cycling and leg size

[ilovestacy]

i am a newer rider, but have been told i dont ride like one. i have been really trying to find time to ride, and here is my workout.... mon-fri for 48 minutes a day on a trainer with 16-18 of those minutes being hardest gear "climbs" or all out sprints. in the summer i rode three to five hours a week and were all about the same intensity. my question is now that i am riding the trainer my leg muscles have gotten considerably larger. my legs are no thicker than before, however i am in better shape now. is this increased girth a problem or normal? i thought cyclists legs were supposed to get smaller the more you ride. is it due to my intensity or climbing??? thanks everyone. -pc

 

[cdaleguy]

First, you say "my legs are no thicker than before" then go on to say "is this increased girth a problem?" Are they bigger or not?

i am a newer rider, but have been told i dont ride like one. i have been really trying to find time to ride, and here is my workout.... mon-fri for 48 minutes a day on a trainer with 16-18 of those minutes being hardest gear "climbs" or all out sprints. in the summer i rode three to five hours a week and were all about the same intensity. my question is now that i am riding the trainer my leg muscles have gotten considerably larger. my legs are no thicker than before, however i am in better shape now. is this increased girth a problem or normal? i thought cyclists legs were supposed to get smaller the more you ride. is it due to my intensity or climbing??? thanks everyone. -pc

 

[porkchapes]

yes they are. sorry/

 

[ilovestacy]

yes they are bigger

 

[mattv2099]

yes they are bigger

How exactly did you determine that they are bigger? And how much bigger are they?

 

[ilovestacy]

i used to be able to wrap thumb and index finger around them now i cant. about 1 in.

 

[Shreklookalike]

Maybe your hands have gotten smaller.

 

[Tmax1]

You guys are cracking me up....

 

[porkchapes]

doubtful....you know what they say about a guy with big hands. seriuosly though?

 

[Carrera]

The answer to your question is simple and I'm surprised nobody has given you the answer, since you already supplied the evidence.
The training you are doing is basically designed to increase your leg muscles since you're not cycling specifically as an endurance rider but more like a bodybuilder or sprinter.
Let me explain:
Short, intense training (even on a bike) will break down muscle tissue so that this same tissue will repair itself (with added muscle fibres). To gain muscle you need short, sharp effort (best with weights as you can take the effort to muscular failure).
Prolonged endurance training on a bike is a different kettle of fish. If you cycle frequently (4 hours at a time) your legs should get thinner and you will more than likely lose muscle.
It's the amount of training you're doing that is affecting your leg size. Plus, by using big gears the muscles of your legs are being loaded more.
If you really want leg size, try cycling uphill for 30 minutes at max intensity but rest the following day to alow your leg muscles to rebuild.
If you don't want leg size, cycle more like an endurance rider, spin your crank and ride far more than you do presently.

i am a newer rider, but have been told i dont ride like one. i have been really trying to find time to ride, and here is my workout.... mon-fri for 48 minutes a day on a trainer with 16-18 of those minutes being hardest gear "climbs" or all out sprints. in the summer i rode three to five hours a week and were all about the same intensity. my question is now that i am riding the trainer my leg muscles have gotten considerably larger. my legs are no thicker than before, however i am in better shape now. is this increased girth a problem or normal? i thought cyclists legs were supposed to get smaller the more you ride. is it due to my intensity or climbing??? thanks everyone. -pc

 

[ilovestacy]

i kind of want small legs but just for looks i guess. is what i am doing hurtful to my cycling this summer. beneficial? will i be a better sprinter/climber? thanks for responding!

 

[Cheesy]

i used to be able to wrap thumb and index finger around them now i cant. about 1 in.

Wow - I'm assuming you're talking about 2 hands here... I can't get 2 hands around my calf, or from anywhere from my knee up....1 hand doesn't even get close anywhere...

 

[ilovestacy]

yes two hands.

 

[cdaleguy]

So you're telling us that you used to be able to wrap your hands around your quads?

 

[Carrera]

If you want slender legs, cycle close to every day so muscle tissue breaks down faster than it can repair. Cycle longer and try higher cadence.
For big leg muscles, sprint or climb at max intensity for shorter periods and then take a rest day so the leg muscles will grow.
The more endurance training you do, the more you should drop muscle.

i kind of want small legs but just for looks i guess. is what i am doing hurtful to my cycling this summer. beneficial? will i be a better sprinter/climber? thanks for responding!

 

[porkchapes]

is either more advantageous?

 

[grom]

my quads are only 20.5 inches and i can place both hands around my quads and have thumb touch midle finger, so how big are the avg quads in the tdf is my question now????

 

[porkchapes]

where did you measure? mine are 15.5 just above the knee. defintely no tour rider.

 

[cachehiker]

is this increased girth a problem or normal?

The boxers I used to wear a few years ago no longer fit around my quads. Is that considered a problem?

I can't come close to two hands around my quads, not even thumbs to pinky fingers. I also do a lot of hiking and a reasonable amount of backpacking too. I suppose that counts as strength training in the cycling world.

 

[ejglows]

It depends on your training and your body`s aptitude towards recruiting muscle fiber. If you are in the minority you will gain muscle faster than you break it down. Most people have endurance (red I believe) slow twitch muscle, and it is difficult for them to gain muscle mass. The lucky few can recruit more muscle fibers (white) and have more fast-twitch.

Heavy training (hills, low gears) with adequate rest (as stated by the poster above) will allow more muscle building rather than break down. Hence, bigger muscle.
Endurance training will not allow the body to build as much as it is in a constant cycle of breaking down. Just look at a pro cyclist.

My legs are HUGE. Years of squatting as a catcher and sprint sports put me in the minority catagory. Check out the post `muscle bound forever` for more info....

e

(I think this info is pretty accurate, but debate on and correct me if you will)