How to Tone the Butt With Cycling

Cycling is a great exercise activity in that it both burns calories and allows riders to experience great scenery. If what you really desire is a great butt like so many professional cyclists seem to have, this activity might be one for you to try.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Helmet

Tone the Butt by Cycling Outside

1. Find a bike that is the perfect fit for you. Buy a bike that is made for your gender and properly adjust the seat and handlebars for your height and size. Know your inseam, which will help a salesperson find a bike that is the correct frame size.
2. Find a place to cycle that is safe, well lit and has paths or pavement for cyclists. Stick close to home if it makes you more comfortable, or if you are feeling more adventurous, find a bike trail or route on the Bikely.com or Singletracks.com websites (see Resources below). Cycle with a partner to make the experience safer and more fun.
3. Sit on your bike in a way that distributes your weight evenly, instead of slumping, which puts all the weight on the back of the seat.
4. Warm up by stretching your legs and arms, jogging in place or performing any other favorite warm-up exercises.
5. Get ready to ride. Put on your helmet and turn on your bike light if you will be riding in the dark. Also remember to bring a water bottle to rehydrate during your ride.
6. Ride on a trail or road that is on a long incline or has lots of hills to really tone those butt muscles. During your ride, try lifting your butt out of the seat and pedaling while hovering over it for several minutes at a time.
7. Cool down by cycling for 5 minutes on a relatively flat surface.

Tone the Butt on a Stationary Bike

8. Adjust the stationary bike to a setting such as "Hill" to simulate the extra resistance of trail riding and start pedaling on a low level.
9. Set the bike to a higher level and work up to being able to alternate 4 minutes of cycling at 75 RPM with 2 minutes at 100 RPM. When you have the stamina to pedal this quickly, make the workout last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear exercise clothing that is comfortable but fits snugly to avoid getting it caught in any of the bike's parts. Shoelaces should be tied tightly and tucked in for the same reason.
• While riding on public roads, remember that you are expected to follow the same traffic rules as if you were driving a car.