Hips and thighs *sigh*...

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-02-2004
Hips and thighs *sigh*...
15
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 10:11am
Soooo.. don't we all have a special "trouble area" on out bodies?

For me, that would be my hips and thighs... I swear, when I lose weight, I lose it everywhere else but there. I mean, I know I lose some there too, but it's the slowest to leave. When I look in the mirror, I can honestly say I am happy with the way I look from my head to my waist and my legs are nice and tone too. Then, there's that dreaded butt! I'm even happy with my mostly flat stomach and my slightly pudgy arms cuz they both used to be a LOT pudgier... I swear, if I could just shave off an inch (not around, just from this one spot) off my butt and hips, I'd be that size 6. I was just thinking as I was walking down the hall that my jeans aren't touching me anywhere else but right in that spot. That means, that's why I am still this size..lol

I do all kind of "Butt shrinking" exercises. I try to avoid those that are known for making your butt stick out... but man, it's just slow going!! Oh, and no, I'm not ~just~ targeting this area.. I work all the areas... I just make sure I don't forget these..lol

Does anyone have any odd great BUTT exercises they'd like to share with me? I'm not saying my butt is all that bad (DBF told me last night that I have the cutest butt in the world) but It's my trouble area and I'd like to beat it this one time..lol

Thanks for listening..lol

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 11:20am
I have no butt, so my advice would be to do a search for "leaning out the gluteus or minimizing the glutes...etc". You will pull up some bodybuilding/weight training sites. I did it for "sculpting a better butt", verbatim adn got alot. You can play with the wording some and get all sorts of info.

There is squats, lunges, prone leg lifts, plie' squats, hip sled (machine), butt blaster (machine), standing rear leg extensions (great with tubing), knealing leg extensions (on all fours, straight leg lift up (not all the way down), shorten lever and bend knee push sole of shoe straight up to ceiling, shorten rhythm and pulse, up 2 down 2), fire hydrants.....Those are the ones that come to mind right this second.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-18-2003
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 11:21am

Problem areas!

~~ Steffy ~~
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-30-2003
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 11:31am

I would highly suggest pilates. Because you STRETCH the muscles to make them leaner, instead of building them. Hate to go against the prev poster, but doing all plies and squats and stuff, will only build muscle and make everything look larger.


Read up on pilates or maybe yoga. I know pilates for sure STRETCHES and makes you leaner.


that's my two cents. BTW. also take into consideration where your muscle/fat is and if you can lose it. At my thinnest, size 4, 100lbs, my hips were still a 36. Therefore, no matter what, I will never get into something tiny cuz i have big hip bones.

~Cher




my pet!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 12:00pm
Squats and what not will build muscle if you stack on the weight, but that is not the problem. The problem is the fat that is on top of the muscle. Doing squalts and lunges even with minimal weight will not make you bulky...women are not made to bulk up with out intense training and often supplements. You are not bulky, so by building the muscles, our major calorie burners are our large muscles, your metabolism will kick up. By toning the glutes, hams, quads you will get a more desired shape to the lower body. And yes cardio is a very important factor, you can not turn fat into muscle.


Edited 5/12/2004 12:06 pm ET ET by iluv2step
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 12:10pm
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 12:35pm

You know Pam, if you are not too concerned with the muscle build up, ie. if you think the muscle density is good- then I would suggest upping your cardio to lose some of that 'extra' fat.


I also think that many of us have those area's that just plague us most of the time. Mine is the belly and boob area!!


Get those walking shoes on and walk--- that helps majorly in that area!

=== Spring Into Summer ===

cl-vi_islandgirl
co cl @Getting Fit In Your 30's
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-fbfitthirty

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-30-2003
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 12:43pm

Well, that's not true for everyone. Pam packs on the muscle fast. So if she did squats and lunges, her body will in fact bulk up. As a person who bulks up fast, I can say that doing squats, lunges, even cycling and stuff WILL IN FACT bulk my legs up.....and yes, even if I lose the fat around it, it's still big. My calves have ALWAYS been large, to the point of my pants would never fit over them when I was younger (and tapered was in).


So, for ppl that bulk up, and yes there are some.....those aren't necessarily good things. And I feel Pam's body would just bulk up, whereas she wants to be leaner. Trust me, weight or no weights, I still bulk up. I used to do high reps and LOW weights (like 3lbs) and I would go beyond toning, most ppl were surprised. You just need to know what works, or doesn't work for your body. That's why I suggested she try pilates, because she's already got a chunk of muscle on her already.





my pet!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-30-2003
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 12:54pm
Just wanted to agree and say, "good point". lol

~Cher




my pet!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-02-2004
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 1:10pm
Hi again, ladies...

First of all, I walk.. I walk EVERY DAY.. (miss a day here and there only on weekends). I could up that to up the cardio. Walking is by far the best and my most favorite form of cardio. I have no cartilage on my knee (surgery) and it hurts me to run a lot. Same thing with jumping around doing aerobics. So, up the walking.. check. Second, Cher, I think you are right. I need to get my pilates dvd back out. I forgot that I even had it. And I know it's supposed to lengenthen you. I do that "fire hydrant" and other various exercises with NO WEIGHT. Cher is right again, I am BULKY!! I build muscle so fast I p*ss a lot of people off.. someone else told me (Kelly I think) that I do that because I have higher levels of testosterone in my blood due to the PCOS. YUCK!! The medication controls it too, but still even slightly higher will make me build faster. So, in a sense, my body is designed to build faster... LUCKY ME.. not..lol (OK, lucky me when it comes to my flabby arms and tummy..lol). OK, getting out the pilates and walking longer.. adding some to the evenings. I'll give it a whirl!! Thanks ladies!!

~Pam

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 1:12pm
Alrighty, I am sorry. If I had a client with these problems, then you know my suggestions. I am not just shooting blanks here. I have studied fitness and personal training for years and years. I am sorry if you feel I have misled you. I will step on out of this conversation....No hard feelings...

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