Thigh help!

[Dogmama]

This is true. But there are three things to consider:

1) muscle is more dense than fat which means that takes up less room. If you lose fat and gain muscle, you will be smaller...even in your legs. (this does mean that you need to lose fat though...just building up the muscle will make your legs bigger).

2) 98% of women do not have the genetic disposition to build BIG bulky muscles. I thought I was one of the 2% because I do put on muscle easily. I was wrong...even lifting very heavy, my legs only got smaller.

3) to build BIG muscles, you will need to lift VERY heavy...much heavier than even mashing big gears will do for you. (Unless, of course, climbing in the alps is your weekend ride!)

If you watch your diet and lose weight, your legs will get smaller, no matter how hard you hammer. The bad news is that making your leg to waist (or hip to waist) ratio much different by biking is probably not going to happen. This is predominantly governed by genetics and is very difficult to drastically change.

I agree with everything you said. As they say across the pond, "Spot On!"

Regarding leg exercises - if you're actively riding, you really don't need to focus on a lot of quad exercises but you DO need to strengthen those hamstrings.

Also, don't forget your upper body. Nice shaped delts (shoulder muscles) will drawn the eye up and will help normalize a pear shape.

Nutrition is the number one thing, though. You can ride for hours and demolish all of your hard work at Baskin Robbins in 15 minutes (or less if it's chocolate!).

[fatbottomedgurl]

Badonkadonk! Good ol' urbandictionary.com Not for the faint of heart. All the black boys loved mine in high school!!!

[Veronica]

You can ride for hours and demolish all of your hard work at Baskin Robbins in 15 minutes (or less if it's chocolate!).

What!?!?

But that's why I ride!

V.

[light_sabe_r]

Okay I didn't get into cycling to lose weight as I was pretty happy with the way I was...

Today I put on a pair of jeans I wore two weeks ago. They've always been Comfy... but today they're too tight in the thighs and too lose in the waist!

I've always had this problem though. Most pants (in my size) in general don't fit me in the waist If I'd go one size bigger (to relax fit the thighs) they'd be falling off and If I'd go one size smaller (to get em to stay up) they wouldn't get over my thighs!!! so when I find a pair of pants that used to fit my waist and thighs I'd snap them up faster then snapping up samples in the Cadbury factory!

THIS pair of jeans was one of those purchases! This in the waist and relaxed in the thighs..Perfect fit! (Jeans West... Fits Best)

I expecting some sort of muscle change in my legs... but nothing this quickly or this dramatic.

Damn...

[suhollyberry]

I hear ya.....I hear ya.....

[Tuckervill]

Big thighs are what make us WOMEN. They're evolutionarily determined, because we need the fat for childbirth during famines. (But I'm not starving.

Also, if you're a pear shape, you're in better position to avoid such things like heart disease and diabetes, because you're not storing so much fat around your organs.

I'm all for body acceptance no matter how much I ride. Here's a blog about moms that was passed on to me today.

http://shapeofamother.blogspot.com/

Karen

[tulip]

Big thighs are what make us WOMEN. They're evolutionarily determined, because we need the fat for childbirth during famines. (But I'm not starving.

Also, if you're a pear shape, you're in better position to avoid such things like heart disease and diabetes, because you're not storing so much fat around your organs.

I'm all for body acceptance no matter how much I ride. Here's a blog about moms that was passed on to me today.

http://shapeofamother.blogspot.com/

Karen

Amen!

[HappyAnika]

It is so good to hear I'm not the only one who struggles buying pants and jeans. In my family its called the "[last name] Curse". All of the women have big thighs. My mother's oldest friend recently told me that when she first saw me the day I was born she said to my mother "That baby has the fattest thighs I've ever seen!". I've never outgrown them . . . Cycling has made them more toned closer to the knee, but up top I haven't seen any changes. I just don't understand why it seems like all pants and jeans are made for women who are either sticks or who carry lots of belly fat with skinny legs. It frustrates me to no end when I attempt to go shopping. (At what point in time did the hourglass figure go out of style?) Thanks for the suggestions on jean brands, and I think I will be hunting for a seamstress soon as I'm fed up not being able to buy the cute trousers I see in the stores. (Unfortunately I can't wear skirts to work because I work with chemicals, and in the winter I'd freeze!).

[SadieKate]

Another one of those hour glass figure gals. Cabela's relaxed fit and jeanos fit well. Inexpensive, too.

[mimitabby]

now you guys, i am a skinny legs girl and let me tell you most clothes are not made for ME either.
I tried to buy leg warmers and all they do is slide down.

It's a good thing i liked relaxed fit clothing because even sometimes
TIGHTS don't fit me right.

The good news is since i've been bicycling, at least i have enough calf to
hold my knee socks up!

[li10up]

This is true. But there are three things to consider:

1) muscle is more dense than fat which means that takes up less room. If you lose fat and gain muscle, you will be smaller...even in your legs. (this does mean that you need to lose fat though...just building up the muscle will make your legs bigger).

2) 98% of women do not have the genetic disposition to build BIG bulky muscles. I thought I was one of the 2% because I do put on muscle easily. I was wrong...even lifting very heavy, my legs only got smaller.

3) to build BIG muscles, you will need to lift VERY heavy...much heavier than even mashing big gears will do for you. (Unless, of course, climbing in the alps is your weekend ride!)

If you watch your diet and lose weight, your legs will get smaller, no matter how hard you hammer. The bad news is that making your leg to waist (or hip to waist) ratio much different by biking is probably not going to happen. This is predominantly governed by genetics and is very difficult to drastically change.

Many women don't know the above facts, especially #2 so I thought this was worth quoting again.

Another thing worth mentioning...FIRST ON LAST OFF. Wherever your body stores fat first is the last place it will come off. In my case I've always had a bigger butt and thighs. Then when I got older I started to put on fat around the waist and on my upper arms. When I lose weight the fat comes off the belly and arms first then if I'm lucky it will start to come off the legs.

IMO build the leg muscles by pushing a bigger gear or lifting heavy weights. Muscle is what burns fat so the more I have, regardless of where, the better! Build muscle and burn fat. It sounds so easy but is so hard to do - especially when you can't control your diet. That's my biggest problem. Eating out with my DH is our "entertainment."

[KnottedYet]

Just got back from Mervyns. I tried on some Levi 501s because I WANT to be able to wear what I did when I was a teen. And I think button flies are very sexy.

Ain't happenin' on this heinie. My best friend, who lost 120-something pounds, can wear them. Dang...

I tried Levi 559s, cuz they look so bad-boy. Ain't happenin' on this heinie.

Yup, I'm definitely a 32W 32L Levi 560 gal. Not a 33W, not a 31W. 32W is where it's at. I guess it's nice to know where you belong....

On the other hand, Mervyns had Jockey microfiber "No Panty Line Promise" undies on sale. SCORE!!!! Yes, it IS happenin' on this heinie! Now I can toss out the last of my toooo-big underwear because I bought 4 pair of those suckers. (sexy red, hot magenta striped, wild green striped, and dainty pale purple) They'll go nicely with my crazy pink and nutso leopard print ones.