Hefty thighs: is running the answer?
torsaer
Posts: 211 Member
I've always had more weight on my thighs than anywhere else, and in the past training for a half marathon really slimmed them down. Now I do a bunch of stuff including lifting heavy weights, but nothing is shifting the stubborn thigh fat. Am upping my mileage in an attempt to do something about it - and wondered if any of you had any experience with thigh slimming exercise?
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Following.
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following as well
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You cannot target fat loss. Just maintain a calorie deficit and keep losing fat. Weight training is great, keep that up.
My thighs and butt are the last place on me to lose any weight. It's a battle of wills
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the only thing that'll slim them down is what you are doing, and patience.0
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You can't target your fat. It will come off as the rest comes off. It may come off last, but it will as long as you keep losing. If you want your thighs to be muscular/firm though, I wouldn't recommend running all the time. Try hill sprints to build sexy muscle and also lifting. Squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, glute bridges... all are your friend. And you are talking to the queen of hefty thighs here lol.0
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You cannot target fat loss. Just maintain a calorie deficit and keep losing fat. Weight training is great, keep that up.
My thighs and butt are the last place on me to lose any weight. It's a battle of wills
^This.
Be patient, stay consistent with your calorie deficit, track all your food, and keep exercising.0 -
Nothing wrong with hefty thighs IMHO. And I looked at your profile. You say you're 48 and look 35. Time to stop worrying about the exact shape nature made you.0
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Stick with lifting and you won't regret it! My thighs used to be super flabby but now they're more muscular, firmer, and WAY less jiggly 0
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I can tell you that the answer is most likely NO. I've been running for over a year as my goal to lose weight and increase fitness. I take measurements all over - thigh, hips, chest, arms, neck, etc. My thighs havent lost much if at all since running. I run about 20-25 miles per week and strength train as well, so maybe. But even before I started really strength training, the weight i carried on my frame was enough to help maintain or even build muscle. That being said, depending on how much excess weight you have on your thighs, you may seem some decrease, but I tell many people that running does not automatically mean weight loss.0
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Harsh as it may sound, there is no way to spot reduce. Keep at it. Working on your legs, through Cardio and weights will help the strength of the legs and once the body decides to shed the fat, the look you want and work for will be there.0
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You cannot target fat loss. Just maintain a calorie deficit and keep losing fat. Weight training is great, keep that up.
My thighs and butt are the last place on me to lose any weight. It's a battle of wills
this.0 -
I will have to say yes.... as that is what worked for me.
Its true you can not target fat loss, so what worked for me may not work for you. HOwever, I know my body and my slimmer thighs (almost 2" gone) came from running. Squats and stair master will bulk my legs.
Calorie deficit is needed and again your body is different than mine. But I can honestly say running is what slimmed my legs more than anything else I've done!0 -
I will have to say yes.... as that is what worked for me.
Its true you can not target fat loss, so what worked for me may not work for you. HOwever, I know my body and my slimmer thighs (almost 2" gone) came from running. Squats and stair master will bulk my legs.
Calorie deficit is needed and again your body is different than mine. But I can honestly say running is what slimmed my legs more than anything else I've done!
You can't bulk if you aren't eating at a surplus.
But you are right- calorie deficit is needed.0 -
^^^ here to follow ^^^0
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I will have to say yes.... as that is what worked for me.
Its true you can not target fat loss, so what worked for me may not work for you. HOwever, I know my body and my slimmer thighs (almost 2" gone) came from running. Squats and stair master will bulk my legs.
Calorie deficit is needed and again your body is different than mine. But I can honestly say running is what slimmed my legs more than anything else I've done!
You can't bulk if you aren't eating at a surplus.
But you are right- calorie deficit is needed.
Scratch the word bulk - change to "will make my legs bigger!"
Ever since I started lifting weights in High School... this has been the case.......legs got bigger when I started doing more leg concentrated workouts (squats, deadlifts, lunges, stair master). Running slimmed them and keeps them slim so I can do more leg/ glute work!!
Every body is different. Like I said what worked for me may very well not work for others.0 -
Run and do squats and/or lunges. You can't target "problem" ,as everyone has said, but running and reducing calorie intake will go a long way to help you shrink everything. The weight training will firm up what is there.0
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I will have to say yes.... as that is what worked for me.
Its true you can not target fat loss, so what worked for me may not work for you. HOwever, I know my body and my slimmer thighs (almost 2" gone) came from running. Squats and stair master will bulk my legs.
Calorie deficit is needed and again your body is different than mine. But I can honestly say running is what slimmed my legs more than anything else I've done!
You can't bulk if you aren't eating at a surplus.
But you are right- calorie deficit is needed.
Scratch the word bulk - change to "will make my legs bigger!"
Ever since I started lifting weights in High School... this has been the case.......legs got bigger when I started doing more leg concentrated workouts (squats, deadlifts, lunges, stair master). Running slimmed them and keeps them slim so I can do more leg/ glute work!!
Every body is different. Like I said what worked for me may very well not work for others.
That is still what Jo is saying. You can't add mass in a deficit.0 -
^^^indeedI will have to say yes.... as that is what worked for me.
Its true you can not target fat loss, so what worked for me may not work for you. HOwever, I know my body and my slimmer thighs (almost 2" gone) came from running. Squats and stair master will bulk my legs.
Calorie deficit is needed and again your body is different than mine. But I can honestly say running is what slimmed my legs more than anything else I've done!
You can't bulk if you aren't eating at a surplus.
But you are right- calorie deficit is needed.
Scratch the word bulk - change to "will make my legs bigger!"
Ever since I started lifting weights in High School... this has been the case.......legs got bigger when I started doing more leg concentrated workouts (squats, deadlifts, lunges, stair master). Running slimmed them and keeps them slim so I can do more leg/ glute work!!
Every body is different. Like I said what worked for me may very well not work for others.
That is still what Jo is saying. You can't add mass in a deficit.
sigh
just sigh.0 -
I'm a marathon runner, running has done NOTHING about the fat in my tush and thighs. If I get my weight down to the very low end of my healthy weight range, which is in the 120's (I'm 5' 8") then it greatly improves.....but running makes me super hungry and it's almost impossible to get that low. If I switched my focus from running to only weights and did HIIT or something, then maybe my body composition would be better, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my running for that. Good luck!!0
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OP, running made my hips and thighs thinner. Unfortunately running did absolutely nothing to make my thighs look good. Lifting did that, but it took time.
You do what works for you, but the key to any fat loss is calorie deficit. Also, if you're worried about looking disproportionate as you lose, lifting helps balance all that out. All running will do is make you a smaller version of the shape you are now. That's great if you're not trying to change the shape you are now, but not so great if you are.0 -
I'd be prouder if I had the ability to magically gain muscle mass accidentally.
Sheeez, her initial comment wasnt even wrong (she clarified what she meant)......and it is possible that people notice how their body responds to certain exercises.0 -
I'd be prouder if I had the ability to magically gain muscle mass accidentally.
Sheeez, her initial comment wasnt even wrong (she clarified what she meant)......and it is possible that people notice how their body responds to certain exercises.
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger. Fill with water to give the temporary "swole" yes...but if you're in a deficit you'll slim.0 -
I'd be prouder if I had the ability to magically gain muscle mass accidentally.
Sheeez, her initial comment wasnt even wrong (she clarified what she meant)......and it is possible that people notice how their body responds to certain exercises.
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger. Fill with water to give the temporary "swole" yes...but if you're in a deficit you'll slim.
Which is the point I am trying to make.0 -
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger.
She didnt say she gained size on her thighs on a deficit, and she clarified the point. Hence my comment.0 -
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger.
She didnt say she gained size on her thighs on a deficit, and she clarified the point. Hence my comment.
Still not seeing where OP said they were eating at a surplus and lifting when they got bigger, and then a deficit when they got smaller, but whatev's.0 -
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger.
She didnt say she gained size on her thighs on a deficit, and she clarified the point. Hence my comment.
she said she got bulking doing a thing- and then lost size doing another thing.
the assumption here is that she was still trying to lose fat- and was eating to support that- this invalidates her "I got bulky" and also the "I got bigger" doing X exercises.
her diet changed.
You do not gain size unless you are eating on a surplus. period. there is nothing special about this.0 -
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger.
She didnt say she gained size on her thighs on a deficit, and she clarified the point. Hence my comment.
Still not seeing where OP said they were eating at a surplus and lifting when they got bigger, and then a deficit when they got smaller, but whatev's.
Well, where she said "a deficit is needed to lose", has been quoted more than enough times. She didnt say she was at a deficit when she gained. As per your first comment in my quote, (which of course is wrong) people aren't always clear, but that doesnt mean they need to be jumped on.0 -
Sorry, but no matter the exercise, if you're not in a caloric deficit, you're not going to get bigger.
She didnt say she gained size on her thighs on a deficit, and she clarified the point. Hence my comment.
she said she got bulking doing a thing- and then lost size doing another thing.
the assumption here is that she was still trying to lose fat- and was eating to support that- this invalidates her "I got bulky" and also the "I got bigger" doing X exercises.
her diet changed.
You do not gain size unless you are eating on a surplus. period. there is nothing special about this.
But you could also assume
1) That she gained muscle on her thighs while eating at a surplus doing squats, lunges, etc.
2) She then decided to lose weight and found that continuing to do those exercises at a deficit allowed her to maintain that muscle mass during her cut.
3) But when she started running she was able to still do those leg exercises while also losing the "unloved" muscle from her thighs.0 -
But you could also assume
1) That she gained muscle on her thighs while eating at a surplus doing squats, lunges, etc.
2) She then decided to lose weight and found that continuing to do those exercises at a deficit allowed her to maintain that muscle mass during her cut.
3) But when she started running she was able to still do those leg exercises while also losing the "unloved" muscle from her thighs.
you don't bulk on accident- eating at a surplus for the length of time to put on appreciable mass is difficult for people TRYING to do it- much less someone who isn't.0 -
But you could also assume
1) That she gained muscle on her thighs while eating at a surplus doing squats, lunges, etc.
2) She then decided to lose weight and found that continuing to do those exercises at a deficit allowed her to maintain that muscle mass during her cut.
3) But when she started running she was able to still do those leg exercises while also losing the "unloved" muscle from her thighs.
you don't bulk on accident- eating at a surplus for the length of time to put on appreciable mass is difficult for people TRYING to do it- much less someone who isn't.
Not everyone works out for the same reasons - there are lots of people who do gym work specifically for sport and will put in the work necessary to get that competitive advantage. That doesnt mean they were accidently building muscle - it was functional.
However, that also doesnt mean that person still wants to be built like the athlete they once were, once theyve stopped competing.0
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