The legs and thighs are common areas where many people, especially females, store body fat. Body fat builds over a period of time when you either eat too many calories, don't do enough exercise, or a combination of both. However, if you follow the right exercises and dietary strategies, you can lose weight from your legs in an uncomplicated way and in a short amount of time.
Train the Whole Body
Unfortunately, it is impossible to just lose fat from certain areas of your body and not others. Where you lose fat will be determined mainly by your genetics, so to lose weight from your legs, you need to train your entire body. Aim to perform intensive exercise sessions between two and four times per week, either working your whole body in each session or splitting up the workout into upper and lower body sessions.
Leg Exercises
Just because you can't spot reduce fat doesn't mean you shouldn't train your legs. Performing strength exercises for your lower body will help build muscle tissue, make you stronger and burn calories, which will make your legs look leaner and slimmer. Focus on compound free-weight exercises such as squats, lunges and deadlifts in your lower body training sessions. Ensure you always lift with good form, and if you are unsure of any exercises, get a gym instructor or personal trainer to help you.
Cardiovascular Training
Cardiovascular training also plays a role. While weight training should be a priority, some light aerobic work will help burn calories, increase recovery and speed up your weight loss. Perform 20 to 30 minutes of low-intensity cardio three times per week, either after your weights sessions or on the days in between. Pick an activity you enjoy, such as swimming, cycling or walking.
Diet
Diet is just as important as exercise when losing leg weight quickly. To work out how many calories you need, multiply your body weight in pounds by 12 and eat this many calories per day for a fortnight. If at the end of the fortnight you have lost less than 2 lb., decrease your calorie consumption by 100 per day. If you've lost 2 lb. or more, keep it the same. Aim to get the majority of your calories from foods such as good-quality meats, vegetables, fruits, fish and nuts, and a small amount of grains and dairy products.
Member Comments