Will squats make my thighs bigger?

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Replies

  • amberlykay1014
    amberlykay1014 Posts: 608 Member
    I think of the most striking things about your photographs is the differences in your feet! You must have lost at least a shoe size or more. I know that's a random thing to notice, and this is a weird thing to say, but your feet look great too.

    And as for me, I love what squats and lunges have done to my legs! I remember before if I was laying down and had my knees pulled up to my chest, I could see folds in my thighs and cellulite. Now they are tight and sexy. :)
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    Depends on how your body responds to exercise and what you want to look like. Not every woman wants heavily muscled thighs.

    Since she's been in a deficit for most of her weightlifting days, she isn't gaining muscle most likely. What she's done with a small deficit, adequate protein and lifting with movements like SQUATS is helped to maintain LBM aka MUSCLE while losing weight and also fat. So really she's shed the fat off her thighs and kept the muscle she already had.

    Heavily muscled thighs... really? Because fit, athletic and healthy are such unattractive qualities. SMH.
  • canelly
    canelly Posts: 731 Member
    You're quads are amazing!!! I really need to start lifting heavy do my legs can look like yours!!!
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Great post, and congrats on your progress!
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
    This picture below shows my legs at 185# on the left. I had already lost 35# but you can see they are very flabby and pocked and just not pleasing to look at. They rubbed against each other when walking, standing, what have you (and that ish hurts when they chafe!). At this point all I had done for exercise was walking and some jogging (while doing C25K). You can imagine how fatty and big they were when I was 220# several months earlier!

    The picture on the right shows my legs currently, in progress. I'm 155# (about 25% bodyfat, trying to get to 18-20%). You'll notice they didn't get "bigger". They are more defined, leaner, and definitely wayyy more taut than before. My quads are pretty dominant and I can squat a hella lot of weight. These legs were built from lifting (no cardio) and a small calorie deficit (250-500 cals, toward the lower end on average though - I like to eat, a LOT). So - squats, deads, lunges, etc COMBINED with a caloric deficit = smaller thighs. As I continue to drop fat, they will continue to lean out and be even more defined and taut. I'm anxious for that but I suck at dieting.

    picstitch3.jpg

    Just out of curiosity, what's the time difference between your two pics?
  • lcuconley
    lcuconley Posts: 734 Member
    Depends on how your body responds to exercise and what you want to look like. Not every woman wants heavily muscled thighs.

    I'm willing to bet that between "heavily muscled" and heavily flabby and cottage-cheese like thighs 99.999999% of women would choose the former.

    Move along

    I agree that given the choice, women wd choose the former. The problem is that they stay at the latter because they use "too much muscle" as an excuse.

    Op - nice work and great post!
  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member

    Just out of curiosity, what's the time difference between your two pics?
    The first picture was August 2011. I did Chalean Extreme in September '11-January '12 (but my legs didn't change all that much). I picked up a barbell in March 2012 and have been squatting (and other compound movements) since. The current picture was taken in March. Soooo, long story short - about a year and a half between the two images. As I said - I like to eat a lot, so my progress is slower than some people because I keep a smaller deficit on average. :)

    And to the feet comment - LOL, yes I dropped half a shoe size. The length of my foot obviously didn't get smaller but they weren't so darn fat so now I'm able to wear sz 9.5 instead. Big ol' feet! Thank you, I think?! hahh ;)
  • Penny_Lane_
    Penny_Lane_ Posts: 163
    The answer is no...not really.
    So many women want to know the secret to slimming out their thighs. It's an area women struggle with because we tend to store fat there, the stubborn kind that seems resistant to change. And yes, it is stubborn. Which is why it is all the more important to SQUAT, LUNGE, DEADLIFT, JUMP, and USE THOSE THIGHS to their advantage! Big muscle groups within the quads, hamstrings, and glutes that burn big calories! Muscle burns more calories at rest than does fat so we WANT to build muscle in our legs, or at least retain as much as we can while dieting.

    Squats - in conjunction with a caloric deficit - will help your legs get smaller, more taut, less jiggly - what we alllll want. The people who say that squats made their legs bigger are special snowflakes OR they were eating too much and either gained muscle in the process or gained fat (depending on how much they were eating and what they were doing for exercise).

    This picture below shows my legs at 185# on the left. I had already lost 35# but you can see they are very flabby and pocked and just not pleasing to look at. They rubbed against each other when walking, standing, what have you (and that ish hurts when they chafe!). At this point all I had done for exercise was walking and some jogging (while doing C25K). You can imagine how fatty and big they were when I was 220# several months earlier!

    The picture on the right shows my legs currently, in progress. I'm 155# (about 25% bodyfat, trying to get to 18-20%). You'll notice they didn't get "bigger". They are more defined, leaner, and definitely wayyy more taut than before. My quads are pretty dominant and I can squat a hella lot of weight. These legs were built from lifting (no cardio) and a small calorie deficit (250-500 cals, toward the lower end on average though - I like to eat, a LOT). So - squats, deads, lunges, etc COMBINED with a caloric deficit = smaller thighs. As I continue to drop fat, they will continue to lean out and be even more defined and taut. I'm anxious for that but I suck at dieting.

    picstitch3.jpg

    So there ya have it - a little progress picture to show the ladies who are afraid to lift weights because their legs might get "bigger" that it's all about your diet when you are lifting. If you eat at maintenance or more, you may build some muscle and until you lose that fat your legs will look bigger. But if you eat within a deficit, your legs will respond and get smaller. It just takes time...because that fat is very stubborn. Happy Beautiful Thigh Thursday!

    Roundhouse kicks her desk chair and starts doing squats at her desk. o__o
  • casy84
    casy84 Posts: 290 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    Please tell me you haven't just replaced "bulky" with "strong"? Or even suggested that the OP isn't lean?
  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    What exactly should *I* do to have "lean, long" legs? I'm 5'5"...my legs aren't going to get any longer. My muscles aren't going to elongate. LOL Next thing you know she'll be telling me to do pilates or something. heh
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    /facedesk

    I've been running for several years and I can assure you my legs are no longer
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    What exactly should *I* do to have "lean, long" legs? I'm 5'5"...my legs aren't going to get any longer. My muscles aren't going to elongate. LOL Next thing you know she'll be telling me to do pilates or something. heh

    Nah, you need to get one of those things that let you hang upside down from your feet to stretch you out and make you taller, then you can be LONNNNNGGGGG AND LEEEEEEAAAAAAAN. Not strong. No one wants that.
  • rachietuk
    rachietuk Posts: 308 Member
    I want legs like yours. Hopefully one day it will happen. I love squats!!!!
  • xMallie
    xMallie Posts: 208 Member
    High heel shopping anyone?
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
    I honestly don't care how big or small my legs get as long as they're strong like tree trunks and the jiggle wiggle is gone! I used to want the thigh gap...but have learned better from all you heavy lifters :) Now lets squat!
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    I've been running for over a year. When will this "lean long look" start to emerge?
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,281 Member
    YES!! Thank you and congrats on awesome progress! I am one of those pears who has always always always had fat flabby thighs and thought cardio would be the only way to get rid of 'em. Love squats, love deadlifts, hate lunges and step ups but I do 'em!
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    so what you're saying is, you don't want to retain LBM?
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    WRONG. Running and squats should not be mutually exclusive things. Running requires strong legs if you want to avoid injury, and the best way to get strong legs? That's right, SQUAT. Check this out:

    "Female runners have been shown to be six to ten times more likely to get injured running. I pride myself on being one of the few endurance athletes I know who hasn't had a chronic injury (knock on wood). I absolutely attribute this to the fact that I came to endurance training after years of strength training.

    I started endurance training as a strong, balanced athlete that was ready for advanced exercise. I've worked hard to get myself fit enough to run. I've also continued to use strength training as part of my program. This, along with flexibility work, regular foam rolling, and proper progression are my secrets to keeping my body strong and injury-free."

    --Rachel Cosgrove, No Business Running! Why Running Is More Advanced Than You Think
    http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/180.cfm
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    tumblr_mbkwkePE0T1ql5yr7o1_400.gif
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    It really depends on what you like. If you want to look strong as the OP does, then squats are ok, but if you're more into the lean long look, then avoid them and go running.

    I've been running for over a year. When will this "lean long look" start to emerge?

    I have been running for YEARS trying to get a long, lean look...unfortunately I have been told that I won't look longer until I can grow taller :sad:

    I stop growing when I was 12 and have been 5 foot 4 since then. Somebody tell me how I can grow taller!!
  • Babeskeez
    Babeskeez Posts: 606 Member
    OP, you look great! As a "bottom heavy" girl I am loving the pictures. My bottom half takes so much longer to transform. I hate leg workouts...lol...but I love the results they give! Squats for all! :drinker:
  • casy84
    casy84 Posts: 290 Member
    Troll all you want, but bulky leggs will in fact look shorter.
  • divemunkey
    divemunkey Posts: 288 Member
    I don't give a damn if I look 4 inches shorter, strong legs are the bomb!
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    Troll all you want, but bulky leggs will in fact look shorter.

    Glad you finally just came out and said it... bulky... lolololololololololol
  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member
    Troll all you want, but bulky leggs will in fact look shorter.

    Who's trolling?

    Are my legs bulky now? Really? LMBO....wow....sorry honey, they're just short. Period.
    legsba.jpg
  • GracefulDancer4Christ
    GracefulDancer4Christ Posts: 419 Member
    I completely agree since doing 30 day shred and squatting my thighs went from 30 inches down to 28 1/4. working its way down.
  • cschiff
    cschiff Posts: 209 Member
    awesome post!!! sometimes i forget to focus on my lower body and seeing your post reminded me to WORK THESE THIGHS.
    you look awesome-- fantastic work :)
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    HOT LEGS! Graet job...love me some squats too!

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