Can spinning make your legs bulkier? And is there a way to avoid it

brandyshopperj21

I know there's been a big debate about whether or not cycling builds up your leg muscles, especially women. i have been spinning for about 3 months now and around 3-4 times a week and recently noticing my legs look a little fuller. I was wondering if there's a way to avoid this? Would spinning fast with a lower resistance help? My classes always do climbs and up the resistance but I notice most of the women in class don't bother with riding at a higher resistance. Are they onto something?

Mr_Knight

You'll have to measure to be sure of what is happening. Usually when they start to "look fuller" they're actually getting smaller - its just that the fat overlay is slowly melting away and revealing the muscles that were there all along.

canary_girl

I spin m-f, and I love the uphill climb. My thighs are leaning out, starting to see a thigh gap.

Sam_I_Am77

You can improve the strength in your legs by cycling but you're not going to experience major hypertrophy of your thighs or anything. If you put anymore than a 0.25 of an inch on I would be shocked. If that's a recent picture you're thighs are not bulky by any means.

brandyshopperj21

Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »

You can improve the strength in your legs by cycling but you're not going to experience major hypertrophy of your thighs or anything. If you put anymore than a 0.25 of an inch on I would be shocked. If that's a recent picture you're thighs are not bulky by any means.

No it's a fitspo picture, I wish:) I was doing strength training with cardio hurst intervals before this. I had a shoulder injury so I started spinning to keep my fitness up. The leg muscle is a little different from spinning than from the squats and strength conditioning I was doing before. That's why I ask.

Sam_I_Am77

brandyshopperj21 wrote: »

Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »

You can improve the strength in your legs by cycling but you're not going to experience major hypertrophy of your thighs or anything. If you put anymore than a 0.25 of an inch on I would be shocked. If that's a recent picture you're thighs are not bulky by any means.

No it's a fitspo picture, I wish:) I was doing strength training with cardio hurst intervals before this. I had a shoulder injury so I started spinning to keep my fitness up. The leg muscle is a little different from spinning than from the squats and strength conditioning I was doing before. That's why I ask.

With the cycling and depending upon the level of resistance used, your body will have to adapt to what you're doing and perhaps over time your thigh muscles could have some marginal growth, but I wouldn't expect anything significant. With strength training, at least in a good program, you'll have progressive overload which will continuously expose your muscles to more heavier intensity which will force your body continuously adapt to what you're forcing it to do. At some point with the cycling the body will become accustomed to the resistance being used and further adaptation will stop because you're not progressing it any further.

Just my opinion but thick strong legs that fill-out a pair of jeans are hot. I love my wife's legs just for that reason. If you can fit-into skinny jeans you need to work your legs more in my opinion. Just my preference.

LeanButNotMean44

JarethG wrote: »

spin class is going to destroy any thigh gap you could hope to achieve, avoid it for something that's less bulk making, like yoga, or fasted long distance running.

You want to lose fat and excess muscle.

NO NO NO NO

FatFreeFrolicking

JarethG wrote: »

spin class is going to destroy any thigh gap you could hope to achieve, avoid it for something that's less bulk making, like yoga, or fasted long distance running.

You want to lose fat and excess muscle.

@JarethG‌ No, you don't want to lose muscle.

47Jacqueline

If you are a woman, you will not bulk when you build muscle. We simply do not have the right genetics to do that.

fishgutzy

The summer I spent cycling to work from Boston MA to Burlington every day (28 years ago), 26 mile round trip, the waist of my jeans got looser and the legs on my jeans got snug. Didn't bother me at all.

DavPul

JarethG wrote: »

spin class is going to destroy any thigh gap you could hope to achieve, avoid it for something that's less bulk making, like yoga, or fasted long distance running.

You want to lose fat and excess muscle.

Congrats on your nomination for the Most Horrible Advice of 2015 award!