What exercises get skinny legs, not muscular legs?

Sl1ghtly

For thin, non-muscley legs, avoid any type of leg excersize. No squats, no lunges, no bike riding, no nothing eat at a consistent calorie deficit until you achieve the desired thinness. Avoid walking excessively fast, also.

LorinaLynn

Personally? I greatly prefer my "bulky" muscular legs (and arms) to the skinny ones I used to have.



Plus, I'd much rather legs that can carry me over 10k in less than an hour over skinny legs that got pooped walking three miles in an hour.

Beastette

Bed rest.

gracienkaidens_momma

Bed rest.

Seriously? I think the poster would like helpful feedback. This is not even funny.

ninerbuff

Do some yoga on top of your biking! The yoga helps stretch out your legs which will make them look nice and lean!

Uh no. The stretching stretches the muscle, but does NOTHING to elongate it. Your muscle insertions are permanent from birth.


A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Pilates is supposed to help elongate, thin down, the legs. Worth a shot!

Again no.


A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

torie079

Walking lunges is the ONLY thing that has really defined my legs the way I want...

nikkis57

Hi! Try taking an adult beginner ballet class! I tried that a couple years ago and it was REALLY effective! You use your own body weight as resistance and most of the moves involve muscle flex/stretch combo. You'll definitely work up a sweat! Pilates and yoga area also really great options too!

Picola1984

gastankerdriver

I would take muscular legs over skinny, modelesque legs ANY DAY. It means you are a working woman.

Beastette

Bed rest.

Seriously? I think the poster would like helpful feedback. This is not even funny.

I was one of the few people giving a suggestion that would actually work. Muscular atrophy is achievable through a lack of use and reduction in calories. I didn't discourage her goals, nor did I discount them. Sorry I did not make you laugh, but that wasn't my goal.

Beastette

Now, this? This is funny.

lickmybaconcakes

Nice rack

gracienkaidens_momma

Bed rest.

Seriously? I think the poster would like helpful feedback. This is not even funny.

I was one of the few people giving a suggestion that would actually work. Muscular atrophy is achievable through a lack of use and reduction in calories. I didn't discourage her goals, nor did I discount them. Sorry I did not make you laugh, but that wasn't my goal.

Um my suggestion of eating a healthy low calorie diet while doing lunges, squats and deadlifts would actually work to tone and tighten her muscles much more than "bed rest." That's just ridiculous!

gracienkaidens_momma

Do some yoga on top of your biking! The yoga helps stretch out your legs which will make them look nice and lean!

Uh no. The stretching stretches the muscle, but does NOTHING to elongate it. Your muscle insertions are permanent from birth.


A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Now this guy knows what he is talking about!

gracienkaidens_momma

When I finally get the tight and toned legs that I am looking for by lifting heavy, I am going to post my before and after shots to prove to those people who think that women lifting heavy automatically will look bulky. I am not there yet, but believe me what I've done so far has yielded results that are far from bulky. Just sayin...

cspark1982

Like others have said try yoga Pilates and swimming

JNick77

Do you want strong legs or skinny legs?

Axels91

I hear this all the time from friends/girlfriends etc..

The truth is, women do not produce enough testosterone to pack on tons of muscle without years of excessive training.

Calves are very genetic, I have large ones also but I'm proud of them since most guys have chicken legs.

Riding a bike will not make your calves bigger and not riding the bike will not make your calves smaller. The point that you would need to get to, to achieve muscular atrophy in your legs would be completely unhealthy.

Be proud! Or squat at the gym a little more often to help proportions on the legs.

i think that legs should be proportionate to the rest of the body. larger legs make a guy look stronger. chicken legs are extremely unattractive on men with big arms. women too. big belly, big breasts, flabby arms and broad shoulder, all situated on a pair of toothpicks.

Rachaelluvszipped

Zumba and Spin for me

LorinaLynn

Maybe it's because I'm significantly older, and have been skinny in the past, and have been rather injury prone my whole life, but at this stage of the game, I'm all about function over form. I'd rather bigger arms and legs that are capable of performing whatever task I want to do, than look graceful and gazelle-like and not have the strength and endurance I have now.

It's not that I want to be muscular... I just want to be strong and avoid injury. I lift heavy, but I'm not looking to get ripped. I used to hurt my back several times a year. And my knees. And wrists. I had a lovely collection of knee braces, wrist braces, ace bandages, etc. I haven't needed them since I've been exercising regularly, especially since strength training. As luck would have it, I've grown to prefer how I look with a little more muscle on me than I use to have. And I don't know if that's an aesthetic thing, or just knowing that what I have now is so much healthier than I used to be, and appreciating what I can do now that I couldn't do before.

Picola1984

Nice rack

Why thanks, it makes my legs super long

pinkcoconutz

Yoga, Pilates, walking, running, jogging and swimming - and try this: http://www.livestrong.com/article/540418-how-to-get-slim-legs-without-bulking-up/ .

EatClenTrenHard

Lack of excercise + caloric deficit will definately shape your legs the way you seem to want it
but you will look nothing close to this



but will look like this



which is so disguisting imo

californiagirl2012

Since I was young, I've loved riding my bike. I used to go out on it for hours & hours a few times a week. My calves are quite big but not with fat, it's the only part of my body with proper muscle. Thing is, they're big, too big for my liking. I want thin legs, not muscular legs but I'm scared that if I keep riding my bike either outside or at the gym, my legs will just keep getting more muscular instead of slimming down.
What are the best exercises to burn off the fat on my legs, but not build up too much muscle? I know it takes a long time for women to build up huge muscles but I really don't want big legs, I think that would be as upsetting as having fat legs for me & considering my calves are already too muscly for my liking, you can kind of understand why I'm worried..
Any help would be awesome & greatly appreciated!

You really don't have to worry about building too much muscle, it just doesn't happen to us girls, we don't have the hormones to get big. Losing fat makes you skinny = calories, nothing else matters. Seriously. Also, losing fat makes your muscles more defined. I've run and lifted weights for over 30 years while over weight. Most of the time I looked okay even over weight. I looked strong, big, kind of muscly but not very defined muscles, hefty and strong. When I lost more weight I had a softer toned look. When I got really lean last year for the first time ever I looked muscly because the fat was gone. I added just 1-2% more body fat and I look a bit more soft but still pretty muscly because I'm still really lean. If I wanted to look more soft and less muscle definition all I have to do is allow some more fat. You can have whatever you want but you are somewhat stuck with your genetics to some extent. I can't change the fact that I'm short or that my torso is thicker than I want it even while that section of my body is zero % body fat. It is what it is and I have to accept certain things.

californiagirl2012

Maybe it's because I'm significantly older, and have been skinny in the past, and have been rather injury prone my whole life, but at this stage of the game, I'm all about function over form. I'd rather bigger arms and legs that are capable of performing whatever task I want to do, than look graceful and gazelle-like and not have the strength and endurance I have now.

It's not that I want to be muscular... I just want to be strong and avoid injury. I lift heavy, but I'm not looking to get ripped. I used to hurt my back several times a year. And my knees. And wrists. I had a lovely collection of knee braces, wrist braces, ace bandages, etc. I haven't needed them since I've been exercising regularly, especially since strength training. As luck would have it, I've grown to prefer how I look with a little more muscle on me than I use to have. And I don't know if that's an aesthetic thing, or just knowing that what I have now is so much healthier than I used to be, and appreciating what I can do now that I couldn't do before.

Adding to this ^^^ Lifting weights will help keep your bones strong. Just 3 times a week (I am more of a fanatic and that is not necessary to get the health benefits).

I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

I know plenty of older women right now who regret that they never started lifting sooner. Their bones are already deteriorating. This will happen.

martintanz

.

That sucks so much of him to say that! I know the feeling though. I started feeling self conscious about my appearance when my first ever crush called me a man because I was taller than him. So unfair for people to say that kind of stuff.
I hope you get the legs you're hoping for, pilates seems the way to go!
[/quote

A real man would never say something like that to a woman.]

JNick77

Elongated muscles have another name for them, torn muscles.

Watch your diet to drop body fat and do some weight training and some cardio and you'll be fine.

Lozze

which is so disguisting imo

Can we stop with the body shaming please?

Koldnomore

which is so disguisting imo

Can we stop with the body shaming please?

Yes please. YOUR goals are not EVERYONE's goals so posting 'well I have this and so should you' is pointless and rude.

However, you have to remember that you body does have a tendancy to do certain things just because of the way you are built - for me, my muscles bulk no matter what I do.

I am exactly the same - I'm built like a man really.. so yeah..sorry. If someone does not like the look they just don't. Long distance running / marathon is the only thing I have seen where the participants get really lean.