big legs..

ugh! i have always been pretty thin but over the past year i put on some weight but it's only very noticeable in my thigh/butt area.. i've been weightlifting upper and lower body as well as cardio all winter, so i know its muscle i've gained and not fat but my legs still look big and i don't like it, i don't understand why. should i stop doing lower body weightlifting and just focus on cardio? i think the weights on my legs might be making them even bigger! help!

Cut back on the heavy lifts on your legs and stick to extensions and curls, and stick to more cardio.

sounds like a plan! thanks, how about like walking lunges and floor stuff like that?

Yep, what bodyscience said!  That's about what I did.

I build muscle easily, and my legs were just massive.  I do cardio with resistance now (elliptical and bike and stairs), and once in awhile I'll throw in a few lunges or some hamstring exercises.

Basically, the only leg weight exercises I do are hip adduction/abduction and calf raises.

Granted, my thighs are still large, but it's a muscular, sexy kind of large...lol

yeah, even though your thighs are still large (jazzislove) did the change in your workout improve them? do you think the elliptical has anything to do with the big legs? should i maybe run more?

Just reading this post got me scared.. I have huge legs always did.  I dont think they were meant to be small.. So I guess I will just stick to cardio because I dont want to have bigger legs I want them smaller and I cant see that ever happening. lol.

Well, I was seeing scary muscle gain in my thighs (Quads mainly) when I was doing hard-core weights w/ each weight session (ie. squats, lunges, leg flexions/extentions, leg press etc).  So I cut back, and it's hard to tell if I've really "lost" any muscle in my quads, but it did at least stop that major bulkyness from building.

I can really feel the bike working my quads, and I do feel like I have the right balance of muscle in my legs now.  They're muscular enough that ppl know it's muscle, not a blob of fat, but not too much to the point where they just BULGE everywhere.

Running would always be a good thing for nice shapely legs.

Just keep in mind that there is some degree of genetics in how your legs will look...some people can't cut down the size of their legs no matter how much fat they lose and muscle they gain.

:)

Try doing "fluid" motions like leg circles (either standing or lying on one side).  Did you ever notice how dancers have those long and lean limbs?  Their movements are graceful and smooth, and I think that if you want similar results you may want to incorporate some pilates into your workout.  Basically, you will elongate and stream-line your muscles without adding bulk.