"Biking" equivalent for upper body?

[Syringer]

After biking for a while now I've noticed a quite a size increase through most of my lower body, much moreso then when I was doing squats/dead lifts and the like--and whenever I see a hardcore biker out there their legs are generally just massive.

Is there some sort of equivalent exercise for one's upper body, and would it be as effective at increasing size as biking is for the lower body? Common knowledge generally teaches us that for size, lower reps with heavier weights is the way to go--but why does biking provide such size increases?

 

[lyssword]

Pullups and pushups.

 

[zebano]

Rowing? Just a guess since I don't really care about upper body size so much as losing weight so I don't end up with knee / general health problems.

 

[Deeko]

Most bikers I know don't have very big legs. However, the upper body size building exercises are bench and row, pretty much.

or...if you really want the upper body "equivalent" to biking...get something like this: http://robfitness.files.wordpr...m/2009/01/arm-bike.jpg

 

[StageLeft]

Hand cycling probably would do a good job of it, so yes that would be it. I think rowing helps, too.

Their legs are big not from the activity so much as the activity plus long hours of doing it. The quickest way to size is still heavy weights. I have noticed great gains in leg size from cycling over the years, but the hours spent, if size was my prime concern, could have been more rewarding with weights, I'm sure.

 

[Riverhound777]

Swimming?

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
Swimming?

This

 

[mchammer187]

Are you confusing size with leanness and definition?

Even someone like Lance Armstrong does not have huge legs imo. Are they super cut and more defined yes. But if you are going by circumference ( a direct size measurement) I'd say they are not insanely large or anything.