Help for Lower Body?!

A

Amy1

New Member
Hi,
I exercise regularly (mostly cardio, although I am going to try to incorporate more strength training), but really need to work on my thighs and butt! My upper body/abs are actually in pretty good shape, but my lower body really needs work. For those of you w/ a similar problem, what have you found to be the BEST approach to targeting this area?
Thanks!
Amy
 
Low weights, high reps, and DON'T neglect adductor and abductor work. I actually found my best results with a Body by Jake Bun & Thigh Rocker, but if that's not an option, tapes like Cathe's Leaner Legs are very good, as is Standing Legs by the Firm.

Weight machines like those you find in gym also seem to work, if that is an option for you, especially the leg extension and leg curl machines which really isolate the front and back of the legs.

The real trick is to not spend too much time working your legs...that's what I ended up doing before I hit on the right method for me.
 
Amy,
I also have a lower gut, butt, and thigh problem. I have vastly decreased the size of my lower body and toned it up by doing regular cardio with mostly standing leg work, including lots of squats and lunges. I use Cathe's strength training tapes (all of them). I don't do much floor work unless I am using PS Legs and Abs. I also got the Thightek XL gizmo endorsed by Denise Austin recently. I can't tell if that works yet or not, but it is one way to work your abductors and adductors as Honeybunch suggested. I wish it had a higher resistence setting.

Good luck!

Cruncholi/Linda
 
Kickboxing is good for your outer thighs, and for inner thigh work you can use a fit ball.
 
What would be good to target the inner thigh area right near your knees?
Thanks,
Debbie
 
Lower body solution

Hi Amy!This website will be very helpful to you!http://www.virtualfit-trainer.com/LBS.htm Print it out so you can customize your own workouts in the future!Make yourself a NEW rotation of either total body Weight workouts 3 days with 3 days cardio~or cardio with weight intervals~ or upper/lower body split with cardio or 6 days a week cardio with 5 days a week toning using light weights or resistance! Your options are unlimited and these are just a few ideas!It sounds to me that you just need to "change" your current routine and incorporate weight training and flexibility training along with your cardio!Good luck!Your friend in fitness~~Francine
 
DebbieDD

If you have access to a leg extension machine or just do standing quad extensions(lift knee up and extend) you can place a dumbell on your leg for resistance-or sitting on the floor upright with your arms behind you holding you up do each leg 3 sets of 12 to increase intensity add an ankle weight ----for inner thigh work you can place a dumbell on the inside of your knee(just below knee) and do inner thigh lifts 3 sets of 12 then 12 pulses at the top(all the way up and halfway down not all the way down) If you do yoga-do your poses and hold them 15 secs longer--the balancing will strenghten your knees more and tone them up! take care!Your friend in fitness~~Francine
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-24-02 AT 08:35PM (Est)[/font][p]I know there are some good discussions on this forum about the Bun and Thigh Rocker and how you guys use it but I'm having trouble finding them. Can you point me in the right direction? I just bought one off eBAY and I want to be ready to roll when it shows up. I have to give up on standing leg work for awhile. My toe will never heal until I stop it. It's been broken for 5 months now and hurts as much as the day I did it.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-02 AT 06:11AM (Est)[/font][p]The walking lunges specifically target the muscles that run along the inside of your knee, the gracilis, along with the adductor magnus, brevis and longus. Finding this out was one of the perks of studying for the ACE exam.

I am my own prime guinea pig for leg work, and I did stationary lunges till the cows came home and they never worked my inner thighs like the walking lunges do. I have long suffered with a severly "padded inside of my knees," as do all the females in my family. I'm glad to say, however, that I did NOT inherit the "broad beam"!
 
Wooo...

I feel a warm, tingling sensation all over after reading your reply, HB!! I'm giddy with excitement to try the walking lunges. And with that, I'm off to finish the lunch dishes and head downstairs for my workout!! :-jumpy

Hollie
 
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