Position change = better exercise?

[BlackPanther]

Last weekend I changed the riding position on my Specialized Allez. This was partly down to converting to cleats, which made me feel a bit less 'commuter-ey' and a bit more 'sporty'. I swapped my comfy touring seat back to the original 'Allez' one, raised the seat post, and moved the seat back as well. I now have a comfortable, more streamlined riding position.

The following day after making the changes, my outside upper leg muscles (Rectos Femoris I think from googleing it) ached. I put this down to the fact that the new position is working different muscles, and feel it is mainly down to the farer back seat position. Anyway, I carried on and after a week, the ache has all but disappeared.

So, bearing in mind that aside from saving a bucket load of money, the motivation for cycling to work (for me) every day is fitness/exercise, my question is this. If two very different riding positions exercise different muscles.....would it not be a good idea to maybe change riding positions regularly for a better all round commuting workout? (As long as the position is comfortable/effective and safe.)

 

[Adasta]

So, bearing in mind that aside from saving a bucket load of money, the motivation for cycling to work (for me) every day is fitness/exercise, my question is this. If two very different riding positions exercise different muscles.....would it not be a good idea to maybe change riding positions regularly for a better all round commuting workout? (As long as the position is comfortable/effective and safe.)

I find that there is only one position which allows me to cycle comfortably. If I change the position, I either get pains in my back, or pains in my knees (saddle position/cleat position, probably).

 

[HLaB]

The danger I see with changing it to often your body may not accept the change so readily and you'll injure yourself.

 

[david1701]

its kinda like cross training, doing 2 sports so that each benefits the other. I think you'd be better off buying a pair of trainers and going running instead tbh