Long Cardio Sessions for de-bulking muscle?
anlenz
Posts: 26 Member
Anyone been successful with de-bulking muscle by doing long cardio sessions? If so how long were your sessions and what activity did it consist of?
I'm trying to lose inches in my calves and thighs so that they are more proportionate with the rest of my body. I've already lost 2.5" from both thighs and 0" from my calves. I've also lost ~3% body fat so.
I'm trying to lose inches in my calves and thighs so that they are more proportionate with the rest of my body. I've already lost 2.5" from both thighs and 0" from my calves. I've also lost ~3% body fat so.
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Replies
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wat?-1
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If you want nice lean legs you should run long distances. Foam rolling will also help shape your thigh muscles and make them more longer and healthier.-2
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cannot spot reduce.
running is great for concentric calf work.
edited: because sarcasm on the internet doesn't work.0 -
EllaIsNotEnchanted wrote: »cannot spot reduce.
running is great for my calves. That's a lot of plantar flexing .....pushing off the ground after terminal stance..... working that gastroc... just add hills and your calf would grow more!
She's trying to lose muscle in her legs, not grow...though I don't really know why0 -
She's trying to lose muscle in her legs, not grow...though I don't really know why
I'm being totally rude over the internet.
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EllaIsNotEnchanted wrote: »cannot spot reduce.
running is great for my calves. That's a lot of plantar flexing .....pushing off the ground after terminal stance..... working that gastroc... just add hills and your calf would grow more!
OP is trying to LOSE muscle from calves so that they are smaller.
OP, you either need to lose fat, or get over it. I don't understand why you're trying to lose muscle.
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Anyone been successful with losing muscle by doing long cardio sessions? If so how long were your sessions and what activity did it consist of?
I'm trying to lose inches in my calves and thighs so that they are more proportionate with the rest of my body. I've already lost 2.5" from both thighs and 0" from my calves. I've also lost ~3% body fat so far.
Here's a plan, sit and watch tv all day and eat about 10-20g or protein a day while running a caloric deficit. Your muscles will atrophy just like you want them to.0 -
Anyone been successful with losing muscle by doing long cardio sessions? If so how long were your sessions and what activity did it consist of?
I'm trying to lose inches in my calves and thighs so that they are more proportionate with the rest of my body. I've already lost 2.5" from both thighs and 0" from my calves. I've also lost ~3% body fat so far.
Here's a plan, sit and watch tv all day and eat about 10-20g or protein a day while running a caloric deficit. Your muscles will atrophy just like you want them to.
There ya go.
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You don't really want to loose muscle you want to strengthen and tighten it. As muscle first grows it pumps up with water and blood but as you strengthen you may be able to shrink and tighten it. Calves are an area that can take lots of work to change. If your not adding calories it cant grow.
I'm super strong and I have seen myself shrink as I got stronger. Areas that I work on did shrink. It is possible to sculpt your body with weight training and diet. Try the stair climber and use your calves. Sometimes its hard to do but is possible.0 -
You don't really want to loose muscle you want to strengthen and tighten it. As muscle first grows it pumps up with water and blood but as you strengthen you may be able to shrink and tighten it. Calves are an area that can take lots of work to change. If your not adding calories it cant grow.
I'm super strong and I have seen myself shrink as I got stronger. Areas that I work on did shrink. It is possible to sculpt your body with weight training and diet. Try the stair climber and use your calves. Sometimes its hard to do but is possible.
Thank for your response. You're right. I'm trying to achieve leaner calf muscles and thigh muscles. I'm not looking for heavy weight lifting or bodybuilding to increase the size of my muscles. So maybe I should be adding in yoga for lengthening of the muscles.0 -
You don't really want to loose muscle you want to strengthen and tighten it. As muscle first grows it pumps up with water and blood but as you strengthen you may be able to shrink and tighten it. Calves are an area that can take lots of work to change. If your not adding calories it cant grow.
I'm super strong and I have seen myself shrink as I got stronger. Areas that I work on did shrink. It is possible to sculpt your body with weight training and diet. Try the stair climber and use your calves. Sometimes its hard to do but is possible.
Thank for your response. You're right. I'm trying to achieve leaner calf muscles and thigh muscles. I'm not looking for heavy weight lifting or bodybuilding to increase the size of my muscles. So maybe I should be adding in yoga for lengthening of the muscles.
You can lift as heavy as you want. You're in a caloric defict, you're not gaining muscle mass. Your legs are looking larger than you want because you are probably not at a low enough body fat.0 -
You cannot change genetics. If you're predisposed to having bigger calves and thighs, then there really isn't much you can to do change that, with the exception of not using them at all so they can atrophy.
Also there are NO EXERCISE programs that "lengthen" the muscles. Muscles are attached at point from birth barring any surgical procedures.
First try lowering your body fat, then go from there.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This thread so far.. wowsas.
OP: If you're big, you're gonna have giant calves to move that weight around. Period. Depending on how your body stores fat, you might have thick legs and cankles. No spot treatments will help any of that.0 -
You cannot change genetics. If you're predisposed to having bigger calves and thighs, then there really isn't much you can to do change that, with the exception of not using them at all so they can atrophy.
Also there are NO EXERCISE programs that "lengthen" the muscles. Muscles are attached at point from birth barring any surgical procedures.
First try lowering your body fat, then go from there.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
This post was me trying to figure out how to proceed next as I have lowered my body fat and have see excellent results in the rest of my body. Since you are a personal trainer, what should my body caliper reading be at my calves in order "to go from there"?0 -
You cannot change genetics. If you're predisposed to having bigger calves and thighs, then there really isn't much you can to do change that, with the exception of not using them at all so they can atrophy.
Also there are NO EXERCISE programs that "lengthen" the muscles. Muscles are attached at point from birth barring any surgical procedures.
First try lowering your body fat, then go from there.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
This post was me trying to figure out how to proceed next as I have lowered my body fat and have see excellent results in the rest of my body. Since you are a personal trainer, what should my body caliper reading be at my calves in order "to go from there"?
I'm not a personal trainer but I have pretty much the same problem spots as you. The poster @typhonrex was right. It's how your body stores fat. I had a dexa scan done previously which showed where my body fat was.
Not surprisingly, most of my fat was concentrated around my arms, hips, thighs and calves and none around my torso area. As others have said, you can't spot reduce and it may not be possible to reduce body fat percentage so much that you can see lost inches in the calves.0 -
You cannot change genetics and you can't spot reduce. Cardio will help you burn fat. Swimming is good for developing your longer muscles, but you have to watch out for overbuilding your shoulders.0
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Anyone been successful with de-bulking muscle by doing long cardio sessions? If so how long were your sessions and what activity did it consist of?
I'm trying to lose inches in my calves and thighs so that they are more proportionate with the rest of my body. I've already lost 2.5" from both thighs and 0" from my calves. I've also lost ~3% body fat so.
Endurance athletes (cyclists and runners) typically develop lean physiques because their performance centers around the power to weight ratio. At some point, the power has been developed to one's genetic limit, so the weight is shed to improve the power to weight ratio so there is "less" to haul up the hill. Running a deficit of your calories, and doing enough endurance cardio will eventually not only burn the fat, but start to burn muscle as well. Ballerinas do the same as they must maintain a very low body weight to be lifted.
How long are the sessions? 12 - 30 hours a week would probably fit the norm for most of these top athletes. Non professionals would probably target getting at least one 3 - 4 hour session in per week (usually on weekends). A lot of 90 - 120 minute sessions mixed in the week as well, with one day off per week.
Top pros in their field are very lean, and all muscle mass not needed for their performance has been "de-bulked"...
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^^ those are terrifying pictures.0
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SingingSingleTracker wrote: »
I think I'd rather make less money and have a body that I'm proud of and find aesthetically pleasing
I mean, they might like their bodies but wow... no, DNW. But making more money doesn't really make you all that much happier anyways, so eh.
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I think I'd rather make less money and have a body that I'm proud of and find aesthetically pleasing I mean, they might like their bodies but wow... no, DNW. But making more money doesn't really make you all that much happier anyways, so eh.
Your goals, needs, and body image are far different from that of a professional marathon runner, or cyclist, or triathlete, or XC Olympic skier, or prima ballerina (most amazing athletes on earth IMO). And there is nothing wrong with that. It is what it is. I would just suggest that because they happen to be lean due to their "career choice" and performance in their respective fields, doesn't mean that they are unhappy - and you are happy. Hey - they get to eat 4000+ calories a day for the effort they put out. ;-)
We are getting off topic from the OP's question about using cardio to burn though excess muscle.
However, to just explain a bit about professional athletes and their quest to perform at their best for a living via sponsorship and prize money. A typical 1st place finish in one of the major marathons is $55K to $100K+ (both for men and women). In addition, you accumulate points towards the season overall World Marathon Majors Title which pays $500K to the winner each year. And there is bonus pay at each marathon for breaking records - so for the athletes at the top of their game, it is a big business just as other professional sports who may have different body types, but also are in quest to be at the top of their craft in basketball, soccer, football, baseball, etc... .
The typical base salary of the 198 pro cyclists in the Tour de France is $142,000. However, the top riders - those that I highlighted above - make $5 million per year. Not all 198 have the genetics and body types to be one of the top riders that makes millions, but they all have the genetics and body type to make us mere mortals shake our head in disbelief at how fast and far they can ride day, after day, after day. It is their career choice. To say they are not happy. To say that they don't enjoy their careers and the salary drawn. To say that they don't enjoy their body image, etc....may be incorrectly placed something or other.
And the endurance athlete must pay close attention to the power to weight ratio. Sure, they can compete if they weigh more than ideal, but they are not going to win. So if one is training to compete at the professional level in cycling, running, tri's, ballet, XC skiing, etc... - the question of what it takes to win in terms of body composition isn't even up for discussion. Likewise, nobody is going to get hired to be a professional offensive lineman for the NFL if they weigh 250 pounds. It's not even part of the discussion as most average around 300-315 pounds. We can't say they are not happy. We can't say it's not about the money (career). We can't say they are not proud of their body image and salary they draw.
Top of their craft ballet dancers are in a tough, not as well funded industry as professional sports, the going gets really tough...
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/world/the-5-richest-ballet-dancers/
It is what it is.
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Caliper readings aren't made for assessing one area of the body to determine body fat readings. It's an accumulation of readings at certain points of the body to make that determination.You cannot change genetics. If you're predisposed to having bigger calves and thighs, then there really isn't much you can to do change that, with the exception of not using them at all so they can atrophy.
Also there are NO EXERCISE programs that "lengthen" the muscles. Muscles are attached at point from birth barring any surgical procedures.
First try lowering your body fat, then go from there.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
This post was me trying to figure out how to proceed next as I have lowered my body fat and have see excellent results in the rest of my body. Since you are a personal trainer, what should my body caliper reading be at my calves in order "to go from there"?
If you get down to about 20% body fat, you'll see significant differences all over your body with the possible exception of calves and forearms. They both have very dense muscle fiber set ups.
As mentioned before, calves are genetic and you really can't do much to reduce them unless you don't use them at all or go on some crazy extreme calorie deficit which would affect EVERY PART of your body as well thereby not solving the issue of proportion.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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You don't really want to loose muscle you want to strengthen and tighten it. As muscle first grows it pumps up with water and blood but as you strengthen you may be able to shrink and tighten it. Calves are an area that can take lots of work to change. If your not adding calories it cant grow.
I'm super strong and I have seen myself shrink as I got stronger. Areas that I work on did shrink. It is possible to sculpt your body with weight training and diet. Try the stair climber and use your calves. Sometimes its hard to do but is possible.
Thank for your response. You're right. I'm trying to achieve leaner calf muscles and thigh muscles. I'm not looking for heavy weight lifting or bodybuilding to increase the size of my muscles. So maybe I should be adding in yoga for lengthening of the muscles.
You can lift as heavy as you want. You're in a caloric defict, you're not gaining muscle mass. Your legs are looking larger than you want because you are probably not at a low enough body fat.
I agree.
I have personally gotten stronger and smaller legs at the same time. There is a reason body building is called an art. You can sculpt your body. You could learn how to develop stronger larger legs up top and strengthen, cut and tighten your calves to help balance out your shape.
I lift very heavy weights more than most men can lift. My legs are strong firm and not large for my frame. My rump stays firm and lean. My calves have always been large but I toned them and they look great on my frame. When I was younger, I started lifting weights. After that I was known for my sexy legs.
This is possible keep on trying.0 -
arditarose wrote: »
Good luck trying to get the body shape shown in the pictures. You may have a genetically different shape to the ballerina or to Paula Radcliffe. If so, no point killing yourself over what may not be possible.0 -
arditarose wrote: »
Good luck trying to get the body shape shown in the pictures. You may have a genetically different shape to the ballerina or to Paula Yates. If so, no point killing yourself over what may not be possible.
I think you mean Paula Radcliffe...
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arditarose wrote: »
Good luck trying to get the body shape shown in the pictures. You may have a genetically different shape to the ballerina or to Paula Yates. If so, no point killing yourself over what may not be possible.
I think you mean Paula Radcliffe...
Whoops! Yes, I do, lol...
Edited.0 -
arditarose wrote: »
Good luck trying to get the body shape shown in the pictures. You may have a genetically different shape to the ballerina or to Paula Yates. If so, no point killing yourself over what may not be possible.
I think you mean Paula Radcliffe...
Paula Yates is just bones though...0 -
Genetics - I've managed to build 0" on my calves (was chuffed with a 0.25 gain on a bulk which I lost with the cut)0
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TavistockToad wrote: »arditarose wrote: »
Good luck trying to get the body shape shown in the pictures. You may have a genetically different shape to the ballerina or to Paula Yates. If so, no point killing yourself over what may not be possible.
I think you mean Paula Radcliffe...
Paula Yates is just bones though...
Dammit - I was trying to be classy about it.0
This discussion has been closed.
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