Cycling = Big Thighs?

tishka11

Question -

I have been cycling 15km (about 9 miles) everyday for the last two months or so, and recently have begun riding to uni and back, which is about 25-30km (15-19 miles) and intend to do so every day for the year, and throughout my course really (even in holidays)

However, i am aware that some cyclist get quite thick legs ... i know this is muscle and not fat, but i still dont want them and prefer to have slimmer legs
Thus i am kind of afraid of riding too much

So my question is - if im not eating lage amounts, particularly of protein, am i less likely to get massive thighs? Or is it an inevitability, in which case i should ride less? I generally only eat 1200 calories or less a day

Any help would be greatly welcomed

And just want to say that this is yet again another example of why it often kind of sucks being a woman in the realm of working out - men can work out, gain muscle and it generally always looks good....women have this thin line between being toned and then just grossly muscly
(end of rant haha)

lcedmond

In a word: No. You are not very likely to get "massive thighs" by riding a bicycle; any distance, however frequently. For evidence, check out some of the main cycling sites such as velonews.com, cyclingnews.com, etc. Look for photos of the professional road or off road women. It is rare to see one who gets "massive" in any respect. Getting toned: yes. Even then, you don't usually see the gnarly musculature you see with male cyclist's legs. For a different perspective, check out some of the male professionals. One to look at is stevetilford.com. He has been riding and making a living at it since the mid-seventies. He just won a masters World Championship in the discipline of cyclocross. His legs are toned but by no means massive. After around 40 years of very serious cycling at every level.

Here is an article with photos of a female pro mountain biker - http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/mtb/judy-freeman-journal-new-year-and-a-rockstar-start_276442.

Other very successful females to look for photos include current multi-world champion Marianne Vos, Evelyn Stevens, 1984 Olympic champion Connie Carpenter-Phinney, Rebecca Twigg and so on.

There might be some female cyclists who specialize in sprinting or track events who have "thick" legs but they work very hard to build that kind of muscle.

Enjoy your bike rides!

CrimeanGurl

What about the claves? Mine a pretty big genetically. Will they get even more massive? I keep getting conflicting info.

wellbert

A lot of them have big thighs from specific strength work, and not from cycling itself.

Example: track cyclists.

These are also high end athletes that dedicate themselves to intense daily training. You really don't have to worry about looking like them.

bostonwolf

All these kids gotta have the "thigh gap" these days. (shakes head):huh:

lcedmond

No. Unless you want to get bigger calves. It will be very rare for a female cyclist to add much muscle mass without working very hard and very specifically to add mass. Even males have to work hard at it and it is really counterproductive to some extent. More mass is just more weight to drag up and over hills. Strength and power are your friends. Gravity is not your friend.

What most people really see is, for very fit cyclists, very low body fat and very toned musculature. The muscles no longer "hide" under layers of fat and start showing up much better. However, this is really more for males than for females. Females get stronger, more powerful and lower body fat but their muscles just do not get the same kind of definition as males.

Check out Kristin Armstrong [no relation to Lance Armstrong]. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in cycling. One of the best women racers for more than a decade. Great looking legs? I think so. Massive? By no means.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/kristin-armstrong-wins-merco-cycling-classic-tt_207982
http://www.usacycling.org/usa-cycling-announces-2012-olympic-team.htm

Remember, the first photo shows her a few months before winning gold in London, she is at the top of the sport, she has worked very hard for years to be the best, is likely genetically very gifted, and, even so, the muscle definition is nothing gross. Big calves? What do you think? This picture shows her in the most powerful phase of the pedal stroke so the right leg muscles are under the greatest contractions here. If you were to see her standing around, you probably wouldn't notice anything remarkable. In heels, yeah, the calves would be contracted and you would likely notice the definition. Perhaps some don't like that look.

Cyclink

If you see a cyclist with truly huge leg muscles, they did it in a gym or they did it on a bike track doing massive amounts of sprint work.

Riding to work, even if you put some effort into it, won't get you huge leg muscles, no matter what you eat.

On 1200 calories a day, you will be lucky to keep the muscle you have. There's no chance of you gaining more.

Unless you are working out with heavy weights in a very VERY intense routine, you will not look like the female body builders.

Spatialized

^^this

You're not going to get these:

That is unless you want to.

TheRealParisLove

Shapely and beautiful? Yes! Big? No.

I've been riding 50-100 miles a week all winter long and my legs look fabulous! I've got some serious hill climbs in my daily commute, which have given me some ripped abs.

watchhillgirl

When I was in college I rode my bike from CA to RI. No big thighs! I was in great shape and my legs never looked better. Enjoy your bike and have fun!

TomjsAj

When I was in training for a triathlon the cycling did make my thighs huge! I don't think everyone is the same I personally gain a lot of muscle fast training and it is bulky but my best friend gets leaner muscles then me and we trained together? Who knew!?

fishgutzy

I gained girth in my thighs one summer that I rode 13 miles to work every day. My waist got thinner and the legs on my jeans got tighter. But by no means was i "massive."

Look at the legs on sprinters vs. distance runners. Sprinters have massive quads for short burst power. But distance runners are lean for efficient energy use over a long haul. Same with cycling.

If your road in a high gear and low reps you would likely gain more size than if you used a low gear high reps as well. The muscles are used differently.

I'd have to work really hard for years in the gym to get massive quads. I lean naturally toward chicken legs.

MyChocolateDiet

Yes and Yes please on both.

dmkoenig

In addition to all the other feedback that said not to worry, you can also adjust your riding technique by spinning in a lower gear at a higher RPM which will reduce the load on your big muscle groups. You can pick up an inexpensive speedometer with a cadence function that will help you train to ride with a higher RPM, looking to achieve a target riding cadence of > 100 RPM.

cloggsy71

I don't know what you mean :laugh:

lcedmond

I'm not sure what your point is with this photo. I remember seeing it last summer. It came out around the time of the Olympics. I believe the guy on the left is the professional road sprinter Andre Greipel. I don't remember the name of the guy on the right. I believe he is a track sprinter. Neither of these is pertinent to this discussion. As stated by several people already, this kind of muscle mass takes incredible and specific work. Lot's of gym work, too. And genetics. I don't think either has been accused so far of doping, though. Plus, they are male. Female muscle development is distinctly different.

My point stands: it is rare for cyclists to develop lots of muscle mass and even more rare for females. [assuming, of course, no drugs].

For anyone who is riding low mileage and low intensity - not professionals or elite amateurs - the likelihood of developing extreme leg mass is so remote it is not worth mentioning. Yes, there are quite likely exceptions to the rule but the probability is very remote with these conditions. Just go look around at a local ride or race. You will see all sorts of women with all sorts of body types but you will not likely find any with extreme musculature.

chkn_WANG_Train

Question -

I have been cycling 15km (about 9 miles) everyday for the last two months or so, and recently have begun riding to uni and back, which is about 25-30km (15-19 miles) and intend to do so every day for the year, and throughout my course really (even in holidays)

However, i am aware that some cyclist get quite thick legs ... i know this is muscle and not fat, but i still dont want them and prefer to have slimmer legs
Thus i am kind of afraid of riding too much

So my question is - if im not eating lage amounts, particularly of protein, am i less likely to get massive thighs? Or is it an inevitability, in which case i should ride less? I generally only eat 1200 calories or less a day

Any help would be greatly welcomed

And just want to say that this is yet again another example of why it often kind of sucks being a woman in the realm of working out - men can work out, gain muscle and it generally always looks good....women have this thin line between being toned and then just grossly muscly
(end of rant haha)

you will get 'cylcer legs' as in people might be like 'eh girl i bet you ride a bike' but its cuz you'll look so good. I used to ride 20 - 40 miles a day and i still ride 2 - 10 miles a day now..... my legs always get compliments.

cloggsy71

I'm not sure what your point is with this photo. I remember seeing it last summer. It came out around the time of the Olympics. I believe the guy on the left is the professional road sprinter Andre Greipel. I don't remember the name of the guy on the right. I believe he is a track sprinter. Neither of these is pertinent to this discussion. As stated by several people already, this kind of muscle mass takes incredible and specific work. Lot's of gym work, too. And genetics. I don't think either has been accused so far of doping, though. Plus, they are male. Female muscle development is distinctly different.

My point stands: it is rare for cyclists to develop lots of muscle mass and even more rare for females. [assuming, of course, no drugs].

For anyone who is riding low mileage and low intensity - not professionals or elite amateurs - the likelihood of developing extreme leg mass is so remote it is not worth mentioning. Yes, there are quite likely exceptions to the rule but the probability is very remote with these conditions. Just go look around at a local ride or race. You will see all sorts of women with all sorts of body types but you will not likely find any with extreme musculature.

It's called 'Irony', you might what to look it up :laugh: