heavy weights...bigger legs?

[fitmomofone]

Hi everyone...I hope someone can help me here. I posted this question to Cathe, but maybe someone out there may have input as well. Since starting Cathe's workouts on Fittv, I don't have much interest in anyone else's. I'm about to order many of her DVD's for my home gym. Here is my worry, and it's a big one. Cathe uses a lot of weight for squats and other leg exercises. I already have big, muscular legs on my small body, and don't want to bulk them up more. Will the use of heavy weights do this? I eat a pretty clean diet, and am within 5 lbs of my ideal weight...I'm almost 47 years old (yikes... I can't believe it!) and want to lean down as much as possible. I've been looking at the rotations for weight loss and leaner legs, but haven't started one yet. Am I wrong about this? Any input would be GREATLY appreciated, especially since I know many of you have been Cathe fans for awhile now. Thanks! Janet

 

[pixie9]

Hi Janet,
I'm sure you'll get some great replies here but I'll give you my .02 cents anyway. If you are concerned about not building more muscle mass, then you would need to use a lighter weight but you would do MORE reps. Cathe usually does a LOT of reps (depending on the workout), so I'm sure you could modify with lighter weights. Defining the words "heavy" and "light" are so difficult in terms of weight training. Lifting a lighter weight for you may be a heavy weight for someone else. The weight shouldn't be so light that you don't feel fatigued at the end of your sets though. I think it's a lot of trial and error here. Also, keep up the cardio to help lean you out. Some people are just naturally more muscular on the bottom and have to work at toning that down and it sounds like that's where you are. It's usually a mixture of quality cardio with endurance weight work(lighter weight, longer reps), to help with this problem. Good luck!!


Carolyn

 

[candi]

Janet,

51 year old here.

This was my experience. I found that if I lifted heavy but was also eating carb heavy, my legs got bigger. Now, I lift sort of heavy (50 lb squats) and about 35 to 40% protein and my legs have become leaner.

I believe it's because when the majority of my calories come from carbs, my muscles retain water, hence making my legs bulky. I am no expert and everyone's body is different but this is what I found through trial and error.

 

[fitmomofone]

Thanks for the replies ladies! Candi....I panicked this morning noticing that my legs seemed bigger, but it may indeed be that I treated myself to a few more carbs this weekend. And a salty dinner last night....so maybe it is a bit of water. I was afraid to get on the scale this morning, so I'll never know! Being hypoglycemic, I try to keep my protein up and carbs down a bit anyway to avoid blood sugar problems. But thanks for the input. Gave me something to think about. Maybe I should not purchase the S&H series, and just stick to the GS series and PUB/PLB dvd's. Janet

 

[Jaminska]

Hi Janet,

I know how you feel! At first when I started working out a lot, my legs did get heavier which definitely seems counter-intuitive. After a while though, my legs 'got used' to the extra work and started to lean out again. Maybe it was that inbetween stage when you are somewhat new to working out with weights and your fat cells are being trimmed down and your muscles are starting to bulk up. However, my experience has been that food is mainly to blame. When I am eating super lean and clean with the right portions of everything (portion control is generally the culprit!) then I feel pretty good. If I go through a bout of bad eating, say around Christmas, I can absolutely tell the difference. While we all know that lifting weights won't bulk you up like a man simply b/c we don't have the capacity, you can certainly feel bulky from time to time. I would recommend keeping up on your cardio. You don't have to kill yourself for sure. Just try to get about 30 minutes a few times a week and be sure to take a break from cathe at least once a week. Other than that, I really think doing weights consistantly keeps your legs toned and won't make you too bulky. Everyone is different though, so for sure try to figure out what works for you. This is what I tell myself also when I think I might look too bulky: I would rather be muscular than be 25 percent fat. You look better when you lift weights and you feel better. Also, my mom is 52 and pretty much exclusively does weights. I can't tell you the last time she did any kind of cardio apart from maybe kickboxing along with a video tape. She looks absolutely fabulous and no where NEAR 50!! So if all else fails, keep up with the weights and just don't lift as heavy if you feel like your legs are expanding. I hope this helps a bit.

 

[Fit_mommy]

My legs tend to bulk with heavier weights and they are not small to begin with. I have all but completely tossed the idea of heavy lifting for my lower body. I use no more than 8# DB's when lifting for lower body and often time will use NO weights! I have certainly seen a decrease in size since doing this. I also go back and forth with doing Freestyle type work outs where you work your legs 6 days per week w/light or no weights. I am happy with the results and will continue to train this way.

I am about to embark on a rotation where I am actually considering lifting heavy for my lower body 1x every other week through out an 8 week time span. I am hoping this doesn't increase my size...I don't think it will though...it's such a small amount of heavy lifting.

 

[atiman]

>Janet,
>
>51 year old here.
>
>This was my experience. I found that if I lifted heavy but
>was also eating carb heavy, my legs got bigger. Now, I lift
>sort of heavy (50 lb squats) and about 35 to 40% protein and
>my legs have become leaner.
>
>I believe it's because when the majority of my calories come
>from carbs, my muscles retain water, hence making my legs
>bulky. I am no expert and everyone's body is different but
>this is what I found through trial and error.

I have to agree with this comment, too. I am one that needs cardio 4 to 6 times a week.

When I started lifting heavier, my legs really responded. It really helped lean out my legs and hips. I lift anywhere from 80lbs to 125lbs with aid of a Smith machine. For endurance work I drop it to 45-55lbs. If I lift heavy, I only need to work my legs 1x a week. Endurance work at least 2x a week.


Namita

 

[lynda]

I wish I had an answer for you. I have a similar problem with lower body bulk. For me, what works is walking in conjunction with my DVD workouts. Don't get me wrong, I love Cathe cardio, but when I add walking to my rotations, my legs seem to get the message to slim down. There is something about doing cardio that propels the body forward that makes my legs leaner. It's not my favorite, but it has been working for me. I added a four-mile walk/3 times a week, and I've dropped a jean size in a month. I also don't go super heavy on lower body weight work. Diet, too. I can't slip anything by my thighs!

-lynda

 

[jordan]

I build muscle in my legs very easily. I only work my legs with weights once per weak. If you want more weight work, maybe lighter wt & more reps will work. My legs get worked enough with all the other workouts that I do. Another thing that helped, running (I use cardio coach) & walking both did wonders for my legs.

jordan

 

[Fit_mommy]

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I was just thinking about this and it may actually help someone anyway...

I recently acquired a gym membership and have taken to spinning and also use the regular bikes and elipticals...my question is...considering I do not use heavy weights for my lower body because I bulk up, am I going "backwards" using resistance on these machines or will it benefit me so long as I don't go too heavy???

Thanks!