Cardio causing me to get big?

I usually do cardio 6 or 7 times a week (treadmill, elliptical & arc trainer). As I have mentioned in a previous post my legs and butt are getting big (muscular) and it's really hard for my to fit in my pants. I don't lift weights for my legs, I only work them out during my cardio workouts.

My question for you is: Will doing less cardio help reduce the size of my legs and butt?

I'm not putting a lot of resistance on the cardio machines, so I can't really reduce that. At the same time, will doing less cardio cause me to gain weight since I'm not burning as many calories?

Also If I were to reduce my cardio, how many times a week should I do it? I'm just worried that if I don't burn at least 600 calories a day I will gain weight.

I know that I'm asking a lot of questions, but I'm really in need of answers. Thanks.

What machines are you using?  The stepper can bulk up your legs quite a bit.  Other than that I'm pretty baffled by cardio making your legs larger since it is supposed to burn fat all over your body.  Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!  Could you share the specifics of your routine?  Maybe that would shed some light on what might be going on.  Also, how is your diet?  What sort of calorie intake are you working with?

it's theoretically impossible for you to be Gaining muscle becuase you need a claorie surplus for that

I use the treadmill, arc trainer or elliptical for an hour, 6-7 days a week. I tend to go easy for the first 10 minutes than I increase the resistance by 1 every 10 minutes (on treadmill, on only go 2.5% incline). On elliptical I only increase the resistance until 6, so it's not too much.

This is what a typical day looks like in terms of my eating:

Breakfast: (7:15am) Tortilla wrap with 3 egg whites & 1 whole egg Orange

Snack: (10:30am) 2 egg whites Apple

Lunch: (12:45pm) 3.5oz chicken or fish 1/2 cup rice Steamed vegetables

Snack: (4:00pm) Protein bar Raw vegetable sticks

Dinner: (7:30pm) 3.5 oz chicken or fish, or vegetarian burger ("meat" only) Salad with balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp olive oil 1/2 cup rice or sweet potato

Snack: (If I eat later after dinner) (9:30pm) Rice cake or rice crackers

I tend to do my cardio either first thing in the morning or right before dinner.

Avl...I found this quiz yesterday which suggests certain types of exercise to use and avoid depending on body type...maybe it'll help...

http://quiz.ivillage.com/diet/tests/bodytype. htm

Chubzie, thanks for the link. Apparently I'm a "spoon"!

I can't explain this one.  You should really be getting smaller, just more toned.

Sometimes you bulk up before you slim down. It's probably because you are gaining muscle under the fat. Once the layer of fat starts burning off, you'll look sleeker. But since no one can spot reduce, you may simply need to wait to see all the new muscle until your body decides it's time to burn off the lower body fat.

This is similar concept to the washboard abs... you may have a ton of muscle in your ab region, but won't see it until your body finally gets around to reducing the fat in that area.

Also I recommend lots of stretching for flexibility. Tight muscles tend to look bulkier, and of course, stretching helps your posture too.

Instead of increasing resistance increase your speed.  Also if the elliptical has the arm movement try to concentrat on using the arms to move you more than the legs. 

Also you might want to make your snacks more carb less protein.  Protein will build muscle cardio enjoys using carbs for energy.  Have another fruit instead of the egg whites  Bananas are very good. 

chubzie Thanks for the link to the quiz!!!  avl I'm a spoon too!!  Your problem is just like me, I always bulk up my legs and can't slim down and noone ever seems to understand.  The advice on the spoon shape makes perfect sense!  I do the wrong exercises.  I think I might get that book.  For now I'm going to start changing my routine. I feel like maybe I've finally found the answer to my prolems!  avl I'm anxious to hear how it goes for you.

Glad it was helpful...I'm closest to being a cone :-)

im a spoon too.  I did notice when i did kickboxing , cycling ,and the eliptical, and faster running my legs did get bigger.  I started power walking and they slimmed down.  I am currently jogging at a 10 min mile pace for a little chance and im hoping that they don't bulk up again...what do you other spoons do?

I'll tell you-this happened to me as well.  I was very thin, although I'm a "pear".  I trained for a marathon on hills (lots of hills) & not only did I gain weight (mostly muscle) but my pants are so tight in the quads & around the hips & stomach that I had to go up a size.  Its enormously frustrating & I've done everything in the world to get them to slim down again, cut calories, add calories, run flat on the treadmill, anything to either reduce the muscle or the burn the leftover fat.  Wouldnt' you know that the only place I have visible muscle on my body I have leftover fat too!!  Its been since last fall & although I'm not running nearly as far on hills I beleive the muscle is here to stay.  I can only imagine how frustrated you are; it drove me nuts & I wasn't trying to lose weight.  All I can say is you aren't alone & it does happen.  Fitness, muscle & weight loss are not a one size fits all and calories in=calories out.  Obviously you build muscle easily in your legs.  I wish I had something to tell you but I just wanted to share that it DOES happen & you aren't alone!!  =)

Runjenn,

Finally someone else like me. I've also done everything in the world to shrink the size of my legs. Running slower, less, on flat surfaces, using other machines like the elliptical without resistance. NOTHING WORKS!!! I don't know what else to do. It's so frustrating!!!! I don't want to stop training because it my I will lose muscle mass and gain fat instead. So instead of legs that are big and hard, I will have legs that are big and soft!

avl- did you read through all the info on "spoons" from that quiz.  It was really eye opening for me.  I was doing a lot of the exercises on the no list.  The part about doing more reps and going faster but with no resistance really made sense.  In the past when I've been on a exercise kick I ALWAYS bulk up in my legs and butt.  Since reading that article (i'm thinking about getting the book) i've changed my routine, no more kickboxing, squats, lunges, step classes, rollerblading, or eliptical machine with resistance.  I know you said you don't think a 6 is very high on the eliptical but for us spoons our legs bulk up really easy.  I also tried the high protein diets in the past & really bulked up with those as well.  I think we're the same avl, i feel your frustration :)

jenmc

that was very interesting... is that true because i seem to be having the same problem as avl .... im pretty small so my legs stand out... im mean my calves are awesome not a problem but its the thigh area...

It's really difficult to do cardio without resistance. But the more resistance I put the more calories I burn. However, my legs also get bigger. I am trying to do less incline on the treadmill. Oh and I "cheated" last week, I took a spin class!!! (Not a good idea when you are a "spoon") But I did not put as much resistance as what the instructor had told us to do.

I can understand that as the muscles do more work that they would in turn get bigger.  I run a lot (7 marathons and counting) and my legs and calfs are sized for the effort.  There does appear to be a limit to how large they have grown however.

I do think there is a very large difference between healthy size and overweight.  If working out is increasing the diameter of your thighs, then why would it be a problem.  Your routine is healthy, your diet is healthy (presumably), be comfortable with the shape you are.  Your physique based on your description is more likely a roll model than liability.  Relish it.

charles i get what you are saying ...but i understand what the poster means when she is upset her pants are getting tighter.  first of all you are putting in all of this effort and time and the results are not showing and you have to buy new pants---so you feel you are doing something wrong.  I would stop the cardio you do now and just power walk on the treadmill.  it is the only exercise that reduced the size of my thighs ( and i lost weight)  good luck!

I wish I had an answer.  I've found that every exercise that I enjoy is going to bulk my legs.  I just bought a bike to begin training for a duathlon.  I love running, spinning, stairclimbing, & kickboxing.  I think, though, for me, incline is my biggest problem!  I was running 17 & 18 miles of nearly flat surfaces before I moved & was not nearly as bulky as I am now.  Maybe it was a coincidence that I moved to a hilly neighborhood & my runs were consistently over 15 miles & that increased the bulk?  Who knows?  I just know that the muscles are here now & don't appear to be going anywhere.  I would love for them to shrink so I don't have to buy all new pants; regardless of all you accomplish something about buying a bigger size pant screams 'failure'! (to me, anyway)  But I don't want to wear smaller sizes bad enough to quit running or being very active.  To me, that would feel like a regression.  I just ran a half-marathon over the weekend (my 5th) & nearly had a stroke when I saw the pictures!  My quads look like tree trunks!!!  Maybe over time the incline running will force my body to burn the leftover fat, thereby causing my quads to appear smaller.  Thanks for listening to my rant, guys!  =)

I did the quiz and I am categorized as Spoon. I am bony and skinny upward, getting definition on arms and abs is a cinch, but, boy... those chunkies below the waist are darn hard to go :p

I also started with cardio only, running/power walk, little weight training (only lunges, squats, kickbacks), and I found my thighs actually swells up in size *YIKES*
then I start ramping up my cardio, doing faster, higher resistance, HIIT, whole body workouts, more resistance training, and I do feel fat is shedding (all over) including my thighs.
I still do a lot of lunges and squats. I don't find them too difficult now. My thighs and butt are not getting bigger. They got firmer, yes. It has shrunk (a bit) too.

BUT, downside is my upper body is also shrinking..... Sure I got firm and tone abs and arm, but I really dont want to get any skinnier on top. Bony to begin with I dont want my ribcage to project much more than it was.

So, I am going to try doing the suggested exercise and see what happens.  :)