Am I doing something wrong with my leg workout?

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   L a d y f a c eposted 13 years ago

   No matter how much weight I lose, or how much cardio and strength training I do my legs never seem to get smaller. I lost 35lbs last year and lost 4 inches around the top and 5 inches around the bottom.
   I know that I have "lady hips" and I'm fine with that, it's my thighs I can't seem to make proportionate. When I buy jeans it seems like my thighs are never in proportion to my waist.
   
   I read something about not doing any lower strength training and letting your muscles atrophy and then just doing cardio.....but that just sounds...wrong.
   
   Is there something I'm doing wrong with my lower body workout?
   
   Leg curls
   Lunges
   Squats
   Leg lifts
   Running
   Interval training
   
   

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      crossandarrowposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Try using stretch bands. I was introduced to them last Friday They look like a jump rope  secure the handle to your foot get on the floor with on your hands and knees grab the handle with your opposite hand and tighten it and kick back with with the leg with the handle attched to your foot. Try kicking straight back then holding leg straight out parallel or perpendicular to floor. You will feel it in the core of your leg muscles. Then repeat process with other leg with handle attached to foot. Lots of lunges. I hope this helps.

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   2. 61

      qwarkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Ladyface:
      Don't listen to those who say that muscles will increase the size of your thighs.
      You are a female. You are not loaded with testosterone.
      Muscle size would happen so slowly that it would not be increasing the size of your thighs.
      Your thigh muscles will in fact tighten and become more dense and their strength and endurance will increase without a noticeable change in size.
      your problem is the number of fat cells you've created over your life.
      Fat cells do not "burn away." They decrease and increase in size, like a baloon, depending upon diet and exercise and their numbers can be increased.
      The only way to get rid of fat cells is liposuction.
      Now, fat control and weight loss is determined by the number of calories you ingest and the number you use.
      Use more calories than you take in and you will lose weight.
      Your body determines where fat will be lost. You do not!
      Cardiovascular workouts and hi rep weight work along with a hi protein, moderate complex carbohydrate diet low in fat may work for you. Eat 5 - 6 small meals a day.
      Genetics plays a very important role in body moulding.
      Heavy weightlifting in men will, NOTICEABLY, increase the size and strength of their muscles. Testosterone does it!
      If you are not using anabolic steroids, the size of your muscles, doing cardiovascular exercise and as an adjunct hi rep low weight circuit training, will not grow muscle very fast and fat cells should diminish in size making your thighs decrease in size.
      I've been a bodybuilder, powerlifter and  personal trainer for about 40 yrs.
      Make exercise and good diet a lifestyle and following what i've said will work wonders for ya.
      
      Qwark

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   euneakmeposted 13 years ago

   Every thing you are doing are building up your quads which are making them bigger. Try doing pilates! this will stretch them out and make them slimmer.

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   arthursaxonposted 13 years ago

   Sometimes performing lower body cardio will actually promote intermuscular fat storage below the waist, but it's most likely just a genetic fat storage issue. Decreased blood circulation in the lower body makes it one of the last places most of us drop fat, and some have it worse than others. Your exercises look okay, and if you're eating properly fro fat loss it's unlikely that you're gaining much muscle. I'd say just keep at it and make sure your diet is spot on.

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   GmaGoldieposted 13 years ago

   The longest and largest muscles in the body are in the legs.  When performing lunges, the key mistake is engaging the knee joint not the the muscles in the legs.
   
   If you perform the lunge correctly - super big step - the quadricep - the largest muscle and the sartoris - the longest muscle are engaged.
   
   Change your warm up to lunges and squats - after about 6 sessions you should see your legs begin to sculpt.
   
   Also, swimming with a flotation device and swim fins is a great workout for the legs - don't engage the arms - make the legs do all the work.  Swim fins are the cheapest and best workout for the legs - easy and fun too!
   
   Females were made for gathering, when we stop gathering we gain weight first in the thighs.  Learn the muscles, learn the correct way to do lunges and you will see remarkable changes in your health - endurance and metabolism.
   
   The more muscle we build, the better our metabolism.
   
   Also, check your resting heart rate and track over a period of months.  All too often we are not exercising for our benefit.
   
   The very best investment we can make in our health is a great certified personal trainer. 
   
   Best of luck to you!  Great post!  Thank you for the opportunity - very valuable question.

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   ultimatekboxingposted 13 years ago

   Doing leg exercises is likely to just increase the muscle mass in the legs rather than reducing fat - you can't spot reduce, and it sounds like it's just the last place that you lose weight from.
   
   Try more cardio - maybe a  tabata workout each day - it'll up your metabolic rate even after you've finished exercising, helping you to burn more calories.
   
   Otherwise, what are you eating? A body is largely build in the kitchen, not just the gym, so if you're not eating right (getting the right nutrients, from the right food, in the right amounts rather than just cutting down calories), it'll cancel out a lot of your efforts in the gym.

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   Coach Ellenposted 13 years ago

   You might try doing some abductor and adductor work.  Stand sideways and put your hand on a chair or bar for support.  Slowly lift you leg out sideways from your body and slowing control it back down.  Do this between 10 and 15 reps on each leg and then do another set of them crossing the leg in front of the body the opposite direction on each leg.  This will work the hip flexors and help target the muscles in that area and begin to tone and sculpt them.  Keep you cardio routine consistent as well.  We lose weight from the head down, so one of the last places you will notice weight loss is from the waist down.  Don't give up, you will eventually notice a difference.

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7. 58

   tomashuhart75posted 13 years ago

   if you are working out properly and still having trouble shedding fat, then it is most likely a diet issue.

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   Fitness Fitnessposted 13 years ago

   Resultdepends on many a factors. It depends on someone's body type, his or her daily lifestyle..diets etc. Another important thing is not the list of exercise..its the way you're doing it. As someone suggested..pilate bands are very useful. Reduction of fat from body is not area specific.it depends on the total body workout also. Exercise of butt and thigh combined with proper weights and increasing resistance will strengthen the specific muscles and tone it.

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   mega1posted 13 years ago

   I've heard that walking at a good pace is the best way to lose weight - the exercises tone, but don't always take off inches.  Walking, especially up and down hills, is going to burn the calories as well as turn some of that fat into muscles.  And of course, reduce fat and sugar intake.  I'm trying and have the same problem.  The trick for me is to love myself enough to take the time needed to get this exercise. Good luck to you!

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      CollBposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I find walking helps me loose weight around the legs, as well as jogging although the latter seems to build up the muscles around the top part of my legs. 
      
      Leg stretches tend to help me with keeping them thinner than they would otherwise have been but again it's eating too much bread and cereals with milk which have made me put on weight around the waist.

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    ForYourInfoposted 13 years ago

    Don't worry so much about your problem.Because many of the people have such kind of problem.I think you should try cycling and swimming for your leg problem.And for mostly,consult a good physician.

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    ftclickposted 13 years ago

    I believe I pulled a hamstring which I never did before. It happened during a sprint. Cycling is safe. try that and stretch.

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    kephriraposted 13 years ago

    Do less weight training and more cardio if you want to lose fat. Exercising your leg muscles does not mean that you burn fat from that area of your body more than any other. Just focus on losing fat in general - your legs may be the last part of your body to get slimmer (cos of genetics) but they will get slimmer in the end.

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    ClaireHaleyposted 13 years ago

    I am not an expert in the fitness world in what will or won't decrease leg size, but I am reading a great book at the moment, called The 4 Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss.

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    ocbillposted 13 years ago

    I think you'd be amazed and how much weight and body sculpting, sweat yoga or pilates can do. I never believed in it as I was a cross trainer for life and now see I am losing weight in areas I never did before. Just incorporate some poses & see what happens since you are open to suggestions.

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