In short: Yes, cycling does build muscle. However, it’s arguably more important to understand how and why cycling builds muscle, which muscle groups cycling works, and – equally importantly – which ones it doesn’t.
Cyclists and runners are often regarded as some of the fittest athletes on the planet, thanks to their incredible endurance and muscle strength.
However, despite the overlaps in endurance, cyclist legs vs runners legs are very different, with the two sports requiring distinctive training and injury prevention.
Cycling builds the gastrocnemius (the upper, visible calf muscle) and the soleus (the deeper calf muscle that handles long-duration efforts). The gastrocnemius does most of the work during high-cadence efforts and standing climbs; the soleus carries the load during seated steady-state riding. Cycling produces well-developed but not bulky calves — typical pro riders measure 36–42 … Read more