moderate, and high-intensity cycling sessions trains both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers for balanced cycling fitness.

Cycling Muscles Worked - Upper Body vs. Lower Body

The lower body, particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves provide over 90% of the power needed for cycling. The upper body plays a more stabilizing role.

Some key differences between upper and lower body muscle usage in cycling include:

• Lower body - Produces pedaling power through concentric contractions
• Upper body - Uses static contractions to support posture
• Legs - Engage in repetitive extension and flexion
• Arms and shoulders - Remain relatively stable or static
• Glutes, quads, calves - Propulsive power
• Core, back, arms - Stabilization and balance

Proper bike fit ensures the upper body remains relaxed in a neutral position without overreaching. The legs can then work more efficiently to power the pedal stroke.

Seated vs. Standing Cycling

Both seated and standing cycling positions target the major leg muscle groups. However, standing engages additional upper body and core muscles for stabilization.

Seated Cycling

When seated, the glutes, quads, and hamstrings extend the hips and knees to produce pedal rotations. The core muscles engage isometrically to maintain posture and balance.

Seated cycling places less weight through the legs and relies more on concentric contractions of the glutes, quads, and calves. The hip extensors and knee extensors handle more of the workload.

Standing Cycling

Standing climbing activates the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves eccentrically to control pedal forces. The hip and knee extensors act more isometrically to stabilize the joints.

Additional core and upper body muscles are recruited for balance and posture, including the abdominal obliques, erector spinae, shoulder stabilizers, and latissimus dorsi. Standing engages more total body muscles.

Best Exercises to Support Cycling

Certain exercises that complement the muscles used in cycling can help boost cycling performance. Some of the best cross-training exercises for cycling include:

Squats

Squats target the gluteal muscles as well as strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings. This helps boost power for accelerating and climbing on the bike.

Lunges

Lunges work the glutes, hamstrings, and quads through an extensive range of motion to complement the pedal stroke. Try reverse lunges to strengthen the posterior chain.

Planks

Planks engage the core muscles isometrically, which translates to better spinal stability and posture on the bike. Target the obliques with side planks.

Rowing

The pulling motion of rowing strengthens the back muscles while improving upper body endurance for comfortable hand positioning during rides.

Cycling Muscles Worked - Takeaways

The main points to keep in mind about cycling and the muscles targeted include:

• Cycling mainly works the major muscles of the legs and glutes.
• The quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves provide the power.
• The abdominal core and upper body stabilize posture.
• Slow-twitch fibers activate for endurance, fast-twitch for sprints and hills.
• Seated cycling uses more concentric contractions, while standing uses eccentric.
• Complement cycling with squats, lunges, planks, and rows.

Understanding which muscles are worked during cycling can help inform effective training routines. A comprehensive cycling program incorporates workouts that target all the major muscles involved to build strength, endurance, and power.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.