Working Legs....

[Stacy]

I've been trying to slim down my thighs. Being a "pear" I know I'm never going to have that long legged, "skinny jeans" look. I've been slowly incorporating squats (still wont do lunges) with low weight, but my knees still give me trouble despite my easing into things.

I have a recumbent bike and I do jog/walk intervals on my treadmill. The longest I can jog at this point is cycles of 5 min jog/3 min walking for about 40 minutes, any longer my knees ache, though cardiovasculary and thigh-muscle endurance I'm good. (For reference, I have all of Cathe's except her new Intensity cardio, and have been working out for over 20 years now!)

I'm hesitant to give up standing leg work, but for those of you who have, is slimmer thighs possible (of course keeping diet in check).

I was thinking of walking on an incline, or incorporating more work on the recumbent bike and/or incorporating ALOT more floor work/barre work/Tonique, but with limited time to workout I hate to add all that in and sacrifice my ab work, other cardio and upper body workouts. I usually only have time to workout 4 days per week.

Any suggestions, stories to share would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[DirtDiva]

I really think that slimming down thighs has a lot to do with diet, because any fat on muscle will increase measurements on the thighs, especially the upper thigh. I regularly squat over 200 pounds, deadlifts close to 100, etc., with the intention of strength for cycling and my thighs don't become overly bulky like a frog's leg, until I eat too much and that's usually salty, refined foods. My legs look the best in the summer/fall after I've been mountainbiking all season, because I've lost fat and if you've ever ridden off road you'll quickly realize how much strength it takes to climb (this is why I lift heavy). I've noticed that whole-body workouts and kettlebells work great for my legs too. Regarding your knees, you may want to look at those patella femoral knee straps, or runner's straps. They stabilize your knee cap and can help some.

 

[Jane A]

Hi Stacy --

My inner thighs have always been my trouble spot, too. I have seen lots of improvement though, from doing Gym Style Legs and Butts & Guts.

I would also recommend Mindy Mylrea's Glutes, Guns, & Guts workout. She does some killer inner thigh work with the stability ball.

Hope you see improvement too!

 

[RapidBreath]

Have you tried running off road? That improved my knees and it thinned out my thigh area.

 

[Stacy]

Thanks for the responses, I've actually used the runner's straps and they dont seem to make much of a difference. I've done off-road running but my knees cant take the impact of the pavement, the cushion/shock absorption of the treadmill is okay though.