Hi Cathe!! Question about thigh size
- Thread starter wiggie
- Start date
Stebby
Cathlete
Hi wiggie - I'm not Cathe but can give you my personal experience. My thighs used to be 26" in circumference when I was doing only cardio. When I started lifting heavy weights they shrank to about 22". Whenever I ease up on the weights, within a month or so I have another inch back on. I love cardio and do it 5X per week - I think it helps keep the layer of fat down all over my body. But to really tighten up, I rely on weight training.
Stebby
Stebby
Stebby
Cathlete
I think it was about 3-4 months - after I got serious and started increasing my weights it wasn't immediate -it was at least 2 months before I started noticing any difference in the appearance of my legs, but then it came pretty quickly. I do legs twice a week and am pretty consistent - sometimes it's part of a full-body workout such as STS Total Body or Muscle Max or a non-Cathe workout, and sometimes it's legs only such as one of the STS lower body workouts, Gym Style Legs, Pyramid Lower Body or a legs premix from 4DS. I go reasonably heavy too - for example 40-60 lbs for squats (depending on the workout).
Everybody is different though - I've seen others on this forum who have gotten great results from lifting heavy, and others who do better with other styles of workouts where you work your legs almost every day with light weight or body weight. A lot of people have said they have really leaned out their legs through running too.
Stebby
Everybody is different though - I've seen others on this forum who have gotten great results from lifting heavy, and others who do better with other styles of workouts where you work your legs almost every day with light weight or body weight. A lot of people have said they have really leaned out their legs through running too.
Stebby
ricklyk1
Cathlete
Hi Wiggie!
I thought I would add my two cents as well. My lower body (legs/thighs) have always been a problem area for me. I started working out consistently with Cathe in October 2010 and from then until April 2011 I did lots of cardio/circuit rotations. I rarely, if ever, did a straight lower body workout but many of the workouts I did included lower body (circuits, full body, etc.) I steadily lost pounds, but did not notice a huge difference in my lower body.
Then, in April 2011, I started STS. You may be familiar with STS, but if not the program consists to two upper body and one lower body workouts per week (I added in 4 days of cardio as well, doubling up a cardio and STS workout on Sundays). The STS lower body workouts made a HUGE difference in my thighs! Even my DH and family have commented that they can tell a difference in my lower body - my legs are smaller and more defined. I still have a ways to go of course and, even though i've finished my first round of STS, i'm going to continue incorporating moderate to heavy leg training.
So, I guess my point is that I don't think you should shy away from lower body weight training. For me, the cardio helped of course but I didn't see any noticeable results until I incorporated moderate to heavy lower body work one day a week.
HTH!
Katie
I thought I would add my two cents as well. My lower body (legs/thighs) have always been a problem area for me. I started working out consistently with Cathe in October 2010 and from then until April 2011 I did lots of cardio/circuit rotations. I rarely, if ever, did a straight lower body workout but many of the workouts I did included lower body (circuits, full body, etc.) I steadily lost pounds, but did not notice a huge difference in my lower body.
Then, in April 2011, I started STS. You may be familiar with STS, but if not the program consists to two upper body and one lower body workouts per week (I added in 4 days of cardio as well, doubling up a cardio and STS workout on Sundays). The STS lower body workouts made a HUGE difference in my thighs! Even my DH and family have commented that they can tell a difference in my lower body - my legs are smaller and more defined. I still have a ways to go of course and, even though i've finished my first round of STS, i'm going to continue incorporating moderate to heavy leg training.
So, I guess my point is that I don't think you should shy away from lower body weight training. For me, the cardio helped of course but I didn't see any noticeable results until I incorporated moderate to heavy lower body work one day a week.
HTH!
Katie
wiggie
Cathlete
Hi Katie!! You sound like me, I've lost lots of weight but I'm very dissatisfied with my thighs. I've done STS twice when it was first released, but I wasn't watching my diet when I did it. I think I'll give heavy weights another try. I may just start STS next month. Thanks for your two cents, I appreciate it!!
Cathe Friedrich
Administrator
Hi Wiggie! I disagree with that. I think that you need to do both always within a workout week. Cardio strengthens the heart and burns immediate calories at the time the exercise is performed. Weight training may not burn as many calories in a typical session the way cardio does, however, weight training builds lean muscle mass at a much higher rate than cardio does. Lean muscle mass kicks your metabolism up all day long and therefore burns calories even while at rest. Not only that but the weight training will help with bone density (to help prevent osteoporosis) and will strengthen your bones, ligaments, joints and tendons so that you are stronger to go longer in your cardio workouts and everyday life activities. Weight training also helps improve posture and helps prevent injuries due to lack of muscle tone.
So do both cardio and weights and you will see within 3 months you will feel firmer and leaner everywhere. Keep in mind this kind of activity makes you a lot hungrier. So be prepared, with healthy foods on hand, to refuel your body with the nutrients it needs rather than empty calories it doesn't need.
So do both cardio and weights and you will see within 3 months you will feel firmer and leaner everywhere. Keep in mind this kind of activity makes you a lot hungrier. So be prepared, with healthy foods on hand, to refuel your body with the nutrients it needs rather than empty calories it doesn't need.
kikster
Cathlete
Hey Wiggie!
Idk if you have GS Legs, but that thang did WONDERS for my big ol thighs, let me tell you, lol. I did it consistently for about 1-2 months (lifting heavy), and saw the most dramatic results in my legs. I do think that STS will do the same if you A)lift heavy and B)watch your eats. The first couple of times I did STS, I just didn't take the leg w/o's serious enough (as I did w/the upper body w/o's). I pretty much just grabbed whatever weight I wanted (scared to "bulk" if I went too heavy) and did the w/o. It would get my heart rate up, but I did not get the body recomposition that I'd gotten w/GS Legs, or that my upper body rec'd from STS.
When I sat down to think on why this would be, I realized that I was never really hitting my legs hard/heavy anymore. Before, I used to do one heavy and one light leg w/o each week. But once I was satisfied w/my legs, I started to slack. Because I felt like my legs would bulk too easily, I became suddenly fearful of going heavy anymore. Everything became more cardio/endurance based as far as my leg w/o's were concerned. This especially came into play during M3 of STS because I still used the lighter weights while doing Plyo Legs. This once again gave me the cardio/Hiit factor (which I LOVE about Plyo Legs) but it didn't give me the changes in my legs that I wanted to match the AWESOME changes I got in my upper body. So I've decided that in order to get back to when I was loving my legs, I need to go back to using heavier weights. I also bit the bullet and bought Squat Rack Legs (which I refused to buy at first, thinking I'd never need it w/my big legs) and will be using it AND Plyo Legs when I start my next round of STS (in Oct).
Idk if you have GS Legs, but that thang did WONDERS for my big ol thighs, let me tell you, lol. I did it consistently for about 1-2 months (lifting heavy), and saw the most dramatic results in my legs. I do think that STS will do the same if you A)lift heavy and B)watch your eats. The first couple of times I did STS, I just didn't take the leg w/o's serious enough (as I did w/the upper body w/o's). I pretty much just grabbed whatever weight I wanted (scared to "bulk" if I went too heavy) and did the w/o. It would get my heart rate up, but I did not get the body recomposition that I'd gotten w/GS Legs, or that my upper body rec'd from STS.
When I sat down to think on why this would be, I realized that I was never really hitting my legs hard/heavy anymore. Before, I used to do one heavy and one light leg w/o each week. But once I was satisfied w/my legs, I started to slack. Because I felt like my legs would bulk too easily, I became suddenly fearful of going heavy anymore. Everything became more cardio/endurance based as far as my leg w/o's were concerned. This especially came into play during M3 of STS because I still used the lighter weights while doing Plyo Legs. This once again gave me the cardio/Hiit factor (which I LOVE about Plyo Legs) but it didn't give me the changes in my legs that I wanted to match the AWESOME changes I got in my upper body. So I've decided that in order to get back to when I was loving my legs, I need to go back to using heavier weights. I also bit the bullet and bought Squat Rack Legs (which I refused to buy at first, thinking I'd never need it w/my big legs) and will be using it AND Plyo Legs when I start my next round of STS (in Oct).
wiggie
Cathlete
Thank you Cathe for responding, I've always been afraid to go heavy with my leg workouts because I didn't want my thighs to get any bigger. My legs are pretty strong, & I never actually reach failure. I was thinking about starting STS next month, or should I do 3 total body weight workouts each week? I need to lose about 15 more pounds. I consider you to be a rock star of fitness & I am really thrilled to speak with you. I love the look of your new series, can't wait to get it!!
Last edited:
DirtDiva
Cathlete
This is what I did last rotation, both squat and plyo on the same *leg* day. I omitted squats and deadlifts when they were on Plyo, since Squat Rack had them too. The heavier I lift, the thinner my legs become, which I believe is the loss of intramuscular fat stores. My quads are larger because of cycling, but overall they still thin out.
kikster
Cathlete
crm549
Cathlete
Wiggie, great timing with the question and discussion.
I have just come to this realization myself that I need to add more weight work for my lower body because I have lost some weight, but it is not showing up in my pants size.
Just this week, I got on the scale and I was surprise by the number. "If that number is correct, why are my pants not starting to feel looser." "When I was at this weight before, they were practically falling off".
Part of my problem, I am sure, has to do what Cathe mentioned in her response. I started wearing the bodybugg. Weight workouts don't come anywhere near to burning the same calories as cardio workouts, so I was going heavy on the cardio to make sure I was burning the amount of calories I needed to burn in a day.
And according to the scale, I was and am loosing weight.
Before, I got the bodybugg, my typical rotation either would be 3 cardio and 3 sculpt workouts. Or it would be 3 cardio, 2 sculpt, and 1 cardio/sculpt or circuit workout.
So now, I need to do a bit of rearranging for my September Rotation.
I have just come to this realization myself that I need to add more weight work for my lower body because I have lost some weight, but it is not showing up in my pants size.
Just this week, I got on the scale and I was surprise by the number. "If that number is correct, why are my pants not starting to feel looser." "When I was at this weight before, they were practically falling off".
Part of my problem, I am sure, has to do what Cathe mentioned in her response. I started wearing the bodybugg. Weight workouts don't come anywhere near to burning the same calories as cardio workouts, so I was going heavy on the cardio to make sure I was burning the amount of calories I needed to burn in a day.
And according to the scale, I was and am loosing weight.
Before, I got the bodybugg, my typical rotation either would be 3 cardio and 3 sculpt workouts. Or it would be 3 cardio, 2 sculpt, and 1 cardio/sculpt or circuit workout.
So now, I need to do a bit of rearranging for my September Rotation.