Excess fat on your legs is unattractive and causes you to look overweight. To create lean legs, perform exercises that will not build bulky muscle. Achieve this by using a low amount of weight during exercises or use your own body weight as resistance. Choose three to four leg-strengthening exercises to perform during each workout. Perform two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise at least twice a week, allowing at least 48 hours of rest between workouts to allow time for muscle recovery.
Body Weight Exercises
Tighten and tone your leg muscles by using your own body weight as resistance. Target your quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as your glutes and hips, with front squats. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight, and squat toward the floor by bending your knees. Use a wide stance to target your inner thigh muscles or stand with your feet close together to concentrate on your outer muscles.
Target your lower legs by performing calf raises on the edge of an aerobic step. Place the balls of your feet on the edge of the step with your heels suspended in the air. Raise your heels until you feel a stretch in your calves; hold this position for one count. Lower your heels to below the surface of the step and hold this position for one count before returning to the original position. Hold onto a fixed, sturdy object if necessary to help maintain balance.
Free Weights
Lifting weights helps you develop lean muscle, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day. Develop lean, toned legs by performing specific exercises while holding a dumbbell in each hand or a barbell across your shoulders. Perform squats and calf raises with free weights to create more resistance.
Lunges tone your upper and lower legs and can be performed with a hand weight held at your sides. Lunge forward with one foot and bend your legs. Lower your back knee until it almost touches the floor. Do not let your front knee over-extend your toes. Alternate legs between sets or repetitions.
Strength Training Machines
Gyms and fitness facilities offer a variety of strength-training equipment pre-loaded with plate weight. Select a low amount of weight and use a leg extension machine or leg press machine to target your quadriceps. Or tone your hamstrings with a leg curl machine. Use the bar of a Smith machine to perform basic front squats, wide-stance squats or narrow-stance squats. Calf raises can also be performed with the bar on this machine. Lay the bar across your lower shoulders and raise up on your toes for one count.
Aerobic Exercise
To lose fat anywhere on your body, aerobic exercise is essential. Unfortunately, you cannot target specific areas for fat loss. Instead, fat is burned from around your entire body uniformly, but ultimately, you will lose fat on your legs as well. Perform a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of intense activity, every week, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Choose from swimming, bicycling, brisk walking, jogging, running and various sports.
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