Thigh help!

[suhollyberry]

My thighs have always been my problem spot. I thought that when I started biking it would help to slim them down a bit and make them more proportional with the rest of my body. Unfortunately this is not the case. My thighs have defenitely started to firm up, but I haven't noticed any fat loss or slimming.

Anyone else have this problem? Any recommendations on other exercises to do to help slim my thighs while biking? Thanks!

[Bikingmomof3]

I am interested in hearing responses. My thighs are fairly well toned and the more muscle I build the larger my thighs become. I would prefer to slim my thighs down so I am hoping to learn a thing or two from this thread.

[Veronica]

I think it all depends on how you're made. We have large thighs in my family. I've managed through biking to lose a lot of the fat on them (not all!) and they are still large and still shaped just like my sisters' (who each weigh 60-80 pounds more than me). I know they are slimmer and quite muscular, but I will never have what I consider to be good-looking legs, just because of genetics.

But I don't care. I kow I've made the best out of what I got from the gene pool and these legs spin me up some steep climbs.

V.

[Grog]

I wouldn't call my thighs or hips a "problem" but they definitely are bigger, proportionally, than, say, my arms (I have matchstick arms - really).

However, they have changed in the last two years of cycling. They did tone up and I obviously have lost inches down there because now I can pull down my jeans (which fit a bit tightly in the legs area when I bought them exactly a year ago, at the end of my first intense summer of cycling) without undoing the button and zipper. This happened without me losing a single pound on the scale. This is probably not very surprising considering that I have cycled 5000 km in between, but I find it annoyingly expensive to have to buy a few new pairs of pants again.

I haven't done any special exercises besides pedalling, save for 8 sessions of core-training that did have quite an impact on my core, but not really on my thighs.

So the bottom line is: it takes time and mileage.

[suhollyberry]

Veronica - I'm with you. I'll never have "nice" legs (although my calves are looking pretty defined lately), but I just want slimmer thighs.

I'm losing weight very disproportionately right now and it's getting hard to find jeans to fit me. I tried on jeans this past weekend and they were all tight in the thighs but loose in the waste. It's frustrating!

[tulip]

You might want to focus on spinning at high cadence. Mashing big gears will build big muscles (right? Experts correct me on this if I'm wrong!). Spinning is a better way to go, unless you are a sprint specialist.

Also, it takes a WHILE! And we are stuck with what we are given, so we might as well learn to appreciate what we can't change (and change what we can!)

[hsmpcycle]

You might want to focus on spinning at high cadence. Mashing big gears will build big muscles (right? Experts correct me on this if I'm wrong!). Spinning is a better way to go, unless you are a sprint specialist.

Also, it takes a WHILE! And we are stuck with what we are given, so we might as well learn to appreciate what we can't change (and change what we can!)

I am not a certified physical trainer, but I have experience in teaching weightlifting in college. I will tell you this . . . the more resistance you have on your muscles, the more they will get bigger. So, if you pedal with a lot of resistance, you will build more muscle than you would if you just spin. If you want big thighs, increase the resistance. If you want to trim the bulk, spin away. And Yes, You will notice that your thighs getting bigger that is because of the blood in your body trying to repair your muscles. Eventually that will go down and you will notice a lot of definition and muscle tone. I know that dispite the size, your thighs will look a lot better than they did before you started.

[Bikingmomof3]

I'm losing weight very disproportionately right now and it's getting hard to find jeans to fit me. I tried on jeans this past weekend and they were all tight in the thighs but loose in the waste. It's frustrating!

I am doing the same thing. I am now back into 6's and the thighs are tight and the waist too big. *sigh*

[Veronica]

OH GOD ! I'll never be a 6!

LL Bean relaxed fit jeans fit me well. They have a no questions asked return policy too! They also have some other jeans that are more "in" now with a lower waist. I can't wear most of those... too big of a difference between my waist and my thighs. That style always seems to come with a more fitted thigh. I suppose you can't make a lower waist and a relaxed thigh.

V.