Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

[Yoly1001]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

I know you guys said that you can't do spot training and I am sure you are right. But I have noticed that my thighs and butt are much slimmer ever since I started doing excercise that targets that area. I do WATP, the 3 mile tape which is good for that area and I also rollerblade which is awesome too.

Maybe it's just that I am building up the muscle in that area and it is causing the fat to diminish? Who know, all I know is that in the last 3 weeks I have lost 1 1/2" off of each thigh.

[america57]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

I walk 2-3 miles a day and I also like the Buns of Steel video. I wish I had measured my thighs before I started this WOE cause I think I have lost over 3 inches in them, I know I've lost 3 1/2 off my butt.

[Brook]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

unless it's covered by a layer of fat.

anyhow, i've said my piece.

It's backwards reasoning. You don't get rid of fat by doing nothing, and again, muscle gain boosts calorie consumption thereby reducing the layer of fat. It's not an either or, and it's certainly not reasoning to do no strength training. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.....

and it still doesn't make you look fat. Fat makes you look fat.

~Brook

[as0l0]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

muscle gain boosts calorie consumption

but you told us earlier that women can't gain a significant amount of muscle.

Also, almost all women are always covered with a layer of fat, that's just the way it is. The legs that most women want are thin legs, the legs they don't want are fat (or wide) legs. Many of those women have large amounts of leg muscle. the only significant way to make that leg thinner is to reduce the amount of muscle.

[is thin possible?]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

the only significant way to make that leg thinner is to reduce the amount of muscle.

I have to agree with Brooke! The last thing that will make my legs better looking is to lose the muscle. Yes! It is true that muscle will "bulk up" a woman's legs a bit, however, it creates a defined, toned look that is much more attractive than "jell-O, jiggly" legs. (Women genetically cannot build too much muscle without some type of synthetic intervention! If you get what I mean.)

I don't want to lose that muscle in my legs to look thinner. No way!The whole point of my original posted question was, "How do I get rid of the fat I can pinch by the handfuls on the outer sides of my legs where they meet my buttocks?" I truly can deal with the thickness of muscle I feel in my "quads" and "calves," it's the jiggly stuff I want to eliminate!

Blessings!

[Brook]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

I never said women can't gain muscle. That's just silly. I'd suggest you scroll back up and reread.

Of course women can gain muscle - and significant amounts of it. I certainly did. But that doesn't mean enough muscle to bulk as women lack the hormones to do that without additional "help".

Losing muscle mass is never the answer and an unhealthy recommendation at best - irresponsible to the big health picture at worse. And frankly, asl, any time I see you recommend to someone that they lose muscle mass or tell someone that muscle makes them look fat, you'll find me front and center to deal with. And unfortunately, maybe for both of us - I have time, and if I don't, I'll make time.

Fabulously healthy perspective, is_thin! Work it!!

~Brook

[as0l0]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

your all over the place there, but anyway, i'll leave you to it. good luck

[iyamamaschke]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

I have started running long distance and have noticed a substantial difference in my legs. I am a true pair all my fat is on me A$$. Really look at my pic. It's a lot of hard work to get rid of it but if you take the advice here and work hard it WILL come off.

Sarah

[Kisseslikepearls]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

I personally hate running/walking/jogging..anything in that department. To me, its too boring to see the same senery over and over and over...and too dangerous to change your route and 'discover' different routes. That and its pretty automatic, you're brain doesn't play any part, except where mine tells me that if I run one more step, my knees and ankles are going to compete for who'll break first.

My answer: ellipical machine. Set it up in front of the TV or bring headphones and some sort of player. I use books on tape. You can occupy your mind more in a gym than you can running outside (in my opinion) due to lack of cars, people (generally they're there to work out, not to grab your $30 cd player) and remembering where you're at.

The first time I got on it, I couldn't do more than 5 minutes, on the zero resistance setting. There's little impact so my ankles and knees weren't killing me...but my thighs were. While no, women can't build muscle as much as men can, they can build it. The secret to not turn into a body builder is reptition, not weight..aka do 30 reps with 5 pounds for a month instead of 5 reps with 30 pounds one week, 40 the next 50 the next and so on. I think I remember being told the physics of building muscle was that you had to tear the fibers of the muscle, that way, more fibers would fill the gaps and be thicker over where they tore, which explains the bulk.

Cardio burns fat all over the body. Its also the reason you can do 1000's of sit ups and never see a 6 pack. I don't know why this phenominon (sp?) exisits, but it does. I just use it as proof not to do sit ups or crunchs (another excercise I HATE).

While building muscle (or toning) does add to the overall bulk of muscles in general, remember, its healthy bulk.

Personally where my 'thunder thighs' come from is horseback riding since alot of riding is "gripping" with your knees and thighs. A day of working the barrels makes is hard to get out of bed in the morning. I think there's a point where you have to accept that your thighs are thicker than everyone else's.

[Kelani]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

I completely disagree, as0l0.

Nothing but fat makes anything look fat.

Yes, women can gain some muscle bulk, but not what 99% of people think of when they hear the word "bulk". Muscle gives shape and definition. It does not make you look fatter in any way, shape or form.

Building muscle burns fat - so it's not an "either/or" situation. While building muscle, you're burning more fat by default and raising your BMR. It's a completely win/win situation.

While I was still really heavy, I was working out hard and made big gains in muscle growth. Never - not at one time - did it *ever* make me look fatter.

HTHS
~Brook

Brook, I couldn't agree with you more! People often confuse bulk for fat. Proper weight training for your legs WILL NOT make them appear bigger due to a "bulk" of muscle. In fact, you are creating LEAN muscle mass. Have you ever seen any scientific diagrams of what muscle really looks like? It is THIN sheets of tissue that consistently breaks down and repairs when in use. The bulk you are thinking of as0l0 is actually FAT MASS that has not been properly burned off the muscle tissue yet. This is what gives your legs the bulky appearance. This is why it is ESSENTIAL that you do cardio training and drink LOTS of water. That in combination with I repeat...the proper weight training for your legs creates sexy, defined, toned and utimately attractive legs. Try it

[iyamamaschke]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

It comes down to do something that you know you can commit to myself I hate the elliptical but, that's just me so many people love that machine. I had it in my house a good one and I hated it I traded it for the treadmill I love it I face it to the windo plug my MP3 player into my head and go for oit. I love to run. Of course not everyon loves to do that so basically try to find something you could make a part of your routine. If you love weight lifting Do that if you love biking plop a recombrant bike infront of the TV or ride outside. There are so many things you can do, elliptical, rollerblading, rowing machine, skating, rollerskating, skiing Do somehting you love. A lot of gyms will have ski machines one I go to has a skate machine there is no end to it.

I love to lift weights and I lift extremely heavy on my legs I have NEVR had an increase in my leg size they are big already they if anything have gone down a lot and are showing new definition. I am talking about 300 pound leg presses and squats stuff like that REALLY. When I lift weights for my arm I usually do low reps and high weight of up to 160 lbs. I don't look bulkie I don't think I see definition and it excites me. If it were true that women could gain like men and I would get bulkie MAN by mow I would have bulging muscles and I don't

Just do what you love don't worry about anything eles.

Sarah

[Yoly1001]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

So I should be doing very small amounts of weight with lots of reps in addition to my cardio right?

This is an area of the body that I really need to work.

[as0l0]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

So I should be doing very small amounts of weight with lots of reps .

hey, that sounds like running

[Yoly1001]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

Sorry asolo, but doing repitions of small increments of weights is not the same as running. Running is more of a cardio excercise. That's why I said in addition to my cardio.

But thanks for the useful tip, I'll be sure the remember it the next time I hit the gym.

[californiacasey]

Re: Thunder thighs...will they ever go away? Need advice from fitness gurus!

i believe long distance running is the solution.

I totally agree with this. Start walking longer distances then start jogging as you feel more comfortable. I walked about 3 miles, 3 times a week since January.

I have just started incorporating jogging, warm up for 10 min, then walk for 2 min, jog for 2 min, alternate for 4.5 miles.

Jogging/Running will do wonders for your legs.