Any ideas for cardio that don't increase leg muscle?
sharitapita
Posts: 80 Member
I started on MFP about 6 weeks ago and have been logging everything and getting great results. I typically exercise about 5-6 days a week. Right now I'm doing a combination of elliptical and walking at an incline on the treadmill, yoga, tae bo and zumba dvds, along with easing into weights and strength exercises. I have always had a lot of leg muscle (as do all the women in my family), but I'm noticing it continuing to increase, in my quads especially, since I started exercising more. Don't get me wrong - muscle is obviously better than fat, but I'm just wondering if there is any cardio that I can do that won't continue to increase my leg muscle. Any ideas?? Thanks!
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Replies
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Don't worry, if you're eating in a deficit you aren't gaining leg muscle. That's assuming you weren't completely immobilized.
You might gain an ounce or two anyway.
They will fill with water a bit until you are used to the exercise. And as you lose fat, it might appear you are gaining muscle - but this isn't the case. The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.0 -
None of the exercises you have mentioned increase leg muscles, so you're just fine as-is.0
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keep doing that cardio. your weight will drop, including your crazy muscular legs.0
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Don't worry, if you're eating in a deficit you aren't gaining leg muscle. That's assuming you weren't completely immobilized.
You might gain an ounce or two anyway.
They will fill with water a bit until you are used to the exercise. And as you lose fat, it might appear you are gaining muscle - but this isn't the case. The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.
^^yep.
Also, only a few forms of cardio have any chance of someone gaining muscle (hill sprints) so just pick a cardio exercise that you enjoy.0 -
It's glycogen, not muscle. You're not growing muscle in your legs. You're retaining water in them from exercise.
When the fat starts to go away, so will the perception that you've gained muscle.0 -
If you run on a treadmill or use an elliptical don't use the incline and use the lowest resistance.0
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Forever using this metaphor.The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.0 -
Honey bunn, in order to add 0,25 inch on my legs of muscles I had to lift heavy, stop all cardio and eat a metric ton of food for a few months
Believe me, you won't gain muscles.0 -
The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.
This is beautiful.0 -
Forever using this metaphor.The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.
Right? It sounds so zen.0 -
OP... this is a good response... the rest, well perhaps they didn't notice you mentioned you'd only been on MFP for 6 weeks and were actually asking a legit question because you didn't' yet know the answer.It's glycogen, not muscle. You're not growing muscle in your legs. You're retaining water in them from exercise.
When the fat starts to go away, so will the perception that you've gained muscle.
Take what you can use and leave the rest!
Great to have you join us on MFP:flowerforyou:0 -
You won't gain any leg muscle on a deficit. Most likely you are seeing the muscle more and more from losing fat...0
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You don't accidentally gain muscle. Just do your cardio, you'll be fine.0
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Honey bunn, in order to add 0,25 inch on my legs of muscles I had to lift heavy, stop all cardio and eat a metric ton of food for a few months
Believe me, you won't gain muscles.
Have you SEEN the pics of Matt's girlfriend??0 -
.The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.
Love, love, love this.0 -
I started on MFP about 6 weeks ago and have been logging everything and getting great results. I typically exercise about 5-6 days a week. Right now I'm doing a combination of elliptical and walking at an incline on the treadmill, yoga, tae bo and zumba dvds, along with easing into weights and strength exercises. I have always had a lot of leg muscle (as do all the women in my family), but I'm noticing it continuing to increase, in my quads especially, since I started exercising more. Don't get me wrong - muscle is obviously better than fat, but I'm just wondering if there is any cardio that I can do that won't continue to increase my leg muscle. Any ideas?? Thanks!
Some women do have a higher level of testosterone and more muscle mass naturally. I understand it completely. What you are experiencing most likely is a swelling of the muscle tissues now that you are stressing them. This can cause them to look much bigger, especially if you have a layer of fat on top of the muscle. You shouldn't continue to grow much larger once you get used to the increase in exercise. However, anytime you work a muscle to the point of tearing the fibers, then the repairing of those torn fibers is what causes the muscle to grow larger. So if you want to prevent large muscle growth before you lose the fat, then do as some others have suggested and stick to exercises that done cause a 'burn' to your leg muscles. Long distance walking or moderate running, with no incline, spinning on a bike at low resistance, and continue your Zumba. Squats will work your quads, so don't over do those too much. And watch the heavy weights with your legs at the gym. You probably have a lot of leg strength and can be tempted to up the weights, because you can, but be aware that the heavy weight exercises can cause your muscles to grow, if you have extra fat stores and eat enough protein.
Many people will insist that you cannot build any muscle while on a deficit, but in certain instances you can.0 -
Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!
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I started on MFP about 6 weeks ago and have been logging everything and getting great results. I typically exercise about 5-6 days a week. Right now I'm doing a combination of elliptical and walking at an incline on the treadmill, yoga, tae bo and zumba dvds, along with easing into weights and strength exercises. I have always had a lot of leg muscle (as do all the women in my family), but I'm noticing it continuing to increase, in my quads especially, since I started exercising more. Don't get me wrong - muscle is obviously better than fat, but I'm just wondering if there is any cardio that I can do that won't continue to increase my leg muscle. Any ideas?? Thanks!
Some women do have a higher level of testosterone and more muscle mass naturally. I understand it completely. What you are experiencing most likely is a swelling of the muscle tissues now that you are stressing them. This can cause them to look much bigger, especially if you have a layer of fat on top of the muscle. You shouldn't continue to grow much larger once you get used to the increase in exercise. However, anytime you work a muscle to the point of tearing the fibers, then the repairing of those torn fibers is what causes the muscle to grow larger. So if you want to prevent large muscle growth before you lose the fat, then do as some others have suggested and stick to exercises that done cause a 'burn' to your leg muscles. Long distance walking or moderate running, with no incline, spinning on a bike at low resistance, and continue your Zumba. Squats will work your quads, so don't over do those too much. And watch the heavy weights with your legs at the gym. You probably have a lot of leg strength and can be tempted to up the weights, because you can, but be aware that the heavy weight exercises can cause your muscles to grow, if you have extra fat stores and eat enough protein.
Many people will insist that you cannot build any muscle while on a deficit, but in certain instances you can.
My testosterone levels are 3 times as high as the average female my age. I am not magically gaining muscle on a calorie deficit despite heavy lifting and little cardio (when I do cardio it is hill sprints). I work with a trainer and a specialized program intended to add muscle mass because I am a competitive bodybuilder. When I started out I had large thighs, but now that the fat is gone they are tiny.
ETA: The few instances someone would gain are being very overweight and new to weight lifting. Cardio will not cause large muscles.0 -
Honey bunn, in order to add 0,25 inch on my legs of muscles I had to lift heavy, stop all cardio and eat a metric ton of food for a few months
Believe me, you won't gain muscles.
Needless to say, all of those things (lifting, stopping cardio, eating) are generally far more enjoyable than increasing cardio.0 -
Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!
I have that "problem" now, but I had the same problem when I had fat legs instead of muscular legs. It's not hard to take a little dart in the waistband.0 -
I also do a lot of elliptical for cardio (5 days a week for for 45-1hr on hills and high levels) and I do an hour of zumba 3x a week plus toning and weights. When I started noticing my leg muscles, at first I thought my muscles were growing. I measured and realized that my muscles weren't growing, they were just becoming visible because the fat was melting. It may not be like this in your case because everyone is different, but you might want to measure to see if your legs are actually getting bigger or if they are just looking more muscular. Like its hard to see the forest for the trees, its hard to see the muscle for the fat. :laugh: Like I said, this was just my experience. Swimming is excellent cardio and might not affect your leg muscles in the same way. Good luck! 0
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Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!
So you alter the ill-fitting clothes to fit you body. You don't alter your healthy body to fit the clothes.0 -
duplicate.0
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Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!
I have that "problem" now, but I had the same problem when I had fat legs instead of muscular legs. It's not hard to take a little dart in the waistband.
That was going to be my response as well. I am sort of (not at all) a she-beast so I must buy a pant size up to fit my legs. I sew very poorly, but even I can manage a waistband dart. Just invest $2 for a needle that won't snap when it goes through denim.
Gigantic monstrous hard muscular thighs (and nice perky bum from squats) > wobbly cardio thighs, imo. But whatever floats your boat!0 -
Over time:
All cardio will decrease size if it causes a calorie deficit.
All cardio will increase size if fueled on a calorie surplus.
All cardio or other exercises or bring human in general will cause temporary fluctuations in size. I don't count these as gains since I'm getting smaller over time. Work something out hard... Fluid will go to that part of the body... Temporarily. On a deficit over time the size will continuously decrease.0 -
Eating on a surplus = increase size
eating on a deficit = decrease size
working out = temporary increase in size for swelling related to muscles healing (this one I was reminded of when I went shopping after a two hour workout session and nothing fit well, the next day all my purchases were noticably looser)
gap at wasteband of pants = not embracing genetics and not realizing that as a woman with a woman's body I have no business shopping in the juniors department when the thighs are tight and the waistband can be pushed down over my hips without unbuttoning. The trick here is the willingness to understand that no matter your size, you still have curves.0 -
duplicate0
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I'm pretty curvy and I have that waist band problem... I don't think my thighs are particularly muscular. It's a fairly common "problem" and comes from having a small waist! When you get there, relish it with excitement!
I have some friends that have naturally skinny legs and some that have naturally thicker legs. They can be just as fit as each other, but shaped differently. For me a fit body, no matter the shape, is going to look better than a flabby one! 0 -
Agree with what's been said but if you are still concerned try rowing or swimming. More body parts involved.0
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Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!
I have that "problem" now, but I had the same problem when I had fat legs instead of muscular legs. It's not hard to take a little dart in the waistband.
I have this issue with jeans that aren't stretchy; my quads are too big. And with skinny jeans, it's my calves. But I don't mind, I kinda like my semi-muscular legs, even if it means I have to stick to stretchy jeans/pants. It's actually good for my budget because I only have two pairs right now
Everything else fits better, so yeah, I'll keep squatting 0
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