What muscles does cycling use?

Cycling gets your heart rate up, which burns calories and can lead to weight loss (if you eat sensibly). While cycling, you activate your abs to keep stable as you pedal. Your abdominal muscles form part of the body's core muscle unit, which provides a stable platform for riding and allows you to use your upper body for support and smooth steering. read more

Primary muscles, or movers, are the first muscles called upon when there is a need for increased speed or force. For a cyclist, these muscles are located in the hips and legs. Sometimes referred to as pistons, the legs, revolving at 80 to 100 reps per minute, are what’s responsible for producing power and speed. read more

The type of riding you do will use some of these muscles more than others. If the terrain is hilly, the quadriceps will do more of the work powering up the hills. When standing to get up a hill, the gluteal muscles will be more engaged. read more