Hi there,
Not Cathe (obviously) but I am your typical pear-shape (narrow shoulders, A-B cup chest, small defined waist, bigger hips/thighs/butt). I can tell you from experience what has worked for me to tone down the hips/thighs/butt while reducing body fat:
-Work your UB to shape/define/tone your arms, chest & shoulder's. The bigger your UB, the smaller your LB will look, making your body appear more perportioned. I found heavy weights work best to really get muscle definition. Also, I find changing up my routine helps, so while I lift heavy the majority of the time, I also sometimes do lighter weight/higher reps. It confuses the muscle since your body will adapt and become lazy if you do the same old, same old. I used to shy away from working my UB long time ago, thinking I had to work my legs & butt more to help my shape. That was a huge mistake! So don't be afraid to increase your UB muscle mass (muscle helps burn more calories at rest too!!).
-Diet is very important. Probably the most important part of the equation. If you don't eat healthy
while exercising, your results will go unnoticed. The bummer about pear-shaped gals losing weight, is that it
never comes off from the thighs & butt first!!! Makes no sense right, that's where all the fat is!!!
-Cardio is crucial to losing weight. I like to change it up, since I need variety and I tend to get bored (not to mention your body get's lazy and you stop seeing results). I love everything from kickboxing, step, Hiit, Tabata, circuit training, hi/low, walking, biking. Also, I am not afraid to push myself and get out of my comfort zone. I know my body and it's limitations. I love challenges and I love to sweat, so I make sure to include that.
-I am a huge, and I mean HUGE fan of Cathe's LIS!!! Nothing has ever toned down my hip/thighs/butt like that program!!! I lost 2 pant sizes doing the Nov LIS rotation and Dec hi/low rotation!! LIS was a god sent for pear-shaped women. I was amazed at how well it attacked the LB region.
-Weight training for legs is also important. I find mixing heavy weight/low reps (Gym Style Legs) with low weight/no weight high reps (Turbo Barre) a great combination to effectively tone the LB. But to each his own, you have to find out what works for you (trial & error).
I hope this helps. Not expert advice, but speaking from experience.
Good luck! I hope Cathe responds as well!!
Natasha
