Weights for easily bulked legs

[taterkc]

Cathe or anyone
I have a tendency to gain muscle very easily in my thighs and butt. Should I still try to go as heavy as I can to push myself during lower body weight training or should I just use moderate weights? I feel like I'm cheating myself a bit when I know I can go heavier but I just hate when my pants get tight in the legs due to bulk. Do I still get lower body benefits and slimming from staying a little lighter? Thanks!

 

[JodelleFitzh20]

Take a look at Cathe's legs and you'll see that heavy weights make for some nice gams! But if that look is just not for you or you tend to bulk up more than what feels comfortable, then aim for lighter weights with higher reps. Also try plyometrics which when done in a high intensity interval way will help create lean muscular legs by burning calories from the explosive movements and maitaining lean strong muscle mass throughout the legs.
Cycling is a great way to create lean shapely legs without bulk as well. Make sure you are getting proper cardio to shed the fat around that muscle you are trying to build and of course, eat clean, because no matter how hard you train, you can't out-train a bad diet!

 

[L Sass]

You know for YEARS I always said that my legs bulked up when I went heavy. I tried the freestyle approach with tons of lunges in a thousand directions, bunches of squats with no weights, barre work, etc. And while they may not have been "bulky" they certainly were no leaner, and I still carried a lot of fat/cellulite. So I resigned myself to thinking I shouldn't use heavy weights because my legs bulked.

Then, I found a trainer and my life, and my legs, changed unbelievably! Now yes, a LOT of it is cleaning up the diet. BUT, she didn't think I was going nearly heavy enough. Genetically my legs ARE shorter and thicker. They'll never be the long lean limbs of say a dancer. But through incorporating heavy, free weights and killing my legs only once a week, I've seen results I never imagined. It's taken a long time - like 2 years. And I may never be really "happy" with them, but I'll always keep working this way and slowly over time continue to see changes that I love, and all by going way heavier than I ever thought I should or could. Good luck in finding what works for your body - I often think that's the hardest part.