SoulCycle: Muscle Building Potential, Cardiovascular Fitness, and Overall Benefits

Does the SoulCycle build muscle?

While SoulCycle is an excellent modality for enhancing cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance, it is not designed to be a primary driver of significant muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) in the same way traditional resistance training does.

Understanding SoulCycle: More Than Just a Ride

SoulCycle is a high-energy, instructor-led indoor cycling class that combines cardiovascular training with motivational coaching, rhythm-based choreography, and an immersive environment. Participants ride stationary bikes, adjusting resistance and performing various movements like "tap backs," "push-ups," and "crunches" on the bike, often to the beat of music. Its primary focus is on an intense, full-body cardio workout that also challenges muscular endurance.

The Science of Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)

To understand if SoulCycle builds muscle, it's crucial to first grasp the fundamental principles of muscle hypertrophy. Muscle growth primarily occurs through:

• Mechanical Tension: This is the most significant driver, involving lifting heavy loads that place stress on muscle fibers, leading to micro-trauma and subsequent repair and growth.
• Muscle Damage: The microscopic tears in muscle fibers caused by challenging resistance, which stimulates a repair response.
• Metabolic Stress: The accumulation of byproducts (like lactate) during high-repetition, moderate-intensity work, which can contribute to cell swelling and anabolic signaling.

Traditional strength training programs utilize progressive overload—gradually increasing the resistance, repetitions, or sets over time—to continually challenge muscles and force adaptation, leading to increased muscle mass and strength.

Muscles Engaged During Indoor Cycling

Indoor cycling, including SoulCycle, primarily engages the muscles of the lower body, with some contribution from the core and upper body for stability and specific movements:

• Primary Movers (Lower Body):
  • Quadriceps: Located at the front of the thigh, crucial for extending the knee during the downstroke.
  • Gluteus Maximus: The largest buttock muscle, powerfully extends the hip during the downstroke.
  • Hamstrings: At the back of the thigh, assist in knee flexion and hip extension, particularly during the upstroke with clipless pedals.
  • Calves (Gastrocnemius and Soleus): Engage during the ankle plantarflexion phase (pointing toes) throughout the pedal stroke.
• Stabilizers and Secondary Engagement:
  • Core Muscles (Abdominals, Obliques, Erector Spinae): Essential for maintaining a stable torso and efficient power transfer.
  • Upper Body (Biceps, Triceps, Deltoids): Engaged to a lesser extent during "tap backs" and "push-ups" on the handlebars, primarily for bodyweight support and stability, not heavy lifting.

SoulCycle's Primary Physiological Adaptations

Given its structure, SoulCycle primarily elicits two key physiological adaptations:

• Cardiovascular Fitness: The continuous, high-intensity nature of SoulCycle significantly elevates heart rate and improves aerobic capacity, endurance, and overall cardiovascular health. This is its most pronounced benefit.
• Muscular Endurance: The sustained, repetitive contractions against moderate resistance train the muscles to work for longer periods without fatigue. This improves the ability of muscles to repeatedly generate force, but it does not typically lead to a substantial increase in muscle fiber size (hypertrophy).

The Role of Resistance and Overload

The resistance levels in SoulCycle, while adjustable, are generally not high enough to create the significant mechanical tension required for substantial muscle hypertrophy, especially for individuals who are already somewhat trained. While the "climbs" involve higher resistance, the duration and overall load are still geared towards endurance rather than maximal strength or muscle building. The "choreography" elements, while engaging the upper body and core, utilize bodyweight as resistance, which is insufficient for progressive overload in the context of hypertrophy for most individuals.

Beginner Gains vs. Sustained Hypertrophy

For individuals new to exercise or indoor cycling, any new physical stimulus can lead to some initial muscle adaptation, often referred to as "beginner gains." This might manifest as increased muscle tone or a slight increase in muscle size as the body adapts to the novel demands. However, these gains tend to plateau quickly without the progressive overload characteristic of dedicated resistance training. For experienced individuals, SoulCycle alone is unlikely to provide the necessary stimulus for continued muscle growth.

Integrating SoulCycle into a Comprehensive Fitness Plan

While SoulCycle may not be your primary muscle-building tool, it offers significant value within a well-rounded fitness regimen:

• Excellent Cardio: It's a highly effective way to improve heart health and burn calories.
• Muscular Endurance Boost: It can enhance the endurance of your lower body and core.
• Cross-Training: It can complement strength training by improving recovery, increasing work capacity, and providing an active recovery option.
• Mental Well-being: The immersive and energetic environment can be highly motivating and stress-reducing.

To build significant muscle, SoulCycle should be paired with dedicated resistance training that focuses on progressive overload, targeting major muscle groups with appropriate intensity and volume.

Conclusion: SoulCycle's Place in Your Fitness Journey

In summary, SoulCycle is a phenomenal workout for improving cardiovascular health, enhancing muscular endurance, and boosting overall fitness and mood. While it will engage and strengthen your lower body and core muscles, particularly for beginners, it is not an optimal or primary method for achieving significant muscle hypertrophy. For substantial muscle growth, incorporate a structured resistance training program alongside your SoulCycle classes to ensure your muscles receive the necessary mechanical tension and progressive overload required for hypertrophy.