Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness

Want strong cyclist legs? These are the exercises you should do

The absolute best leg exercises for cyclists who want to get stronger and faster

By
a man on a stationary bike
Josh Nuttall / Unsplash

For a cyclist, legs are crucial. Whether riding a stationary bike or a traditional one, you lean heavily on the lower body to carry you up hills and through sprints. A solid ride can also work the legs big-time, and resistance training may be the last thought. Plus, don’t those hills count as legs exercises?

The short answer is yes, but building strength through weight-bearing exercises is still essential for your overall fitness (and ability to stay in the saddle). Cycling certainly helps you strengthen and tone the legs. However, the moves are repetitive. Varying how you work your leg muscles can help prevent injury. Also, you want to ensure you’re building strength throughout the leg, not the quads and hamstrings that can dominate a cycling workout (this step also helps guard against overuse injuries). To get you started, we shared the best legs exercises for cyclists.

Recommended Videos

Strengthen your cyclist legs with these lower-body exercises

man with yellow kettlebell
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ready to put the pedal to the floor (figuratively speaking) and strengthen the legs so you can ride longer and stronger? These legs exercises for cyclists will help.

Related

Romanian deadlifts

Romanian deadlifts work the heavy hitters, including the hamstrings and glutes—both critical muscle groups for cyclists. They also serve as a sneaky-good core workout, which can help firm up posture and reduce back pain from riding.

How to do a Romanian deadlift (RDL)

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, a slight bend in the knee, and a dumbbell in each hand in front of the thighs. (Beginners: Bodyweight is fine to start.)
  2. Hinge forward at the hips, maintaining a straight back as you lower the dumbbells as far as possible while maintaining proper form. Avoid arching the back.
  3. Reverse the position to raise back to the starting position. Ensure knees keep a slight bend and do not lock.
  4. Repeat

Kettlebell swing

Kettlebell swings build power (they double as a cardio move) and strength. While they’re a stellar full-body workout, they target the glutes, hamstrings, and quads in the lower body.

  1. Stand straight, gripping the kettlebell with both hands in front of your thighs.
  2. Squeeze the shoulder blades, bring the belly button in toward the spine, and bend slightly at the knees.
  3. Shift the weight into your heels as you lower the butt down as if you’re about to sit in a chair.
  4. Drive explosively through the heels and swing the kettlebell upward so it runs perpendicular to the chest.
  5. Return to start.
  6. Repeat quickly.

Calf raises

While you may not feel your calves working during a cycling workout, they play a vital role in the down pedal. Also, working more than the glutes, hamstrings, and quads build full-leg strength, preventing you from leaning too heavily on them during a cycling workout and winding up with an overuse injury.

  1. Stand straight with the core engaged and feet hip-width distance apart.
  2. Press through the balls of the feet to stand on your tiptoes. (You can use a chair or wall to balance if needed, but keep weight evenly distributed and avoid leaning on the prop.)
  3. Return to start.
  4. Repeat.

Jump lunges

Like the kettlebell swing, jump lunges boast cardio bursts. Expect to burn the thighs, glutes, and calves.

  1. Stand tall. Take a giant step behind to assume a lunge position, with the back leg forming a 90-degree angle.
  2. Explode through the legs as you move the front leg back and back leg to the front.
  3. Repeat as soon as the feet hit the ground.

Glute bridges

The humble glute bridge is an excellent choice for beginners or people who don’t have access to a gym, such as when traveling. Obviously, the glutes get some work, but you’ll also target the hamstrings and mid-section.

  1. Lie on the ground.
  2. Bend the knees, allowing the feet to rest flat on the ground.
  3. Bring the belly button toward the spine and gradually raise the hips.
  4. Squeeze the glutes at the top. (Optional: Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.)
  5. Slowly lower down.
  6. Repeat.

How to start weight-bearing legs exercises: Pointers for beginners

Lukas / Pexels

Perhaps you’re returning to weight training after a long lag or had previously subscribed to the idea that cyclists’ legs were built through doing hills — all good. These tips will help you ease into leg exercises for cyclists so you get the most gain with the smallest amount of pain.

  • Start slow. You’ll want to aim to do weight-bearing exercises — either a longer full-body or briefer leg day — two to three times per week. However, beginning with once-weekly resistance training sessions is something.
  • Pick weight wisely. What qualifies as “light,” “medium,” and “heavy” weights is personal. Choose weights that make it challenging to complete the last one to two reps but not impossible to get any reps in. Starting with body weight is also OK, and even people experienced in weight training can reap the benefits of calisthenics.
  • Focus on form. Form is always crucial. Use your gradual progression into weight training to prioritize learning good form. A personal trainer can help.
  • Warm up and recover. A five to 10-minute warm-up with cardio and light stretching (your bike ride counts) as cardio and a five to 10-minute stretch following a workout can reduce injury risk.
  • Build in recovery. As you progress to strength training multiple times per week, be sure to have at least one day between working a specific muscle group (or do full-body every other day).

Summary

Micah Boerma / Pexels

Yes, cycling and hills can boost leg strength. However, you’ll still want to develop a resistance training cadence. The movement involved in cycling is repetitive, so you work the same muscles in the same way constantly, putting you at risk for overuse injuries. Working muscles in different ways can guard against that and make you feel stronger in the saddle. Resistance training moves such as kettlebell swings and Romanian deadlifts target the quad, hamstring, and glute muscles you use heavily in cycling. Ensure you’re working lesser-used muscles, like calves, to build full-leg strength. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. If you’re new to strength training, focus on form and pick lighter weights that challenge but don’t exhaust you and progress gradually.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
BethAnn Mayer
BethAnn Mayer
Contributor
Beth Ann's work has appeared on healthline.com and parents.com. In her spare time, you can find her running (either marathons…
Is there more muscle damage after intense workouts as you age? Research is in
Here's another reason to power through resistance training and don't let age hold you back.
Man with shirt off in gym lifting one dumbbell

There are lots of factors that can change as you age. Many people find it more difficult to finish that same fitness routine as they get older. As the decades roll on, it might seem more challenging to bounce back after a long night and power through a deadlift, bench press, and bicep curl. Recently, researchers set out to determine if the muscle damage caused by training is more severe for those later in life compared to younger adults. Let’s take a look at these interesting results that might just prompt you to hit the gym or pick up those dumbbells.
The study

In a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers compared 16 elite resistance-trained male athletes. Half the participants were around 22 years old and were categorized into the younger male athlete group. The other half were around 52 years old and referred to as the ‘master’ male athletes. The participants were matched for squat strength for the best outcome.

Read more
Study shows how many minutes and which type of exercise lowers blood pressure
It turns out, you don't have to push yourself to the point of exhaustion for over an hour to lower your blood pressure
man cycling outside on the grass

Hypertension or consistently high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, kidney damage, stroke, and heart failure. Certain factors can increase your blood pressure, such as stress, low potassium levels, and added sugar. On the other hand, you can take certain steps to help lower blood pressure and improve your overall health, like getting more exercise. If you’re wondering how many minutes and which type of exercise lowers blood pressure, an interesting new study provides the answers.
What is blood pressure?

When your heart beats, it pumps oxygen-rich blood into your arteries. Blood pressure refers to the pressure of your blood flow on the walls of your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that transport blood away from your heart to other parts of your body. Your blood pressure is the measurement of that force or pressure inside your arteries. A blood pressure cuff and gauge is the only way to effectively measure your blood pressure. Your blood pressure differs from your heart rate, which refers to the number of times your heart beats in one minute.
The study

Read more
Does the popular 5×5 workout build muscle power? Here’s why you should try it.
Lifting a heavy weight for five sets of five reps causes muscle tension and biological responses that drive muscle growth.
red weights Athletic man having workout and bodybuilding with barbells weight front squat setting style in gym and fitness club in dark tone

Some workouts are worth doing, and fitness buffs are raving about the 5x5 workout to maximize strength and hypertrophy. It’s a simple concept, but it might just propel your fitness to the next level and get you over those hurdles. 5x5 is a functional workout that’s been used for decades to enhance athletic performance. Let’s look at the benefits of the 5x5 workout, how to choose the right weight, and the best exercises to include in your routine.
What is the 5x5 workout?

The 5x5 workout involves performing a small selection of full-body compound lifts and strength training moves for 5 sets of 5 reps, such as the bent-over barbell row and the overhead press. It’s similar to a push pull legs routine that stimulates muscle growth. You’ll lift heavy weights without reaching burnout or overworking your muscles. Each day, your session will include one or two lower and upper-body movements, such as a deadlift paired with a row. After the heavy lifting, you’ll typically move on to more isolated exercises that strengthen supporting muscles. You’ll perform the same lifts every week and gradually increase the weight over time.

Read more