Long lean muscles vs bulky legs?? Help

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  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I can certainly see more definition in my quads from doing squats. I have read that it is better for women to do low rep, high weight for legs? Is this true? It could be that I need to lose more fat from my legs. I am finding that losing from my inner thighs is the hardest thing as well as those love handles. Try to eat at a deficit, sometimes I go over and I am trying to exercise more than 3 days a week if not everyday.

    I've just heard so much crap about how running or using the elippitical increases mass but pilates and yoga do not. I used to dance for 18 years and was small.....around 110. I had a major foot surgery which kept me off my feet for MONTHS...dropped to a very unhealthy weight because of all the meds and then I gained it back and then some. I'm just trying to find an effective way to keep my thighs firm but not huge.
    Yep, you know what you heard.....'crap'. I use to dance for a few decades and was light as well. When I went back to exercising I picked up high weight low reps. The women should do highly repetitive low weight movements are bull crap. This is what the high weight stuff did to my thighs:
    IMG_20130125_175224-1.jpgIMG_20130125_175256-1.jpg

    Strength does not equate to larger muscle mass size on a calorie deficit. To create larger muscles, you need a surplus in fuel to make them. You cannot create denser, heavier (by volume) material and get larger while losing weight with less fuel. It just doesn't make any sense in the world.
  • hungryhobbit1
    hungryhobbit1 Posts: 259 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1027237-women-muscles-and-bulk-a-historical-perspective
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Unfortunately, how your legs look is genetic. You can do crossfit, yoga, pilates, ballet, run, etc. If your body wasn't meant to look that way, it won't. I am 5'3 and my legs will always be big. They will get smaller with a body fat % loss, but never be long and lean.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    I did a week of 200 squats daily and my thighs grew half an inch. I freaked out and stopped doing them. I decided to take another approach instead. I do slow running (45 mins) 4-5 times a week to tone my legs and on the weekend I will do some sumo squats. Runners really do have the best legs! I'm going for the slim, long and toned look! Looks best in hot shorts :)

    There are only two ways you gained 1/2" in your legs in a week.... 1. water retention or 2. you didn't measure in the same spot. Running will not tone your legs. In fact steady state cardio can more likely lead to muscle loss than heavy weight training like you were doing. Also, how can you make an informed decision after only a week?


    OP,

    You are a woman, the only way to get big bulky legs is steroids, otherwise, you will just get more lean. But keep in mind that you can mismeasure and have water retention which can skew your results.
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
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    Runners really do have the best legs!

    I disagree.
  • Delicate
    Delicate Posts: 625 Member
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    I find sprinters have better legs (and bums) than long distance runners.

    You are seeing more definition cause you are losing fat (and hopefully retaining muscle)

    If you get to 10% body fat and still have 'bulky legs' blame your genetics. everything else is just fat.

    As far as we know, you cant detach your muscles and put them further away from each other to 'look longer'.
  • elvensnow
    elvensnow Posts: 154 Member
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    I skimmed through some posts so apologize if I rehash. But I didn't see anyone mention the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women" (often abbreviated NROL4W). I just found it recently as well and it is an amazing source of information if you are looking to build muscle.

    But in general there is no such thing as "toning" or making your muscles "long and lean" or any of those words bandied about on "women's" fitness DVDs. You will only look lean and athletic if you are a lean athlete. Meaning you have muscle and low body fat% so that those muscles show through.

    Also doing lots of reps with low weight is complete fitness-snake-oil. If you use low weights and lots of reps you are essentially doing cardio (it is no longer anaerobic exercise, which is what you want), which will not build muscle. You might gain a -little- over doing nothing, but it won't build over time.

    If your thighs are bulking after squats and lunges, it's likely the muscles getting bigger but you haven't lost fat over them. Keep in mind too that muscles will retain water and get "puffy" after exercise as they are recovering from the workout.

    I highly recommend the book for any women (and honestly men too) looking to dispel some myths and get into a real weight routine.

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