INSHAPE HEALTH AND FITNESS Q ‘N’ A
Reader Karen Parsons asks:
“I love running and have done so for years, but I have developed really muscular legs that I don’t particularly like. Is there any way to slim these down?”
John Jones – Dietitican
The only way to really slim down your thigh muscles is to change your training routine. This is because as you run, your muscles start to develop and the amount of body fat is reduced, which gives your thighs a muscular appearance. Your body becomes more effective at preserving and developing the muscle tissue. So, to overcome this, you should consider different forms of exercise, such as swimming, and avoid training just your legs. Changing your diet may also help. However, it is very difficult to reduce muscle. Our body prefers to use its fat and stored glucose instead. You would need to reduce your intake of protein, but this can also lead to other health problems and nutrition deficiencies.
John is an accredited practising dietitian with a passion to provide practical solutions for creating a healthy lifestyle. His interest in nutrition began during his pursuit of a rugby league caeer with the Newcastle Knights. However, his focus changed after becoming obese. He holds an MBA and has a special interest in Diabetes, which gives him a wider view of the role nutrition plays in our life. He is the owner of the award winning business Energize Health and is a sought after speaker. John relaxes by spending time with his wife and two goreous children.
Vanessa Auditore – Human Behaviour and Wellbeing Specialist
Karen there are a couple of approaches here, depending on the type of runs and your natural build. For example, do you tend to cover large distances or is a shorter fast paced run?
Option 1: Changing your routine and mix it up from your usual runs. This will cause the body to adapt and use different muscle fibres.
According to the BBC Science and Nature Journal, there are two different fibres in muscle. The slow twitch muscle fibres, which contract slowly, but keep going for a long time. And, the fast twitch muscle fibres, which contract quickly, but rapidly, and get tired.
Endurance or Speed
Slow twitch muscle fibres are good for endurance activities like long distance running or cycling. They can work for a long time without getting tired. Fast twitch muscles are good for rapid movements like jumping to catch a ball or sprinting for the bus. They contract quickly, but get tired fast as they consume lots of energy. Most of your muscles are made up of a mixture of both slow and fast twitch muscle fibres.
Option 2: Another option is to ensure you are lengthening the contracted “ bulky” muscles. Yoga is great for this or using foam rollers combined with stretching.
Personally, as a strong legged personal trainer and figure competitor, I find interval training at high repetitions with low loads very helpful in keeping my legs lean, along with cross fit styled training. My overall message is to enjoy your runs and diversify your training plans.
Vanessa Auditore has been working in the health and wellness industry since 1998, when she graduated as a master personal trainer. Since then, she has continued her professional development to include transformational life coaching, counsellor QMACA, presenter and lecturer for the Australian fitness industry, expert advice consultant for national magazines including Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Fitness First, Blitz magazine and has developed a successful online presence via the SuccessheadQ blog. In addition, Vanessa features regularly as a guest on many Australian based health and wellbeing blogs, and has also competed in natural figure competitions, at a national level. Vanessa is continuing to expand her academic pursuits with a double degree in behavioural science and communication and media, and is applying her expertise to achieve personal goals by integrating holistic practices.
Nick Jack – CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Personal Trainer
Running, cycling and all aerobic activities are not muscle building exercises to increase size, they are catabolic exercises trying to “offload muscle”, not build it. Especially for females, due to their lack of testosterone, which is 1/10th the amount found in a male. If you have big, muscular legs, it is most likely due to your genetic makeup and no amount of dieting or extreme measures will change this. This is what we would refer to your body’s dominant endocrine glands. In this case, it would be either a dominance of pituitury gland or the gonad glands. That is why in cycling the sprinters are small and stocky, with massive legs, and the climbers are tall and lean with skinny legs.
Nick Jack is a qualified CHEK Exercise Coach, Level II Holistic Lifestyle Coach and personal trainer. He runs a personal training business called No Regrets Personal Training. Nick likes to lift weights, cycle, run and triathlon. He has played almost every sport at one time in his life. Now, he enjoys spending time walking his dog and relaxing with his wife and friends.
Amanda Ferguson – Owner and Founder of Blue Sky Health & Fitness
There are a couple of things you can do to slim your legs down:
- Longer distance running can help to change the size and structure of your leg muscles, you would develop leaner leg muscles over time.
- Make sure you stretch all the time, this will re-lengthen your muscles, so that you don’t continue to exercise on shortened muscles, which can cause you to bulk up.
- If you are doing any weight training, use lighter weights, or just body weight and go for more repetitions, rather than how much weight you are lifting
- If you really enjoy running, your leg muscles need to be strong to ensure you can continue to run, I know what I would prefer – strong, toned legs that allow me to run, which I enjoy vs fat, un-toned legs.
- The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when not exercising, as your body is working harder, which is great for your metabolism too!
- Something that you can’t really control is if it is genetic!
If you love running, which it sounds like you do, be happy with your runners legs. I am sure lots of women would love legs like yours!
Amanda is the owner and founder of Blue Sky Health & Fitness, based in Melbourne, and is a highly experienced and qualified personal trainer who was educated at Australian & European Institutes of Fitness. Amanda’s passion and dedication to exercise and health is shown not only in her continual educational pursuit but also in her own training program.
You can follow Amanda on Twitter and Facebook or read her Fit Mummies blog, which is situated on her website.
Katie Hunter and Julie Montagu – Co-founders of iNourish, London, and Power Yoga
Stretch out those muscles! Yoga can improve flexibility and mobility and increase range of motion. Over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity. Your muscles that have been repeatedly contracted by actions such as running will begin to open up. However, your body developed these muscles to carry the weight of your body and needs these muscles to do the job well. So, some weight loss could help slim down your legs too. A good option is power yoga. Have a look at iNourish power yoga DVD. This is a more cardiovascular form of yoga that aids in weight loss and lengthens the muscles at the same time.
Katie Hunter and Julie Montagu are co-founders of iNourish. They are certified yoga instructors, each hold a Bachelors of Science degree and both studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.
The pair have also just recently released their first Power Yoga DVD, which is now available on their website or at Amazon.
Sasha Moon – Ultimate Sports Nutrition In-House Sports Nutritionist
Hi Karen, many women are tempted to stop exercising altogether in fear of developing extreme muscular bulk but this is in fact the worst thing you could do. Running, cycling, swimming or walking each day for at least 30 minutes enhances your fat loss and cardio fitness – so don’t give up on your love for running!
I would also suggest incorporating some endurance training that can transform the structure and size of your legs. A perfect example of this is leg size and shape between endurance athletes and sprinters. Endurance athletes tend to have more ‘slow twitch’ fibres, whereas sprinters tend to have more ‘fast twitch fibres’. Whilst we are born with a certain amount of slow and fast twitch fibres, endurance training tends to decrease the size of your legs whilst power movements tend to build size. Another great technique is to also include resistance training at least twice a week but cut back on lifting heavy weights. Aim for weights which you can lift 15-20 times each leg exercise (and repeat 3 times with 1 minute rest in between), which can give you sexy toned legs without putting on mass. Last but not least, it is easier to embrace your genes rather than trying to change it!
To achieve optimal performance through exercise, it is advised to provide your body with the correct fuel. USN’s Performance range includes three premium products, Enduro Carbs, Cyto Power and Recover Max, and is aimed at endurance athletes who participate in intensive training and endurance events, such as running that place high energy and nutrition demands on the body.
Each stage and product provides you with what is necessary to prepare, perform and recover including increased energy in preparation, increased endurance and reduced fatigue whilst performing and rapid muscle tissue recovery whilst recovering.
Sasha Moon is a registered Fitness Australia professional, and qualified personal trainer with a BA in Nutrition, Exercise and Sports Science.
Sasha takes an integrated approach to health and fitness, without considering one to be more important than the other and promotes healthy living as a combination of a well managed nutrition and an active lifestyle. Breaking out of the corporate world in 2007, Sasha left the 9-to-5 desk job to pursue a career in health and fitness and has succeeded with top qualifications and credibility. Sasha’s aim is to help her clients achieve a range of goals through professional personal training and nutrition advice and support.
Sasha’s knowledge and experience created the opportunity to work in the health and fitness industry and now holds the position as the in-house Sports Nutritionist for Ulimate Sports Nutrition (USN). USN is an international leader in sports nutrition and the products are formulated with extensive research and development using the latest technology, scientific findings and clinic trials.
Your Questions Answered
Do You Want to Read More Health and Fitness Questions and Answers? Then Click Here 🙂
Disclaimer: The information published in this column is based on each of the author’s own professional and personal knowledge and opinion. This information and opinion is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any manner. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition and consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional or exercise program. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on InShape News.
Thank you for so many different professional views on slimming down muscular legs! I found this article to be very insightful and I learned many different activities someone looking to lose muscle mass in their legs could do. It definitely takes a change in your training routine to see results. Thanks for so many great activities here to choose from, like swimming, long-distance running, using lighter weights, yoga (this one is new to me!), cycling, or even taking a stroll. Since people enjoy different exercises and activities, it’s helpful that there are so many options. I’m sure there is one for everyone here!
For the women reading this who are interested in learning more about losing muscle mass, I found this article about reducing muscle mass in a female (https://www.fitnesssolutionsplus.ca/blog/how-to-reduce-muscle-mass-female/) to be very informative as well. It covers myths about women and muscle and how you can know if you bulk up easily. There are also a few strategies to achieve what you’re aiming for.
Sure Anita. InShape News will be publishing an eBook later this year on ‘slimming your thighs’. Be on the look-out for the title as it will be packed with many straightforward ways for you to create lean thighs in a matter of months.
Great article. I really dig your style.
Another excellent article. These types of comprehensive research help others write in-depth reports.
I’m really looking forward to reading the eBook you’ve mentioned. Keep me updated.
Wow, you’re releasing an eBook. I think that will be a fascinating read. Let me know when it’s published.
Me again 🙂 I just wanted to say that your site and articles are brilliant. This is one of the best sites I’ve seen for health and fitness for ages. Well done. Keep up the amazing work.
Slim thighs look amazing. You can tell who works at shaping them and who doesn’t.
Excellent article InShape. I love this.
Great hints and tips here. You really know your stuff.
Wow I’ve been looking for something like this for ages. I’m off to try out these tips now.
If you’re going to slim your thighs, then you need great runners. Without them you may find that your posture and balance are not as good.
Another great article InShape News.
I’ve always had big legs. So, finding this page is a Godsend. Cheers.
Great article. Makes a lot of sense.
Hello! I’m at the gym everday doing kickboxing. My legs, in particular, are very muscular and bold which makes me feel self-conscious. I would like to bulk down but I find if I do exercises such as calf raises or lunges, it will just continue strengthening my legs. Please help!
Hi Ella. InShape News will be publishing two eBook titles on slimming down legs – one focuses on thighs, while the other concentrates on the entire leg. Both offer step-by-step solutions 🙂 I’ll let you know when these are available.
Oh wonderful! Please let me know as well when they are available😊
Well done
We need more of this. Seriously.
Another great article here
Can’t refute any claims made here
Healthy, Enjoyable and as well.
Well done.
Love this article. Do you have any more information?
Hi Mel. Two eBooks will be published by InShapeNews shortly on this topic – one focuses one thighs and the other on the entire leg.
Simply brilliant article. I love the way you approach this topic and the advice you give. Well done.
You make a lot of sense. I’m going to try these solutions out. Thanks.
Excellent. Really good information.
Great article. These pointers sound like the go.
This all makes sense. Very well written article and something that I will definitely try.
I’ve had the ugliest legs since I can remember. Your tips will help me I just know it.
Yes, yes, yes. Thank you. I’ve been looking for this info for ages – and here it is. Fabulous! Now to get started.
Great work here InShape. I really appreciate the hard work.
I really need to get down and do these exercises. I’m sick of having big legs.
Hey there. I’ve had big legs since I can remember. I would love to change how they look. Do you really think this is possible?
Hi Melina. Often big legs come from doing too much of the same thing repetitively. Like running for instance. Sometimes the key to changing your big legs is to change what you do every day. For instance, if you run daily, maybe trying swimming every other day. Your body adapts to change, so by giving it new exercises it will develop new muscles.
My girlfriend is always complaining about her thighs. I think she should read this article 🙂
A quick solution is a good solution. Well done. Great article. I will be trying this out.
Another really well put together article InShape. Kudos.
I doubt it will eventually happen. But still worth a try.
I’ve tried everything else. So, I may as well give this a go to.
Great site and article.
Wicked concept.
Gotta love articles like these. I’ll give it a go. But, not overly confident I’ll see any results.
This is a tricky subject. It takes a lot of time to make big legs smaller. I have been trying for ages. Hopefully your tips will help make a difference.
Much of the work is very well done. You can make a lot of change.
Thank you thank you thank you. I’ve been wanting to know about this for a long time. I have been searching everywhere to find such good information.
My wife has been looking for a way to slim her thighs for years. You just may have the answers.
This makes sense.
Very clever article. You’re a genius!
Where have you been InShape? This article makes so much sense and it’s so simple to follow. Well done you.
Perfect. Just what the doctor ordered. I’ll get cracking on these now.
Fantastic advice and really simple to follow. Cheers.
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve not seen such comprehensive work on this topic before. It makes a lot of sense, and I will try all of these.
I have tried fad diets and pills to try to lose those pounds and inches. But this looks like a better option. I’m gonna try this out.
Brilliant. I can see those inches coming off my thighs already. I’ve been following your advice for 6-weeks now and it’s making a real difference.
Really insightful. Cheers.
This article got at the core of the problem.
One day, not so long ago, while being a “couch potato”and”channel surfing” on the television I became aware of just how many sports channels and programs there are available for viewing at any given time. Then I decided to go in search of a better way to look after me, and I found you. Thanks InShape you’re making me turn my life around. No more couchy couchy potato here. Time to move it move it.
Another fab article. Keep it up InShape News you’re fab!!
The very first reason I came here was to learn more about health, my health. But you’ve taught me so much more.
Understandably about the most in-depth, fun and interactive site I’ve come across for health and wellness. Wow, seriously how much time have you devoted to making InShape such a stand-out?
Can’t think of the last time I found that so well put together. Awesome. Love it!
Amazing info here. Getting started on making changes now. Thanks InShape.
I’ve been hunting for ideas like this for years. Brilliant. I’m gonna try these out and see where they get me.
People’s health is dynamic. Over their lifetimes, everyone is at risk of having periods of issues. Your site helps mitigate risk.
Excellent news site here! Also your web site loads up fast!
Learn more tips and tricks from InShape. Excellent site.
Great coverage inshapenewsflash.com.
I have been browsing on-line more than 3 hours nowadays, but I by no means discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours. It’s beautiful. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers produced excellent content as you did, the web might be much more useful than ever before. “A winner never whines.” by Paul Brown.
Great tips here. Wow. I’m off to try these out now 🙂
Thanks for the share.
Your article is based on the facts and not just the talking points. It makes a lot of sense and is really easy to follow 🙂
Excellent
Speed is a weapon! Just ask Lleyton Hewitt or Rafael Nadal and you will soon see how speed is used to their advantage. Your health and fitness guidance & effort will pay off.
I’ve tried a number of ways to slim my legs. But these are definitely worth a shot.
Far out. These suggestions are great. I’m going to try them all out.
Yep, I hear you sister!! Time to give these a go.
Hi…is it true that- wrapping our thighs using any elastic plastic could reshaped our thighs?
Hi Ethel,
The <a href="http://cling wrap technique is based on water loss so it may not be permanent. But, some people have said that they’ve achieved results. <a href="http://Wetsuit material can also have the same effect.
hello , i’m a 100m runner and i’m 14 y/o . i have a big calves and my thighs are medium , i have no time to do yoga or smthg like that because of school and homeworks . how can i slim my calves back ?
Hi Lisa. To reduce the size of your calf muscles try some lengthening exercises such as calf raises, side lunges and skaters (15 reps: 3 sets: 6 days a week). These exercises can be done when you take a break from your homework.
Brilliant info. Thanx.
Thank you for your hard work.
I see interesting articles here. Your website can go viral easily.
Hi. I recently started going to the gym. I go 3 days a week and I have 2 leg days and 1 upper body day. I do cardio ( elliptical-15 minutes and treadmill – 15 minutes) and some abs moves on all these three days though. My goal is to slim down, especially my legs and core. So, is it okay to do squats and lunges with light weights? What would be the maximum weight? What about the smith machine squat? Will it make my thighs look muscular? I store my fat in my legs and they do look muscly quite easy. Also, should I do cardio before or after the other exercises?
Hi Sasha,
Doing squats and lunges with light weights is ideal for slimming down and toning up as long as you do a higher number of reps. Ideally, 3 sets of 15 reps will help you to reach your goals. Just make sure that you’re also eating a diet that is rich in protein and greens, and reduce any alcohol intake. Visit https://inshapenewsflash.com/healthandfitnessqna/if-i-lift-weights-will-i-get-bigger-muscles/ to understand how weights and healthy eating can help you reach your weight loss goals. Also visit https://inshapenewsflash.com/opinion/building-long-lean-muscle/.
When starting out, always lift the lightest weight available. See how this feels. If it’s too light and you don’t feel like your muscles are getting tired after doing 1 set (15 reps), then move up to the next sized weight. Do another set. If you’re beginning to feel muscle fatigue, then stick with this weight until you can make it right through all 3 sets without feeling tired. Over time you’ll slowly build up your muscle strength. If you don’t do this, then you may strain your muscles and cause yourself an injury. So it is important to start light.
I’m not a big fan of using machines such as the Smith squat machine. Why? Well, you can rely on this machine too much, and not on your body. The key to building strong lean muscle is to have good form. You need to have a good posture, use the right squatting technique, and use your core and legs correctly. A machine can make you lazy, which can result in injury. Start by doing free weights and learn to squat correctly right from the start. Once you master this technique and have excellent form, maybe then move onto the machine if you feel it will be of benefit. Lastly, the Smith machine will only make your thighs bulk up if you start lifting heavy weights.
Cardio typically depletes your glycogen stores, which your body uses for energy, far quicker than weights will. So, I recommend doing a light warm-up, then do your weight training, followed by your cardio. This will help you to build lean muscle, will enable you to do your weight training without feeling overly fatigued and you’ll also be able to maintain good form. You’ll also discover that you’ll burn fat faster.
Hi I have a few questions: first one is that I do a lot of hiit/cardio training but I can’t get rid of that last bit of hanging belly fat and flabby arms (I’ve lost 3stone In weight). Also my thighs are my biggest insecurity my quads are very bulky and stocky and I have fat on my inner and outer thigh I’ve tired runnig on the treadmill for an hour 3*a week at speed 8 or doing interval runs on the treadmill but they still look the same.should I just give up and accept the fact my thighs will never Be skinny and lean😩
Hi Anne. Try doing exercises that specifically target your belly and arms. Three excellent ones are planks and tricep dips, and push-ups. To slim down your legs and to tone up your inner and outer thighs do yoga and/ or pilates. Swimming is also an excellent way to really get those thighs working. Lastly, if you drink, then watch your alcohol consumption. Sticking to two standard drinks a day will really help you shift that belly fat.
Hi Tricia
I hear what you’re saying and I will certainly give the other stuff a go. After all variety is the spice of life !
Interval training is an excellent way to mix-up your workouts too Martina 🙂
Hi I’ve been training now for just under a year having previously had a sedentary lifestyle I naturally have big thighs I’m female late 40’s but this last month my legs have grown ! I’m solid calfs too.
I spin 5 times a week and endurance train twice a week. Having researched I’m going to cut back on the resistance weights and spin faster but will my thighs ever trim down just a little if so how long will it take ? None of my clothes now fit !!!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Some people say stop exercising for a while whilst they trim down and loose muscle tone then re start training. What are your thoughts please ?
Thanks in advance
Hi Martina. One of the best ways to reduce thigh muscle is mix-up your training routine. See us humans are creatures of habit, so we tend to like doing the same routine daily. If you’re finding that your thigh muscles are getting bigger, then it’s time to look at doing some other forms of exercise. Try doing yoga and maybe throw in swimming, a dance class or walking. Exercise programs such as Zumba really give you a solid workout and use your muscle groups differently. At the moment you’re working the same muscle groups and you’re giving them the same types of exercises to do. This is why they are building, instead of slimming down.
I just got a treadmill a couple weeks ago and I love it but I’m trying to slim down my legs and lose inches do far I’m losing inches around my thighs but my calves are starting to feel sore and they are not going down. I want to slim down not build muscle and my muscle mass has increased since I started the treadmill. I at least try to get on it for at least an hour a day some days I just walk and others I start off walking then switch to running and back to walking. I was doing a 1% incline and top speed I’ve gone up to is 7 but usually I try to stay around 5. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Maxine. Do more stretching based exercises and use your own body weight as resistance. Yoga and Pilates are great. Also try doing different types of exercises, don’t do the same everyday. Two fabulous exercise to reduce calf and thigh mass are sumo squats and calf raises.
Hi I use to lift weights and at one point I had lean legs but I have noticed ever since I stopped lifting my thighs have gotten bigger. Any advise on how to get them to slim back down???
Hi Jennifer. If you’ve stopped doing weights, but want to keep your legs slim, then do resistance training that uses your body weight or a band. These forms of exercises will keep your muscles toned and in use so that they regain their shape. In addition, eat plenty of good fats and protein, less carbs, and drink lots of water. Balanced is the key. Your body was used to doing one form of exercise, now this has changed you need to find another form of exercise that will enable you to keep your body in balance.
I am a size 42 and 41 years old with very muscular unattractive legs. I’ve just joined gym for weight loss but worried that I’m gonna gain more muscle on my legs and I don’t like them at all. Please help
Hi Dudu. What exercises are you looking to do at the gym? I’d recommend joining a resistance class (band work), and doing Yoga and Pilates (stretching based exercises). If you’re doing any weight work then stick to light weights and do high reps. This will help you lean your legs. Also look at what you’re eating (less carbs) and drink more water.
I face a big problem recently. I eat clean and exercise regularly. I never let myself hungry. But I get hungry very fast. I am hungry after an hour of taking meals. I eat 5 times a day. So I eat a lot of snack such as oatmeal, cornflake and whole wheat biscuits. So, what’s wrong on me?
Hi Jiaxuanlee,
If you’re concerned about your health, then I always recommend visiting your doctor or a health clinic for a check-up. Being hungry all the time can be an indication of a number of things, the most common being:
Dehydration – make sure you drink at least 8-cups of water a day. My doctor tells me to drink at least 2-litres of water daily.
Not sleeping well – if you’re a restless sleeper this can affect hunger. Maybe try drinking a cup of Chamomile tea or using a herbal remedy to help you sleep better.
Eating too many starchy carbs – sometimes it’s not the fact we eat regularly, but more what we eat. Read the labels on any foods you’re consuming. If they’re high in carbs, then switch to a brand that is lower.
Too much stress – try and reduce your stress levels by taking timeout of your daily routine for you. ‘Me time’ helps to recharge your battery and allows you to relax.
Consuming too much alcohol – it is recommended that we don’t drink more than 2-glasses of alcohol daily, and that we have 2-days a week alcohol-free. If you’re drinking more than this, then try to reduce your alcohol intake.
Not eating enough protein – look critically at what you’re eating. If you’re not consuming enough protein daily, then start eating more. Meats, nuts, Quinoa, green peas, seafood, and low-sugar/ carb protein shakes are all good sources of protein.
Not eating enough ‘good’ fats – many people think any fat in their foods is bad. This is a myth. You body needs fat to function well. Good fats are polyunsaturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated, and Omega-3 fatty acids. These can be found in nuts, fish, seafood, vegetables, and vegetable oils.
Eating processed foods – any foods that come from a packet are processed. These foods often are not nutrition dense, because they’re manufactured and often lose much of their goodness. So if you’re eating lots of packet foods, consider eating more fresh foods or those that come from a farmer’s market.
Eating fast – when we eat too quickly our brain doesn’t register that we’ve eaten. Eating your food slower may help.
High metabolic rate – when we exercise more frequently our body wants more fuel (food). This is because we’re burning more calories. Snacking or grazing on food throughout the day is not unhealthy providing that you eat healthy foods. Try eating fruit, nuts and veggies, as a snack if you’re hungry.
Medications – if you’re taking medication for an illness, then sometimes this may be making you hungry.
Work your way through this list and change one thing at a time. You should eventually find a solution to your hunger problem.
I Wish to have thigh and calves like models, thin with little muscle. I am 15 years old, 157cm, 45kg. My thigh and calves ware thin. But they became big and ugly after playing basketball. I ate a lot at that time. Now, I control my diet and exercise 6 times per week to slim down. My thighs and calves are thinner than that time but still fat. So if I keep playing basketball will my leg become bigger?Basketball burns calories but I do not like muscular leg.
Hi 🙂 The key to slimming those legs is to do another form of exercise in combination with your basketball. Just think of your body as a machine. If you make it do the same work (exercises) all the time then it over develops the muscles that it is continually using. This helps your body (the machine) work more efficiently. So if you want to change your body shape, then get your body to do another form of exercise. Yoga, Pilates and stretching exercises, along with resistance training (band work) really help to lengthen muscle and maintain strong form and tone. If you add these types of exercise to your routine you’ll end up with those model thighs and calves that you crave.
Really thanks for replying:)So,should I do strength training?
Pleasure 🙂 Yes, but make sure you use light weights and do higher reps.
Thanks a lot:)you are so sweet
What exercise did you do to slim down your muscle on your legs?
Hi Maddison,
InShape will release an eBook on slimming down leg muscles in the near future. So, you’ll be able to go through the book and find a solution, or a number of them, to slim and shape your legs.
In the meantime, consider swimming, bike riding and yoga. You may also like to try dance routine workouts. These are great for shaping legs. I do a combination of exercises – I love Julian Michaels and Pandora workouts, and I also swim, bike ride and do weight training routines to slim and shape my legs.
The key when exercising is to not do the same workout over and over day-in-and-day-out. Why? Well, our body is a machine so it adapts itself to cope with repetition. Just think sprinters – they have really large thighs due to the body adapting. So, by mixing up your routine, the body is continually left guessing and it doesn’t overdevelop one area.
hello can please get a yoga and Pilate’s video I download
Hi Faith. There are a number of excellent videos on YouTube. The following are great pilates and yoga workouts for slimming your thighs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gugu8jehy7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WZm7rzljvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2FiOnSM7V8
Give these a try 🙂
Hello,I’m 20,turning 21 this May, my problem is I have small thigh but big calves. I have been doing treadmill,running and sit-ups but my calves won’t get smaller.
Hi Pecaq. Try doing calf raising exercises and stretches. This will lengthen your calf muscles and reduce their bulkiness over time.
Also to my comment, I’m not flexible….
Doing yoga and pilates will improve your flexibility.
hello, my name is Ka Si. I can’t say I have bulky thighs, fat thighs, or thin thighs. I’m kind of in the middle, but more to the fat side. I am not sure if I’m bulky that much. I’m a 13 year-old girl and 5’1.5 at 110 ish pounds. I really wish I can have thinner legs(butt too). I can’t do aquatic workouts and idk if I can do yoga or anything….but if I must, I would probably take some thought into it…and also, I worked out a few times here and there, like squats lunges and running and also jumproping, but nothing seemed to happen. Idk if it was because I didn’t do enough or what….please help me. I’m very desperate for thin/lean legs! ;-;
Hi Ka Si. At the age of 13 you’re still developing, so if you find that you have larger thighs than you like you may find that these thin out as you mature. Yoga and pilates are two of the best ways to develop long, lean muscle and at your age these are also good ways to exercise as you develop. Plus, yoga and pilates will improve your flexibility. The key to getting long, lean muscle is to do a little bit of exercise every day over a long duration. Doing exercise a few times here or there won’t allow you to see any improvement. Your body is a machine; it needs to do exercise repeatedly before you’ll see any improvement. I also recommend eating foods that are high in nutritional value, nutrients and protein. If you get into a daily habit of doing light exercise and eating well now, by the time you get older you’ll have the figure that you’re hoping to achieve.
I’m an athlete in long distance running.. I’ve a muscular thigh and i hate that bcs it looks ugly when i wear skinny jeans.. im also cant do yoga such as spread my legs bcs i injured my tendon.. so how can i slim down my muscular thigh except do yoga or pilate?
Hi Natalia. To change the size of your leg muscles and to slim down your thighs, with a tendon injury, try doing aquatic exercises. Swimming or aqua aerobics and doing strengthening exercises will enable you to work your muscles without putting weight on your tendon.
I need help, why is my comment not coming in?
Hi Ka Si. All comments are moderated on this site, so sometimes it will take a day or two for them to be approved.
hey do you know any medicine that can help reduce muscles please.and can scating contribute to muscle building?
Hi Faith. You may want to ask your doctor or health therapist if they know of a herbal treatment that could help you.
Foam rolling and a low protein diet can reduce muscle mass.
hey am a Kenyan with very bad athletic legs.I hate them and I hate myself too. what can I do? I don’t mind even a surgery
Hi Faith. Try doing yoga and pilates daily. This will help you to reduce your muscle and allow you to start building long-lean leg muscle.
Thankyou Tricia,do you know any medicine that can catalise the process please .
Hi Faith. You may want to ask your doctor or a chemist about any medical treatments.
Hey there… my thighs are so-so bulky… mostly muscular.. but with less muscle. I look at my thighs as to be more meaty because the really jiggle when i run. ITS SO ANNOYING. I cant really tell if its fat, or just soft-unused muscles.I hardly run. Mostly work on my upper torso. I also have this 0-distance between my upper thighs and its horrible. Pls hlp!
Hi. Try doing yoga and pilates, along with resistance exercises with a band. These exercises allow you to build long-lean muscle and help you to reduce bulk. The key is to do exercises that are different to what you are doing now. This includes no exercise, if you’re doing lots of exercise 🙂 Have a rest, then get back into it. This does wonders for your body.
Lol
I relate to Karen’s feeling, and just want to say thanks to this site for collecting advice from multiple sources! This is encouraging because the first advice I followed didn’t work for me (I increased endurance training and then my thighs became rock solid but too large for the rest of my structure!)… It’s good to know that some other methods might work better for me.
Every body is different! 🙂
HI so why VSX models especially Adrianna lima deosnt have bulky legs and arms despite of her hard training I was trying to do her workout and know I regret my arms become bulky due to the boxing and my legs also due to the jumping roap yet I respected the sets I WAS PRACTICING HER WORKOUT FOR JUST 3 months and before that my legs were the most beautiful part of my body they were very feminine and so sexy and each time I see my before pics I want to cry
I REALLY HATE JUMPING ROAP FROM NOW
PLEASE HELP ME and thanks
Most models use cross-training methods where they do different types of training for various areas of their body, rather than focusing on just one type. This allows them to build long-lean muscle.
I have a big insecurity with my legs. I found that over time as I continued to run, my clave muscles bulked up a lot as well as muscle in my thighs. How can I rid this muscle (in both my thighs and my calves) without building anymore muscle or bulking up? I hate lifting weight also.. If I already have muscly legs, won’t long distance running just continue to bulk them up? Or will my legs become slimmer in time? Thanks
Hi Amanda. Continuing to run long distance will continue to develop your muscles, as your muscles are responding to the load that you’re putting them under. So no, they won’t slim down over time. To slim down your muscles, try adding yoga or pilates to your training. Doing yoga or pilates 3 times a week for at least an hour will stretch out your bulky muscles over time and will help you to develop long-lean muscle.
Thank you! Because I love running will continuing to run long distance prevent the muscles from slimming down alongside the yoga/pilates?
No continuing to run won’t prevent yoga/ pilates exercises from slimming down your muscles. It just may take a little longer for you to see results. If you want to see results faster then try to fit more yoga/ pilates into your week.
Hi there, I too have the same issue with muscular thighs. I will be trying the tips you have provided. I do a lot of HIIT via Christine Salus and Melissa Bender and some boxing workouts. I’m not sure if mine are just genetics. I’m 62kg and I’m also finding it tough to shred the final layers of belly fat. I eat a very clean green diet and I feel frustrated that I train so much and I’m still not at the point I would like to be at. If you have any suggestions on new workouts that will help with these issues I would love to hear! Thanks
Hi Hailey. That last layer of belly fat can be difficult to shed. I know, mine refused to budge for quite sometime. I find that a combination of weights (dumbbells upper body) exercises, such as arm raises and tricep kickbacks combined with lower body workouts, such as lunges and squats, bike riding (at least 20km per day/ 6 days a week) and yoga 2 to 3 times a week does the trick. Yoga is brilliant for building long, lean muscle and reducing muscle bulk 🙂
wow this is a true health and fitness site. Thanks man
You’re welcome 🙂
I was born with muscular legs and I always feel out of place whenever I am outside my home.please I need a quick solution.. Thanks
Hi Rita. Yoga is an excellent way to lengthen muscle and decrease muscle bulk as it enables you to develop long, lean legs. Try doing yoga at least a few times a week as this stretches your muscles and improves flexibility.
Please i want an advice i have muscles on my legs i need your advice
Yoga is a fabulous way to reduce bulky muscles and to create long, lean muscle. Try Ashtanga yoga this is one of my favourites as it gives you a good cardiovascular workout and you can feel it working on your arms, abs, thighs and buttock 🙂
I had the same issue..as a personal trainer, I lifted a lot of heavy weights and my legs became very bulky. After awhile, I started feeling insecure about my legs and wanted to slim them down. I had never been a runner so I started there instead of using the Stairmaster or taking Spin class. But I don’t do inclines and my intervals are very gradual, I jog steadliy at 6.5mph then every minute go up 1/10 to 7.4 then back down. But the thing that has made the biggest difference is PILATES. I can’t say enough great things about it. I just started out by taking videos in my living room (blogilates is awesome) and hot yoga a few nights a week. My legs are significantly slimmer now!
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Slimming down my legs has been a battle. I so wanted good looking thighs, but never seemed to really achieve good results. I have been following your words of wisdom and I am noticing changes. Things are beginning to happen. I am truely impressed. Thank you to you all for your advice. You are life savers.
You’re welcome Kelly 🙂
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Wow, marvelous news site structure! Excellent content. I just wanted to give you the heads up about cellulite and how to get your legs looking even better this summer. Have a great day and thanks. I love this site 🙂
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Ab exercises do not melt away belly fat. They work your ab muscles but they do not assist to burn stomach weight. What does is a proper diet plan and doing the right workouts. Compound workouts like squats and deadlifts are really effective for burning stomach weight since they work most of your entire body muscles and melt away overall entire body weight.
Walking is excellent for sexy legs. Do some exercise, alter the way you consume and have some patience. You will notice great outcomes right after a much shorter time period of time than you ever expected. You will get sexy legs and might be proud of them.
Start doing compound workouts. Mix up your movements by doing a lot more workouts that will truly melt away fat all more than particularly close to your stomach. Compound exercises like squats, chest presses, and chin ups are really efficient for burning up the stomach fat even though they do not target your ab muscles directly.
By understanding that our bodies are created up of bone, muscle, weight layers and skin, we are going to be better designed to produce works of art out of our body. The best way to start off the exercise program is by making certain that the mindset is right. A mindset that is complete of optimism and passion for weightlifting and the nutrition that’s feeding the entire body is really an excellent start.
Great site man. Truly great.
Your workout ought to not just be centered on doing leg exercises. You need to also be doing compound exercises like squats as these are very effective for building muscle.
If you are looking for sexy legs, do not drink protein powders. I have heard that these store bought ones contain nasties in them that can be harmful. A research study in Canada found that a number of protein prowders contained cancer producing substances. Just make sure you know the facts before you put anything into your body.
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If you are skinny then you sohould still do ab exercises, because they will become bigger and that will get you that abs showing look.
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