Does Cycling Help Build the Butt & Thighs?

Cycling is an aerobic exercise, popular for its transportation efficiency and effectiveness as a weight-loss activity. Regular cycling also builds up the muscles in the thigh and buttocks -- the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Cycling improves muscle performance and enhances tone, but also alters your nutritional needs and increases your metabolism over time.

  1. Quads of Steel

    • The quadriceps group consists of four muscles on the front of your thighs. The quads work in concert with the hamstrings to power such activities as walking and climbing stairs. For cyclists, the quads are a main power source, providing a significant portion of the energy for both the up and down swing of the pedals. While cycling does increase muscle size on its own, the disproportionately large thighs seen on olympic cyclists are owed in part to strength-training exercises that target that region.

    Chiseled Hamstrings

    • Toned hamstrings are common on endurance athletes.

      The hamstrings make up the second major muscle group group involved in cycling performance -- the three muscles located on the back of the thigh. Like the quadriceps, this group of muscles serves to power through the entire rotation of the pedal while cycling. Cycling builds the hamstrings by continually breaking down the muscles and forcing the body to rebuild them stronger, tougher and larger.

    Maxed-Out Glutes

    • The glutes are the muscle group in your buttocks that helps to make walking, standing and climbing possible. Cycling also draws on the glutes for power and builds muscle bulk and tone. In professional cyclists, bigger glutes conspire with weight loss in the gut and bulging thigh muscles to form the "cyclist body type." MetaSport suggests doing a variety of strength-training exercises including body-weight squats just before riding to engage the glutes and increase your cycling power.

    Other Benefits of Cycling

    • Cycling also builds the muscles in the lower legs -- the gastrocnemius and soleus. By elevating your heart rate and increasing your muscles’ need for fuel, cycling inspires a rapid burning of calories. Over time, in combination with a healthy low-calorie diet, your body will begin to burn through its fat reserves, including those in and around your butt and thighs. The increase in muscle tone and loss of fatty tissue will inspire a metabolic boost, allowing you to burn through calories more quickly.

    Tips for Increasing Muscle Mass

    • Dry beans are a protein source low in saturated fat.

      Beth Newell, the 2011 U.S. track cycling champion, advises performance athletes to eat as many calories as possible to support muscle growth in their quads. Newell even advocates eating dessert with breakfast . Even for those who don’t train quite so hard, getting enough protein to support muscle growth should be a definite goal. As you break your muscles down, you will need to add more protein to build it back up. Mark Jenkins, M.D., faculty sponsor of the Rice University cycling team, suggests meeting your increased protein needs from sources like lean beef, milk, yogurt, beans and rice.