Effective exercises for slimming/toning the outer thighs?
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VividVegan
Posts: 200 Member
Hello, I'm having difficulty with something. I need advice on how to slim my outer thighs. They're still very soft and untoned, even when I tighten/tense my whole body. They're pretty much the only things that aren't toned now. Long story short, I was overweight and lost over 50 pounds and lost around half of my previous body fat percentage. My chest shrunk (lol), my double chin disappeared, my love handles (muffin top) disappeared, my waist shrunk the most and stomach became flat and toned down, my arms and calves shrunk and toned down, however, my thighs barely toned let alone shrunk. Maybe an inch or two at most but nothing compared to the rest of my body. I routinely exercise through lifting weights, resistance training, and HIIT on a weekly basis. I'm a pescetarian so my diet is very high in seafood which is high in protein. I've still been losing weight, just at a much slower pace now. But it just won't come off of my thighs. It continues to come off of somewhere else (especially my mid-section). What to do now? I can't keep just losing weight because it's obviously not coming off of my thighs. If it eventually does, I'll be anorexic everywhere else by that point. Current pic below (taken today).
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Replies
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Looking like you doing it right well done0
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You look great! However more leg toning exercises will work. Take a barre class or look up barre workouts on YouTube. That will get it done!0
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Your legs look nice and slim to me. I'm just going to say this, to help you choose a goal, that "toning" isn't really a thing.
If you want to reduce body fat, eat at a deficit.
If you want to reduce bodyfat while maintaining lean body mass to give you a more defined look, eat at a deficit and weight/resistance train with a progressive overload.
If you want to GAIN muscle, eat to maintain while lifting to reduce body fat/gain muscle.
If you REALLY want to gain muscle, eat at a surplus while lifting to gain muscle (and fat which you may want to cut later).
That said, if you want nice legs, train them.
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You can't target individual body parts for fat loss.
You may get some benefit from doing leg strengthening exercises but you won't gain muscle if you are eating at a deficit (you may prevent muscle loss, however). I find kettlebell exercises (not just swings, take a class or get a book or DVD as there are a lot more options) to be excellent for working the whole body, including parts of the legs that are sometimes hard to work otherwise.
It may be that your thighs are your body's preferred location for fat storage and they may be the last to go. I know that my stomach, rear end, and thighs are finally, after losing 30+ pounds, starting to shrink in size. (I only had a little over 40 pounds to lose to start with.) Measurements around my chest, biceps, etc., haven't changed in months, but now my lower body is starting to catch up with my upper body.0 -
I know how you feel as I have stubborn areas of fat that I know an ongoing deficit would not solve since I lack muscle base in those areas. Currently I am recomping and already seeing results (slow and very slight.. but it's happening).
I dont know your stats but based on your photo I would also recommend recomp for you or a bulk/cut at some point to increase the muscle in your lower body.0 -
Well I don't know what you're looking at because you have very slim legs
Have you considered that maybe your brain has not yet caught up with your physicality and you're picking at imaginary faults
It does take months to adjust
May I respectfully suggest that you have an amount of body dysmorphia going on here and possibly you should promise yourself some time to get used to the new you2 -
What does your resistance training program look like? That may be a better focus than weight loss. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
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There are no such things as "leg toning exercises" though.anietralabranche wrote: »You look great! However more leg toning exercises will work. Take a barre class or look up barre workouts on YouTube. That will get it done!
There aren't any "toning" squats or "toning" deadlifts. They are just squats and deadlifts.
Barre is great in the sense that it works with just body weight so chances or muscle increase are minimal.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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OP, your genetics dictated that you hold most of your body fat in your lower body. So basically you have to stay in a very moderate calorie deficit till you feel you're where you want to be along with some upper body training to retain what you have up top.
You can't exercise fat away. If it worked, then doing crunches would reduce ab fat and that's not been found to be true a long time ago.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 0 -
Well I don't know what you're looking at because you have very slim legs
Have you considered that maybe your brain has not yet caught up with your physicality and you're picking at imaginary faults
It does take months to adjust
May I respectfully suggest that you have an amount of body dysmorphia going on here and possibly you should promise yourself some time to get used to the new you
I'm not sure why you think it's dysmorphia. Even if my upper thighs really are slim, they are untoned unlike everything else. It doesn't change the fact that they're skinny-fat. My goal is to get those long toned thighs like other athletic women I occasionally spot at the gym (and in public).0 -
OP, your genetics dictated that you hold most of your body fat in your lower body. So basically you have to stay in a very moderate calorie deficit till you feel you're where you want to be along with some upper body training to retain what you have up top.
You can't exercise fat away. If it worked, then doing crunches would reduce ab fat and that's not been found to be true a long time ago.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Ok
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Try some biking with shoes that clip in or "cages" for your feet. It will certianly tone your legs.-perhaps a spin class?0
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FeedMeFish wrote: »Well I don't know what you're looking at because you have very slim legs
Have you considered that maybe your brain has not yet caught up with your physicality and you're picking at imaginary faults
It does take months to adjust
May I respectfully suggest that you have an amount of body dysmorphia going on here and possibly you should promise yourself some time to get used to the new you
I'm not sure why you think it's dysmorphia. Even if my upper thighs really are slim, they are untoned unlike everything else. It doesn't change the fact that they're skinny-fat. My goal is to get those long toned thighs like other athletic women I occasionally spot at the gym (and in public).
Because when you look at the photos you post, here and on your profile, you have visibly toned slim legs
Progressive squats, lunges, deadlifts, step-ups, running, walking0
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