THUNDER THIGHS!! how do i tame these beasts??

THUNDER THIGHS!! how do i tame these beasts??
Oct 05 2007 13:01 Edit | Delete

iv been walk/jogging 5 days a week for 2 years, circuit training 1-3 times a week for about the last year and im a mother of 2 toddlers. iv lost 100 lb's, im within 5 lb of a healthy weight for my height but my thighs have stayed very resistant holding on to every last fat cell like its a matter of life and death. :P there also already naturaly very muscular due to genetics, this only assentuates the extra feminine poundage!

please lend me your advice on some thigh slendering exercises nothing i do seems to work and i think the jogging may actualy be making them bigger!! im really open to any suggestions.

 

PLEAAAASSEE!!!!

Oy, I have the same problem.

Well, I'm not an avid runner, but...my issues lie in the same places as yours.

I find lunges and squats are amazing for my thighs and bum and if you have access to weight machines, the leg press, abductor and adductor machines work really well for me. 

I am the same way, my body type is definitely a pear and when I began my weight loss journey I told my thighs that they would be receiving separation (and perhaps divorce) paperwork! It's been slow and steady, but I have lost 22 pounds and the main exercise that has worked for me has been my stationary bicycle (I don't have a gym membership so I don't have access to any of the machines and my other home exercises are basic calisthenics - leg lifts, abdominal/core exercises, et cetera). The first month, I noticed that I lost some fat from my inner thighs; then, the second month I noticed that I've lost some fat from my outer thighs; then, the third month my hiney started fighting gravity and lifting a bit; with each month I lost inches from my stomach. I just started my fourth month and I'm not sure I'm going to notice it yet. So, I would say the exercise bike is doing it for me. Best of Luck. Make it a great day!

Smiles,
Dacia

awsome advice, i remember biking alot in my teens and never having the thigh issue so that probably stands to reason why. and squats i know work for the butt, no pain no gain right?:) any other suggestions and other meathods of exercise is welcome, i need variety in my life so the more responses the better

thankyou for your time and ideas

V

One exercise that I find works really well for the inner thighs is pliet squats (or "sumo squats", but I hate that name). What you do is stand with your feet further than shoulder width apart, with your toes pointing out, like you're going to do a pliet in second position in ballet. You can try them first with no weight just to get used to the motion, and then once you do, grab a weight and hold it in front of you (just hanging down). I do 3 sets of 15. 

Squats, squats and more squats.  In 4-6 weeks you should see a noticable difference.  I suggest that unless you have done them before you practice with no weight until you have GOOD form.

is there anyway through diet and/or exercise that one can defeat the effects of genetics.. im talking muscle mass. is there anything, anyway to diminish mass? ?

 

blika babe, i dont understand how the exercises people have suggested to you could REDUCE the size of your legs. the exercises u have been given are done to STIMULATE MUSCLE GROWTH in those areas.
people, "you cannot spot reduce". come on.
these exercises are awesome though...for strengthening,building and defining your legs/butt

I've read that the first place where the fat goes on is the last place it comes off. Keep on your diet & exercise plan and you may see some results soon! Bear in mind, though, that you may never be slender there and that's OK. Pear-shaped is associated with lower risk of heart disease than apple-shaped, so take some reassurance from that.

more cardio!!!! it will eventually help big time: i promise! it takes clean eating too!

ladyoftheflowers:

I agree with all of those exercises stimulating muscle growth. Do you believe running does that as well? Some people say that running with slim, and lean out your muscles. Just wondering what you think! Thanks!

thanx again everyone for the advice. iv started some of the suggested exercises with vigor and will be sure to report my findings and share the tips and tricks.

i think running most definitely slims you.. as long as its kept aerobic and your burning fat. i know for men especialy running is a great way to cut after building mass . though i honestly believe you can build mass from running. especialy if you already  carry alot of weight around.. theres that much more compensation by the muscles to contend with, in otherwords exercising with excess weight must build mass. maybe that was my downfall.. pushing 250lb around is a world different than now pushing 150lb's.

im not a pair shape btw ;) pretty evenly distrubuted from top to bottom, im 5'9 so my shoulders are broad. this thigh issue is one of new, not something iv really ever had to contend with ... but i plan to conquer!

thankyou again for the advice, still would love to learn more so please share!

No you can't spot train but you can build up your muscle which will burn more calories (ie more fat). 

so, i'm confused! you say running def slims you, but if you're female, you will build mass? which is it?? thanks again!!

I have to be careful with my knees because I used to be army and a runner so now they sound like cheese graters from time to time...lol...so I use a yoga ball to do squats, it helps take the pressure off my knees. I also use the yoga ball in front of my computer and "bounce" as I type, makes for a few typos but the inches are coming off over 4 each thigh in just over a month.

Running, swimming, weight training, whatever you prefer, ultimately builds muscle.  This however, is and always will be, trumped by your diet.  If you're eating towards a calorie deficit, you will lose weight, and some muscle.  You can minimize this by eating higher levels of protein and avoiding being in a catabolic state, but that's a different discussion.  Mind you, I didn't say you flat out cannot put on muscle while in a calorie deficit.  It's just incredibly hard to do, your body simply doesn't have enough to work with.  Most muscular growth or apparent muscular growth during a deficit is due to shock growth from new activity / forced work & water retention.

If you eat enough food to gain weight, that's when you'll be in an optimal situation to put on significant amounts of muscle.  There is also the fact that women don't gain so much muscle from weight training.  Due to your genetics however, as you explained, you may put on more than normal on your legs.  I have this same problem as a male.  My waist is 32 but my legs are like tree trunks.  It often sucks buying pants.

Putting on muscle also shapes the area.  So it might not be such a bad thing.  You said that your legs are already quite muscular, so further weight training might not necessarily help you in your situation.  If you personally know there's room for improvement regarding the muscular development of your legs, I'd say continue with the weight training.

It could be that genetics win in this situation.  It's the same situation with bicep muscles.  Some people can develop a high peak or have a longer overall bicep muscle, some people have shorter bicep muscles and/or low peaks.

thanx matic, that was put excellently and i learned alot.

i definitely dont want to gain anymore mass in my legs and what your saying is as long as my calorie intake is less than my calorie expenditure i wont be able to feed those muscles.. i hope i got that right.

 thanx again so through squats, cycling, leg abductors pilates and a low cal diet just maybe ill tame these beasts!! ;-) oh and im definitely going out and getting a yoga ball!!!!

 

Deadlifts!

btw deadlifts.. awwwwsooooommmmeeeee

 

feel the burrrn!

 

;)

 

thanx again everyone

 

For overall thighs I would do some variation on the squat such as front squat, hack squat, body weight squat, sissy squat or jump squats. I find that jump squats with a raised box are excellent for working your entire legs and you can do it in a circuit training type setting to really give you some extra burn.

Lunges and Leg abductors are good for isolating the butt and inner thighs which are often considered "problem areas" for females.

By the way jump squats are done with your body weight only and they will do more to "tone" the area than "bulk it" (like heavy leg presses might).

 

I also see a lot of women doing a kind of barbell deadlift at the gym with their legs in a "frog like" position.  I don't know what the exercise is called but the women who do it swear by it. 

to lean out thighs, it is better to do isolation movements to strength train rather than compound.  in other words do the quad machine, and the hamstring machine, and the inner thigh machine, rather than doing squats that work everything at once.  doing latter is great if you're looking to build muscle but not if you don't want the area to swell.