leg shape and type of exercise

[Ulaes]

i run alot, mostly long distance. 10k is a walk in the part for me whenever i can be bothered to do it. i started because i wanted to slim down my legs so they were in proportion with the rest of my body. unfortunatley the extra muscle ive gained on my calves and thighs is bulky so even though ive lost a visible amount of leg fat, i still dont have skinny legs. i can see bitchin' runners legs coming through the softness, theyre just not very defined yet.
to get slimmer legs, should i be doing a different exercise/sport or should i just keep going? perhaps im not stretching enough?
im thinking i need to fix ym diet because there's alot of strong taught muscle underneith that im not getting credit for.
i heard sprinting gives one very muscular legs (more so than stringy long distance runners) so i avoid except on the occasion im training to increase my running time.
advice?

 

[Tallulah]

I think some folks are more prone to having a layer of fat over the muscle--I'm thin and work out, but I don't think I'd ever have that no-fat, all muscle, Jessica Biel-type look. And if I have to eat grilled chicken breasts and salad with no dressing to get it, I wouldn't deem it worth it. Buuuuut, you could probably be seeing more of the definition if you cut some junk out of your diet, like sugar and refined carbs (not all carbs, though, especially if you run).

I've started supplementing my workout routine with a short plyometric set a couple of times a week, and I can already see a big difference in my legs--they're thinner and more toned. I can post the link if you're interested--it's something I found online. I've only been doing it a couple of weeks, but I've seen changes.

 

[Fidelia]

Please do, I want fancy legs too! Thanks Tallulah!

 

[laughingebony]

Spot reduction doesn't work.

If you overwork your legs, they might just get bigger, rather than smaller, since you're building muscle underneath the fat.

And if I have to eat grilled chicken breasts and salad with no dressing to get it, I wouldn't deem it worth it. Buuuuut, you could probably be seeing more of the definition if you cut some junk out of your diet, like sugar and refined carbs (not all carbs, though, especially if you run).

Theoretically, if your energy expenditure exceeds your energy intake, there is nothing left to store. You would have no more luck losing fat by eating 2000 calories of grilled chicken breasts and salad than you would by eating 2000 calories of lard, although one would be much more nutritious and much less likely to give you a heart attack. Again, this is entirely theoretical, of course.

 

[avolkiteshvara]

You should ask these guys. They are the experts.

 

[Feops]

If spot reducing worked, people who chewed gum would have skinny faces.

The only way to remove fat from a given place on the body is to aim to cut as a whole. Your body chooses where to take it from - it doesn't matter what you're working.

 

[Stanton Moore]

Just keep doing what you're doing. Try cutting dietery fats a little (no half-n-half), and simple sugars.

 

[Tallulah]

This isn't spot reduction. It's cardio + using your body weight as resistance. You can burn a lot of calories and build muscle at the same time.

Plyometrics workout: Burn more calories in less time!: Workouts: Self.com

 

[Fidelia]

I realize spot reduction doesn't work. However depending on the kind of exercise you do, it will give you a different shape. Case in point: speedskater legs vs ballerina legs. Both are strong, but are very different. I realize there's some element of predisposition within those two, but I do think what you do will impact how they look in the end. I have also gotten strong legs before, but without enough cardio, they do not look much better.

 

[avolkiteshvara]

Long light cardio like running will get you thin legs.


Heavy weight lifting will get you a nice thick Christie Yamaguchi ice skater ass.


Or you could slice you leg open and suck out the fat with your vacuum?

Type 1 vs. Type 2 muscle.

 

[NewEra]

What part of your legs specifically do you want to become skinny? Your calves or thighs?

 

[Thalassa]

It's your body type. Some people carry weight in legs/butt, others in stomach/midsection, etc.

Runners with super-skinny legs are probably petite people genetically, or they gain weight in their upper as opposed to lower body.

You can't fight your genes. Just be healthy and learn to love your unique shape.

 

[Fidelia]

I'm fairly hourglass shaped, but a little more bottom heavy. I've never had incredible legs and I've come to terms with that, but I know that all over, they could be better than they are. However, I've read some conflicting information on what kinds of exercise are best depending on body type. I'm guessing that running is probably a good start, but am wondering about plyometrics and biking as well. Since I'm 32, I have realized that you have to make the most of the good things and do your best to make the less good things as good as they can be without stressing over them too much. I've done Callanetics, which did an incredible job of strengthening and toning my leg muscles and ruducing inches. However, I would like to find some cardio to go with it.

 

[OrangeAppled]

It's your body type. Some people carry weight in legs/butt, others in stomach/midsection, etc.

Runners with super-skinny legs are probably petite people genetically, or they gain weight in their upper as opposed to lower body.

You can't fight your genes. Just be healthy and learn to love your unique shape.

Agreed, if you tend to carry weight in your legs, then that is just how you are genetically predisposed to carry weight. You'd probably have to get very thin all over before your legs got thin.

I always heard ballerinas do pilates though; I think that's because it 1) strengthens your core, 2) improves balance & flexibility, and 3) uses your own body weight for resistance.

 

[Halla74]

You can't fight your genes. Just be healthy and learn to love your unique shape.

Yes, this is the case for the most part.

My legs are naturally super-muscular. The first time I ever even attempted to squat when I was 16 years old I got up to 300 pounds. My bodybuilding quest began as an effort to make my (disproportionatley) under-developed upper body more symmetrical so as to fit as nicely as possible with my lower body.

After 20 years, 3 shoulder operations, and much toil my effort is complete, I am finally in proportion as good as can be expected given my genetics. I am finally in maintenance mode.

If you have legs that are naturally muscular, and you want them to be skinny, then you might as well be a wishing that you would transform into a tiger, elephant, or other animal. It's just not going to happen.

The advice in this thread is good.

(1) Clean up your diet to cave-man standards (Perimeter of the supermarket, whole foods only (meats, fruits/veggies, dairy, whole grain breads), no processed sugar, frozen garbage, chips, hot dogs, etc.)

(2) Train your whole body, not just your legs, or other pet body part.

(3) Make a realistic assessment of your physique and set your goals accordingly. This helped me alot actually. I would not have ever been at peace if I didn't wake up one day and accept the fact that God gave me huge legs, good muscles up top, but very long gorilla arms, a relatively narrow chest, and a long torso. Once I accepted my frame the whole effort became much less oppressive, and became fun again.



Good luck! Be healthy, don't be obsessed with unrealistic expectations!

 

[Risen]

Wait, so you're saying you're trying to lose more fat on your legs?

If that's the case, your philosophy and approach is very wrong.

1. Spot reduction is impossible. Give it up. get it out of your head. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN! You must lose fat from all over your body, theres no way to target it.

2. If you want your legs to look more toned or muscular, you must work on gaining a bit of mass down there, which leads to point number three...

3. LONG DISTANCE RUNNING IS LIKELY TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF YOUR MUSCLES! This prolonged endurance activity results in a high rate of catabolic activity in your leg muscles. That's why many long distance runners are very narrow and sprint runners have thick legs. They have very different ways of training, and training for distance will cause the body to lose excess muscle to increase the efficiency of such activity.

Thus, what you need to be doing is cutting back on the distance above all else. Choose leg exercises that will up the intensity and give you a pump in your legs, leading to muscle growth and toning. Shorter duration, higher intensity. Interval training is very good for this. Weight lifting or targeted bodyweight exercises will work the muscles for growth. Bicycling can work for that as well.

More importantly, make sure you eat plenty of protein to gain mass. Overall breakdown of muscle results from too few calories and protein for muscle repair and growth. To keep losing that fat, keep your calories low, but not too extreme. Try and work with a 1000 calorie daily deficit at the most, though you can really go lower. The numbers all depend on your body and its size and metabolic rate, so look up how to calculate all that if you don't already know. You can only lose fat under a calorie deficit, no other way.

To maintaine your muscle mass (particularly in the legs) you MUST strength train to signal to your body that it needs that much muscle and cant sacrifice it for fuel (to put it in very simple terms). Strength training at least 2 times a week should keep you from losing any muscle when coupled with proper protein consumption. To GAIN muscle is difficult when working to lose fat, since the process is really pushed by having a surplus of calories. You don't really need a surplus to tone your muscles, but overall gains in mass go much more smoothly with a surplus. To fascilitate this, it's good to stagger your mass gaining and fat losing routines. This is all a personal preference, so I suggest you give it lots of research to find what'll work best for you.

What I do is have 3 low calories days of some sort, with two strength/mass gaining workouts a week where I make sure to eat a calorie surplus, and a recovery day afterwords, also with a surplus. The net weekly calorie loss is still over a pound. The high calorie days fascilitate in helping your muscles recover from the strenuous activity, allowing them to grow. It's really better to have more recovery time if you want to maximize results, so depending on how fast you want to lose fat, you could try going on a low calorie week, high calorie strength training week sort of schedule, alternating between the two.

Anyway, I hope all of this helps. I HIGHLY suggest going to this website to read up on most of these concepts.

Fitness Tips To Get Lean and Toned, Not Bulky! | Fitness Black Book

Good luck .

 

[Fidelia]

Eek! I do understand that spot reducing is impossible. Overall, I would like to lose about 20 pounds to be in my ideal weight zone. I have a slightly heavier lower body and would like to visually balance it out. I already eat lean protein (lentils, chicken, fish, beans), whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Portion size is probably the main thing left to watch, although it's not way out of hand. I don't eat junk except in the past one Coke a day has been my habit, which I am weaning myself off of. I am already doing the Jillian Michael's get shredded DVD and I do a lot of walking, but want to step things up a bit. Having strong legs while not bulking them up more is one of my goals. I already am working on my shoulders to help build them up so that they help balance out my proportions. I am looking for some kind of cardio that will be useful to further lose fat off my whole body so the work I have done shows up better! Tallulah mentioned something she liked and as an off-handed comment, I said that I was interested in knowing more. Yes, I really, really do understand that you can not lose fat off one specific part of your body!

 

[Risen]

Eek! I do understand that spot reducing is impossible. Overall, I would like to lose about 20 pounds to be in my ideal weight zone. I have a slightly heavier lower body and would like to visually balance it out. I already eat lean protein (lentils, chicken, fish, beans), whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Portion size is probably the main thing left to watch, although it's not way out of hand. I don't eat junk except in the past one Coke a day has been my habit, which I am weaning myself off of. I am already doing the Jillian Michael's get shredded DVD and I do a lot of walking, but want to step things up a bit. Having strong legs while not bulking them up more is one of my goals. I already am working on my shoulders to help build them up so that they help balance out my proportions. I am looking for some kind of cardio that will be useful to further lose fat off my whole body so the work I have done shows up better! Tallulah mentioned something she liked and as an off-handed comment, I said that I was interested in knowing more. Yes, I really, really do understand that you can not lose fat off one specific part of your body!

Well, however, you wish to augment your physique, just keep those principles I mentioned above in mind and you should be able to get there. Keep in mind your nutrition and calorie intake, and combine that with carefully selected training routines to get the results you want. Remembering that weight training training muscles with higher weights for fewer repetitions will avoid muscle atrophy and simply yield greater strength and tone in the muscle without so much overall mass growth.

For losing fat, I'd also suggest looking up intermittent fasting. It's basically a method of going without food for 24 hours, once or twice a week, but you time it so that you get to eat every day. IE, you eat what you want on Monday and stop eating at 8:00 p.m. You don't eat until 8:00 p.m. the next day. This facilitates the reduction of your body's glycogen (carb energy) stores, and brings you closer to the point where your body really needs to burn off fat to meet its caloric needs. This is, of course, helped along with some intense exercise to boost the calorie deficit, drain your energy stores faster, and and really stimulate the body to burn fat.

Also, working out first thing in the morning BEFORE breakfast is the best thing you can do. This works on the same principle as above, since your body has gone without food for at least 8 hours during sleep. Again, more efficient fat burning, and not having food in your system to bog you down REALLY helps your workouts.

And really do check out that site I linked . Some of the most solid fitness advice you'll find on the net with no BS about products to sell. Just pure, true, fitness principles.

 

[thisGuy]

take up weights...

specifically for losing weight, go for large muscle groups and exercises that work out multiple muscles at the same time like squats and bench press

for a strong lower body, you could just do squats, deadlifts...these two are so functional they pretty mch take care of everything from lower back and below

 

[Fidelia]

Thank you for your advice. I just asked about cardio, not diet, or strength training, because those things are already taken care of. What kind of cardio will not bulk up my lower body, but will still help overall to reduce fat? My possibilities are plyometrics, running, walking, skipping rope, or biking.