Can Cycling Get You A Six Pack? Useful Tips To Build Abs

Can cycling get you a six pack? A hard cycling session works your lungs, heart, and major lower muscle groups. Yet, does it work your six-pack? Let’s find out!

Does cycling help with abs? Can cycling get you a six pack? No, cycling does not give you that desired six pack per se.

The abdominal muscles are used only for stabilization, which does not involve enough movements to reveal the six-pack abs.

However, combining this cardio workout with a sensible diet to control calorie intake and complementary exercises to tone the abdominal muscles can help you get the abs faster.

Can cycling get you a six pack?

Can Cycling Get You A Six Pack?

Can you get abs from cycling? Do cycling workout abs? Cycling only does not help you get a six pack.

However, it does strengthen your core muscles, which helps tone the underlying abdominal muscles and reveal abs.

You need to do more than just cycling to get a six-pack. A six-pack means that the abdomen is not covered in thick layers of fat.

A special diet and additional exercises coupled with cycling will help get rid of the fat that covers your abs.

Does cycling work your abs? Yes, when you ride a bike, the abdomen is responsible for stabilization, whereas the core keeps you stable and steady.

For this reason, new riders are likely to experience soreness in their obliques after going up steep inclines or rough terrains, especially when they go mountain biking.

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Later Sways While Climbing Hills Work Your Abs

For outdoor cyclists, tough terrains mean a tougher ride and a more rigorous workout for your core muscles.

Your core is stronger after each bike, and a stronger core helps you better at riding and other athletic performance.

Most importantly, research has shown the influence of “lateral sway” beneficial for toning abs.

While cycling, these sorts of movements activate a wide range of muscles, including biceps, triceps, and glutes. The lateral sway also influences the rectus abdominis muscles that contribute to the six-pack.

How To Maximize The Benefits Of Cycling To Get A Six Pack?

We hope now you know the answer to “Can I get abs with cycling?”. Although you can’t build your abs directly by bike riding, use these tips to burn more calories and fat that covers your six-pack.

Timing Matters

While you can go cycling any time of the day, choosing the right time can help you burn more extra calories.

Your blood sugar level rises immediately after eating a snack or meal. Your body will use this form of energy for activities.

The blood sugar level will drop after many hours after eating. It is when the body uses up all the energy from the meals and starts harnessing the energy stored in fatty tissues.

So, it is the best time to go cycling as you torch more excess body fat to keep moving forward.

Therefore, we recommend cycling in the morning, even before breakfast, to help you get lean faster. All you need to do is spend around 20-30 minutes on the bike first thing in the day, and you can burn more fat.

Eating Snack While Riding

Small snacks can offset hunger during extended rides. What we mean by “extended” is the ride that lasts for longer than 90 minutes, at which the body has to use plenty of energy.

It might sound counter-productive at first, but eating some snacks on these long rides can help you shed more weight, which further helps to reveal the hiding abs.

Eating Snacks On Long Rides To Tempt Your Hunger Later

The longer the ride, the more energy you need to exert, and the hungrier you feel towards the end of the session. That makes you crave more food once you finish the race.

By feeding your stomach some healthy snacks in the middle of the ride, you can dampen your hunger, making the ride more effective and preventing you from eating more afterward.

Some snacks you should take with a ride include energy bars, nuts, trail mix (dried apricots, prunes, raisins, and nuts).

Incorporating HIIT

HIIT in cycling means short, intense bursts of energy you put into the session at intervals and then return to the normal pace.

When you engage in harder workouts intermittently, you consume more calories, which translates to more weight loss.

If you do vigorous cycling between normal riding like this, you won’t drain your body as much as consistent long riding sessions.

On top of that, you can finish the ride using less time while getting lean muscle mass faster.

Giving It All In The Last Minute

The calorie-burning effects not only last while you are in the saddle but also after cycling.

Therefore, it is recommended to crank up the exercise intensity in the last part of the ride (perhaps the last 10 or 15 minutes).

Pushing yourself in these last moments will put your body in a higher state of oxygen consumption, even when you finish the ride.

It’s worth mentioning that ramping up the speed can lead to a lot of sweating. Thus, you should do it on your way to work.

Additional Exercises To Get A Six Pack?

Can you get a six pack from just cycling? Definitely, no.

While cyclists use abdominal muscles for stabilization, bike riding does not build your abs directly. What exercise gets you a 6 pack? We’ve included three simple yet effective exercises to build up your abs.

Incorporate these exercises at least twice or three times per week to get a defined abs quicker.

Plank

Step 1: Start with your hands and knees on the ground. Your shoulders should be over your wrists.

Step 2: Tuck the toes and lift the knees off the ground to form a push-up position.

Step 3: Main the hips in line with the shoulders. Draw the abdomen toward the spine.

Step 4: Hold on for 30-60 seconds.

Step 5: Rest your body for 30 seconds and repeat this movement at least two times.

Shin Balance Leg Lowering

Step 1: Lie on your back. Lift your legs so that they create two 90-degrees at your knees and hips.

Step 2: Put a stability ball atop your shins.

Step 3: Extend the legs out while holding the ball stable. Maintain the lower back in contact with the ground.

Step 4: Return the legs to the starting position and keep the ball balanced.

Step 5: Repeat for 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Mountain Skater

Step 1: Start with your hands and knees on the ground. Next, lift the hips until they are higher than the shoulders.

Step 2: Bend your knees slightly and contract the abdomen.

Step 3: Draw the right knee to the left elbow. Bring it back to its original position.

Step 4: Draw the left knee to the right elbow. Bring it back to its original position.

Step 5: You should repeat this movement between 10 and 20 times for each side.

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Conclusion

Can cycling get you a six pack? Can cycling give you abs? Unfortunately, this sport does not directly help you achieve abs.

However, it is one of the best core workouts, which improves your core strength to support you in athletic and physical activities.

It is advised to burn the layer of excess body fat that covers your abdominal muscles by eating a healthy diet and doing more exercise to enhance abdominal definition.

Good luck!