Any way to lose fat on legs but NOT gain muscle?

JoRocka

herm- maybe if you just walked really slowly?

or backwards!!! that should do it.

#can'tgainon5000caloriesuprlusproblems

If I walk backwards I'll lose my gains. That's how it works, right?
#builtlikeatank

first your complaining about your thunder thighs from walking... and now you are complaining you will lose them.

I bet you want a man (or woman) who is rich- sensative and cavemanish and has no baggage all at the same time... pffftaaaaaa

rubbish

JoRocka

You're not going to have enough protein in a deficit.

LOL WUT

you could eat 100% protein and still be on a deficit. (horrible example- but it's true)

ThriceBlessed

A lot of people are saying you won't gain muscle at a deficit, and that is true to a point, you won't gain muscle in the sense of bulking up, building lots of muscle tissue... at least not after the first couple of weeks of activity. You can gain muscle the first few weeks of exercise if you were very obese and out of shape and just started working out, and even after that you will build a little strength and tone. As for your legs getting smaller, eventually the fat will come off your legs, but your body may be programed to lose in a specific order. For most people it is the opposite order of where they gain.

For example, if when you first started to gain weight, it built up on your thighs first, then your butt, then your belly, and lastly your arms and chest, when you lose weight it will tend to come off in this order-chest, arms, belly, butt, thighs. There really isn't any way to change this.

Also, look at other female relatives. Sisters, Aunts, cousins, your mom... look at the ones who are not overweight, assuming there are some... if you see a distinct trend toward large hips and thighs even in those who are not overweight, that may be just part of your build, your natural shape, and you won't change it so you might as well embrace it and have FIRM thighs. If you don't see that trend then the only answer is to be patient, but whatever you do, don't be afraid of gaining muscle, it is actually a GOOD thing if you do.

PetulantOne

First of all, some ppl gain muscle mass very easily, and not the trim and slim kind. I have struggled with that all my life. Body builders may like this but women in general do not. Cardio such as running or aerobics is the best way to trim down the fat on your legs while not bulking up. Add a little bit of toning exercises like leg lifts (no weight added) and this will tighten the already existing muscle making you smaller. Just don't overdo these types of exercises or ever add any weight as it will bulk you up almost immediately if you have this body type. Squats are NOT what you want to do. They will bulk you up if you already have a tendency toward large legs. Try not to eat too much protein either or this can add more muscle when mixed with exercise. Eat less fats, and try to stick with more veggies and lean proteins like chicken and fish, hummus dip, etc. Good luck!

OP- do the exact opposite of this.

geekyjock76

Since the OP's intervention focused on calorie restriction and cardio, she is reducing fat free mass.

Effects of calorie restriction with exercise (cardio) on body composition:
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/92/3/865.full?sid=a0f70e8c-d4b6-416f-aa4d-18e01e12926f

Change in body composition table
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/92/3/865/F1.large.jpg

*Total deficit was 25% (12.5 % reduction in caloric intake + 12.5 % increase in exercise expenditure)
*Women and men in the CR+ EX group lost approximately 2 kg of fat free mass from baseline after six months.

Here is a study on changes in lean mass during six weeks of calorie restriction with weight training:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/47/1/19.full.pdf+html

*After six weeks, women increased fat free mass by 0.43 kg (1 lb).
*Reported TDEE of 2200 to 2500 calories with a 1000 calorie intake during restriction.
*Protein intake was 1 g x kg body weight (75 g).

Thus, it is possible for people to observe a modest increase lean mass during a deficit while weight training but the increase won't be that significant outside of a few statistical outliers.

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JoRocka

sigh

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sijomial

sigh

What are you sighing about? Did you read the research? I've read actual studies that prove that athletes on a deficit increased muscle mass over time. I have been trying hard to find that study. It was provided to me by SideSteel not too long ago and was interesting...if that's what you're sighing about. While it doesn't make sense, I can't deny studies that suggest that muscle can be added while eating at a deficit. I am the first to disbelieve because it doesn't make any sense. The researchers can't even really conclude. They don't know why or how.

Think this is the one - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21558571

Personally I don't understand why people think muscle cells are different to any other kind of cells that clearly do get created whether you are in a moderate deficit or in a surplus. I would love to see some science behind the "it's impossible to build muscle in a deficit" statements rather than just assertions. Open to be educated.

BTW no-one is saying it's optimal (clearly not), just pointing out that it is possible for some people under the right conditions to build a small amount of lean mass (slowly) in a calorie deficit.

JoRocka

sigh

What are you sighing about? Did you read the research? I've read actual studies that prove that athletes on a deficit increased muscle mass over time. I have been trying hard to find that study. It was provided to me by SideSteel not too long ago and was interesting...if that's what you're sighing about. While it doesn't make sense, I can't deny studies that suggest that muscle can be added while eating at a deficit. I am the first to disbelieve because it doesn't make any sense. The researchers can't even really conclude. They don't know why or how.

because you agreed with a post that says this at the end

Thus, it is possible for people to observe a modest increase lean mass during a deficit while weight training but the increase won't be that significant outside of a few statistical outliers

I can't read most of the link's posted- extreme blocks at work.

We all agree there is such a thing as newb gains- and that's typically where one expects to see "modest increase" but it says right there- will not be significant.

There is a reason why body builders/mass gainers go through the program they go through. Bigger muscles = bigger engine- and bigger engines are stronger than little ones. That only happens on a meaningful level with a calorie surplus.

tottie06

Is there any exercise that I could do to lose the fat on my legs but NOT gain muscle? Walking is my main exercise and I know that has alot to do with it. But my legs are not getting any smaller. They are just getting tighter from gaining muscle. Just wondering if someone knows what I could do dfferently. Thanks!

Besides walking brisky, how about short bursts of running. Running burns it off like crazy. At least for me.

geekyjock76

I forgot to mention this but caution needs to be made when citing increases in lean mass and associating it with muscular hypertrophy. Weight loss studies do not measure changes in muscular hypertrophy but rather body composition. Due to this limitation, we do not know how much of that increased lean mass subjects observe is actual muscle. Muscular hypertrophy studies (which very few are done on women) generally collect biopsies to assess increases in muscle area.

mamacoates

Since July 1st, I have lost 25 lbs and lots of inches in my lower body. My exercise staples have been spin class (vigorous bicycling) and elliptical at high intensity intervals.

ajaxe432

General weight loss is key. Whilst losing, walking is good for gentle toning. Slower, long-distance running (rather than short but fast) is good for long and lean muscles, as is yoga. Stretch well and often. I wouldn't rule out squats as these will define your thigh muscles rather than build them, making them look slimmer as a result- just don't add weight when squatting.

Can you elaborate on what your statement is? Trying to follow gentle toning......just not getting it....:huh:

ajaxe432

In...

...for rough toning.


Wait, what?

Sorry. Wrong thread.

lol

liftreadphilosophize

I forgot to mention this but caution needs to be made when citing increases in lean mass and associating it with muscular hypertrophy. Weight loss studies do not measure changes in muscular hypertrophy but rather body composition. Due to this limitation, we do not know how much of that increased lean mass subjects observe is actual muscle. Muscular hypertrophy studies (which very few are done on women) generally collect biopsies to assess increases in muscle area.

Potentially dumb question ahead:


As lifting weights increases bone density, could the increase in LBM possibly be attributed (even partially) to "heavier bones"? Or would any increase in bone density not be significant enough to affect a noticeable change in LBM?

ajaxe432

sigh

What are you sighing about? Did you read the research? I've read actual studies that prove that athletes on a deficit increased muscle mass over time. I have been trying hard to find that study. It was provided to me by SideSteel not too long ago and was interesting...if that's what you're sighing about. While it doesn't make sense, I can't deny studies that suggest that muscle can be added while eating at a deficit. I am the first to disbelieve because it doesn't make any sense. The researchers can't even really conclude. They don't know why or how.

I did hear of this, but I think they were on a next to nothing deficit and in some cases subjects did gain mass. The deficit lasted two years and it was like a 100-200 caloric deficit (Guessing because I cant remember every detail)....Anyways I did see a similar study ...hoping its the same one.

geekyjock76

Potentially dumb question ahead:


As lifting weights increases bone density, could the increase in LBM possibly be attributed (even partially) to "heavier bones"? Or would any increase in bone density not be significant enough to affect a noticeable change in LBM?

Considering the time frame in which weight loss studies are done, DXA scans would be capable of measuring changes in bone mass density; however, a more accurate and reliable method would be bone biopsies (but those are not widely used either in weight loss studies). To reiterate my point: even though many present studies incorporate DXA, they generally do not detail the individual changes in body composition such as muscle and bone mass density. Instead, they broadly go by lean mass. With that said, though, some of the increased lean mass from resistance training would be from bone mass density. We just don't know how much.

Belinda658

Is still wtf-ing at "gentle toning"

wifeymou1112

First of all, some ppl gain muscle mass very easily, and not the trim and slim kind. I have struggled with that all my life. Body builders may like this but women in general do not. Cardio such as running or aerobics is the best way to trim down the fat on your legs while not bulking up. Add a little bit of toning exercises like leg lifts (no weight added) and this will tighten the already existing muscle making you smaller. Just don't overdo these types of exercises or ever add any weight as it will bulk you up almost immediately if you have this body type. Squats are NOT what you want to do. They will bulk you up if you already have a tendency toward large legs. Try not to eat too much protein either or this can add more muscle when mixed with exercise. Eat less fats, and try to stick with more veggies and lean proteins like chicken and fish, hummus dip, etc. Good luck!

Wow, who wrote this?! :-o as if