Can't get my legs to tone no matter what I do.... Ideas?

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JAZZMAGT
JAZZMAGT Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a fitness instructor and teach 4 times a week PLUS I bike 20K most days. My full time job is physical but mostly upper body. I want beautiful toned legs especially hamstrings and Quads but can't seem to manage that.... No matter what I do. I have big Quads but can't define them. Maybe I'm getting old, 44, is the reason but I doubt it... Help?

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  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Calorie deficit and patience will lose fat and show the muscle underneath. I assume that what you mean by "toned".

    44 is hardly old.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,608 Member
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    Okay, so it may not be what you want to hear, but they way I got one of my female clients to get ready for a figure competition was to (gasp) cut her running from 7 miles a day to just 2 miles a day and shifted that to weight training 3 times a week in the beginning.

    Here's some pics:
    a0ecfc5c-b48d-4a49-a9b3-844a6ec2fbc6_zps0c9ce435.jpg

    e9403b7c-5a9b-402d-8ebc-e53614afbe89_zps39245183.jpg

    Dorlyn2_zpsdfe17aae.jpg

    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
    9285851.png

  • stephxo1
    stephxo1 Posts: 191 Member
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    I agree with reducing cardio down and increasing heavy weight training like squats, deadlifts, leg press, curls, etc. Make sure that you're also in a deficit to shed any unwanted body fat that may be covering what muscle you already have too. Plus patience cos those bad boys won't grow overnight. Good luck!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    lift heavy.

    cardio wont build muscle.
  • Katzedernacht
    Katzedernacht Posts: 266 Member
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    lift :3
    less cardio
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,994 Member
    edited July 2015
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    JAZZMAGT wrote: »
    I am a fitness instructor and teach 4 times a week PLUS I bike 20K most days. My full time job is physical but mostly upper body. I want beautiful toned legs especially hamstrings and Quads but can't seem to manage that.... No matter what I do. I have big Quads but can't define them. Maybe I'm getting old, 44, is the reason but I doubt it... Help?

    More cycling. Pick one or two days a week to extend your distance. Pick one or two days a week to work on intervals and hill climbing.

    And hiking ... especially uphill.

  • alfonsinarosinsky
    alfonsinarosinsky Posts: 198 Member
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    I started lifting heavy several weeks ago and I'm starting to see some definition in both my arms and legs. I still have weight to lose but I never realized this would be the only thing that works and I'm 61
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Compound lifts, squats, lunges, less cardio, calorie defecit IMHO
  • michelletowle52
    michelletowle52 Posts: 33 Member
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    Legs will always be the last to lean out and the first place where we gain fat. Lifting heavy and putting the right foods in will help. It's a slow process.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    lift heavy.

    cardio wont build muscle.

    Hill sprints repeats have been proven to build muscle if eating in a surplus.
    michelletowle52 wrote: »
    Legs will always be the last to lean out and the first place where we gain fat. Lifting heavy and putting the right foods in will help. It's a slow process.

    There is no order in what locations all people lose fat.


  • Immerito
    Immerito Posts: 105 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Compound lifts, squats, lunges, less cardio, calorie defecit IMHO

    This.

  • Katzedernacht
    Katzedernacht Posts: 266 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Chieflrg wrote: »
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    lift heavy.

    cardio wont build muscle.

    Hill sprints repeats have been proven to build muscle if eating in a surplus.
    michelletowle52 wrote: »
    Legs will always be the last to lean out and the first place where we gain fat. Lifting heavy and putting the right foods in will help. It's a slow process.

    There is no order in what locations all people lose fat.


    Yeah it's not the same, my first and last place is belly, legs pretty much were kinda fast,are my most defined part I guess,oh after my back that is.
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
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    What type of classes do you teach??? I agree with the reduced cardio and increased resistance training.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Compound lifts, squats, lunges, less cardio, calorie defecit IMHO

    Adding stiff legged deadlift or Romanian deadlifts.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,476 Member
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    JAZZMAGT wrote: »
    I am a fitness instructor and teach 4 times a week PLUS I bike 20K most days. My full time job is physical but mostly upper body. I want beautiful toned legs especially hamstrings and Quads but can't seem to manage that.... No matter what I do. I have big Quads but can't define them. Maybe I'm getting old, 44, is the reason but I doubt it... Help?

    As a fitness instructor you should know that you're going to 'tone' by dropping your body fat % to reveal the muscle underneath. While eating at a calorie deficit you should lift heavy and get plenty of protein to preserve the muscle mass you do have.

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