General Cycling Discussion - Cycling: muscles affected?

I know after 3 hrs cruising today that it targets your thighs - but specifically, which muscles does it affect? Do you guys build any muscle through cycling? Is it noticeable?

does the muscle you build during cycling help your vertical height (so that you jump higher)?

After a really hard ride the muscles that hurt are:

legs: quadriceps, gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius and the whole hamstring assemby (too many seperate muscles to name).

and especially after mountain biking

upper body: triceps, pectorals, front deltoids, triceps and the forearm group.

Yes you can build muscle but you need to work hard. Obscene climbs are the best (as in 20% + gradients) and you may find that flatland cycling simply results in better tone. There are many threads in the training and nutrition forum on weight training and muscles. Personally I build more muscle from squats and deadlifts than cycling but I wouldn't do without either.

I missed my leg workout today because of my bike ride - and was trying to justify it in my own mind. Hard work cycling - i'd like to see some the serious muscle heads down the gym tackle some hills on a bike - bet it would kill them. Then again - I overtook two relavtively young lads on sporty mountain bikes going up a hill today - and I was sitting down in 6th gear. And I only got the bike. (And it's a beachcruiser)

So you can see where the confusion lies - I'm not sure if the gym workouts are tackling the same areas or not. Probably just keep the usual routine on top of cycling.

Weights and cycling build muscle tissue differently. They actually build different types of muscle fibers. Do a search in the training and nutrition forum.

I just thought of the idea while I was reading this thread, but what about ankle weights while cycling? I am sure on a some big hills these would help out a good amount.

Seriously? Ankle weights? Do you enjoy having knees that work? If you want to make your workout harder, weigh down the bike or find some big freakin' hills to climb, but DO NOT use ankle weights while riding. I can hear the grinding of bone on bone from here!!!

but specifically, which muscles does it affect?
BRAIN

BRAIN

haha.....funny

All of them....when you get hit by a taxi.

does the muscle you build during cycling help your vertical height (so that you jump higher)?

does the muscle you build during cycling help your vertical height (so that you jump higher)?

Not really.

I'm a Gym Rat, 230lbs, also like cycling and I now cycle-commute.

The muscles that help your vertical jump height, regardless of their actual location, are the same fast-twitch white anaerobic muscles that help you lift very heavy weights for few reps, or sprint a short distance. Their power output is very high, but their endurance is very low.

By contrast the muscle type most stimulated by the fairly constant low-medium intensity contractions during cycling are the slow-twitch, red aerobic muscles. High endurance but low power output.

If anything I would hypothesise that lots of cycling would lower your potential vertical jump height, due to training specific adaptation. In other words, the muscles in your legs (at least) will develop higher endurance but lower power.

Compared to someone who is sedentary however, I would believe that cycling would improve it.

That's why bodybuilders hate aerobic exorcize. And when they do them they make sure to eat accordingly.

I can say that my calves are about the same size they used to be before I took up cycling. However, my upper legs are huge.. so huge that they make my calves look funny. Of course, I was also 340 lbs. before I started cycling, so I wouldn't have known which area had more muscle beforehand. They were too covered in fat.

How long have you been biking? I was wondering how long does it take to see a improvement in your leggs? I have really long leggs and have a hard time building leg muslce. I was wondering if biking would help. What do you think?