How to get rid of these "thick" legs?????

I'm not sure about the whole "spot targeting" thing, but maybe something like yoga/pilates would help. I did a Yoga/Pilates class a couple days a week and after a couple of months my entire body was a lot leaner. My thigh muscles especially felt a lot less compact. Hope it helps!

It may just be your body type. Everyone is shaped differently, and some people just have proportionally bigger legs than others.

Also, please, please, please - DON'T respond with "you can't target certain areas" - I've heard this several times as well.

But... you can't, so what else do you want to hear? You can't target fat loss. You can target muscle growth by strength training certain areas, but if you're still eating at a deficit, this is not likely to be a significant amount. Squats, lunges etc will help to shape your legs but won't make them any slimmer unless/until your body is ready to let go of the fat there. Sorry it's not what you want to hear.

it's your body type type learn to love it. start working with your body instead of against it by wasting time trying to look like a different body shape.

if you're a pear or hourglass shape then odds are you're going to always have thick legs. you can either bemoan the situation and play chase your tail trying all kinds of things trying to fight your genetic code or just continue to work out and create the best body for YOUR body type

also you can change any body shape or type with the correct exercises and diet...

its how hard you work at it, takes a lot of sweat.

EMBRACE YOUR INNER PEAR!! I have heavy legs too but the rest of me is ok. Yoga and pilates will help to elongate and tone but you pretty much have to learn to love what your mamma gave you. If they are toned and strong who cares how big they are! :flowerforyou:

I've lost nearly four dress sizes on my top but hardly two on my lowerhalf- but it's cos I'm pear shaped! Narrow shoulders, wide hips and everything weight wise will go there. Accept that you're not hourglass, very few people are but most clothes are designed for, and work out how to make the most of your pear shape- literally nothing can change your body build.

also you can change any body shape or type with the correct exercises and diet...

its how hard you work at it, takes a lot of sweat.

this is SO not true and quite frankly part of the reason so many girls end up getting eating disorders

You cant change your body shape or somatatype but your can change how your body looks by reducing body fat and adding muscle. If you think your legs look really big, do heavy glute bridges and hip thrustsers, it will round your bum out so it looks bigger making your legs look smaller. Same with your upper body, put a bit of muscle of your back/chest/shoulders and you make your lower lower look more in proportion.

But I still stand by what I said, nothing wrong with strong looking legs, beats chicken legs anyday.

I'll try this as well

1. are your legs "thick" because they are muscular or can you "pinch and inch". If it isn't fat then it isn't going anywhere with the exercises you are doing.
2. feel free to ignore me - I was born with a "thick head" and no amount of exercise can fix that.
3. I never saw a ballet dancer nor gymnast with clumpy legs - maybe there is a clue there to the type of exercises you should be doing.
4. I have the oposite problem. My arms and legs have good muscle definition - my "spare tyre" is getting less but that's where my Xs sits
good luck

by the way how long ago did you "just hate it" too when someone posted "just got a few lbs to go"?

also you can change any body shape or type with the correct exercises and diet...

its how hard you work at it, takes a lot of sweat.

this is SO not true and quite frankly part of the reason so many girls end up getting eating disorders

I think what they were getting at was that you can sculpt your body through weight training. At least that's how I interpreted it from their post with the exercises. Like how you can do squats and build muscle to shape your butt, and such.

Anyway, back on topic, you could try to lose more weight in addition to doing the leg exercises mentioned. If you lose 5-10 pounds, you'd still be in a healthy weight range for 5'3. Burning more fat will probably slim them a bit, but if you're pear shaped, they still might be a little bit big in the end. I'm 5'3 and pear shaped myself, and while they did slim down, they're still a bit thick at 109, but I've just accepted that.

You can change your body shape through diet and exercise. To say you can't is quite ignorant.

I can help!!! I RELATE 100%!! I have been a BIG leggeded girl all my life and mine was due to muscles (and fat), gotta love genetics plus overeating. This is the first time in my life I've really gotten my legs down along with the rest of me. That said, my upper body is still "thinner" than my legs but I'm balanced and proportioned. I went from a size 16 pant to size 6 jeans comfortably and my upper body is a size 6. What did it for me?

1) Weights!!! Lifting heavy (for me)! I was always one of those girls who said she wouldn't lift weights because she'd bulk. WRONG!! This is the smallest I've been since I was in the 6th grade.

Mon and Wed:
Legs--squats and goblin squats. 30lbs in the beginning, now up to 40lbs. 15reps. 3 sets.
Arms/shoulders/back--15lbs each arm. Bicep curl into shoulder press and tricep extensions (while doing goblin squats), bent over rows. 10reps. 3 sets.

Tues and Thurs:
Legs--Lunges and Romanian deadlifts. 30lbs in the beginning, now up to 40lbs. 15reps. 3 sets.
Arms/shoulders/back--15lbs each arm. Lateral raises and side lateral raises (while doing goblin squats), bent over lateral raises. 10reps. 3 sets.

Fri:
Just legs--squats, goblin squats, Romanian deadlifts and lunges. 30lbs in the beginning, now up to 40lbs. 15reps. 3 sets.

I don't go superheavy because I need flexibility and agility for dancing.

3) Cardio. When I do weights, I do them as HIIT. Meaning: I'll do 30 seconds hard rope jumping, then one set of movement, like 15reps of squats. Then 30 secs hard rope jumping, then 10 reps of arm weights. 30 secs hard rope jumping, then 15reps goblin squats. I do this until I hit all the reps and sets. I jump rope to keep my heart rate up and burn cals while I'm doing weights.

Every day, I jog 2-5 miles a day. Usually, 2 miles in the am, with the dog, then do HIIT/weights. Then 2 miles in the pm, after work. In the summer, I swam 45 mins -1 1/2 hrs 3 or 4 times a week. Or I do the elliptical. I clock at least 1 1/2 hr workout every day and then about 3-4 hrs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

But, I really believe that it's the running combined with the weights that have gotten my thighs, hips, and butt down. I had a boyfriend who was a biathlete and he told me that running distance over time (rather than fast sprints) break down the muscle fibers and rebuilds them longer and thinner and he said something about the pounding tears the muscle fibers so when they rebuild you want to build them longer, thus running over times (I think of marathon runners, lean thighs). It made sense. So I run for time...at least 20-30 minutes a stretch twice a day.

I still have thighs, but they're not huge and I'm complimented on my legs all the time I hope this helps. It took about 4 months to see really definitive results...and that's working hard EVERY day.

I'm am an example of a woman who changed her body type...I've always been "thick"...I'm not anymore. My body looks VERY different. Also, if you look at my profile pics, the black/white dress and the green skirtini were taken when I was a size 8. I'm now a size 6, so even smaller (not even trying to lose anymore)...

EMBRACE YOUR INNER PEAR!! I have heavy legs too but the rest of me is ok. Yoga and pilates will help to elongate and tone but you pretty much have to learn to love what your mamma gave you. If they are toned and strong who cares how big they are! :flowerforyou:

Noooooo... please not the "elongation"! :explode: Yoga and pilates will not elongate anything. Once you have stopped growing, your bones are a fixed length, and your muscles are a fixed length. Like any exercise, yoga and pilates will help you to lose fat through a calorie deficit, and they can help you to strengthen and shape your muscles (although not as effectively as you can with weight lifting).

But the part about embracing your shape - that's good advice. :flowerforyou:

Ah feck, totally worded it wrong, should have put 'gives the illusion of longer, leaner muscles' ANY eejit should know your bones wont grow with yoga but Ive slimmed down my thighs as best I can. I havent tried the lifting (yet) so couldnt give an opinion but Ive seen some AMAZING photos of the ladies on here. Please dont explode!

I am 5'3.5" with the exact same issues at this moment in time. I lose in my face, waiste and back but it is impossible to lose in my butt, tummy and thighs. Grrr. At one point we have to just accept what we have, own it and love it. My hubby loves me no matter what I look like so I should follow him and love me for who and what I am as well. I am in the best shape of my life, I run long distance, lift weights, feel great except for these stupid fat pockets I can't seem to get rid of. Telling people not to be honest will not help your plight. Accept you for who you are, enough said. No one will ever have the perfect body or be 100% satisfied with themselves anyway. You just have to strive to be the best you that you can be.

I have what I class as 'thick' legs too - I've been told I have athletic legs..lol... and the more exercise I do with them the more bulked up they get - I have never had nice skinny little calves - EVER! Even at my skinniest where I was happiest with my body - I still never had the legs I would have liked.. my body just isn't that shape...