The Cycling Warmup is a beginner-friendly bodyweight stretch that targets the quadriceps, with the calves, glutes and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesQuads
Secondary musclesCalves, Glutes, Abs
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelBeginner
TypeStretching
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Cycling Warmup
Stand tall with your feet hip width apart and your weight balanced.
Brace your trunk lightly and let your arms swing naturally.
Drive one knee up toward hip height without letting your torso lean back.
Lower that foot under control and immediately raise the opposite knee.
Keep the standing leg long and the hips level as you alternate sides.
Continue for the prescribed time, then move straight onto the bike.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Takes the hip through a range that pedalling never reaches.
Raises tissue temperature, which improves rapid force production.
Needs no equipment and fits in a few minutes before a session.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Leaning the torso back to lift the knee higher, which shifts work into the lower back.
Rushing the tempo, so the hip never travels through a full range.
Holding static stretches here instead of moving, which misses the point of the drill.
Skipping the warm-up before hard efforts, when rapid force production matters most.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Cycling Warmup, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
