Sculpting your legs

I have really unshapely legs. They look fat and bulky but actually it's not fat but muscle. I know there are a few fitness guru's on here, do you have any advice on exercises which will help my legs look more lean rather than bulky?
BTW I didn't use the word toned because I heard some of you say you didn't like it :smile:

Reply 1

No Future

I prefer toned than sculpted. Sculped sounds awfully bulky and musclar. Running? Swimming? Just losing weight?

Reply 2

pkchips

SammyD

I have really unshapely legs. They look fat and bulky but actually it's not fat but muscle.

oh, why does this stupid thing make me have to type more than just a quote!!!!!! :confused:

Reply 3

erk

ultimately you'll need to lose weight, 'lean' is created by little fat, thus showing muscle. see, brad pitt in fight club.

http://ghaldszar.homestead.com/files/bpitt1.JPG

I'll take it as you dont have access to a gym?

i guess you know a little about cardio. ie. running, swimming, even walking.

you could perhaps do a circuit of a few things;

press-ups
lunges (lower)
bodyweight squats/one legged squats (lower)
burpees (conditioning/lower) http://www.warriorforce.com/articles/burpeeclip.htm
hindu squat http://www.frixo.com/sites/fitness/exercises/hindusquat.html
stepup
calf raises (on a step)

Include some upper weight exercises like pressups, close pressups, dips between chairs etc etc and perform a circuit perhaps 3x.

Reply 4

Gwen

swimming is great for toning the whole body ( i like the word toned :wink:

)
if you concentrate only on one area - such as exercises only for the legs, i don't think you'd feel or look as great as if you'd worked on everything. so like my past posters - i recomment the top three sports that make you lose weight the fastest: running, swimming and cross-country skiing (though the last one might be tough in the summer :smile:

)

Reply 5

SammyD

I'm a girl, I don't want to look like brad pitt!

I'm trying to run or swim every day at the moment to lose a bit of fat and get fitter, but I'm not seeing any change in my legs. I had a personal trainer a few years ago who said that I had the body type that was likely to look a bit bulky, I was just wondering how I could minimise this. I got rid of the trainer because going to the gym was a pain in the arse, I spent as much time travelling there as I did working out.

Reply 6

erk

It was an example. :rolleyes:

Too many people blame body types/genetics, generally you are a mix of the 3 with some displaying more characteristics for one than the other two. Stubborn fat, when i used to cut (i dont cut anymore, i'm always pretty cut ^_^) i'd lose fat last on my pecs. Time, be patient, young one.

:rolleyes:

Reply 7

SammyD

I'm trying to be patient. At the moment I am really happy getting fitter and improving on my best times, but I was stretching just now when I saw my legs looking so bulky. Now I know I'll never be on the gilette adverts but I don't want to look like a rugby player!

I'll carry on and hope that as more fat goes my legs slim down, thanks guys.

Reply 8

saz_1989

lose weight; this should lose the fat that's covering what sound like well-toned muscles.

Reply 9

guilly

running will be much more effective than weights. running will build muscle althought not make them too bulky, and will also burn off any fat surrounding them. all weights will do is make them more bulky...

Reply 10

Dr. Blazed

Cycle everywhere. It's great cardio, convenient for going places, and it'll sort your legs out in weeks. People will laugh, but ignore them - I cycle to the pub. :biggrin:

Reply 11

naelse

pilates or yoga (or even ballet) will create long, lean, strong muscles instead of bulky ones

Reply 12

spin

Dr. Blazed

Cycle everywhere. It's great cardio, convenient for going places, and it'll sort your legs out in weeks. People will laugh, but ignore them - I cycle to the pub. :biggrin:

Cyclists who get really good often shave their legs. Now, they -say- it's to help with their speed... but we know it's just to show off their shapely legs :wink:

Reply 13

Barny