Cycling to build thigh and calf muscles

Dear Dr Gardner,

Can bicycle riding build thigh and calf muscles. I have access to a stationary bike with eight levels of resistance. Could you please suggest a routine (duration and levels of resistance) to build these muscles? Thank you.

- Anthea

Dear Anthea,

Riding the stationary bike or ergometer can certainly build thighs and calves but you will have to make adjustments to your normal riding position. Your thigh muscles will not improve if you are not able to flex and extend your hip and knee joints.

Likewise, the muscles of your calves will not improve if your ankle joints and feet are not fully utilised while you are riding. Thus, you will need to cycle up and out of the saddle to transfer your body weight to your legs to stimulate the development of those muscles.Your programme should be individualised to meet your needs. Without some personal data to guide me I can only suggest some general guidelines for you. If you are a beginner you need to start with the lowest resistance and practise riding at that level for about five to 10 minutes to familiarise yourself with the routine and reduce the chances of developing muscle soreness.

Phase one

When you are comfortable with the ergometer, start with the lowest resistance and pedal for 20 minutes at a rate of 50 complete pedals per minute. Do this routine three times per week on alternate days in the first week. In the second week, use the same resistance and rate but increase the time to 25 minutes. In the third week, increase duration to 30 minutes and to 35 minutes in the fourth week.

Phase two

Start the fifth week with the next level resistance and cycle for 30 minutes at the same rate of 50 pedals per minute. Increase the routine to four times per week. Follow the pattern that was established in phase one for the next four weeks. You can cap the duration at 45 minutes, especially when the resistance becomes very challenging. During this phase you can also exercise for a maximum of five days each week until you have achieved your goal.

Phase three

Increase the resistance to the next level and follow the routine established above. As you go through the phases, if you are able to perform more than 50 pedals each minute, this is a good indicator that you can move to the next level. When you achieve the desired increase in muscle mass and fitness you can then perform the routine three times per week for maintenance.If you have prior experience with the ergometer, test yourself and then establish the resistance that you can start with comfortably and initiate your routine following the format above. You can modify the routine by increasing the number of sets you perform each session as well as performing each set in quick succession to maximise the development of the muscles even faster.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.