Thinning down muscular thighs

nicolettemarii

Hi everyone. As long as I have remembered I have had extremely muscular thighs, I don't mind my quads but my hamstrings seem to add a lot of bulk. I am not that big at 5 foot 3 121 pounds so my legs have always bothered me in shorts and leggings. I was wondering if anyone had a similar issue and what you did to solve this? Is it Diet? Any workouts? I heard Pilates might work? I am a long distance runner and it seems to do nothing for thinning them as well. Thanks so much!

jemhh

If your legs are big due to muscle, you'd have to let that muscle atrophy in order to lose it. That would mean working it less.

This is a first--I have never read of a woman saying that her hamstrings are overly large.

rybo

It's likely the way your genetics are. If there is some fat on them, dieting and lower bf% could be the only way. Otherwise there is no realistic exercise or solution for you. Embrace your build.

ninerbuff

Losing muscle (atrophy) happens only a couple of ways: Continually disuse of the muscle and/or or not supplying enough protein or calories in your diet. The issue here with number 2 is that you lose muscle all over and not a targeted area.

Learn to love your legs and don't submit to what the media and magazines deem as accepted.

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

RoxieDawn

Just the hamstrings are unusually large? Not the entire legs? Well as other said atrophy..stopping running and exercising your legs.

Conclusion, can't really build quads to make the hams look smaller either.. You got what you got. Embrace those legs, they are helping you with LONG distance running..

toe1226

yes there is no such thing as targeted-site-specific weight loss.

life long runners will often have this tendency.

If you stopped running your leg muscles may reduce, but you'd also reduce the incredible mental and cardiovascular benefits of running.

Caloric deficits also lead to a reduction in mass. I have found (anecdotally) that wherever I tend to "hold my weight" seems to be the last place to go, so if that were the case, you may lose everything else before you saw leg loss. (But that's just my anecdote)

i'd say just dig on your legs. muscularity is attractive.

canadianlbs

how's your flexibility? when i let my own muscles get all short and chunky and thick, it does seem to make me look a little more like a fire hydrant.

arditarose

You can send some of your muscles over here. My thighs are huge but I'd rather have all the muscles.

ninerbuff

canadianlbs wrote: »

how's your flexibility? when i let my own muscles get all short and chunky and thick, it does seem to make me look a little more like a fire hydrant.

How does flexibility help with this? And did you build a ton of muscle for this to happen?

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

teetertatertango

I thought that strong hamstrings are a really good thing for runners? Fewer injuries related to quad/hamstring imbalance?

DancingMoosie

I have kinda big hamstrings. I like them and get compliments on my legs. Yours probably aren't as big as you think. Embrace the muscles you have!

Gisel2015

arditarose wrote: »

You can send some of your muscles over here. My thighs are huge but I'd rather have all the muscles.

May I share with you, pleeeease?

canadianlbs

How does flexibility help with this?

i can't say anything about yours. what i meant about myself was: any time any of my muscles are tight, they bunch up and contract. result is a shorter, thicker 'line' compared with when i'm stretching more consistently and the tone is better <-- i'm using that word in the medical sense such as physiotherapist might use, not the cosmetic/visual one.

that's my own totally anecdotal experience, but people have different proportions of muscle belly to tendon, so i can't really speak about anyone else. i don't even know if mine are proportioned in any particular way. it ain't like i go around poking other women's legs to find out where their 'real' muscle begins and what kind of texture the fibres have.

And did you build a ton of muscle for this to happen?

to be honest, i have no idea. i've been riding a bike since forever and started compound lifting two years ago, so by my own estimation i have pretty strong legs. i have no meaningful way to know how much actual muscle volume's involved though, compared with anyone else. or even with myself from before all of this.

arditarose

Gisel2015 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

You can send some of your muscles over here. My thighs are huge but I'd rather have all the muscles.

May I share with you, pleeeease?

You want me to share my muscles or you want to give me yours?

Gisel2015

arditarose wrote: »

Gisel2015 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

You can send some of your muscles over here. My thighs are huge but I'd rather have all the muscles.

May I share with you, pleeeease?

You want me to share my muscles or you want to give me yours?

I want to share with you the muscles that the OP may send you.

arditarose

Gisel2015 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Gisel2015 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

You can send some of your muscles over here. My thighs are huge but I'd rather have all the muscles.

May I share with you, pleeeease?

You want me to share my muscles or you want to give me yours?

I want to share with you the muscles that the OP may send you.

lol fine

Dano74

For the love of all that's naturally blessed... humans work countless hours deadlifting, goodmorning-ing, lunging, leg curling and all manner of burny, sweaty, pee standing up torture to grow hammies.

CHERISH THEM.