My legs need help!

[funkyfit]

Hi all. I have only been training for a year and a half. My lower body is my biggest struggle. Since I am still fairly new to all of this, I have tried and experimented with a few different leg routines. I naturally have large hips and thighs. They are muscular, but not as tight and toned as I would like. I want them to be lean, but well defined. I do cardio at least 4 days a week and I lift moderately heavy on leg day, but still try to keep my reps high. I was recently thinking maybe I should be doing more freeweight or using my own body weight instead of machines. Any advice on this? I am still trying to figure out what types of exercises work out best for my body type. I have also been reading about plyometrics and have been wanting to start a routine for my legs. I know this would be a good way to blast the fat, but would I still gain some definition? I am so confused!

Please see attached pic

[musclegerl]

I'm in the same boat as you are girl. From what I can tell our thighs are probably comparable. I can tell I'm making progress gaining leg muscle, but I just don't know how to succeed in losing leg fat. I believe I could drop down to 85 pounds and I'd still have fat on my thighs.

[freebirdmac]

Yep, more muscle and less fat. Mine is all on my legs too, fat that is.

Just remember that the lower body muscles are so much larger than the upper body muscles. One can be making just as much progress on the lower body as on the upper body, but it won't look that way. So much more has to be gained to really see the difference in the lower body. Unless you're genetically gifted.

I can't lose enough right now to get my legs lean enough either. I don't weigh enough. Which means more muscle needs to be added first. All I can do is slowly lose body fat while gaining more muscle weight. For me that means losing fat excruciatingly slow. And of course the fat comes off the upper body first which is already pretty darn lean.

To the OP, look at blondeamazon's journal in the OV35 section. She's huge! And doesn't want to gain any more mass. Her workouts are structured for maintaining what she has, blasting fat, and definition. Be forewarned, her workouts will make you puke just reading them

[freebirdmac]

Here's her latest page http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...967837&page=29

[funkyfit]

I slowly lose body fat and it is alway in my upper body. I guess with my lower body I need to be more patient. Thanks for the link to blondeamazon's journal

Originally Posted by freebirdmac

Yep, more muscle and less fat. Mine is all on my legs too, fat that is.

Just remember that the lower body muscles are so much larger than the upper body muscles. One can be making just as much progress on the lower body as on the upper body, but it won't look that way. So much more has to be gained to really see the difference in the lower body. Unless you're genetically gifted.

I can't lose enough right now to get my legs lean enough either. I don't weigh enough. Which means more muscle needs to be added first. All I can do is slowly lose body fat while gaining more muscle weight. For me that means losing fat excruciatingly slow. And of course the fat comes off the upper body first which is already pretty darn lean.

To the OP, look at blondeamazon's journal in the OV35 section. She's huge! And doesn't want to gain any more mass. Her workouts are structured for maintaining what she has, blasting fat, and definition. Be forewarned, her workouts will make you puke just reading them

[MoneyRespect]

Originally Posted by funkyfit

Hi all. I have only been training for a year and a half. My lower body is my biggest struggle. Since I am still fairly new to all of this, I have tried and experimented with a few different leg routines. I naturally have large hips and thighs. They are muscular, but not as tight and toned as I would like. I want them to be lean, but well defined. I do cardio at least 4 days a week and I lift moderately heavy on leg day, but still try to keep my reps high. I was recently thinking maybe I should be doing more freeweight or using my own body weight instead of machines. Any advice on this? I am still trying to figure out what types of exercises work out best for my body type. I have also been reading about plyometrics and have been wanting to start a routine for my legs. I know this would be a good way to blast the fat, but would I still gain some definition? I am so confused!

Please see attached pic

Ummm pretty sure you have beautiful legs but if you like i can suggest sprints they make your legs leaner and more defined also lunges and side lunges with an empty barbell, and also skipping. Good luck.
Looking gorgeous btw

[funkyfit]

"Ummm pretty sure you have beautiful legs but if you like i can suggest sprints they make your legs leaner and more defined also lunges and side lunges with an empty barbell, and also skipping. Good luck.
Looking gorgeous btw"

Thanks for the advice and compliment. What type of sprints would you reccomend?

[MoneyRespect]

Originally Posted by funkyfit

"Ummm pretty sure you have beautiful legs but if you like i can suggest sprints they make your legs leaner and more defined also lunges and side lunges with an empty barbell, and also skipping. Good luck.
Looking gorgeous btw"

Thanks for the advice and compliment. What type of sprints would you reccomend?

Sprints- 5 up a steep hill- this burns fat around your calves, hamstring and inner thigh.

8x50m- Burns fat around thighs(outer and inner)

and you can do intervals- if you find a football field- you sprint the length and then jog the width and do that as many times as you can(probably best fat burning cardio ive ever done!)

[Iceman1800]

check into a plyo program like the one p90x puts out and add in front squats and lunges to your leg routine

[egoatdoor]

Originally Posted by Iceman1800

check into a plyo program like the one p90x puts out and add in front squats and lunges to your leg routine

x 2.