Avoiding too much lower body work in order to shrink legs?

Candiceena

Candiceena

Cathlete
Hi girls,

Just wanted to get some opinions.

Rusty Moore (he runs a blog called Fitness Black Book - the purpose is to support people in their quest for a "lean hollywood look") has a PDF guide out dedicated to workouts for women - it fouses on strength and cardio, and also touches a little on what/how to eat.

He advocates that women who are unhappy w/ their lower bodies should either skip doing leg work, or just do it once a week, max. By leg work, I mean any kind of weights that involve the leg muscles.

I have very muscular legs, naturally. When I workout, I lose fat quickly in my stomach/waist area, but Ive never had much luck w/ my thighs/butt getting smaller and slimmer.

It almost kind of makes sense to me to avoid specifically working my legs - I feel like just from doing the step and other cardio workouts during the week, they are getting enough work.

Does anyone have any input? My goal basically is not to have stick skinny legs, but I do not want them to look 'Bulky'...I want to look at my legs and see definition, tone, and know that I work out...but I do not want to have the legs of a fitness competitor...that is just not something I aspire to. If I had to think of the ideal leg-look for me, it would be Carrie Underwood's legs (If you google search Carrie Underwood legs workout or something you can see what I mean).

Now, I am not afraid of lighting weights by any means. A few years back when I was working out w/ The FIRM, I lifted weights (I only got up to about 10#s though). After spending about 2 weeks with lagging motivation, I made that post on here about getting motivated and you guys all really got me pumped up again, so I want to continue to hit it hard and get some really good results. I just do not want to be doing work that is counter-intuitive to my personal body goals.

Any input on skipping leg work in order to slim down the legs/buttocks? I do, in general, want to shrink the actual size of my legs/butt. I'm a size 12 now. I'm not sure what size I necessarily aspire to be, but I definitely want to have smaller legs/butt. I also tend to store fat in that area the most, so I know I need to increase the strictness of my diet too...

Advice, ladies? TIA :)
 
Did he say the rational behind his recommendation? I tend to store fat evenly over my body, so I'm not sure how avoiding leg work would help me personally. I actually have to ADD leg work as I slim down. If I don't, I loose fat off my behind and it looks flat and sad. I have to build up the muscle in my glutes/hamstrings/quads/calves so my body has some type of curves(in the form of shapely legs) as I thin out. But again, that's my body type. Other body types might have a different opinion.
 
Hi Candiceena,

I will preface this by saying that everyone is different, and different body types react differently.

I need to lift heavy, especially for my lower body. Any time I've stopped or lightened up for a couple of months, my legs and butt get fat, and I get pear-shaped (bigger on the lower body than the upper body). When I am disciplined and keeping up with heavy lower body weights 1-2 times per week, I become leaner and tighter. I am 51 and have been lifting heavy for over 30 years and this still holds true for me. Some examples from the recent past: I was very fit in 2010, and I wore a size 6-8. At my least fit (this has occurred several times in my life but the last time was in 2011 when both my parents had cancer and all my good habits for both exercise and eating went out the window) I was about a 12. Right now I am in an OK place, getting 5 workouts in per week but not doing that 2nd lower body workout as often as I should, and I am an 8-10.

Stebby
 
You say you are currently a size 12. This means, necessarily, that you have more than just muscle tissue in your lower body composition. To lose that, cardio alone will not be enough.

I do not advise you to stop using weights. Train your lower body as heavily as you can. Ditto the upper body. Fire up that metabolism with metabolic workouts, circuits, HiiT, plyo and a mix of cardio routines, and weight training for the whole body, and the fat will come off all over.

Running has always given me my leanest legs ever. However, genetically I am lucky because I can have that lean, long legged, pilates body type that you seem to desire (judging from your chosen website). However, this may be pie-in-the-sky for you. Lusting after a body type that is not genetically possible for you, working towards that unrealistic goal and then not seeing those exact results duplicated on your body would also help explain why you lose motivation sometimes.

Weight training will help build muscle tissue in the whole body and help burn calories to lean the body overall, including in the butt and thighs. Spot training does not work and pilates-type workouts alone can only do so much. These workouts involve micro movements that do not burn a whole ton of calories and fat from the body. They can help strengthen smaller muscles in particular, stabilizer muscles, particularly in the core, which helps you to lift heavier in the end.

Getting your ideal body, not necessarily Carrie Underwood's legs because that may not be possible for you genetically (and I don't know this for sure) will involve an arsenal of different approaches: different types of cardio, different intensities, weight training, and a healthy diet that trims down the junk calories.

I wouldn't avoid weights. Go back to posts by Cathe on the value of the STS program read up on some success stories by people who have used STS and see what it could do for you. It may never give you Carrie Underwood's legs (most people don't have these!, plus she's a very young woman, bear that in mind if you are no longer in your twenties), but it could help you get closer to realistic goals for you of a better, healthier, fitter-feeling you.

Remember also, how you feel in your body is even more important than how you look (say, 60/40): weight training will help you feel more powerful and the power you build in your lower body will promote greater fitness gains as you jump higher, leap further, go for longer and maybe even start running or walking further? Never underestimate the value of walking......

Switch it up, keep it varied, keep moving, keep it as fun as possible and start taking note of how much better you start feeling. Good luck.

Clare
 
Greetings,
I am not a pear shape per se, as I tend to be proportional all over, but I do also tend to have a stockier shape, more than a long, lean shape. I have been trying to improve the condition of my lower half for the last year and half or so, and what has worked well for me is more weight when working lower body (not less), and working my legs at least twice a week...as others here have said. When I don't focus on them, they don't get leaner. When I do focus on working my lower body, I get leaner, and I've been able to get rid of my saddlebags, which I thought was impossible. What has worked for me from Cathe's library was the LIS series (I leaned out a lot doing this rotation) and STS. I also do a decent amount of HiiT and the cardio leg workouts from STS were a big help for me. Plyo helps lean out my legs considerably. I'm now doing Tonique, which is also helping.

I should note that when I lift heavy on my upper body I can get bigger there, so I'm not a person that experiences heavy lifting as making them smaller all over. It mostly applies to my lower half, for some reason.

My goal has been to have leaner legs with more definition, which it sounds like you would like to achieve too. What I've described above is getting me closer to that than ever, but I also eat really clean most of the time, don't eat a lot of white carbs and processed foods, and drink a lot of water. I eat a lot of lean proteins, beans and vegetables, some dairy and I have to do all of those things (consistently) to get results, not just some of those things.

I have gone from a size 12-14 to a size 6 in casual pants and an 8-10 in work pants, depending on the cut. I am curvy still, but leaner all over, and I did it by making the changes/following the regimen described above. I have been maintaining my weight loss for about 5 years, but fine tuning my physique has been a project for the last two or so.

I hope that helps!
Eva
 
Toni - his rationale was that even though women do not "Bulk up" in the way that men can, he says that women's legs CAN get muscular, and often times, more muscular than they want them to be.

Stebby - thanks for your feedback :) It is helpful to hear of others who have had successes w/ lifting heavy because I actually do like doing a lot of deadlift and squat exercises...so perhaps I will continue to keep w/ it.

Clare - Your post was really helpful actually so thank you for taking the time to respond. A little bit of background - I would def say I'm half pear, half hourglass. Like I mentioned, I lose weight in my stomach/waist VERY quickly which makes it easier to pull off looking thinner in clothing, but when I look in the mirror, I still know that I have a long way to go. Some other descriptions of the leg-look that I like would be say, a volleyball player - I guess i'm looking for about 1-2 notches down from a gymnast or ballerina. The "pilates" look that you described is kind of what I want, perhaps a tad bit more muscular, but overall, not too muscular looking. I am definitley going to do some research on the STS... and read the posts by Cathe and also the people on here who have completed it.

Eva - thanks ot you too for writing me back! :) I have the LIS series...I'm going thru the beginner rotation now but I'm starting to think I might need more of a challenge...maybe? You're not the first person I've seen mention that they have leaned out from the LIS (esp lower body) so I think after I complete the beginner rotation, I'm gonna do the LIS rotation.

Girls thanks so much for this feedback. It's good to hear these things.
 
Here's another vote for the LIS rotation! I have a spin bike, so added that in and also at least 1 day of yoga. That combo yielded my best results.

Good luck in finding what works best for you!

Lisa
 
I definitely DON'T agree with Rusty Moore! Total rubbish IMO :rolleyes:.

Take me for example: I'm your typical pear-shape in every way. I have a big booty, saddle bags, full thighs. I got the whole package, baby ;). I can tell you from my own personal experience that lifting heavy for my LB has done wonders for my body-type. I'm still a pear, but a noticeably smaller pear. All my "problem area's" (which I now view as not even problematic -- just where my body likes to store body fat :D) are slowly diminishing, with the help of lifting heavy for my entire body. I also try to eat clean about 80% of the time, which to me is the most important part of the equation. All in all, I don't avoid any type of LB weight work! High reps w/low weight, plyo, moderate-heavy weights, barre, floor work, anything and everything that will challenge my muscles. It's ALL GOOD :eek:;).

Please don't set limitations on yourself. Listening to one guys take on how women should be training, is doing just that. You have to initially find out what works for YOU, be consistent, stick with it for the long-term. If I listened to all the naysayers out there there telling me to avoid lifting heavy for my LB, I would not be where I am today! I have lost several pant sizes and inches, but most importantly I have gained confidence and strength.

Good luck & take care,

Natasha
 
I'm another fan of the LIS. In fact, I think Athletic Training, Afterburn, Slide/Glide, Cardio Supersets are among my favorite Cathe workouts. I am also someone who has struggled with getting a leaner lower body (well, and leaner upper body, too) and like some others here, lifting heavier and doing squats and lunges has actually helped to give me a much leaner lower body than cardio ever did.

However, the other key factor that has helped me greatly is just mixing things up. I'm not sure if I can point to any particular workout that has been the cause, but doing different types of workouts has been very effective. I do traditional weight workouts (STS, High Reps), but I also do body weight (like Ilaria's Atletica 4) workouts, and I do Horizontal Conditioning and barre workouts. I know Tracy Anderson can say some kooky things, but her TA Mat workout has also given me results.

I was one who thought that my stocky look meant that I had to do more cardio and avoid heavy weights when the opposite has been true. So, when I do STS Total Body now, I go heavier. Tonique workouts like Premier and Born to Move have loads of squats and lunges, which I would have thought would be a big no-no for me. Instead, my legs and butt are much smaller and I'm fitting into pants I've had for 20 years (yes, I have some casual pants that are 20 years old). I'm not bulky, but I'm leaner and have just the right amount of muscle definition. And I have to say that barre workouts have worked wonders for me. Cathe's Turbobarre is a very good one. I've built up a pretty large collection of barre workouts that don't emphasize the quads too much and I try to do one every week in addition to a traditional weight workout. As for my upper body, mixing in lower weight, high reps like in TA Mat and Tonique have given me the leaner look that I have been seeking for years. I still do traditional heavy workouts for my upper body, but I've found that I have to mix in lighter weight/high reps to get the look I want.

Also mix up your cardio. Maybe don't do step every week, maybe take a couple of weeks off and add in other cardio to mix things up. Mix up your strength workouts. Instead of just dumbbells, do body weight workouts (planks, pushups), add in barre workouts. Instead of just lower reps, high weights, do some lower weight/high rep works.

I guess this is a very long-winded way of saying don't give up on the weight training yet. Maybe you have to go heavier on occasion. All that said, I would also add that diet is a huge component also. All the different exercises I do are worthless if my eating habits slip, not just in terms of portion size, but also the types of food I eat.

Hope this helps.
 
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Ditto to all the advice here! I am not afraid at all of heavy weights. By doing all the things these ladies have mentioned I was able to reshape my short thick legs into nice shapely legs. Just last week a coworker mentioned she never thought a person could change the shape of their figure to the extent I have. Can't say how happy that made me feel knowing all my hard work is certainly paying off!
 
I just wanted add my experience. I restarted my Cathe workouts about 6-7 weeks ago after not exercising for 2 years. I am now on week 3 of the XTrain/LIS rotation and lovin it!!!. I feel amazing and tighter and stronger. My waist is getting smaller, however my legs are not. If anything they feel a little bigger. I *know* that they will get smaller in time so I'm not worried. They are getting stronger, building muscle, and eventually the fat *will* burn off. The cleaner the eating the faster it will happen. I need to lose 1-2 pant sizes to get into my summer bottoms from last year (my smallest size in many, many years)!

So if this happens to you - your legs feeling bulkier as you get stronger - don't get discouraged! Just keep going and great things will happen. :D
 
I love the topics you bring up!

I totally agree with the advice given here by our seasoned Catheletes. Personally, I am thicker on my bottom half but no one can tell because Of my broad shoulders. I have a terrible time shopping for pants that fit me in the hips and isn't too big in the waist. Once I find shirts that fit my shoulders they look like I'm wearing a tent bc they are so baggy in the waist! Ok nough complaining.
I wanted to add that maybe Butts & Guts might be a good shock to your lower body. When i want to slim my lower body fast this is my go to workout! She only uses a 35# barbell and light hand weights. That might help you build up the strength for the heavier workouts where she is lifting 40+. As a beginner that can be tough to lift over your head and hard and the lower back and shoulders just holding it in place. It's perfectly ok to start with no weight and work up with dumb bells.
I got the most compliments when I did B&G. I noticed dramatic results in just a few weeks. But I was lifting what Cathe was.
Graduating to the heavier workouts takes time. Do NOT go as heavy as Cathe does for the lower body workouts until you are completing the reps and feel you need more of a challenge. You may not feel it right away but 4 days of doms may give you a dread factor and a serious injury. I injured my right hamstring when I first started with Cathe. I learned the hard the way to ease into her workouts.
I also saw nice overall results with LIS. That is my go to series when I want to see everything slim down. I'm doing a low impact rotation now with some Xtrain thrown in. Loving it! Feeling great and my jeans are getting loose.

You'll figure out what your body responds to the best over time. Just stick with a plan for 4 weeks, evaluate your results and then switch it up as needed. I plan every rotation I do and I set little goals each month. I use to keep a workout journal. That really kept me focused when I first started working out.
 
What has worked for me

I utterly disagree with Rusty moore about skipping and/or working out legs once per week. I am size 10-12 UK size, 5 foot 7. I have been maintaining/slimming down for last six years. Actually even now my work trousers are too loose and I feel I need for change my wardrobe! I have completed my first STS round and I have added a four weeks pyramid rotation reversing. I have lost about 11 pounds being on STS. i am an hourglass with curvy hip.

Shopping for a pair of jean is not something i enjoy doing. It is stressful. I have learnt to embrace my curvy hip and chunky thighs. My thigh, just to give an idea, have similar shape to Nicole Wilkins when she is really pumped. I am nowhere near as firm though:p:p In overall I am pretty Mesomorph.

Now let get to what has worked for me. Hiit has helped me lean out my legs. To my surprise it has trimmed my abs and I was not aiming to. Plyometrics and Heavy weight have worked wonder. I can confidently state I have no saddle bags. I do mix up workout. I mainly aim for a balanced rotation i.e I want to workout endurance, hypertrophy and strength. I have learnt to love my cardio and love them intense and brutal. Short burst Hiit is my preference and has proven to work to gain definition. During STS i have worked both upper and lower 2x per week. I have gained more definition on my upper than lower. My shoulder have gained so much definition that it's motivating me to gain more. I am actually amazed. For me combination of cardio (smartly selected) and heavy weight. At the moment I am enjoying squat Rack once per week on top of other program. I can not describe the DOMS. I also need to sneak in Barre workouts to work smaller leg muscles.

I have come to the conclusion my lower body muscles need hitting really hard!

As everyone above stated, a balanced workout regimen is the key. The body need a shock mixing various workout. Nutrition is super important. This has proven to have helped me a lot. To conclude I am going to aim to work 2x upper and lower at least for a while mixing cardio, weight both heavy and light and metabolics workouts. I can not afford working out my lower body at all. Long steady pace cardio have worked against my glutes. I need to keep( and possibly develop :D:D:D ) a firm defined glute to counter balance my chunky thigh! I limit steady pace cardio to once per week (maximum an hour no extreme over an hour for me!) I learnt this the hard way ending up loosing to much on my bottom!:mad::mad::mad:

All the best everyone. I like this thread;)
 
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What they all said! :p Honestly, I firmly believe that for the majority of women what that guy is saying is absolutely wrong. I am also a pear lady and the heavy weights and just generally working my legs a lot is what I finally discovered I needed. I listened to the naysayers for waaay too long only to run into the incredibly frustrating fact that avoiding heavy weights and only depending on cardio and step aerobics was a fast train to nowhere for me. I had saddlebags my whole life until I discovered Cathe's lower body dvds. Now I go out of my way to collect anything and everything she puts out when it comes to lower body. Seriously, she's like my freaking lower body fairy godmother!! :eek:

Like others, I have to work my legs a minimum of twice a week, with at least one of those days being a heavy weights day. The LIS series is definitely lower body intensive and many of those, especially Afterburn, I'd consider a cardio/leg day. The Plyo legs workouts from STS and Cardio Leg Blast are also a great second leg day for me. I do like to cross train and have recently added Tonique's Born to Move every other week and my beloved Horizontal Conditioning also has some great unweighted leg work, too.

Hiit cardio made all the difference for me with blasting the fat stores in my butt and thighs. In fact, lately I've been doing a short Hiit cardio before all my leg workouts (quite often a premix from Crossfire...the firewalker tabata hits the outer thighs and glute medius, too). Hiit and diet (getting rid of junk carb calories) make all the difference in reducing the size of my legs.

ETA: Oh, I forgot to add when I was doing cardio only and not specifically working my lower body the smallest I could ever fit into was a size 8 and still had those dang saddlebags. I'm now in a 6 and lately I've had to buy 4's now since my 6's are getting looser and looser on me these days. :)
 
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Girls, thank you all so much for your feedback! First off, you have all really helped me pump up the motivation to a whole new level! I'm STOKED!! :)

WOOHOO!!

I will definitely give the weights some more tries before giving up on them!

I do have one question though - a recurring theme in this thread is that nutrition needs to be good in order to see really amazing results. What do you ladies do in order to keep your nutrition in check? I grew up in a family that ate (and still eats) the SAD. I have tried to wein myself off of junk food/processed food but I find it tough. I don't really eat fast food, but Cherry coke is a weakness of mine, and so are frozen foods (frozen ravioli, frozen lunches b/c they are easy...frozen pizza rolls & burritos for dinner because they taste good and are easy)...

I have also noticed that the crappier I eat (IE: last week I ate a big breakfast burrito in the AM - sugar'ed up coffee - pizza for lunch, energry drink w/ HFCS in the afternoon...and then tried to work out at night when I got home. HA! joke was on me.

So any tips on staying on top of nutrition? Or more like, changing your mindset about nutrition? I actually read a ton of nutrition books and am really interested in it...it just is hard for me to adhere to the right principles.
 
Candiceena said:
So any tips on staying on top of nutrition? Or more like, changing your mindset about nutrition? I actually read a ton of nutrition books and am really interested in it...it just is hard for me to adhere to the right principles.
Click to expand...

Pick one thing you want to change about your diet and do that until it's a habit. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Read the labels on the food you're eating, the ingredients section. So many of those ingredients lengthen shelf life, they have to be just awful for a human body to contend with. I think you'll find yourself naturally wanting to limit those items when you have a good awareness of them.

One phrase that really helped me change my beverage choice was "you wouldn't water a houseplant with soda pop would you?"

Good luck in your healthy journey :)
 
suethepooh said:
So many of those ingredients lengthen shelf life, they have to be just awful for a human body to contend with. I think you'll find yourself naturally wanting to limit those items when you have a good awareness of them.
Click to expand...

THIS.

This is a great idea...thank you Sue. I realized I have actually begun to implement it a little bit too. I loved the taste of Coffee Mate dry creamer in my coffee...and I also loved the Safeway Select French Vanilla Cappacino k-cups.

I decided to read the ingredients one day on the k-cups. It said something about "corn syrup solids" and I got the feeling/image of a hunk of yellow fat disgusting looking "solids" (as in, doo-doo) sitting in my stomach. I threw the whole box of k-cups away and have never looked back.

A couple days later I noticed the same damn ingredient in my beloved Coffeemate. Out when the brand new bottle. I was seriously REPULSED by those words ... "solids" .... ugh. It gives me shivers!!
 
You mentioned turning to certain foods because they are easy. Do you cook much? Try planning your menu for the week. That way you can make a grocery list of the items you need, even do some prep work in advance. You'll soon find, the more you get in this habit, the easier it becomes and the better it will taste.

I have a sweet tooth and always will. I bake in moderation and when I do, it is from scratch so I can control the ingredients. I either freeze part of what I've baked or share it with friends or family. I've also learned to not buy a lot of snacks to keep in the house.

This year, I've been trying to have a daily green smoothie...they are very fast to make. Good luck!

Lisa
 
Candiceena said:
Girls, thank you all so much for your feedback! First off, you have all really helped me pump up the motivation to a whole new level! I'm STOKED!! :)

WOOHOO!!

I will definitely give the weights some more tries before giving up on them!

I do have one question though - a recurring theme in this thread is that nutrition needs to be good in order to see really amazing results. What do you ladies do in order to keep your nutrition in check? I grew up in a family that ate (and still eats) the SAD. I have tried to wein myself off of junk food/processed food but I find it tough. I don't really eat fast food, but Cherry coke is a weakness of mine, and so are frozen foods (frozen ravioli, frozen lunches b/c they are easy...frozen pizza rolls & burritos for dinner because they taste good and are easy)...

I have also noticed that the crappier I eat (IE: last week I ate a big breakfast burrito in the AM - sugar'ed up coffee - pizza for lunch, energry drink w/ HFCS in the afternoon...and then tried to work out at night when I got home. HA! joke was on me.

So any tips on staying on top of nutrition? Or more like, changing your mindset about nutrition? I actually read a ton of nutrition books and am really interested in it...it just is hard for me to adhere to the right principles.
Click to expand...

This forum totally rocks for motivation!

Healthy eating habits are hard to pick up, but easy to maintain once you've incorporated and accepted them into you life FOR GOOD. It's a lifestyle change, plain and simple. Nothing more, nothing less.

I remember being in my late teens/early 20's when I started changing my eating habits. The reason being that I could stand to lose a few lbs @ 5'1 145lbs. Nothing drastic, but for a short, small framed woman, those extra pounds made the difference. I also ate like CRAP. Lots of fast food and processed junk food. What really pushed me to get my butt in gear was someone mentioning that I was "really chunky". Ya, not nice, right? Anyway, I decided then and there that I would change my eating habits and start to become more active. Little changes throughout the years added up to big progress and results!:

1) Fruits and veggies at every meal
2) No soda, juice. Only water.
3) Limited junk food. Fast food on occasion.
4) Lots of fish/lean protein
5) Portion control!
6) Limited/no white flour products
7) Walking & biking everywhere

Within a few months, I dropped to 115lbs. A few months after that I went down to 105lbs (which I then discovered was a little too thin for me, but definitely not underweight by all means for someone of my height). Except for a whopping 65lbs gained throughout my pregnancy :eek:, I have easily maintained a healthy weight, my eating habits are relatively the same, I still embrace an active lifestyle. The only difference NOW is that I weight train and workout to fitness DVD's :D.

My advice to you would be to gradually make positive changes your lifestyle -- Rome was not built in a day! Make sure your eating habits and active lifestyle reflect who YOU are. Find activities you love and incorporate them into your life: swimming, roller blading, skating, hiking, traveling. IMO, the same concept should be applied to food. Healthy, nutritious food IS tasty and comes from all over the world. Experiment w/ different worldly cuisines that offer a slew of health benefits: Japanese, Mediterranean, South American, Caribbean. Enjoy all the wonderful things this world has to offer. Don't ever give up, and love yourself. ALWAYS :);).

Take care :)
 
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