While I am known largely as something of a bodybuilding guru, there is far more to fitness than merely building muscle mass. For those who are less serious about weight training, or for bodybuilders who are interested in incorporating some other activities into their overall fitness regimen, cycling can be a great idea.

Cardio is important -- but running, while it is a great cardio workout can be HARD on the runner's joints -- something a bodybuilder can't afford. For this reason, bodybuilders would do well to stop running and/or jogging in favor of more low impact cardiovascular workouts like cycling. The great thing about cycling is it offers many of the health benefits offered by running, but without the downsides.

The best thing about cycling is it's an activity which gives you a cardio workout AND is fun to do. It can be just the thing for the bodybuilder looking to take it east on their knee and ankle joints (as well as the layperson concerned with fitness in general). Best of all, it can be enjoyed outside - for many bodybuilders it seems like we spend our entire lives at the gym!

One of the best parts of cycling is you can incorporate it into your daily routine (if you so choose) -- in fact, you could probably get all the advantages of cycling by just bicycling to work (something you can't exactly do with running or jogging!)

If bike commuting is not an option for you (and you'd like to find a way to save some gas money -- a good idea considering the price of gas nowadays!), you can also try running your errands around the neighborhood on a bike rather than driving.

The best part is: you don't need to spend all day, every day on a bike to get the benefits. The idea is to work cycling into your daily life so that you don't have to make time for yet another exercise plan - after all, there's still the gym to think about!

If biking to work is an option for you, it will be easy to get what the experts recommend -- which is between one to four hours of vigorous cycling per week as sufficient for your cardio needs. Because you're spending this time commuting on your bike this will seem like you didn't work out at all - while you still enjoy the healthy rewards of this activity.

Cycling is fun, which makes it seem more like a treat and less like a trip to the gym (although many, this author included also would count as an enjoyable activity) while providing a great workout. After all, even if building muscle is your priority, you should not neglect to maintain a general fitness routine; and that includes cardio.