How to make my thighs less muscular?

romamgrey
romamgrey Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
*I do not have much knowledge of exercise or the gym, although I have been going for three years.
On average I go to the gym about 2 times a week. My gym is a little bit primitive but it is cheap and I feel comftable there.
What I normally do at the gym is about 30 to 40 minutes of cardio and some strength
Cardio I do treadmill on 1.5 incline (I heard incline is better for your back) mostly power walking and sometimes running
I then do the elleptical for 10 minutes alternating between level 3 and level 5 (I dont even know what these levels stand for) and stationary bike alternating between level 3 and 5. I also sometimes do the rowing machine on level 10 for about three minutes. I then do 3 reps of 10 on each leg of lunges and just some ab floor excersises.
Again, what do the said levels on the elliptical, bike and rowing machine stand for?

Anyway my legs/thighs have gotten quite big. They are almost rock solid and there is literally nearly no fat on there. However I prefer a leaner look. I am surprised that they are this muscular from two vistis a week but it seems to be so! Can I please have some advice on some changes I can make to get less bulky and muscley thighs and legs and to get more skinny (dirty word these days I know :O) ones?

And please don't go onto my profile and go blah blah blah you need to gain weight your bmi says you are at the low end of normal blah blah. I hardly use this app and haven't weighed myself in months so that is irrelevant.
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Replies

  • BoogeyBrat
    BoogeyBrat Posts: 212 Member
    I'm by no means an expert, but I've heard good things about yoga helping get that longer, leaner look. Might apply to bulky muscle on thighs as well, worth a shot.
  • Mikemax125
    Mikemax125 Posts: 108
    You can look into the routines that require the use of Resistance bands. Those will realllly lean you out. I wish I had big and muscluar legs I do leg routines twice a week intensely but I think im genetically just chicken legged lol Are you incorporating upper body strength training at all? If not it may just appear your legs are too "bulky" when in reality your just not porportioned correctly.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    Its quite simple - stop working out
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I didnt look at your diary or profile, but i am doing walking , yoga and barre3. There is a very good book out, ballet beautiful and it really explains a lot about the nutrtion, exercise and mindset of a retired ballarina . ( ballerinas retire from dancing when most of us are just beginning our careers). I highly reccomend it to women of all ages.
  • KhinoHoang
    KhinoHoang Posts: 59
    Your legs look muscular from 2 times a week? what's your secret? lol

    Anyway, just skip the work outs that focus on just the legs like lunges.

    You should lose the muscle eventually.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    People seriously need to read :grumble:
  • koing
    koing Posts: 179 Member
    You need to drop weight or stop doing leg exercises. You can't magically make them smaller. You need to drop calories for a period but you will also lose weight from everywhere and not just your legs.

    Doing yoga/ lunges etc won't make them look any less muscular. Looking muscular is a function of building muscle and having a low bodyfat percentage to show the muscle.

    Koing
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Sounds like you may be suffering from a body dysmorphic disorder. Where's the pics to verify this?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Lift_This_
    Lift_This_ Posts: 2,756 Member
    :huh:
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    Editted b/c someone already pointed out her bmi is actually 19.9.
  • StrongAtLast
    StrongAtLast Posts: 137 Member
    Try Pilates
  • Steph_123
    Steph_123 Posts: 13 Member
    As someone who rowed through college all I can say is that erging (aka the rowing machine), when done correctly and especially at the max resistance, does nothing but bulk up your legs (and make your back/arms sore if you're doing it wrong). I've been working off the rower's "tree trunk" thighs for a few years now and have become a big fan of swimming and yoga.
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    i found that the elliptical really bulked up my thighs! and id imagine biking would too
    i found that running made them a lot leaner (like long slow runs)
    so maybe try that? and lots of stretching and yoga :)
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Pretty sure muscle is a good healthy thing. You could always start using a wheel chair.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Maybe go into a self-imposed coma for a few months to atrophy your legs?
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    Sounds like you may be suffering from a body dysmorphic disorder. Where's the pics to verify this?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    this^
  • jenn26point2
    jenn26point2 Posts: 429 Member

    Anyway my legs/thighs have gotten quite big. They are almost rock solid and there is literally nearly no fat on there. However I prefer a leaner look. I am surprised that they are this muscular from two vistis a week but it seems to be so! Can I please have some advice on some changes I can make to get less bulky and muscley thighs and legs and to get more skinny (dirty word these days I know :O) ones?

    Why the hell would you want to??? Strong is the new skinny! Embrace those muscular thighs!!!
  • bethanylaugh
    bethanylaugh Posts: 237
    Yoga
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
    Try a wheelchair.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    Stop using them all together.
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    I, too, prefer a leaner looking leg, but God didn't see fit to give me the genetics to go along with my thoughts. It's taken nearly 20 years of fighting with my "thick thighs" to realize that they are strong, powerful legs. So, I put them to good use and I RUN. You may not have the option of long lean legs. You might need to make friends with your muscles and put 'em to work. Learn to love 'em! Advice from a 41 year old mom.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    Yoga, and do exercises with a high quantity and lower weight... and don't drink a protein recovery drink after a leg workout so the torn up muscle can be excreted out instead of repaired

    WAT
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    People with healthy body images rarely ask this type of question. Please get some help, OP.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I'm by no means an expert, but I've heard good things about yoga helping get that longer, leaner look. Might apply to bulky muscle on thighs as well, worth a shot.
    Sorry but yoga does NOT make your legs longer. Genetics says no.

    And OP, I think you should go see a counselor.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    Let me just translate this so we all know what you're asking.

    You're asking how to make your thighs more fatty?
  • JewelsinBigD
    JewelsinBigD Posts: 661 Member
    You can look into the routines that require the use of Resistance bands. Those will realllly lean you out. I wish I had big and muscluar legs I do leg routines twice a week intensely but I think im genetically just chicken legged lol Are you incorporating upper body strength training at all? If not it may just appear your legs are too "bulky" when in reality your just not porportioned correctly.
    As this person was saying- when you are lean like you are - your genetics play a huge part in what you look like. I bet you look awesome - so don't worry about it. You cannot get ballet thighs through exercise - you have to be born with ballet thighs and you can work within that +/-.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    People seriously need to read :grumble:

    And others need to math.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
    I, too, prefer a leaner looking leg, but God didn't see fit to give me the genetics to go along with my thoughts. It's taken nearly 20 years of fighting with my "thick thighs" to realize that they are strong, powerful legs. So, I put them to good use and I RUN. You may not have the option of long lean legs. You might need to make friends with your muscles and put 'em to work. Learn to love 'em! Advice from a 41 year old mom.

    I LOVE this ^^ Me too!! I realized I was never going to have Victoria secret model legs, however, my legs are strong and powerful and can do great things and having the muscle sure beats the cellulite fat things I used to have! :)
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    Yoga, and do exercises with a high quantity and lower weight... and don't drink a protein recovery drink after a leg workout so the torn up muscle can be excreted out instead of repaired

    WAT

    lolNO
  • JLArispe
    JLArispe Posts: 62
    One question no one answered was, what do the levels mean on the cardio machines. The higher the level the more resistance the machine gives you..level 5 is harder than level 1 and so on. Also, you are doing a lot of "bulky" leg workouts. The elliptical and rowing are mainly leg workout and tend to bulk you up. Running, lunges, squats are toning and leaning you out. But as others have asked, are you doing upper body workouts, because if not then of course your legs will appear bigger if you have no muscle on the upper body. Good luck!
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