What's better for toning up legs, cycling or dancing? Victoria Pendleton answers the burning question (AND talks marriage and babies)
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She has a set of thighs you could crack walnuts with. So when it comes to getting advice on toning up the troublesome thigh area, who better to turn to than the undisputed queen of the velodrome, Victoria Pendleton.
The 32-year-old Olympic double gold medallist and all-round sporting sweetheart didn't pour years of blood, sweat and tears (lots of 'em) into her training to let it all go to waste the minute she retires.
Still looking fit - albeit a touch more slender than she was at her Olympic peak - Victoria Pendleton is the perfect role model for women keen to look fit, not thin.
Great shape: Double gold medal-winning Olympian Victoria Pendleton says she doesn't train as hard as she used to, but still enjoys working up a sweat with a run, a session in the gym or bike ride into town
So how does she maintain her sporty look now that she is no longer in Olympic-level training? Running in the woods with her two dobermans, Stella and Mr Jaunty.
'When I was preparing for the Games I had a really strict training schedule and was in the gym for two hours every day,' she told Take It Easy magazine.
'Now I get fit running in the words with I get most of my exercise taking the dogs out in the Cheshire countryside where I live. As a competitive cyclist, I was banned from running outdoors in case I injured myself. Now I can do whatever I like!'
Challenge: Victoria, who was frequently criticised by Strictly Come Dancing judges for being 'stiff' says she was prepared for the intensity of training when she was on the show, but that the dance moves themselves were harder to master
As well as putting in the miles on foot, Victoria is still keen on cycling - saying she loved it too much to quit completely. Indeed, the celebrated athlete - who also took part in the last series of Strictly Come Dancing - credits cycling with keeping her legs in trim, saying it she thinks it is a better way of toning up thighs than dancing.
'I'd have to say cycling [is better than dancing]. It's a very good form of exercise and everyone can do it. It really works your thighs, so it's great if you want to look good in your summer dresses or shorts.
Of course if you want a really honed physique, it's not enough to pedal and pound the pavements. Some form of resistance training is crucial for burning fat and building healthy muscle.
Victoria says for a 'proper workout' she would mix cycling with lifting weights at the gym to tone up all over.
When she is out and about on her bike, her well-documented prowess leaves her open to a multitude of have-a-go-heroes keen to take on an Olympian.
Fun: Victoria says she now enjoys more leisurely bike rides, popping to town for a coffee - though she is frequently challenged to races by keen fellow cyclists
'Sometimes people recognise me and wave, but mostly I get other cyclists trying to race me,' she says.
'Sometimes I'll give them a run for their money, but mostly I just laugh and let them speed off.'
With a wedding planned to Scott Gardner, her partner of four years, later this year, Victoria must be one of the only British brides getting married this summer who doesn't need to up their exercise regime or lose a pound or two ahead of their nuptials.
But while she's not joining fellow brides on the weight loss wagon, she does have the other usual considerations of young brides in mind - namely, planning the dress, the honeymoon - and fending off questions about baby news.
She told TV Extra that she had a 'simple but stylish' dress picked out, a big honeymoon - and then a plan to enjoy married life for a while without the pressure of starting a family immediately.
Indeed, the girl who strived for years for her Olympic golds says life is a lot more simple: her husband-to-be Scott and her dogs are all she needs for now.
Golden girl: Victoria won two gold medals across her Olympic career - but says she is happy now it is over that she can settle down and enjoy family life
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