Sculpting toned, strong and shapely thighs requires combining dietary modification and aerobic conditioning with large muscle strength workouts and small muscle definition exercises. This type of diet and exercise plan will not spot reduce your legs, because spot reduction is impossible. It will, however, improve the function, appearance and health of your leg muscles and bones.
About Leg Fat
Reducing excess leg fat is the first step in the thigh-tightening process, but some people, especially women, find that it is easier said than done. Increased alpha-2 adrenergic receptor activity, often estrogen-induced, is one of the main culprits, says Dr. F.L. Greenway in a 1995 article in "Obesity Research." Thigh fat does not pose as many health risks as abdominal fat, but it is less receptive to aerobic exercise, says University of New Mexico exercise physiologist Chantal A. Vella. These physiological issues may stall the thigh-toning process, but patience and perseverance will eventually result in noticeable changes.
Diet
There's truth to the cliche, "you are what you eat." Consuming an excess of high-fat foods results in high body fat. While manufacturers label some candies as "low fat," if the sugar in these treats is not used for energy, it will be converted into fat, despite its low-fat status. One lb. of body fat equals 3,500 calories, so even an excess of healthy foods may cause weight gain. Water, which assists in waste removal, is the nemesis of fat. Consuming a low-fat diet and drinking eight glasses of water each day hastens the thigh-toning process.
Aerobic Exercise
While the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity on most days of the week, it suggests that people trying to reduce fat may require longer sessions. Cross training with different types of aerobic exercise serves multiple purposes. It allows you to exercise longer, without over-stressing one joint position, and it allows you to emphasize different muscle groups. Hill running and walking and elliptical training machines emphasize the quadriceps and hamstrings, whereas exercises such as slide-board training works the inner and outer thighs. Gliding discs, usable on carpets or wood floors, and treadmill side-stepping offer viable alternatives to slide-board training. Set the treadmill at an incline and begin a slow pace. Stand sideways, step toward the console with your top leg, and bring your bottom leg up to meet it. Continue for five minutes, then pause the machine to change direction. Combining this with front-facing incline running or walking works all of the leg muscles, while providing an effective aerobic workout.
Strength Training
Strength training tones your leg muscles and elevates your metabolic rate, which determines the amount of calories you burn at rest, says exercise physiologist Wayne Westcott in an article on the FitCommerce.com website. Do three weekly leg workouts, performing three sets of 12 repetitions of each exercise. Use the leg press for the quadriceps, the leg curl for the hamstrings and the adductor/abductor machine for the inner and outer thighs.
Balls and Bands
Balls and bands provide and acceptable alternative or additional workout for leg machine exercise. The stability ball bridge, for example, provides effective hamstring exercise. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet on the ball. Lift each vertebra to create a spinal bridge, and remain in the bridge as you straighten and bend your legs. To work your outer thighs, wrap a resistance band around your ankles. Step to the side with your right leg, and bring your left leg in to meet it. Take eights steps to the right and eight to the left.
References
- "Obesity Research"; Topical Fat Reduction; F.L. Greeway; November 1995
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
- Desert Southwest Fitness; Fat Metabolism and Gender Differences; Chantal Vella, M.S., and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
- FitCommerce.com; Increased Muscle = Increased Resting Metabolic Rates = Weight Loss; Wayne Westcott
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