Spinning Your Way To Toned Legs

What does ‘leg day’ mean for you?  Many workout fans turn to spin classes and cycling to achieve leaner, stronger legs and burn calories.  But several myths have also built up on the impact of spinning and cycling, with some fearing that this kind of activity builds muscles up and makes legs chunky.  So what’s the truth? 

Myth #1: Spin classes make legs chunky 

Many women worry that their limbs will bulk up if they do regular spin and cycling sessions.  But while your leg muscles will get stronger and more defined with this kind of workout, spin classes mainly focus on cardiovascular staying power than muscle development, so it’s unlikely that muscles will bulk up significantly unless supplemented by specific strength training and a nutrition plan for muscle growth. 

Myth #2: Cycling only targets the lower body 

Cycling is also likely to make your legs leaner than bulkier, and more defined.  You’ll notice that leg fat decreases with regular cycling as this kind of activity shapes and improves your leg muscles like any kind of aerobic activity.  Cycling is also a full body workout – even though you’re mainly engaging leg muscles, your core, arms and back also play a role in maintaining balance and stability while cycling – and great at burning calories. 

Myth #3: Spin classes are only for superfit people 

There’s no doubt that they’re hard work but spin classes are designed to work for people at all levels of fitness because you can adjust the resistance and intensity of the workout to suit your abilities.  If you’re a beginner, work at your own pace and build up your fitness initially. 

Can spinning and cycling classes change your whole body shape? 

Spinning classes are ideal if you’re aiming to lose weight and reduce cellulite, especially if you’re keeping a check on your diet while upping your exercise – then you’ll definitely notice an overall reduction in body fat percentage, including your legs, leading to a slimmer appearance overall.  But the concept of spot reduction – the idea of targeting fat loss in specific areas of the body – is a myth.  When you do cardiovascular exercise your body burns calories from all over, not just the legs.