does biking increase calf size

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btterry
btterry Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
I have always really small calves 11.5" when I started mfp and I am shooting for 15", that's what my trainer said they should be, just curious if bike riding will help, just recently started mountain bike riding and is an awesome workout
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  • Cosmic_Unicorn
    Cosmic_Unicorn Posts: 150 Member
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    I used to bike a lot (at least 1hr/day with hills), including some mountain biking and I had pretty muscular legs. More so quads than calves though.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I have always really small calves 11.5" when I started mfp and I am shooting for 15", that's what my trainer said they should be, just curious if bike riding will help, just recently started mountain bike riding and is an awesome workout

    no, biking is a cardio exercise and does not overload the muscle enough to make it grow. Ultimately to make a muscle grow you should be lifting to where you are in the 8-12 rep range with the last couple of reps hard to complete with good form. So with biking you do hundreds of reps, good for endurance, not size.

    That being said, calve size, unless you are obese, is largely determined by genetics. I have always had small legs, although well defined never gained much size when lifting heavy. I bike to work 5 days/week but only about 7.5km (4.7 miles) round trip
  • agbaeb
    agbaeb Posts: 179 Member
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    bump.... I'd love to know this 'cause I don't want my calves any bigger!
  • lacewitch
    lacewitch Posts: 766 Member
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    cycling works calf muscles so it could help if you -
    i cycle 10miles/day 5 times a week and find it difficult to buy knee high boots due to chunky calves
  • lacewitch
    lacewitch Posts: 766 Member
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    also I haven't reserched the scinece in this blog yet but it looks like a useful starting point
    http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/do-big-calves-make-you-a-faster-cyclist
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    There is a lot of genetics in calf size. More than most other muscle groups. If your bike is set up properly there will be little calf involvement. So if cycling is making your calves bigger you're probably genetically predisposed.
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
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    It depends on genetics, however my husband cycles big time and he has HUGE calves. His work mates call them "Popeye Calves". He said he had very skinny calves before he started biking. But he started biking in his teens.
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
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    if your calves are underdeveloped, bike riding may increase their size...
    but you're working your quads alot more then your calves...

    if you want to increase calf size, you need to work them out with heavy weights... remember if you weigh 200lbs, they're used to that much weight already, you have to really increase the weight lifted to actually work them. another 10lbs is just 5% increase in load compared to everyday...

    its because of the large weight required, that most assume you cant grow them.
  • btterry
    btterry Posts: 21
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    Thanks for the suggestions, hopefully the bike will help some, I wouldn't be upset with some size on my quads also. I just would like to wear shorts and people not stare with amazement lol
  • btterry
    btterry Posts: 21
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    I used to bike a lot (at least 1hr/day with hills), including some mountain biking and I had pretty muscular legs. More so quads than calves though.
    that would also be ok
  • btterry
    btterry Posts: 21
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    I have always really small calves 11.5" when I started mfp and I am shooting for 15", that's what my trainer said they should be, just curious if bike riding will help, just recently started mountain bike riding and is an awesome workout

    no, biking is a cardio exercise and does not overload the muscle enough to make it grow. Ultimately to make a muscle grow you should be lifting to where you are in the 8-12 rep range with the last couple of reps hard to complete with good form. So with biking you do hundreds of reps, good for endurance, not size.

    That being said, calve size, unless you are obese, is largely determined by genetics. I have always had small legs, although well defined never gained much size when lifting heavy. I bike to work 5 days/week but only about 7.5km (4.7 miles) round trip
    Thanks makes a lot of sense
  • amandammmq
    amandammmq Posts: 394 Member
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    I think a lot of it has to do with genetics, too. My brother is a Category 1 competitive cyclist, and his calves are pretty much nonexistent. Then again, some of his teammates have super big, defined calves. If you watch the Tour de France, you'll see a very wide range, as well.

    My brother was always mad at me that he was the one cycling so much, and I was the one with the big, defined calves! :laugh:

    Why does your trainer think your calves need to be that big? You mentioned elsewhere that you have a small frame, maybe your calves are meant to be small, too?
  • btterry
    btterry Posts: 21
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    I think a lot of it has to do with genetics, too. My brother is a Category 1 competitive cyclist, and his calves are pretty much nonexistent. Then again, some of his teammates have super big, defined calves. If you watch the Tour de France, you'll see a very wide range, as well.

    My brother was always mad at me that he was the one cycling so much, and I was the one with the big, defined calves! :laugh:

    Why does your trainer think your calves need to be that big? You mentioned elsewhere that you have a small frame, maybe your calves are meant to be small, too?
    he said for my frame that I should shoot for that that now they are very underdeveloped along with my thighs. I need my bottom half to catch up with the top. Lol
  • Longbow5
    Longbow5 Posts: 2
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    Hey Btterry,

    Not to worry I too had calves that were around 12". As a lot of people on this post have already said cycling does help a little in building calves, but not much. What it mainly does it Tones them so that they look shapely, which I guess is not a bad thing. Speaking from personal experience I used to cycle around 20 to 30 miles round trip every other day and then walk between 5 to 7 miles at aprrox 4.6 mph (that's my walking pace) the other days that I was not cycling.

    What I noticed was that walking at that pace actually gave my calves a bigger and better definition and cycling helped to Tone the muscle. Now this didn't happen overnight, it took a good month and half to start to see results. I am now around 15" around my left Calf muscle and 14 " around my right. My right one is less because I am recovering from an Achilles tendon Rupture so I am in the process of rebuilding that muscle.

    So in a nutshell, your calves will get there with time. Throw in brisk Walking regime with cycling and good protein foods, as proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. But do remember and this is important, NEVER EVER OVERDO your excercises to the point where you cause yourself harm rather than good. I am a prime example of that. Cycling, Walking, and playing badminton and just basically overdoing caused my Achilles to rupture.

    Hope this helps.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Best aerobic workouts for the calves that I know is roller skating/rollerblading and walking uphill while wearing a backpack.
  • lemon629
    lemon629 Posts: 501 Member
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    Step aerobics made my calves grow (which I didn't want)!
    I cycle regularly and did not see any change in my calves from it.
    Last fall I walked on the treadmill with a steep incline and I noticed my calves grew some, so I stopped. I want to be able to zip up my boots!
  • KristalDawnO
    KristalDawnO Posts: 154 Member
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    Sure it does.
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
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    I have always really small calves 11.5" when I started mfp and I am shooting for 15", that's what my trainer said they should be, just curious if bike riding will help, just recently started mountain bike riding and is an awesome workout

    no, biking is a cardio exercise and does not overload the muscle enough to make it grow. Ultimately to make a muscle grow you should be lifting to where you are in the 8-12 rep range with the last couple of reps hard to complete with good form. So with biking you do hundreds of reps, good for endurance, not size.

    That being said, calve size, unless you are obese, is largely determined by genetics. I have always had small legs, although well defined never gained much size when lifting heavy. I bike to work 5 days/week but only about 7.5km (4.7 miles) round trip

    You're not a cyclist, are you?

    You can definitely build muscle but it takes some serious hill climbs and sprints. You can't just spin at an easy level and build.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    I have always really small calves 11.5" when I started mfp and I am shooting for 15", that's what my trainer said they should be, just curious if bike riding will help, just recently started mountain bike riding and is an awesome workout

    no, biking is a cardio exercise and does not overload the muscle enough to make it grow. Ultimately to make a muscle grow you should be lifting to where you are in the 8-12 rep range with the last couple of reps hard to complete with good form. So with biking you do hundreds of reps, good for endurance, not size.

    That being said, calve size, unless you are obese, is largely determined by genetics. I have always had small legs, although well defined never gained much size when lifting heavy. I bike to work 5 days/week but only about 7.5km (4.7 miles) round trip

    You're not a cyclist, are you?

    You can definitely build muscle but it takes some serious hill climbs and sprints. You can't just spin at an easy level and build.

    That's what I was going to say. You can definitely build muscle with elevation gains and sprints.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    This is a very old post. OP has deactivated...

    But I'm going to point out that you usually have to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle tissue.

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