Getting rid of saddle bags....

[Zen]

You need work for your hams and glutes. A lot of your power on the bike comes from your glutes. They will get firmer and stronger as you ride but in the mean time have a look here

Ham raises on a stability ball, shown shown here are real killers.
I like to call them ham rolls.

[Yen]

Thank you very much! If this is what I need to do, than I already have a source at my fingertips. (D'oh! ) The Core Program by Peggy Brill has three levels of exercises that target the core as well as hamstring, glute, and "saddle bags". I just opened the book right now and lo and behold I found an article I cut out of an old Prevention magazine from 2002 called "Say Goodbye to Saddlebags!" It has photographs and instructions for two different exercises. The Core Program has others. So, I guess it's time to get started and stop procrastinatin' !

I will also add some of the exercises from the link you posted.

Thanks again...
Jen

[Kano]

I know better, of course, but...

My first thought when I saw the subject line was "just leave 'em in the garage when you get ready to ride!"



Karen in Boise

[Yen]

Karen, a little while after I posted it I knew I should have worded that differently.....

[Kano]

Oh no you shouldn't have!

We all wish it were so easy! And the grin was good after a long day at work, dragging from a hill climb that was harder than it should have been the day before!

Karen in Boise

[extra-vert]

I don't know if you own rollerblades, but alternating to them once in a while as a workout is great for that area!

[Yen]

Thanks everyone, I've found some exercises and will stick with them. I've seen a difference from cycling, walking, and watching what I eat -------> 30+ weight loss, so no doubt the remaining 10-15 lbs. to lose + specific saddle bag exercises will help a lot.

Jen

[HoddyToddy]

I don't know if you own rollerblades, but alternating to them once in a while as a workout is great for that area!

I was going to suggest the same thing. Inline skating is fantastic for getting rid of the saddlebags and cross-training.

[VeloVT]

You need work for your hams and glutes. A lot of your power on the bike comes from your glutes. They will get firmer and stronger as you ride but in the mean time have a look here

Ham raises on a stability ball, shown shown here are real killers.
I like to call them ham rolls.

oooohhhh... I'm going to have to recommend dead lifts again. They're the best.

Hill sprints (running, not biking), and sprinting in general can be helpful too.

[indigoiis]

Spot reducing is a myth - you can't pick a place on your body, do some exercizes, and have that area get smaller. You CAN tone the muscle in a particular area, but the layer of fat on top can only be reduced in one way - by reducing calories to induce fat loss.

Once the fat is reduced (and you can't pick where it's going to come off - unfortunately for me it decided to come off first in my chest area, taking me down a couple cup sizes) you will see the developed muscle underneath.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Spot reducing is a myth - you can't pick a place on your body, do some exercizes, and have that area get smaller. You CAN tone the muscle in a particular area, but the layer of fat on top can only be reduced in one way - by reducing calories to induce fat loss.

Once the fat is reduced (and you can't pick where it's going to come off - unfortunately for me it decided to come off first in my chest area, taking me down a couple cup sizes) you will see the developed muscle underneath.

This really makes sense. Exercise increases muscles in certain areas that get worked. Exercise also burns more calories- but burning calories makes you generally lose fat all over, not just in a particular spot. You can't get rid of fat thighs specifically by doing thigh exercises. Thigh exercises will give you bigger/stronger thigh muscles, and if you exercise enough in general to burn more calories than you consume then the fat on your thighs will get less- along with the fat on the rest of your body.
My saddlebags (more like "love handles" fatty lumps on the sides of my hips) have decreased dramatically along with my 20 pound weight loss. I'll need to lose another 10-15 pounds to get rid of them altogether, but then my face might look older I think. Not sure which I want more.

[Zen]

Sometimes in these longer threads we lose the idea of the original post.
I think Yen has lost her weight, now she needs to build muscle.

[LBTC]

Yen - Lots of good ideas here. For myself, I found that cycling was not enough to tone muscles well. When I took up kickboxing, the results were dramatic and I LOVED it! Anything you love will help, especially with toning the glutes and hams as a focus, as usual, the key is finding something you really enjoy!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sometimes in these longer threads we lose the idea of the original post.
I think Yen has lost her weight, now she needs to build muscle.

Sorry, I thought she was describing the stubborn fat deposits on the backs of her thighs ("soft baggy stuff", saddlebags).

[Zen]

Zen goes back to look at original...

I've lost some weight and I look pretty good now

ok, some weight.

All except the saddle bags, that is. I'm talking about the soft baggy stuff at the back of the thighs just below the butt. My legs and arms are getting stronger but I do not see much change there.

Are there any specific exercises I can do at home for this? Or, will they just get better as I continue riding? I just returned to cycling after 20+ a layoff and trying to add mileage every week and I can see subtle changes in all other parts of my legs, just not this part. I also walk.

Jen

Alrighty then.
She can still do specific exercises ( i think we covered that )
they can only help.
They will get better with more riding.
She will lose more weight if she continues riding (and eating right)

To top it off, I don't think she's checked in here lately anyway!