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    What's the easiest way to tone legs?

    Posts: 17 Member
    edited February 27 in Fitness and Exercise
    I run and I do yoga once a week. Should I add cycling into the mix or does anyone have any advice on good exercises to tone legs, namely backs of thighs.

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    Replies

    • Posts: 73
      The whole concept of "toning" is a misnomer. Try resistance training with weights.
    • Posts: 35,719 Member
      lower your bodyfat...
    • Posts: 495 Member
      Didn't you know 'tone' is a four-letter word on this site?
    • Posts: 17 Member
      Weight training it is. Thanks for the helpful response!
    • Posts: 3,497 Member
      lower your bodyfat...

      This.

      In terms of strength training, you want to target the glutes and hamstrings - so squats, deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, etc.

      You may wish to check out Bret Contreras' book Strong Curves for further info.
    • Posts: 2,131 Member
      I like heavy squats and deadlifts.
    • Posts: 17 Member
      All about the squats. Thanks for the book reference.
    • Posts: 84
      Bump
    • Posts: 45 Member
      Cycling, is great for toning legs :-)
    • Posts: 5,481 Member
      I like heavy squats and deadlifts.

      This......so this!!!!! :love:
    • Posts: 2,037 Member
      For the hamstrings, HIIT sprints and straight-legged deadlifts will help a lot. I also do regular deadlifts and leg curl isolation work.

      I don't care what you call it - toning or recomposition or building strength. Just do those things.

      Cycling wouldn't hurt, but it is more quad dominant.
    • Posts: 900 Member
      Dancing, is fun. You should try it sometime...maybe, you'll like it.
    • Posts: 291 Member
      show previous quotes

      This......so this!!!!! :love:

      ^^^ YESSSS, I say this.
    • Posts: 467 Member
      If you want to work the back of the legs more try Good Mornings, lying leg curls, or single leg planks or pushups (core, upper body, and back of legs get worked that way). Cycling is mostly going to work your quads, unless you have clip-ins or pedal straps and you can alternate pushing down with pulling up with your legs. If you clip in and do some hills though, you will definitely feel it in your glutes, bicep femoris, and hamstrings.

      In general "tone" is a 4 letter word because it is a bit of a misnomer. You can drop body fat, which will make your musculature appear more prominently, and you can spot work muscle groups, which give you that after gym swoll short term, and long term will add a little muscle mass, which will also make your musculature appear more prominently. But the idea of toning muscle vs. building muscle mass is a Sally Struthers Fitness Video era lie told to sell exercise videos to folks who thought that lifting any weights would turn them into Arnold.
    • Posts: 125 Member
      I know it's been said before, but spot reducing and spot toning is next to impossible.

      Incorporate heavy deadlifts and squats into your weekly workouts and your hammies will definitely get stronger!
    • Posts: 291 Member
      Dancing, is fun. You should try it sometime...maybe, you'll like it.

      Ohhhhh....I do LOVE dancing. Sadly I look like a convulsing blob... :grumble:

      <a href="http://s852.photobucket.com/user/fooninie/media/54t1zqhjpg_zps2091a2b6.gif.html&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/ab87/fooninie/54t1zqhjpg_zps2091a2b6.gif&quot; border="0" alt=" photo 54t1zqhjpg_zps2091a2b6.gif"/></a>
    • Posts: 111 Member
      I've been doing squats with about 30 lbs in dumb bells, leg press on the leg press machine using 100 lbs and deadlifts with a 40 lb barbell. I don't do lunges because they hurt my knees real bad (and I have terrible balance so whenever I lunge I'm all wobbly). Can anyone suggest anything else to help a girl out? Should I just up my weights? I recently upped the weights on the squats and deadlifts.
    • Posts: 960 Member
      Heavy squats and deadlifts

      *Mic Drop*
    • Posts: 5,922 Member
      Heavy squats and deadlifts

      *Mic Drop*
      609485983.gif?1341189273
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