Many people consider lifting weights to be a way to bulk up. However, doing strength-training workouts can help you slim down as well. You cannot "spot train" your legs to make them smaller while ignoring the rest of your body, but you can do exercises to target your lower body, tone your muscles and lose weight overall. Discuss any new fitness plan with your physician before beginning it.
Lose Weight
Burning off more calories than you take in is key to losing weight, and exercising regularly can help you achieve this. Weightlifting workouts not only burn calories but also help you build muscle and get rid of excess fat. Muscle cells use up more calories than fat cells do, which means that the more muscle you gain, the more calories you will burn all day, even when you are not working out. This will also boost your metabolism, helping you to lose weight and be on your way to thinner legs.
Tone Your Muscles
When you lift weights, you both build and tone your muscles, and this might make the number on the scale go up. However, your legs and the rest of your body will probably look sleeker, and your pants may fit better. Using your body composition as an indicator of your health and fitness level is better than relying only on weight. The more you lift, the more toned your body will become, helping you to slim down your legs as well as make them firmer.
How to Exercise
If you are new to weightlifting, start slowly to avoid injuring yourself or straining your muscles. Begin by using a weight that you can lift about 12 to 15 times before you get tired, and do one to three sets of each exercise. The number of sets will depend on your current fitness level and goals, as will the amount of weightlifting sessions you do, but most adults need only two strength-training sessions a week. To tone your legs, try doing exercises such as squats, leg presses, calf raises and leg extensions, and ask a personal trainer for tips on proper technique if necessary.
Reminders
Weightlifting is only one part of the muscle-building and weight-loss equation. You will also need to do some cardio exercise for at least 150 minutes each week. These can be workouts that complement your weight routine and focus on your legs, such as running, hiking up hills or playing tennis. As you build muscle and strength, you will need to increase both the intensity of your cardio and the heaviness of your weights to keep dropping pounds and slimming your legs. However, do not make these changes too soon, because that can lead to injury.
Member Comments