Do Exercise Bikes Tone the Obliques?

Pedaling an exercise bike strengthens your heart, quadriceps and calves, but doesn't do much to build core strength. You need strong obliques, and other core muscles, to maintain proper trunk position on the bike, however. Augment your stationary bike sessions with abdominal exercises so you'll have more power and get more out of every ride.

  1. Obliques' Role in Stationary Cycling

    • Your obliques help you sit upright on an indoor bicycle. If you're taking an indoor cycling class in which you spend time out of the seat, pedaling from a standing position, your obliques fire to keep you balanced. They won't fire as much as they would on an outdoor bicycle, however, because the stability of a stationary bicycle means you don't need to work as hard to keep from toppling over. The obliques, along with other abdominal muscles, also stabilize your upper body. Your core provides the foundation from which you generate leg strength -- key in raising your heart rate and burning calories.

    Back Pain

    • If your obliques are weak, you may experience back pain during or after an indoor cycling session, explains Shannon Sovndal in "Cycling Anatomy." When your obliques are weak, you'll have trouble maintaining proper spinal alignment and posture as you ride. A weak rectus abdominis and transervse abdominis, the other muscles of the abdominals, can also contribute to back discomfort during a ride.

    Strengthening the Core

    • Your core fires to stabilize you during indoor cycling, but it doesn't build significant strength during a pedaling session, says "Bicycling" magazine. Perform exercises such as medicine ball twists, planks and side crunches to target the obliques. To do medicine ball twists, sit on your sitting bones with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Lean back slightly, until you feel your abdominals engage, and hold a medicine ball at your chest. Use control as you twist side to side. Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions and work your way up to three sets. Plan to do these moves at least three times per week on nonconsecutive days.

    A Note on Recumbents

    • The slightly reclined bucket seat and handlebars that sit even with your shoulders make a recumbent bike more comfortable to ride. These features also mean that your core fires very little while pedaling. You might choose a recumbent bike for therapy or if your balance is challenged by a regular upright stationary bicycle.