How long to get thigh definition?

Hi gals, please help me find the patience I need to keep my sanity :) I'm on the keto diet. My upper body is practically fat-free already and the diet is enhancing my shoulders/arms/back quite a bit. This is not where I want to have more definition. I want my thighs to be cut and tight like my upperbody. I lift heavy. Can anyone tell me how long it took them to start seeing their thigh muscles? Even if you say 6 months or a year, I'll be happy because I'll have a timeframe to work with. Here are some pictures:

Me, I don't like
[img]http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/user_images/growable/2009/02/18/420991/progresspic/3032312orig.jpg[/img]

legs I do like (kimm4 rocks)

[img]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=2455353&ppuser=106921573[/img]

[QUOTE=anniesbay;305426881]Hi gals, please help me find the patience I need to keep my sanity :) I'm on the keto diet. My upper body is practically fat-free already and the diet is enhancing my shoulders/arms/back quite a bit. This is not where I want to have more definition. I want my thighs to be cut and tight like my upperbody. I lift heavy. Can anyone tell me how long it took them to start seeing their thigh muscles? Even if you say 6 months or a year, I'll be happy because I'll have a timeframe to work with. Here are some pictures:

Me, I don't like
[img]http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/user_images/growable/2009/02/18/420991/progresspic/3032312orig.jpg[/img]

legs I do like (kimm4 rocks)

[img]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=2455353&ppuser=106921573[/img][/QUOTE]

First off....You look great :)

What kind of rep range and what exercises do you use for legs?

I've had success bringing out quad separation with high(er) rep front squats and leg presses, but focusing on peak contraction and constant tension(never locking out at the top). Short stroke walking lunges will help too.

thank you :)

I'm actually starting my 6th week of P90X so it's a little complicated to lay out for you but basically I'm doing a lot of squats and lunges. The schedule as written has me do legs once a week but I'm working them twice a week the last 2-3 weeks. Here's what the P90X routine looks like:

[b]Balance Lunges[/b] 25 reps each leg, 25lb DBs, one leg is extended back straight on a chair.

[b]Calf-raise Squats[/b] 25 reps, 30lb DBs

[b]Super Skaters[/b] 25 reps each leg. no weights or light weights.

You bend over as you kick one leg back, all the while balancing on the other leg in a forward lunge position. to make it harder you swing your leg behind and to the side, rather than just swinging it backwards.

[b]Wall Squats[/b] for 1:30 min, no weights.

[b]Step Back Lunges[/b] 25 reps, 30lb DBs or more.

[b]Alternating Side Lunges[/b] 12 reps each leg, 12lb DBs or more.

[b]Single-leg Wall Squats[/b] 10 seconds each leg for 1:30 minutes. No weights.

you hold one leg out as close as possible to keeping both thighs parallel to the floor. you try to raise your extended leg up as high as you can.

[b]Deadlift Squats[/b] One leg at a time, squat down and lean over to get a little dead lift in there, touch floor. I hold a 30lb DB each side. 25 reps each.

[b]Three-way Lunge with Two-Kick Option[/b] no weights. 5 times each leg.

In essence, it is a lunge to the left, then at a 45-degree angle to the left, then straight forward. After each lunge, you do a straight leg or bent-knee kick. After all 3 directions, you switch to the other leg and do the same thing.

[b]Sneaky Lunges[/b] Walking lunges staying on your toes the WHOLE time, for 20 reps, you lean way over your toes as you lunge, raise arms above head and back down each time. I hold 3-5lb DBs.

[b]Chair Salutations[/b] two times, for 30-45 seconds each.

[b]Toe Roll Iso-Lunges[/b] 20 each leg, holding 25lb DBs or so

This is a back and forth movement where your body never significantly leaves the starting position, but rather you roll back and forth on the toe of the back leg. The start position is a deep lunge with one foot solidly out front, and the other leg as straight as possible to the rear.

[b]The Groucho Walk[/b] Basically a plie squat (or should be if you can), walking forward and back for 4 steps, staying low. I hold a dumbbell between my legs as long as i can.

[b]Calf Raises (3 angles, 15 slow, 10 fast; 30lb DBs)[/b]

[b]80/20 Cyber-speed Squats (15 fast then 15 jump)[/b]

This exercise is basically just a really fast squat one-legged squat, the 80/20 comes in because you put 80% of your weight on one leg, and only 20% on the other leg. Switch to the other leg and repeat.

On my second leg day I either work them in a fullbody weight class, so high rep squats and lunges OR I go do some machines like standing weight-plate ham curls, leg press, leg extension, step ups, glute press.

Kimm4 also gave me some exercises and said to do something different each time I work legs. Still my concern is how often I should work my legs each week, and after how many weeks could I generally expect to see "quad separation?"

leg extensions, leg extensions and did i mention my nemisis, leg extensions. when you speak of "definition" are you looking for the "tear drop" shape?

i think with your program P90X (i am not familiar with it) you could probably just do the Single-leg Wall Squats you do and take the non weight bearing leg, extend straight out and hold in order to mock a machine extension.

Okay, the hard truth is, depending on HOW you carry your weight, you may not get "thigh efinition" until you are at competition level bodyfat %.
Even then, many female bb competitors do not get "ripped thighs"

So don't worry about definition and focus on development and keeping them tight. A nice shape trumps vascularity and extreme definition on a woman unless you are onstage.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you may have that "smooth thigh" genetic predisposition.
My wife can get a full six pack and no leg definition.

[QUOTE=ctgblue;306374741]Okay, the hard truth is, depending on HOW you carry your weight, you may not get "thigh efinition" until you are at competition level bodyfat %.
Even then, many female bb competitors do not get "ripped thighs"

So don't worry about definition and focus on development and keeping them tight. A nice shape trumps vascularity and extreme definition on a woman unless you are onstage.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you may have that "smooth thigh" genetic predisposition.
My wife can get a full six pack and no leg definition.[/QUOTE]

exactly. women naturally carry more body fat in our lower bodies b/c we bare life. even at body fat below 10%, your upper body will remain more cut than your lower half. it isn't until you get closer to men's essential fat levels - 5% that you may see some evening out between upper and lower halves.

I have the same problem, genetically all the women on my fathers side of my family have massive thighs, they are also all quite overweight. I am not my ideal bodyfat% at the moment, and not toned at all, but when I was fit in highschool the only thing that seemed to slim down my thighs was faced paced walking, and plain squats & wall sqauts.

kimm's legs make me drool too...

I'm familiar with the P90X program and like it.

You're fairly lean already so it's more about building muscle.

I work legs twice a week if I want to build and in the past it's taken me about 2 months (similar starting point as you) to get there with a good diet.

For me the key was low rep, high weight. Take a peak at Kimm's journal and see what kind of weight she is pushing. I don't always push myself as hard as I can go until I see what others can do.

Hi :)
Yeh I agree and disagree with some of the above comments.
I do believe that fat deposition is definately a genetic thing. Guys store more in their stomach, and girls on their thighs/butt. So as said above it may just be a case of getting leaner and leaner. In my case I hold more on my stomach and back than anywhere else. When I diet the fat from my limbs goes first, then my back, all the while the fat on my gut pretty much stays the same. Sometimes thats just the way it is.

Regarding your training, you said you lift heavy, but looking at your program it really not what I would call heavy. To develop muscle training 'heavy' isn't just about failing on a certain amount of reps. Its about your exercise choices. And looking at your program it seems very aerobic to me.

It's been said a million times on these forums but I'd recommend starting with good ol' squats, leg press and maybe hack squats or leg extensions. If you want throw in some of those lunges and swiss ball squats at the end of the workout to burn em out. But concentrate on the big stuff first. If you develop some solid muscle in your legs it will push against the skin and you may get more shape without having to get uber lean.

Good luck, I think you have great legs btw

^^^ he just gave good info. I've been working legs for only 2 months, mostly squats, leg press, leg extensions, adn hamstring curl with some lunges...I am starting to notice a difference!

thanks everyone that was great feedback. I'll calm down a bit :) and also try going back to basics. hopefully i can report back in a few months with some nice new pics.

[QUOTE=anniesbay;305426881]Hi gals, please help me find the patience I need to keep my sanity :) I'm on the keto diet. My upper body is practically fat-free already and the diet is enhancing my shoulders/arms/back quite a bit. This is not where I want to have more definition. I want my thighs to be cut and tight like my upperbody. I lift heavy. Can anyone tell me how long it took them to start seeing their thigh muscles? Even if you say 6 months or a year, I'll be happy because I'll have a timeframe to work with. Here are some pictures:

Me, I don't like
[img]http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/user_images/growable/2009/02/18/420991/progresspic/3032312orig.jpg[/img]

legs I do like (kimm4 rocks)

[img]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=2455353&ppuser=106921573[/img][/QUOTE]

people will preach to you about doing lunges or leg extension, etc.. etc.. etc... and yes they are partially right, you do need the muscle. But at the end of the day it all comes down to bodyfat percentage. If bodybuilders obtained definition by doing ceartin exercises, then we would never diet.

[QUOTE=anniesbay;306860071]thanks everyone that was great feedback. I'll calm down a bit :) and also try going back to basics. hopefully i can report back in a few months with some nice new pics.[/QUOTE]


annie you are looking fine, everything will come together with time and of course the thing i lack, patience. besides being thankful for having legs, having them on the smaller side is not such a bad thing (pant styles these days are not made for the thick leg). keep up the good work, looking forward to progress pics.

How long have you been training?

[QUOTE=ModuLock;306810481]Hi :)
Yeh I agree and disagree with some of the above comments.
I do believe that fat deposition is definately a genetic thing. Guys store more in their stomach, and girls on their thighs/butt. So as said above it may just be a case of getting leaner and leaner. In my case I hold more on my stomach and back than anywhere else. When I diet the fat from my limbs goes first, then my back, all the while the fat on my gut pretty much stays the same. Sometimes thats just the way it is.

Regarding your training, you said you lift heavy, but looking at your program it really not what I would call heavy. To develop muscle training 'heavy' isn't just about failing on a certain amount of reps. Its about your exercise choices. And looking at your program it seems very aerobic to me.

It's been said a million times on these forums but I'd recommend starting with good ol' squats, leg press and maybe hack squats or leg extensions. If you want throw in some of those lunges and swiss ball squats at the end of the workout to burn em out. But concentrate on the big stuff first. If you develop some solid muscle in your legs it will push against the skin and you may get more shape without having to get uber lean.

Good luck, I think you have great legs btw[/QUOTE]

First, great advice.

Second, holy crap your back could block out the sun!!!

[QUOTE=mavrick77;306865261]people will preach to you about doing lunges or leg extension, etc.. etc.. etc... and yes they are partially right, you do need the muscle. But at the end of the day it all comes down to bodyfat percentage. If bodybuilders obtained definition by doing ceartin exercises, then we would never diet.[/QUOTE]

And this.

I didn't start to see some real separation in my thighs until I was about 2-3 weeks out from my comp, and that was due to my diet.

Different exercises will definitely help with the 'shape' of your leg, but the only way you can get shredded thighs (like Kim's...cause we all want 'em ;) ) will be through diet.

Good luck!

[QUOTE=ModuLock;306810481]Hi :)
Yeh I agree and disagree with some of the above comments.
I do believe that fat deposition is definately a genetic thing. Guys store more in their stomach, and girls on their thighs/butt. So as said above it may just be a case of getting leaner and leaner. In my case I hold more on my stomach and back than anywhere else. When I diet the fat from my limbs goes first, then my back, all the while the fat on my gut pretty much stays the same. Sometimes thats just the way it is.

Regarding your training, you said you lift heavy, but looking at your program it really not what I would call heavy. To develop muscle training 'heavy' isn't just about failing on a certain amount of reps. Its about your exercise choices. And looking at your program it seems very aerobic to me.

It's been said a million times on these forums but I'd recommend starting with good ol' squats, leg press and maybe hack squats or leg extensions. If you want throw in some of those lunges and swiss ball squats at the end of the workout to burn em out. But concentrate on the big stuff first. If you develop some solid muscle in your legs it will push against the skin and you may get more shape without having to get uber lean.

Good luck, I think you have great legs btw[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with this post. The program you are doing simply isn't conducive to building a great deal of mass. Yes, thigh definition is ultimately about reducing Bf% but that should be a product of your diet, not really your workout regime.

I agree ...LOW body fat (clean diet) and hit the legs hard! I am VERY familiar with the p90x program and the diet is pretty good..although I would go with a lower sugar diet if you want better results....they have you eat their high sugar protein bar and high sugar post workout drink....i would ditch it and replace with some complex carbs.

second.....I have dropped 17 pounds in 8 weeks and am pissed off because my legs look damn near the same!!!!! But I know as I get leaner they will shrink...im hoping within the next 10 pounds..i mean **** my ribs are popping out!!! WHY GOD OHH WHY CANT YOU TAKE THE FAT FROM MY ASS AND NOT MY NON EXISTANT WAIST!!! sorry sorry ranting done

but yes go for it girl you WILL lean out just give it time and stick with the program!!!!!

PS you look fantastic..keep it up...WE ALL GO THROUGH IT!!!!!!

so if we hold more fat in our legs what if they were lipo sucked to just balance out the upper body to lower body ratio,

im just sick of having striations in my shoulders and a vascular look when im pumped in my arms but naving either normal looking legs (when i dont train them) or huge but hard legs (when i do train them)

i want to be able to walk round with a 6 pack, and leg definition and basically th bf% of a guy all the time not just for a contest