Any ideas for cardio that don't increase leg muscle?

None of the exercises you have mentioned increase leg muscles, so you're just fine as-is.

Don't worry, if you're eating in a deficit you aren't gaining leg muscle. That's assuming you weren't completely immobilized.
You might gain an ounce or two anyway.

They will fill with water a bit until you are used to the exercise. And as you lose fat, it might appear you are gaining muscle - but this isn't the case. The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.

^^yep.

Also, only a few forms of cardio have any chance of someone gaining muscle (hill sprints) so just pick a cardio exercise that you enjoy.

If you run on a treadmill or use an elliptical don't use the incline and use the lowest resistance.

Honey bunn, in order to add 0,25 inch on my legs of muscles I had to lift heavy, stop all cardio and eat a metric ton of food for a few months

Believe me, you won't gain muscles.

The water is just receding, and revealing the islands.

Forever using this metaphor.

Right? It sounds so zen.

You won't gain any leg muscle on a deficit. Most likely you are seeing the muscle more and more from losing fat...

Honey bunn, in order to add 0,25 inch on my legs of muscles I had to lift heavy, stop all cardio and eat a metric ton of food for a few months

Believe me, you won't gain muscles.

Have you SEEN the pics of Matt's girlfriend??

I started on MFP about 6 weeks ago and have been logging everything and getting great results. I typically exercise about 5-6 days a week. Right now I'm doing a combination of elliptical and walking at an incline on the treadmill, yoga, tae bo and zumba dvds, along with easing into weights and strength exercises. I have always had a lot of leg muscle (as do all the women in my family), but I'm noticing it continuing to increase, in my quads especially, since I started exercising more. Don't get me wrong - muscle is obviously better than fat, but I'm just wondering if there is any cardio that I can do that won't continue to increase my leg muscle. Any ideas?? Thanks!

Some women do have a higher level of testosterone and more muscle mass naturally. I understand it completely. What you are experiencing most likely is a swelling of the muscle tissues now that you are stressing them. This can cause them to look much bigger, especially if you have a layer of fat on top of the muscle. You shouldn't continue to grow much larger once you get used to the increase in exercise. However, anytime you work a muscle to the point of tearing the fibers, then the repairing of those torn fibers is what causes the muscle to grow larger. So if you want to prevent large muscle growth before you lose the fat, then do as some others have suggested and stick to exercises that done cause a 'burn' to your leg muscles. Long distance walking or moderate running, with no incline, spinning on a bike at low resistance, and continue your Zumba. Squats will work your quads, so don't over do those too much. And watch the heavy weights with your legs at the gym. You probably have a lot of leg strength and can be tempted to up the weights, because you can, but be aware that the heavy weight exercises can cause your muscles to grow, if you have extra fat stores and eat enough protein.
Many people will insist that you cannot build any muscle while on a deficit, but in certain instances you can.

I started on MFP about 6 weeks ago and have been logging everything and getting great results. I typically exercise about 5-6 days a week. Right now I'm doing a combination of elliptical and walking at an incline on the treadmill, yoga, tae bo and zumba dvds, along with easing into weights and strength exercises. I have always had a lot of leg muscle (as do all the women in my family), but I'm noticing it continuing to increase, in my quads especially, since I started exercising more. Don't get me wrong - muscle is obviously better than fat, but I'm just wondering if there is any cardio that I can do that won't continue to increase my leg muscle. Any ideas?? Thanks!

Some women do have a higher level of testosterone and more muscle mass naturally. I understand it completely. What you are experiencing most likely is a swelling of the muscle tissues now that you are stressing them. This can cause them to look much bigger, especially if you have a layer of fat on top of the muscle. You shouldn't continue to grow much larger once you get used to the increase in exercise. However, anytime you work a muscle to the point of tearing the fibers, then the repairing of those torn fibers is what causes the muscle to grow larger. So if you want to prevent large muscle growth before you lose the fat, then do as some others have suggested and stick to exercises that done cause a 'burn' to your leg muscles. Long distance walking or moderate running, with no incline, spinning on a bike at low resistance, and continue your Zumba. Squats will work your quads, so don't over do those too much. And watch the heavy weights with your legs at the gym. You probably have a lot of leg strength and can be tempted to up the weights, because you can, but be aware that the heavy weight exercises can cause your muscles to grow, if you have extra fat stores and eat enough protein.
Many people will insist that you cannot build any muscle while on a deficit, but in certain instances you can.

My testosterone levels are 3 times as high as the average female my age. I am not magically gaining muscle on a calorie deficit despite heavy lifting and little cardio (when I do cardio it is hill sprints). I work with a trainer and a specialized program intended to add muscle mass because I am a competitive bodybuilder. When I started out I had large thighs, but now that the fat is gone they are tiny.

ETA: The few instances someone would gain are being very overweight and new to weight lifting. Cardio will not cause large muscles.

Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!

I have that "problem" now, but I had the same problem when I had fat legs instead of muscular legs. It's not hard to take a little dart in the waistband.

Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!

So you alter the ill-fitting clothes to fit you body. You don't alter your healthy body to fit the clothes.

Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!

I have that "problem" now, but I had the same problem when I had fat legs instead of muscular legs. It's not hard to take a little dart in the waistband.

That was going to be my response as well. I am sort of (not at all) a she-beast so I must buy a pant size up to fit my legs. I sew very poorly, but even I can manage a waistband dart. Just invest $2 for a needle that won't snap when it goes through denim.

Gigantic monstrous hard muscular thighs (and nice perky bum from squats) > wobbly cardio thighs, imo. But whatever floats your boat!

Eating on a surplus = increase size

eating on a deficit = decrease size

working out = temporary increase in size for swelling related to muscles healing (this one I was reminded of when I went shopping after a two hour workout session and nothing fit well, the next day all my purchases were noticably looser)

gap at wasteband of pants = not embracing genetics and not realizing that as a woman with a woman's body I have no business shopping in the juniors department when the thighs are tight and the waistband can be pushed down over my hips without unbuttoning. The trick here is the willingness to understand that no matter your size, you still have curves.

I'm pretty curvy and I have that waist band problem... I don't think my thighs are particularly muscular. It's a fairly common "problem" and comes from having a small waist! When you get there, relish it with excitement!

I have some friends that have naturally skinny legs and some that have naturally thicker legs. They can be just as fit as each other, but shaped differently. For me a fit body, no matter the shape, is going to look better than a flabby one!

Thanks for all of your responses. I might just be a bit more worried about it since when my sister was heavily into working out, I remember her having a lot of trouble finding jeans that would fit over her quads without gaping at the waist. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and avoiding those squats!

I have that "problem" now, but I had the same problem when I had fat legs instead of muscular legs. It's not hard to take a little dart in the waistband.

I have this issue with jeans that aren't stretchy; my quads are too big. And with skinny jeans, it's my calves. But I don't mind, I kinda like my semi-muscular legs, even if it means I have to stick to stretchy jeans/pants. It's actually good for my budget because I only have two pairs right now

Everything else fits better, so yeah, I'll keep squatting