What Muscles Does An Exercise Bike Work? (Complete Guide)

What Muscles Do Exercise Bikes Work? (All Explained)

Lower Body Muscles 

It’s not surprising that your lower-body muscles are targeted when using exercise bikes. The pedaling motion engages all of these muscles, which firms them with regular use. But what lower body muscles do work when using spin bikes? Check them out below:  

Related Article - Do Exercise Bikes Tone Your Bum?

Upper Body Muscles 

Because of the pedaling motion, it’s pretty easy to tell that exercise bikes can target many of your lower body muscles. However, many are still unfamiliar with the benefits this machine provides to your upper body’s muscles.  

While riding an exercise bike won’t always target your arms and abdomen, certain positions will allow you to target and strengthen them.

For example, pedaling with high resistance while standing can put pressure on your arm muscles and lower back, allowing you to work on these muscle groups. Then, as you increase the intensity, you can put more pressure on these muscles, eventually toning them.

Changing your position while cycling also targets the upper body muscles. Every time you shift your body, you put pressure on these muscle groups, including arms, abs, back, and shoulder. But how do exercise bikes work these muscles? Let’s find out.  

How Long Does It Take To Tone Muscles Riding A Bike?

An exercise bike is not a special machine that magically tones your muscles when you ride it. You need to put in time and effort and consistently work out to achieve a firm bum and legs.

That means you need to ride your bike regularly. It may seem pointless as the first few rides would not show any results. But remember, consistency is key. You have to be patient and persistent.  

If you want to see how your muscles evolve as you train, you can use a body fat scale. Physical results won’t manifest right away, but the body fat scale can help motivate you, especially if you can see how your muscles are growing. Generally, the effects of your workout will show after 4 to 6 weeks of consistent training.  

During this period, you will notice that your legs, thighs, and butt are firmer. You will also start to feel stronger, and the workout will be easier than it was when you first started. But don’t stop yet.

After 6 weeks, start increasing the intensity and duration of your workout. However, don’t push your limits—no need to double the time and intensity right away. Listen to your body. If you push yourself too much, you might lose your motivation and flow.  

After 2 to 4 months, your body will look more toned. Your legs, thighs, and butt will look stronger and more muscular compared to when you just began. If you're using a body fat scale, you’ll see that your muscle mass has increased and your fat has decreased. But achieving this is only the start. You need to maintain and consistently ride the bike to keep this toned body.

Also Check Out - Are Calorie Counters On Spin Bikes Accurate?

Exercise Bike Workout Routines For Building Muscle 

When you start riding an exercise bike, you need to ask yourself what you want to achieve with your workout. Do you want to lose weight and tone your muscles? Or do you want to gain more muscle mass and volume?

Once you determine your fitness goal, you can now create a routine. Here are two plans you can try to tone and strengthen your muscles:

For toning and strengthening

This type of exercise routine targets your legs, thighs, and bum while helping you burn calories. Start by doing HIIT training on your exercise bike 2 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes. Make sure you alternate between a high intensity and recovery phase. During the high-intensity phase, increase the resistance.

This will allow you to work your muscles more. Then, add some cardio workout of 45 to 60 minutes at least once into your weekly routine. This could be aerobic exercise, Zumba, or anything that could get you moving. This will help you shed that extra weight fast.

See Also - Do Exercise Bikes Strengthen Knees?

For muscle bulking

You need to remove the extra cardio workout and focus on the HIIT training for this routine. Depending on your strength, you can do 3 to 5 HIIT workouts per week for 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure you increase the pedaling resistance as you go for maximum results.

Muscles Worked When Biking FAQs

Can a stationary bike burn belly fat? 

Yes, it can burn belly fat, but you need to be consistent. Removing that extra fat on your tummy will take time, so you must be patient and persistent.  

How does cycling change your body shape? 

If what you mean by changing your body shape is losing weight and getting toned, then yes, it will change.

Is road biking better for fitness than stationary bikes? 

It depends on what your fitness goal is. But road biking can require more strength, especially on uphill streets. This means that you will need to exert more effort, providing you with better and faster results.