Will Squats Make My Thighs/Legs Bigger?

RGv2

hkeenan523 wrote: »

body weight squats will build the muscle in the glutes, hamstrings and quads. You will not lose fat, but you will build underneath. If anyone things that doing bodyweight squats won't build those muscles, they have not done enough squats or done any of Shaun T's workouts.

Umm, what?

ndj1979

OP - fat is going to come off from where it wants, when it wants. Doing squats in a calorie deficit will not result in thunder thighs, bulky thighs, or insert any other misconception here...
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so keep eating in a deficit and get your squat on.

ndj1979

hkeenan523 wrote: »

body weight squats will build the muscle in the glutes, hamstrings and quads. You will not lose fat, but you will build underneath. If anyone things that doing bodyweight squats won't build those muscles, they have not done enough squats or done any of Shaun T's workouts.

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livijane07

You need to decide what it is you're aiming for. If you want lean, toned, muscular legs, you should be squatting with weights, alongside various other leg strengthening exercises, while actively managing your protein intake. If you want slender, skinny legs, you should focus more on fat loss (doing cardio within your fat burning heart rate zone) and calorie deficit, while still doing some strength training to increase your overall metabolic rate.

The word 'big' is confusing here. Someone once advised me not to do strength training for my arms, because the muscles would look bigger in general under the arm fat, thus making me look like I had flabby arms. This was completely ridiculous advice. I started weight training properly half a year ago and my arms don't look 'big' at all, they look more toned and leaner and are a hella lot stronger. I assume this would be the same for your legs.

jacksonpt

Complete answer:

If on a calorie deficit, you will likely experience some negligible increase in size due to fluid retention as a result of the exercise. It will come and go based on how often and how hard you exercise. It is NOT a permanent or even long lasting effect. You squat today, you'll hold a minor amount of water for a couple of days, then it'll go away. You'll workout, and the process repeats itself.

If on a calorie surplus, the combination of the surplus calories and the squats (assuming you're squatting sufficient weight/intensity) will lead to a VERY slow increase in muscle which will lead to a very slow increase in size.


If your goal is to slim down, keep your calories in check, commit to squats and other high intensity exercises, and understand that it's a long process that requires patience, consistency and trust.

jemhh

I think that bodyweight squats will help you strengthen your muscles to an extent but then you are going to have to use some sort of weight or further progression. I can't put a timeframe on when "then" occurs but regular bodyweight squats forever are not going to give you a lot of muscle. Like any strength training program, you have to add progressive resistance at some point if you want to continue to get stronger and to build muscle.

For me, high rep goblet squats have been making a real difference in my legs. I really struggle with back squats and after 3 months of laughable progress I switched from them to goblet squats at the beginning of the year. My legs are stronger and harder (firmer) now, the latter due to a mix of stronger muscles and fat loss. No real muscle growth (I'm eating in a deficit and pretty sure I'm out of the newbie gainz zone at this point.)

leggup

Elleposh119 wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

Unless you follow a plan to bulk, it is not going to happen. Squats without weight will not make you bulk. And they will not make you slim down either, exercising targeting specific body parts do not make fat melt away from this area.

Exactly what will it do for this area then? Surely some result will occur.
I see before and after squat photos like this and wonder if doing them will make my thighs get larger like they did with hers.

Before picture: leaning upper body towards camera, tucking butt downwards (creating visible difference between where thighs end and bum begins), legs flexed, hips turned forward to only show left side.

After picture: considerable weight gain (just look at the face), sweatshirt to hide weight gain in upper body, butt turned to camera, thigh closer to camera, lens flare on bum, but tilted upwards, time has passed (different phone case).

I would say that the girl gained about 10-15 lbs and tilted her butt some.

yopeeps025

britishbroccoli wrote: »

Elleposh119 wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

Unless you follow a plan to bulk, it is not going to happen. Squats without weight will not make you bulk. And they will not make you slim down either, exercising targeting specific body parts do not make fat melt away from this area.

Exactly what will it do for this area then? Surely some result will occur.
I see before and after squat photos like this and wonder if doing them will make my thighs get larger like they did with hers.

Before picture: leaning upper body towards camera, tucking butt downwards (creating visible difference between where thighs end and bum begins), legs flexed, hips turned forward to only show left side.

After picture: considerable weight gain (just look at the face), sweatshirt to hide weight gain in upper body, butt turned to camera, thigh closer to camera, lens flare on bum, but tilted upwards, time has passed (different phone case).

I would say that the girl gained about 10-15 lbs and tilted her butt some.

If only us men knew all those tricks women do for the cameras we would not be so shocked when in person.

ndj1979

yopeeps025 wrote: »

britishbroccoli wrote: »

Elleposh119 wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

Unless you follow a plan to bulk, it is not going to happen. Squats without weight will not make you bulk. And they will not make you slim down either, exercising targeting specific body parts do not make fat melt away from this area.

Exactly what will it do for this area then? Surely some result will occur.
I see before and after squat photos like this and wonder if doing them will make my thighs get larger like they did with hers.

Before picture: leaning upper body towards camera, tucking butt downwards (creating visible difference between where thighs end and bum begins), legs flexed, hips turned forward to only show left side.

After picture: considerable weight gain (just look at the face), sweatshirt to hide weight gain in upper body, butt turned to camera, thigh closer to camera, lens flare on bum, but tilted upwards, time has passed (different phone case).

I would say that the girl gained about 10-15 lbs and tilted her butt some.

If only us men knew all those tricks women do for the cameras we would not be so shocked when in person.

for realz....