Lifting - Advice please!

Aviendha_RJ

So... the absolute LAST place that I have to lose weight... and tone up... is my legs. That's it. They're officially, the biggest part of me. That's where I gain, that's where I have trouble losing.

If I lift... (which I haven't so far through this entire process) will they get bigger? That worries me, because already I have trouble finding clothes that fit. They're always too tight in the leg & MASSIVE in the waist.

And if I do lift... what are the best exercises to tone the leg? I know squats & lunges are good for your glutes... but that's not really a problem area. I mean... I could *always* tighten up....

... but I want to SLENDERIZE my legs. Will weights give me that?

DavPul

Squats and lunges are where it's at. No, you will not develop huge muscled legs.

I promise

Liftnlove

This is my official answer:

Lugemachine

Despite common overuse of the word, you can't "tone". You can only build muscle OR lose fat (to make existing muscle more visible). You can't make existing muscle somehow tighter. The (sort of brutal) truth is that, in order to make your legs less flabby, you HAVE to lose fat or build muscle. Muscular legs are shapelier and muscle is metabolically active (helps you burn calories).

Because women have very little testosterone, they typically won't build large muscle mass, so don't fear squats and lunges. Look up plyometric exercises, too... see what female high-jumpers do. They seek strong legs, but minimal muscle mass... long, lean, muscular legs.

Lugemachine

Okay, so this answer is WAY better than mine. Evidence.

Lugemachine

This is my official answer:


Bloody 'ell... rookie error. Okay, THIS answer is way better than mine!

LorinaLynn

To be 100% honest, weight training did make my quads right above my knees a little bigger. Not enough to make buying jeans any more difficult, though.

Same weight, before and after strength training:





If I'm going to have trouble finding pants that fit, I'd rather it be because my legs are firm and muscular than because the top of my thighs are a jiggly mess. Slim legs are not an option for me. It's not how I'm built. I'm somewhat pear-shaped, and I'll always, always, always have a bigger bottom. Even as a child, my mother had to add elastic to the back of my pants because my waist was so much smaller than my hips. Change your thinking from "These pants don't fit because my legs are too big" to "I need to get these pants tailored a little because I have such a wonderfully tiny waist!"

rascallycat

This is my official answer:

This is all the answer you need /thread

DavPul

This is my official answer:

This should be copyrighted and sold every place that fitness motivational posters are sold. Love this


Edited to add: but isn't "Shut up and lift" supposed to be on there someplace?

vjohn04

OP- I am in the same boat as you with legs being the last place... I'm pear so weight was concentrated in my butt and thighs.
Keep at it... you will see your results. 2 weeks is not long enough.

Before weight lifting:




After weight lifting:

Liftnlove

This is my official answer:

This should be copyrighted and sold every place that fitness motivational posters are sold. Love this


Edited to add: but isn't "Shut up and lift" supposed to be on there someplace?

Lol!! Yes, it usually says "Shut up and Lift" at the bottom, but I was having technical difficulties today, so she got the "nice" version...