thighs are getting bulky.Advice pls?

peuglow

Your legs kinda sound like mine. When I did lower body weights, I got these freakishly huge hulk like legs. I find that cardio workout alone is enough to sculpt my legs.

lol

agreed lol

dlpnrn2b

bumping this great thread and love that email from the personal trainer!!

bcf7683

I Love using the squat rack! I do tend to do the highest weight i can possibly do and have been doing this for a while. Then i hear that i shouldnt be doing this and should lift lighter but more! But having read up alot and from what alot of you say, im on the right track doing what im already doing

Possibly is just water retention and i hope that as i carry on with the weights and the bit of cardio i do, i will see a difference and hopefully the thighs will lean out.

I just got this email from a personal trainer:-


Big thighs are a very sore spot for many women, but just what causes this? Many women shy away from weight training, thinking that any weight lifting will make their huge thighs even bigger. I'm a certified personal trainer, and women need to first figure out just why their thighs are too big for their liking.
If you have "thunder" or big thighs, ask yourself what makes them huge in the first place. I don't mean lifestyle habits. I mean composition: What is inside your thighs that makes them big? If you had Superman's X ray vision, what would you see inside your thighs if you examined them, that explains why they're huge?

Most women will answer "Fat." But some women will insist that it's muscle that makes their thighs huge.

Let's assume it's fat that makes your thighs big. The next question to ask yourself is why would weight training increase the size of your thighs? After all, their size is from excess fat. Lifting weights does not increase the size of fat cells, nor do weight workouts increase the number of fat cells. Thus, why would lifting weights make thunder thighs with too much fat, even larger? Hmmm...that's certainly one to reflect upon.

Now, let's suppose a woman's thighs are big due to lots of muscle. The next question is, how do you know it's muscle? Is there a way to verify this theory? There are several ways to check out this theory.

No. 1: Have a personal trainer give you a body fat reading with calipers. One of the skin fold sites for women is the middle of the front thigh. The result of the skin fold sample will be very telling, regarding the composition of your thigh: muscle vs. fat.

No. 2: If a woman's thighs are huge due to large amounts of muscle, then it stands to reason that these legs are very strong. Well, are they strong? Can you leg press 500 pounds for repetitions? Can you squat 400 pounds? Can you deadlift 400 pounds? I'm serious. Enough muscle to create a lot of size is enough muscle to mean a lot of brute strength.

If you're convinced it's just a lot of muscle, test your theory with the squat rack or leg press equipment. I've had clients who were convinced their huge thighs were full of muscle, but then were no stronger at squatting, leg pressing or leg extensions than women with thinner legs. Hmmm...

No. 3. Compare your legs to those of competitive female bodybuilders. Female bodybuilders who don't use steroids actually don't have very large upper legs, as far as girth. This is why female bodybuilders, at the time of competition when they have whittled their body fat percentage down to the single digits, can easily slip into size 4 and size 6 jeans, even size 2.

Their thighs aren't huge at all. Remember, they are flexing their muscles on stage, but in a relaxed position, their legs are not "big." However, their legs do, indeed, have impressive amounts of muscle, and well-sculpted muscle. But as far as the circumference, their legs are not big at all, and often even on the small side, as far as circumference.

But due to single-digit body fat percentage, plus flexing the muscles, their legs appear "big." Now, look at your own thighs in a mirror. Do they resemble those of a female bodybuilder? No, absolutely not. There will be no resemblance.

So why do women mistake fat for muscle in their big thighs? Because it's not heartening to realize you have excess fat. Secondly, if the gams don't jiggle, a woman might assume it's "all muscle." Another point to consider: Just because a woman is convinced she has thunder thighs, doesn't actually mean her legs are massive. Though many women do have huge legs, I've known women who referred to slightly larger-than-average legs as "huge."

Conclusion: If a woman has big thighs, and she's not happy about them, it's fat. Often, there's excess fat throughout her entire body as well. In other cases, excess fat is concentrated most in the thighs and hip area; this is partially related to hormones, but proper diet and exercise can work wonders for these "trouble spots."

I rarely witness women with big thunder thighs working heavy with the weight equipment. However, women who lift heavy with their legs almost always have lean, shapely, firm legs. The few women I do see lifting heavy, who actually have big thighs, are big all over: overall excess body fat. My recommendation: To trim big thighs, hit the weights hard - and heavy. Heavy weight workouts in a woman will incinerate fat, resulting in smaller, firmer gams!

Well there's your answer

monty619

Ever noticed that bulky powerlifters train REALLY heavy but only a few reps? While lean sculpters train higher reps? My trainers used to always get me to train over 15 reps while sculpting, and under when I had to bulk up (say to even out a thigh!). Maybe try higher reps, even if it means going slightly lower in weight (but always lift as high as you can for the intended number of reps)

This is false.... heavy weight/low reps will NOT bulk you up, especially if you are on a calorie deficit. In fact, fat loss is the same whether you do 6 reps or 15 reps but here is the major difference, high weight/low rep is much better for strength gains. Also, high weight low rep will increase you explosive power where low weigh/high rep will increase endurance.

Muscle is what makes a body tight and lean and the more you have, the leaner your body will be. OP, as someone already stated, its probably water retention.

You are wrong, one can gain a significant amount of muscle training at low reps. Haven't you even seen power lifter?

k but have you ever seen a bodybuilder???? o.0

mmapags

I find running amazing for my legs. I have naturally good ones, but they don't have a mm of fat on them now. I certainly have no desire or use for leg weights.

What about the fact that squats, leg press , extensions help your running performance.

,

LoraF83

I find running amazing for my legs. I have naturally good ones, but they don't have a mm of fat on them now. I certainly have no desire or use for leg weights.

What about the fact that squats, leg press , extensions help your running performance.

,

Yep. Wish more runners understood how much weights would help their performance.

I know that since I started lifting, the rest of me gives out long before my legs.

aproc

Please don't listen to the comments saying to let your muscles atrophy to lose the size. Any 'bulkiness' that comes from lifting weights often is the fat on top of the muscle. Keep doing weights and lower your calories for a while.

Capt_Apollo

I find running amazing for my legs. I have naturally good ones, but they don't have a mm of fat on them now. I certainly have no desire or use for leg weights.

What about the fact that squats, leg press , extensions help your running performance.

,

Yep. Wish more runners understood how much weights would help their performance.

I know that since I started lifting, the rest of me gives out long before my legs.

this

Jgen62

Just a thought....I went to an exercise class that did a great thigh workout. You sit with legs bent and feet are touching. You put weights on your inner thighs and lift up and down. I did 20 pound weights but you can start with a 5 and a 10 pound and work your way up. You just sit and lift it worked well. The trainer said it was the only way to lose the weight in the thigh area. I did see results. Thanks for reminding me I need to start doing this again. Hope this helps.

dad106

Just a thought....I went to an exercise class that did a great thigh workout. You sit with legs bent and feet are touching. You put weights on your inner thighs and lift up and down. I did 20 pound weights but you can start with a 5 and a 10 pound and work your way up. You just sit and lift it worked well. The trainer said it was the only way to lose the weight in the thigh area. I did see results. Thanks for reminding me I need to start doing this again. Hope this helps.

I think you need a new trainer.

You can't spot reduce fat.... so that he/she told you that was the only way to lose weight in the thigh area, means that they are a joke.

You lose weight through diet... not through lifting on a specific machine.

cici1028

May I recommend adding some yoga to your routine? It helps create long, lean muscles and there is lots of leg work to be done!

budru21

I highly doubt you are "getting bulky" as you describe... It's prob. just water retention as the muscles repair themselves.

If you are super worried about it, then stop weight training and let the muscle atrophy. Then you'll have skinny legs, but flabby ones instead of tight/toned ones.

^^^^^^ ^ This! Great answer. Think of it like this...you are installing the furnace you need to burn the fat. Without nice looking, shapely muscle, you can't DEFINE anything when the fat comes off the top. You will have nothing underneath to DEFINE. You will have flabby, skinny bones. Skinny fat girls look good with clothes on, fit girls look good with clothes on AND naked! :-) LIFT!!!!

kiachu

I have found that women mean a few things when they think that they have developed "bulky" legs and think its muscle.

1. They mistake swollen muscle tissues and water retention due to the muscle being used as muscle gains and "bulk"

2. They confuse muscle definition with size and "bulkiness". I have muscle definition in my legs and a good quad sweep because I'm at a lower bodyfat (for now). My legs would be called "bulky" and undesirable to many women. But I can fit in to a size 2/4 pants.

3. They don't like that look so any sense of muscle growth or definition halts them in their tracks. They want legs like a runway model or your average thin women. Thin but a more fat to muscle ration.

Sarauk2sf

I have found that women mean a few things when they think that they have developed "bulky" legs and think its muscle.

1. They mistake swollen muscle tissues and water retention due to the muscle being used as muscle gains and "bulk"

2. They confuse muscle definition with size and "bulkiness". I have muscle definition in my legs and a good quad sweep because I'm at a lower bodyfat (for now). My legs would be called "bulky" and undesirable to many women. But I can fit in to a size 2/4 pants.

3. They don't like that look so any sense of muscle growth or definition halts them in their tracks. They want legs like a runway model or your average thin women. Thin but a more fat to muscle ration.

^^this is very true.

iplayoutside19

I find running amazing for my legs. I have naturally good ones, but they don't have a mm of fat on them now. I certainly have no desire or use for leg weights.

Out of all the recreational sports in the US running claims the most injuries. Most of them minor and from overtraining. Regardless, working your legs in the weight room will help reduce those chances.

WendyTerry420

I highly doubt you are "getting bulky" as you describe... It's prob. just water retention as the muscles repair themselves.

^^ This

While you may have toned the muscle you have, you have not gained muscle, just water.

WendyTerry420

I have found just walking, doing cycling(including hills or high resistance/interval) and elliptical(interval) has left my thighs rock solid, with no need to do weights. I was warned off weight machines and weights if I wish to keep my thighs smaller by a personal trainer actually. I just focussing on my upper body for the weight work as the cardio seems to do just fine in terms of my legs.

I can't imagine a personal trainer instructing clients to neglect one portion of the body in such a manner that would intentionally lead to muscular imbalance and asymmetry.

This is what I am doing. I want my arms and shoulders to get bigger for symmetry. Just walking around for the last 20 years has kept my legs strong while my arms are weak and flabby. Personally, I am a pear/spoon shape, so even if I get down to a low body fat percent, I would still have huge legs and tiny shoulders.

Jgen62

bump

Jgen62

Just a thought....I went to an exercise class that did a great thigh workout. You sit with legs bent and feet are touching. You put weights on your inner thighs and lift up and down. I did 20 pound weights but you can start with a 5 and a 10 pound and work your way up. You just sit and lift it worked well. The trainer said it was the only way to lose the weight in the thigh area. I did see results. Thanks for reminding me I need to start doing this again. Hope this helps.

Correction~ another way to tone and lose weight in the thigh area.

psuLemon

Just a thought....I went to an exercise class that did a great thigh workout. You sit with legs bent and feet are touching. You put weights on your inner thighs and lift up and down. I did 20 pound weights but you can start with a 5 and a 10 pound and work your way up. You just sit and lift it worked well. The trainer said it was the only way to lose the weight in the thigh area. I did see results. Thanks for reminding me I need to start doing this again. Hope this helps.

Correction~ another way to tone and lose weight in the thigh area.

Correction... it won't tone or make you lose weight in the thigh area.. a basic calorie deficit will do that. These exercise will just strengthen the muscles. You can't spot reduce..