Best Way to Lean Out Legs?????

J

joyjoy

Cathlete
Hi Everyone!
Please help me find the best way to lean out my legs. I currently do legs 3x weekly and I always try to use the heaviest weights that I can. I thought that is what you're supposed to do???? My thighs have been 22.5-23" wide (widest part) for at least a year now and I would like for them to be a bit leaner. I don't want them skinny just lean and muscular but not with mass. I currently use Legs and Glutes, GS Legs, Pyr LB Kickmax, Kp&C and Leaner Legs. Should I be dong more weight free stuff like the leg drill at the end of Kickmax to lean out my legs? Should I stay away from the heavy weights? I have been using up to 50# for leg press and deadlifts and plie squats. I do have some nice muscular definition but I just want them leaner. Please help me. Thanks so much!
Joy
 
Everyone's body reacts differently to different types of exercise. Since you have already tried heavy weights and don't like what they're doing for your...just lighten up...your weights, I mean. Try it for about a month and see what happens.
 
Ditto what Candi suggested. Another option is to try Freestyle training. I don't follow a Freestyle program so I can't tell you anything about it, but I do know a lot of women who are pear shaped or who bulk up easily in the lower body areas have had absolutely amazing results following that type of program.

HTH,
Robin:)
 
HELLO JOY. I just started a rotation that was posted 2004 If you do a search it is #29545 or rotation that made my lower body smaller date is sun feb 15 2004 author fraffy. She said she does it for 8 weeks and takes 2 off (I won't be doing that I feel guilty not working out for 1 day).

I just finished 1 week. She also takes a day off. I will not be taking the day off I found 2 workouts for the thigh (teardrop) by cathe and aquajock that I am going to do.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

beth6395
 
Hi Beth!
Thanks for your reply. I am going to search for it. Do you wo 7 days a week? I used to up until about 3 weeks ago and then a friend said that your body actually needs a day of recovery. I still feel weird not doing something on my off days but I think it is true because when I take off I can actually feel my body recovering. The other 6 days are high intensity . What kind of wo do you do? I do wweights daily for upper or lower and 1 hour of cardio-at least 2 hours daily. On Sat. I usually get in about 2.5-3hrs because the family sleeps in . I'd love to know what you do and how the rotation helped you.
 
Hi katie!
We just got the part in to fix our treadmill. I am going to get on DH until he fixes it so I can start running again. Thanks for the advice!!
Joy
 
Run!!!!!!!!!! I currently run 30 miles per week and my legs are the thinnest they have ever been. Nothing and I mean nothing thins the legs like running.
 
There is no such thing as spot reducing. The only way to cause your legs to become leaner is to become leaner generally, and the only way to do that is to eat fewer calories than you use.
-Nancy
 
I have been running for two years now and my legs havent thinned out at all. wish they would. I think alot has to do with genetics. the women in my family have thunder thighs so I figure I am stuck with bigger thighs,they are muscular though , so I guess I can live with that(if I have to) . I also do spinning once a week and a bootcamp class 2x week ,with a wide variety of exercises for the lower body and nothing has helped make them smaller.
 
Yes I do workout 7 days. My seventh day is usually nothing too strenuous. Yesterday I did leg extensions I do not own or have access to a leg extension machine so cathe explained a modified version for shaping the teardrop I did 4 sets of 20 with 5 lb weights (eventually working up to 10lbs) sitting in a chair. "Lift the weighted leg straight out in front of you (be careful to keep a slight bend at the knee joint and avoid locking your leg out in full extension). Now come half way down and go back to the top. This would be partial reps. Do 3 sets of 20-25 per leg. I like to do the forst 5-10 reps of each set with full range of motion before continuing with partial reps. If you feel and discomfort in the knee while doing full rrange stick with partial reps. If even doing partial reps give you knee discomfort then do not do this exercise"

I did 4 sets of 20 and honestly I did not find it challenging so I am going to try 10 lbs next.

I have only done this rotation for 1 week so I have seven to go. So I must say I will share the moment I see the change. I am pear shaped and I have a hard time with my inner thigh and bottocks. I got rid of the portion that sticks out on the outer thigh. I think this has helped doing dead lifts with a wider stance.

I started cathe in Jan before I started this rotation I would workout 1 day Cardio next day either upper or lower body. I have a treadmill and I just can not bring myself to run on it maybe if my husband would carry it outside I just might. I find I get way to bored. I have tried different combos just do not care for it. Same with the stationary bike I gave it away last year I would much rather run or ride a bike outside. I only workout to the dvd I am doing or to what is in the rotation she gave a few different ways to change it up. Did you find it? If you are going to do it let me know we can discuss it. Or if you do something else let me know. Now that I have almost all the workouts I can follow rotations.

beth6395
 
My legs didn't start leaning out until I incorporated Pilates into my routine. I do not do weights for my lower body anymore. I do Pilates for my hips and thighs. I usually do it 3-5 times per week. It has helped tremendously! Susan
 
Susan:
I would really be interested in finding out what kind of pilates you do and what other forms of exercise you incorporate. I have recently hurt my back (again) and may have to re-evaluate how I exercise. I am thinking less weight and something less stressful on the body (but still effective!) is what I need.
I would appreciate your advice and any information.
Paula
 
So you can work your legs on consecutive days and see results? You don't need a 48 hour recovery if you don't use weights or if you use much lighter weights? So could I do something like the leg drills at the end of KIckmax almost daily? I really think this Freestyle way might be just what I am looking for. How about if I did Plyo almost daily for my legs (15 min max) and something like the KM drills would that be doing freestyle? Here's a sample of what I am thinking. I wo 6 days a week and 2 hours or more a day. This is waht I'd do for my legs in addition to all the other stuff.
Day 1-Leg Drills and Plyo
Day 2-Legs and Glutes
Day 3-Leg Drills, Bench Lunges, Romainian d-lifts, Plyo Lunges
Day 4-Pyr. LB
Day 5-Plyo, Leg Drills
Day 6-GS Legs
Is this a freestyle schedule for legs?
 
My general rotation is to do upper or lower body weights (w/a video) daily and 40min.-1hour of cardio. I love weights and I am getting some good definition in my ub. I just want to be leaner. I think I am game for this Freestyle way for my ub. This way I can work my lb almost daily because of the weight reduction. I probably just need to let up on the heavy wts for lower body for awhile.
It is hard for me to do a longer wo without a video or dvd. My mind gets sidetracked. I can do a couple of exercises that way but not really more than 15 or so minutes. I really need to watch and follow. I don't go to a gym because I wo extremely early in the am before anyone is up. right now I am a SAHM. I try to get some jump roping in when I take the kids outside to play. I've heard and read that that's great for just about everything!
What is your typical wo week like? Do you work your ub too?
JOy
 
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