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Pedaling with no resistance

EmpressOrange
EmpressOrange Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, new to this, don't judge :)
I recently got back into exercising after an embarrassingly long break.
I have almost no cardio ( was a heavy smoker up to last year), so I'm trying to build it up with a stationary bike.
Past two weeks I've been pedaling with no resistance pretty much every day, 20-40 minutes sometimes a bit more.
I have one of those weird bodies that gains muscle really fast, and makes me look stocky I used to be a dancer, so my legs are pretty muscular especially on the front and outer thighs. Sadly my inner thighs look like they belong on another pair of legs. Should've stuck with the pliés...
My question is, is it still possible to so somewhat tone inner thighs while pedaling on low resistance?
I'm not talking about spot reducing, just overall toning as the weight comes off.
Lunges and squats are out of the question for me, I'll have thighs like Eric Heiden haha.
I do pilates for an overall stretching and toning, but cardio wise I'm pretty much stuck with the stationary bike.

Replies

  • EmpressOrange
    EmpressOrange Posts: 40
    Anyone?
  • TwinMom0804
    TwinMom0804 Posts: 18 Member
    I wish I could help you, but am interested in the answer too. I can get on a treadmill as much as I want, but as soon as I get on the elliptical or bike with any resistance, my legs burn!! Different muscles used I guess. Well, whatever answers you get, I wish you luck!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I wouldn't worry about bulking up. The muscles get harder and more defined usually but not huge. For myself I love the look of my thighs, I can pop my quads out and it looks cool! Strong is the new sexy.
  • EmpressOrange
    EmpressOrange Posts: 40
    I totally agree that strong is the new sexy :)
    I like muscles on legs, the problem with my legs is that even though my calves are really muscly, my outer thighs are even more defined and it looks unproportional to the outer thighs.
    I hate it that when I gained weight the flab went to inner thighs.
    Oh well, can't fight genetics.
    I'm also beginning to hate the word "thighs" lol
  • kmorganlfc
    kmorganlfc Posts: 115 Member
    Your quads and thighs get built up with resistance. Just look at the legs on professional cyclists that get developed from doing all those miles and hills. But as with those cyclists, you have to do a huge amount of riding a week to get them well developed. Spinning makes ligaments and the calves and hamstrings more supply.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Pedaling with no resistance is a waste of time. And trust me, you are not building muscle or getting bulky by riding a stationary bike.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Your quads and thighs get built up with resistance. Just look at the legs on professional cyclists that get developed from doing all those miles and hills. But as with those cyclists, you have to do a huge amount of riding a week to get them well developed. Spinning makes ligaments and the calves and hamstrings more supply.

    Make no mistake, professional cyclists do weight training as well. They intentionally build leg muscles - ie lift heavy weight and bulk - it doesn't come just from cycling.

    What Davpaul said.
  • kmorganlfc
    kmorganlfc Posts: 115 Member
    Make no mistake, professional cyclists do weight training as well. They intentionally build leg muscles - ie lift heavy weight and bulk - it doesn't come just from cycling.

    Around 20 years ago when I was in my late 20's/early 30s, I used to do a huge amount of cycing, doing time trials and one day road races, and my quads were huge compared to what they are now and before, and I never went anywhere near a gym to do weights. They increased just through cycling. Granted, that if I did use weights, they may have got even more stronger. But if someone is starting from zero (which a lot of people are doing on this site), then the resistance experienced from cycling - especially on hills, and even more so standing out of the seat on hills - will show great improvements.
  • matsprt1984
    matsprt1984 Posts: 181 Member
    Bump
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    Skimmed over this somewhat, just to say the single best exercise i have found for the inner thigh is the squat with your legs a bit wider than hip width apart.

    Start with body weight then you can use a barbell on your shoulders as you get stronger. Remember to keep your back straight and stick your bum out!

    Not sure biking without resistance will 'tone' anything.
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    just saw squats are out the question. I think you're a bit confused - cycling builds the quads more than a squat does. a suat, if done correctly, targets the glutes and if you do wider leg squats will hit your inner thighs.

    Muscly thighs are nothing to be ashamed of, and maybe you just need to lose some fat from them.
  • EmpressOrange
    EmpressOrange Posts: 40
    Thanks for all the answers
    Pretty new to lifting and strength exercises, so confusion is quite possible =)

    Tried the wider squats how you suggested, and I'm not feeling them in my inner thighs at all for some reason.
    Will keep up with them though, if anything they will be beneficial for my *kitten*.

    just saw squats are out the question. I think you're a bit confused - cycling builds the quads more than a squat does. a suat, if done correctly, targets the glutes and if you do wider leg squats will hit your inner thighs.

    Muscly thighs are nothing to be ashamed of, and maybe you just need to lose some fat from them.
  • Christophe2Fit
    Christophe2Fit Posts: 26 Member
    Hi, I got a similar issue.
    I ended up uncovering the mechanism of the exercise bike, then put a canva belt around to slow the rotation.
    It smokes sometimes.

    If you press or squat, you can't really built the speed and power for climbing, or you can climb like that German guy that lost so many time against Lance Armstrong ;) LOL! I used to bodybuild 10 years ago and bike, no way, I could keep up.
    So, you need resistance and speed, which makes a super exercise on its own.

    Bulking isn't good, the pro want the excess weight out, light pedal, light frame... light gears, so my guess is that the extra 2lbs of biceps or shoulder don't really help.
    So if you do strengh, do it fast, do not build mass, but power, steel.

    Edit:
    Just figured you actually turned off the resistance...
    Turn it up and go fast until you increase your breathing capacity.
    I stop smoking too, 2 years ago, then got inactive due to injury.

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