leg muscles

My thigh muscles tend to slim down if I cycle a lot. This would especially be the case if I cycled every day. Don't see why it should bother you, though, unless you believe you're risking injury through some imbalance.
In my own case my quads are far more developed than my hamstrings.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by elkid
Everything I've heard or read states cycling builds up quads and running builds up hamstrings. For me the opposite is true; my quads were biggest and most powerful during marathon training, and my hamstrings strongest when serious bike training. Adding in the bike has made my legs smaller, but more defined. Am I unique? I'm starting to think I'm a freak.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by elkid
Everything I've heard or read states cycling builds up quads and running builds up hamstrings. For me the opposite is true; my quads were biggest and most powerful during marathon training, and my hamstrings strongest when serious bike training. Adding in the bike has made my legs smaller, but more defined. Am I unique? I'm starting to think I'm a freak.

Throw in a few hills. It will build your quads tremendously. It does for me. Riding the flats is where I build my hams (clipless pedals). I find it tough to use my hamstrings much on climbs. So, I wonder, how are you riding? If your hamstrings get stronger when you ride, what's your secret?!? Do tell!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by zperrys
Throw in a few hills. It will build your quads tremendously. It does for me. Riding the flats is where I build my hams (clipless pedals). I find it tough to use my hamstrings much on climbs. So, I wonder, how are you riding? If your hamstrings get stronger when you ride, what's your secret?!? Do tell!

I have no clue what the secret is. Half my normal "around the block" route is hills, the rest is flats. Maybe I just focus on pulling up more; I don't know.

road cycling will give you only minimal gains in leg size (note-not referring to strength here)
You want tree-trunk legs? Hit the gym. Squats, stifff-leg deadlifts, leg presses. Works for sprinters.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ed073
road cycling will give you only minimal gains in leg size (note-not referring to strength here)
You want tree-trunk legs? Hit the gym. Squats, stifff-leg deadlifts, leg presses. Works for sprinters.

I get tree trunk legs from running. I won't do leg weights for fear I won't be able to walk normally. :eek:

If you are cyclist one should know big/muscular legs are a part of the sport...
Why does it matter so much? Is it purely body image or what?

TrekDedicated said:

If you are cyclist one should know big/muscular legs are a part of the sport...
Why does it matter so much? Is it purely body image or what?

No. I just want to make sure I'm using proper training techniques.

If you don't want over-muscular legs the solution should be fairly easy. Try cycling 3 or so days in a row in smaller gears.
if you wanted big legs the opposite might be the case. You could cycle in bigger gears on every other day, allowing your leg muscles to rest and fill out during the rest days. Rest allows muscle to repair and grow.
However, if you cycle virtually every day the leg muscles shouldn't get chance to repair and grow so, in theory, your legs should get skinnier. This is why guys who do manual labour every day are usually quite skinny.

Carrera said:

If you don't want over-muscular legs the solution should be fairly easy. Try cycling 3 or so days in a row in smaller gears.
if you wanted big legs the opposite might be the case. You could cycle in bigger gears on every other day, allowing your leg muscles to rest and fill out during the rest days. Rest allows muscle to repair and grow.
However, if you cycle virtually every day the leg muscles shouldn't get chance to repair and grow so, in theory, your legs should get skinnier. This is why guys who do manual labour every day are usually quite skinny.

wrong. the size of the gear you prefer to ride in doesn't affect how muscular your thighs are.

elkid said:

I get tree trunk legs from running. I won't do leg weights for fear I won't be able to walk normally. :eek:

i am 15 and about as skinny as you can get but i have tree trunks for legs but they are realy well defind but i manly ride hills