What Muscles Does a Stationary Exercise Bike Work?

Stationary bikes have been around for years and are undoubtedly one of the best ways to burn calories and strengthen our cardiovascular system and muscles simultaneously. It should come as no surprise then that they are among the most utilized pieces of equipment at the gym.

As opposed to other methods, an exercise bike is a great form of soft cardio that won’t strain your joints too much. In the following sections, you’ll learn which muscles get the heaviest workout and how to make the most of your exercise routine and achieve optimal results. Let’s get started!

Lower and Upper Body Exercise

Let’s kick things off with the most important muscle in our body — the heart. Stationary bikes are an amazing way to get your heart rate up. It is a well-known fact that cardiovascular exercises, cycling included, help strengthen our lungs and heart and improve our blood flow. This, in turn, carries a whole set of additional perks such as lower blood pressure and stress levels, better sleep, etc. 

Another muscle group targeted by exercise bikes is our lower body. As soon as you pedal, you are bound to notice the strain on your legs, but what does that really mean? As you pedal, you are consistently using your quads and hamstrings, which are your front and back thigh muscles. They do their job during the full pedal stroke.

On the other hand, the gluteal muscles work whenever you push down. Cycling will help strengthen and shape your small, medium, and large glutes. Calf muscles, located on the back of your legs, do all the pushing and pulling while you’re riding a stationary bike. 

The so-called hip flexors are the last set of muscles in our lower body that work during cycling. They allow us to move our legs up and down and bend the upper body forward. 

Interestingly, many people are unaware that the upper body also gets some exercise. Namely, cycling will target abdominal and back muscles and help you develop a stronger core. Believe it or not, you’ll also work out your biceps and triceps (muscles in the front and back of arms) since they are the ones helping you grip the handlebar. 

Benefits of Using a Stationary Exercise Bike

We’ve already mentioned that cycling will help boost your cardio fitness, but that’s not the only perk you’ll be getting. Based on the findings you can read here, it can also assist in losing weight depending on the intensity of your workout and your body constitution. Of course, shedding pounds also means burning body fat mass.

As stationary bikes make for an excellent low-impact workout, they’ll also prove to be beneficial in strengthening muscles and joints. This is a good option if you have sustained a joint injury and should be mindful of the exercises you do, as cycling doesn’t put as much strain on your joints as running, for instance. 

Exercise bikes are also an effective option if you try interval training. This term refers to the type of training that lets you exercise, combining long intervals of short workouts with short intervals of more intense exercise. This will enable you to burn calories and help improve the overall state of your cardiovascular system.

Finally, stationary bikes are an excellent alternative if you are not a fan of outdoor cycling. You won’t have to worry about traffic, weather conditions, or any other outside factors you can’t control. You can work out anytime and anywhere. 

How to Keep Track of Your Progress

Starting a fitness journey is not easy, especially when the results are not visible straight away. Sure, you may feel some muscle pain, but how do you know if your cycling workouts are paying off? Thankfully, the fitness industry has progressed so much over the years, and various devices can help monitor your progress.

Using the best smart scale like INEVIFIT’s Eros Smart Body Fat Scale will give you a closer insight into your body composition. The scale tracks 13 key metrics, including body fat, muscle, bone, BMI, BMR, metabolic age, and more, to help you get a clearer picture of your current standing. As it comes with an app, you can access and notice the changes in your data at all times.

Of course, it goes without saying that you’re not going to see the results overnight. According to different sources, when it comes to stationary bikes, you will start noticing the first effects after four to six weeks. At that time, your entire workout routine should start feeling less straining, too. Finally, once two or three months pass, you’ll be rewarded with evident changes in your physical appearance. In the meantime, you can keep track of your progress with a smart body scale for a more in-depth analysis. 

INEVIFIT EROS SMART BODY SCALE

Final Thoughts

Indoor cycling can help you achieve your fitness goals no matter the weather. As you can see, the majority of your body gets a workout with great cardiovascular benefits. You can use a smart body scale and an app to keep track of your overall progress. If you’re new to exercise, consult an expert, and don’t start too strong. Good luck!