Adding Definition to your legs

legacysh

Hey,

Just wondering what you have found the best exercises to have been to add definition to your legs. I'm finding that they are the last part of me to respond, and I want so much to have not only strong legs, but shapely legs to match the rest of me. I'm sure some of you out there have already been through the transformation I am working for, so any suggestions or routines that helped you get there would be appreciated. (oh and I have a problem with a knee, so deep lunges are out).

Thanks!

tammyquinnlmt

bumping for responses!

jenbusick

bump. I'd love to know, too!

sarah44254

I've heard to keep doing strength exercises, anything involving your legs (squats, leg lifts, leg lifting w/ weights on a machine)

as you continue to lose weight (and body fat with it) you will see more and more definition in your trouble areas. Just gotta keep cutting down the fat. Keep at it!

thomalr6180

I think that running has been helping me shape my legs. But I am curious to see what others have to say.

ShannonWinger

Squats, squats and more squats!

denitraross

Are you a member of a gym? Do they have a hip adduction/abduction machine or cable system that you can use? These are great for inner and outer thigh areas...if not, you can use the leg press machine to do inner/outer thigh exercises along with glutes...goggle these exercises on Youtube (that is how I found them)

Tamishumate

squats, lunges, leg press machine, leg extension machine, leg curl machine, ( do you have gym access?) calf raises, running, pilates , running stairs, more squats, more lunges. All these things have given me some very lean, not to mention strong , legs :drinker: And AMAZING calves, I will have to post a picture of them for you .

jwbwvf

Don't forget the calf muscles. They take a lot more reps since they are already very strong from every day use.

I agree with what's already been said, squats and other weighted legs lifts plus being lean in that area.

Nailrep

lunges and squats. running for cardio. even walking has toning benefits....

FabiolaEnvy♥

well this is from an app i got

well people who are runners
these are the muscle they work for their legs
im pretty sure that will help tone your legs

barbell squat
dead lift
sumo squat
calf raise
machine leg curl
good morning
dumbbell side bend
concentration dumbbell curl
dumbbell pull-over
dumbbell lungs


I hope these helps (a lot of them are machine done)

Rurouni_Kou

I think that running has been helping me shape my legs. But I am curious to see what others have to say.

For lower legs running is awesome! I started barefoot/minimalist running in my vibrams two months ago and holy cow. I've never had such nice tone in my legs as is forming now (and I used to be in gymnastics when I was younger). It's awesome, I'd definitely recommend running.

bizco

well this is from an app i got

well people who are runners
these are the muscle they work for their legs
im pretty sure that will help tone your legs

barbell squat
dead lift
sumo squat
calf raise
machine leg curl
good morning
dumbbell side bend
concentration dumbbell curl
dumbbell pull-over
dumbbell lungs


I hope these helps (a lot of them are machine done)

They only ones listed here that require a machine are calf raises and machine leg curls. The others require dumbbells or barbells. I do all of these at home.

yummy♥

Squats, squats and more squats!

and then, squats, squats and more squats.
side effect : fabulous *kitten*

KenJones1961

(oh and I have a problem with a knee, so deep lunges are out).

What kind of problem? When I was heavy and out of shape my knees couldn't take much exercise. I'd get pains under the knee cap that would last days if not weeks. I'd really have to take it easy. It hurt my workouts. I figure it was the fact the muscle could lift more than the ligaments could handle and the slightest misalignment caused painful injury.

I started to doing deep squats with no weights and chair lifts, again with no weight. I was very, very careful to have perfect form. I still use very little weight. You simply have to build up the strength in your knees--nice and slow. As soon as you feel a twinge, back off and check form.

As for shape, you build muscle. "Shape" comes from the ratio of thigh to knee to calf to ankle. It's part genetic and part hard work. I run, bike, and lift weights. My limbs are hard looking--corded, defined, striated, and vascular. Too much so for my aesthetic taste, but I'm still carrying extra weight in my torso I'm trying to loose.

What caused me to go with really light weight is one day I was getting up off the floor. Suddenly, I was aware of how much my knees bent to get me up. The common notion of only going down so far to "protect the knees" I felt was the problem. I wasn't working the lower portion of the motion the leg uses to push you up off the ground. That's when I started doing squats as deep as my legs would bent. My butt doesn't quite touch my ankles, but it's close. I also do it on my toes. I'm essentially to doing a deep-bent tip-toe squat. For balance I try to loose my balance forward as I position myself facing a wall. After to bit of practice I gently tapped the wall as I did my squats.

It's basically like you're kneeling and the exercise is where you pop back on your toes--butt on ankles--and stand straight up. Only you do it multiple times and don't let your knees touch the floor.


I'd do them until my thighs started to burn. I'd do them a couple of times a day. I've not had problems with my knees from lifting since.

I major word of caution: go only down as far as the flesh in your hams and calves will allow.

If you want to work your butt more then keep your feet flat. If you're like me then you'll need to hold a weight out at arms' length in front of you to keep you from falling backward.

Hope this helps with your knees.

thkelly

Squats, squats and more squats!

this...

Sandman978

I have been using a spin bike and increased the tension on it to work out my legs. I will release the tension to get some rest then tighten it back up. Once i get off my legs are like rubber. So I have found that to work for me. Good luck.Hope this works for you.

legacysh

(oh and I have a problem with a knee, so deep lunges are out).

What kind of problem? When I was heavy and out of shape my knees couldn't take much exercise. I'd get pains under the knee cap that would last days if not weeks. I'd really have to take it easy. It hurt my workouts. I figure it was the fact the muscle could lift more than the ligaments could handle and the slightest misalignment caused painful injury.

I started to doing deep squats with no weights and chair lifts, again with no weight. I was very, very careful to have perfect form. I still use very little weight. You simply have to build up the strength in your knees--nice and slow. As soon as you feel a twinge, back off and check form.

As for shape, you build muscle. "Shape" comes from the ratio of thigh to knee to calf to ankle. It's part genetic and part hard work. I run, bike, and lift weights. My limbs are hard looking--corded, defined, striated, and vascular. Too much so for my aesthetic taste, but I'm still carrying extra weight in my torso I'm trying to loose.

What caused me to go with really light weight is one day I was getting up off the floor. Suddenly, I was aware of how much my knees bent to get me up. The common notion of only going down so far to "protect the knees" I felt was the problem. I wasn't working the lower portion of the motion the leg uses to push you up off the ground. That's when I started doing squats as deep as my legs would bent. My butt doesn't quite touch my ankles, but it's close. I also do it on my toes. I'm essentially to doing a deep-bent tip-toe squat. For balance I try to loose my balance forward as I position myself facing a wall. After to bit of practice I gently tapped the wall as I did my squats.

It's basically like you're kneeling and the exercise is where you pop back on your toes--butt on ankles--and stand straight up. Only you do it multiple times and don't let your knees touch the floor.


I'd do them until my thighs started to burn. I'd do them a couple of times a day. I've not had problems with my knees from lifting since.

I major word of caution: go only down as far as the flesh in your hams and calves will allow.

If you want to work your butt more then keep your feet flat. If you're like me then you'll need to hold a weight out at arms' length in front of you to keep you from falling backward.

Hope this helps with your knees.

Thanks for the tip with the knees, Lunges and squats are hard on them, but I will try your approach.

legacysh

I have been using a spin bike and increased the tension on it to work out my legs. I will release the tension to get some rest then tighten it back up. Once i get off my legs are like rubber. So I have found that to work for me. Good luck.Hope this works for you.

That soulds like something I could do. Its the weight bearing that causes the issues for me, so machine work is great. I haven't done the spin thing yet.

Thanks for the Info!

waterbabeAD

Definately squats and leg curls along with running. I do my leg curls with a swiss ball.

For these you dont even need a gym - just a swiss ball and decent properly fitted training shoes. After 6 m at it I have great legs now :-) this all it took - 3 x per week.

BarBelle76

Squats, squats and more squats!

this...

Twice :-) I do them three times a week in my training programme - heavy, light, heavy.

bmontgomery87

Squats, squats and more squats!

this.
Squats make you grow more than anything else.

darrenham

No single exercise will add definition. For definition you need to lose the layer of fat from under the skin. This may or may not be possible due to your genetics and your genetics only deciding where your body stores fat.

Exercises mentioned in here are all great for building muscle, but you can't see it if there's a layer of fat over it.

letsdothis68

Check out this website they have some low knee impact suggestions to shape your legs.

http://www.guide-to-great-legs.com/leg-shaping.html

legacysh

Check out this website they have some low knee impact suggestions to shape your legs.

http://www.guide-to-great-legs.com/leg-shaping.html

Hey thanks for the article!