I want amazing legs by summer...

I am 5'5" and 123lbs but I carry my weight in my legs. I am looking for some good suggestions on exercises, activities, and really anything that will help me tone a the flab on my thighs! I already do 30 minutes of cardio a day and 30 of strength training but it is just not working for me...

Your current body-fat level is healthy. Your might add pilates or yoga to your exercise regimen; these techniques improve stength and increase fitness without adding bulk and might give you the results you're looking for.

Original Post by srrussell3:

Your current body-fat level is healthy. Your might add pilates or yoga to your exercise regimen; these techniques improve stength and increase fitness without adding bulk and might give you the results you're looking for.

First, the original poster's body mass index is fine, her body fat percentage may be higher (these are distinct measures).

Vgralian, it seems like you are doing the fitness basics, namely strength + cardio.  But if you would like to see progress you'll need to step up your workouts!

How heavy are you lifting? I tend to see the best results for lower body in the 8-15 rep range, but certainly not any higher.  Really push yourself, those last few reps and sets should be a serious challenge. Supersetting is another great option since it elevates the heart rate during lifting and allows for a higher total workload. You might even be able to cut you cardio down to 20 minutes and add more time lifting instead.

I don't know what exercises you are doing, but for leg training the basics still apply: Squats [barbell, plie w/ dumbbell, smith rack, and plyometric], lunges [barbell, dumbbell, static, or walking], step-ups, straight-legged deadlifts, and a few isolation exercises like quad extension and hamstring curl. Don't forget calves - a few sets of seated and/or standing presses.

Regarding cardio, I suggest intervals of intense exertion as opposed to steady-state. This has a greater impact on fat-burning, which will help to uncover your muscles.

All of this said, please don't focus only on your lower body! Training the major muscles of the upper body - chest, back, shoulders, and arms - will have a dramatic impact on how "balanced" your body looks. Broader shoulders make the waist and hips appear narrower.

Good luck!

Original Post by cat-girl:

How heavy are you lifting? I tend to see the best results for lower body in the 8-15 rep range, but certainly not any higher.  Really push yourself, those last few reps and sets should be a serious challenge. Supersetting is another great option since it elevates the heart rate during lifting and allows for a higher total workload. You might even be able to cut you cardio down to 20 minutes and add more time lifting instead.

I don't know what exercises you are doing, but for leg training the basics still apply: Squats [barbell, plie w/ dumbbell, smith rack, and plyometric], lunges [barbell, dumbbell, static, or walking], step-ups, straight-legged deadlifts, and a few isolation exercises like quad extension and hamstring curl. Don't forget calves - a few sets of seated and/or standing presses.

Regarding cardio, I suggest intervals of intense exertion as opposed to steady-state. This has a greater impact on fat-burning, which will help to uncover your muscles.

All of this said, please don't focus only on your lower body! Training the major muscles of the upper body - chest, back, shoulders, and arms - will have a dramatic impact on how "balanced" your body looks. Broader shoulders make the waist and hips appear narrower.

Good luck!

Wow what a wonderful reply! :D Very informative and helpful :)

I filled in for one of my instructors today for a Step class. A new member in the class told me afterwards she was hoping that if she continued to take the class her legs would look like mine. I informed her, [after thanking her], that 1. leg shape is genetic. 2. the muscles/shape of my legs are bc of intense leg workouts/weights including leg supersets. 3. diet is crucial to rid fat. 4. yes, Step does help shape legs [at least the high intensity/interval class I taught] but that in order to achieve 'tone', defined legs, one must have a healthy diet, combined with strength [ie:squats, SL deadlifts, bulgarian squats, step ups,  lunges -including walking and reverse] leg lifts exts, prone..etc.

Flab is fat. Fat will go away with proper diet. What you do to shape up is what happens with what you do with exercise.

Luck to ya!

i find that the absolute best leg toning workout is dance! I do ballet, which works miracles for legs, but obviously that is kind of hard to do sporadically if you haven't danced before. however, I also have a book called the New York City Ballet Workout, which doesn't require any previous dance experience and really does give you dancer legs (long lean muscles- lovely!)

Me too

Cyclers have great legs as well. I agree about upping the intensity. My legs are the trouble zone. But I use about 80 lbs just on my calves. Would leg press at least 225, used to, but my hip is a wanker, so I do about 185 or so now. But when my legs used to be awesome, I did all of these things, plus plenty of squats/lunges whenever I worked out.

Thank you everyone for the great inputs!!!

Squats and lunges make my legs bigger, though! I don't mind SOME muscle, but it's just over the top in my opinion sometimes!

I notice that when I run distance, my legs slim down considerably, but they are still not very toned at all. Is there any compromise sport, where I can get thin, but toned, legs?

Original Post by moirainedamodred:

Squats and lunges make my legs bigger, though! I don't mind SOME muscle, but it's just over the top in my opinion sometimes!

I notice that when I run distance, my legs slim down considerably, but they are still not very toned at all. Is there any compromise sport, where I can get thin, but toned, legs?

There is no such thing as "toning."  There is only losing fat and building muscle.

I don't have the link handy, but one of the popular articles linked from this site shows an MRI cross-section of an untrained woman's legs.  Most of the bulk is NOT muscle.  :-/

Original Post by moirainedamodred:
Is there any compromise sport, where I can get thin, but toned, legs?

Good question.  How can a person with lots of fat on their legs get slender but well defined muscles on the legs?

I am guessing that you have to be careful not to do too much muscle building exercise and get the fat off before you can see how much muscle you are increasing.  Just a guess, we need the input of somebody who has done this.

Once you have put on "too much" muscle you just have to let those muscles reduce in size naturally by avoiding working that area excessively.  However, you would still need to burn the energy and avoid gaining fat.

Read some bodybuilder information on how to control the definition and size of muscles - they are experts.  Not all body builders go for size alone, they know a lot about figure shaping.

This is too advanced for me as I just have to get my weight down for now.  I will work on my shape when I get nearer my healthy weight.

Here's the link that behanna was referring to.

RWandH - the likelihood of someone putting on "too much" muscle while a) in a deficit and b) female   is slim to none.

And as Geoff Girvitz says,

Staying weak because of how it might make you look is the same as staying illiterate for fear of appearing nerdy. Stop it. You’re better than that.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Here's the link that behanna was referring to.

RWandH - the likelihood of someone putting on "too much" muscle while a) in a deficit and b) female   is slim to none.

And as Geoff Girvitz says,

Staying weak because of how it might make you look is the same as staying illiterate for fear of appearing nerdy. Stop it. You’re better than that.

Thanks for the link, very interesting reading.

Good point about being in a deficit preventing excessive muscle building.  I did not even consider that.

Anyway, it is not really for me as I have way too much fat and bodyweight for my legs to be holding up.  I will work on defining shape when I have dealt with my health first.  Not to say I am forgetting strength training, that is an important part of getting healthy.  But worrying over my shape?  Not yet.  Too advanced for me.