Long lean legs
August 3, 2013 9:36 AM Subscribe
What can I do to make my legs slimmer and leaner?
I am quite bottom heavy, and I know you cannot 'spot-reduce' but at the same time athletes of a certain type of sport will have bodies that look different from athletes from a different type of sport. So are there certain things I could do (I am already working on weight loss!) My calves are also quite thick and I would like to see if I can train them to look more slim and lean.
Yoga? Pilates? Fashion tips?
Thank you!! :)
I am quite bottom heavy, and I know you cannot 'spot-reduce' but at the same time athletes of a certain type of sport will have bodies that look different from athletes from a different type of sport. So are there certain things I could do (I am already working on weight loss!) My calves are also quite thick and I would like to see if I can train them to look more slim and lean.
Yoga? Pilates? Fashion tips?
Thank you!! :)
I walk a hell of a lot just in my daily life going about my business. I've always been that way - living in New York helps, as it's a very walkable city, and it's often just as easy to walk to the supermarket or the laundromat or whatever instead of taking a bus or a subway or a taxi or anything. And as a result, my legs have always been in very good shape (and, well, it may also have to do with the fact that my handle includes the term "callipygos").
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:41 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:41 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
You just have to lose weight. The athletes have different body types because some athletes have more muscle on their legs than others. But the people with the slimmest legs have very little muscle and low body fat.
I would caution against eschewing muscle gain entirely, as it is muscle that will give your legs shape. Weight training is tremendously useful for aiding weight loss and giving your body a nice shape once your body fat is down. But if your sole goal is thin legs you need to drop weight.
posted by Anonymous at 9:42 AM on August 3, 2013
I would caution against eschewing muscle gain entirely, as it is muscle that will give your legs shape. Weight training is tremendously useful for aiding weight loss and giving your body a nice shape once your body fat is down. But if your sole goal is thin legs you need to drop weight.
posted by Anonymous at 9:42 AM on August 3, 2013
Best answer: Just because certain types of athletes have certain body types does not mean playing that sport gives them that shape. Playing basketball does not make you taller.
posted by ryanrs at 9:43 AM on August 3, 2013 [22 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 9:43 AM on August 3, 2013 [22 favorites]
I started training for a marathon and taking ballet lessons, and have noticed that my legs are a lot slimmer than they used to be. That may have more to do with the ~3500 calories I burn per week in exercise than anything, but still: running and ballet.
posted by coppermoss at 9:47 AM on August 3, 2013
posted by coppermoss at 9:47 AM on August 3, 2013
Years ago, during a very stressful time, I took classes in ballet/barre. I really could see a change in the outline of my lower body.
posted by raisingsand at 9:49 AM on August 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by raisingsand at 9:49 AM on August 3, 2013 [2 favorites]
but still: running and ballet.
Different bodies are different; I have known runners and running-intensive-sport-playing people who had enormous thighs, and ditto for dancers. Take a look at your close family members: what do their body types look like?
posted by rtha at 9:49 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Different bodies are different; I have known runners and running-intensive-sport-playing people who had enormous thighs, and ditto for dancers. Take a look at your close family members: what do their body types look like?
posted by rtha at 9:49 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Just because certain types of athletes have certain body types does not mean playing that sport gives them that shape. Playing basketball does not make you taller.
Right, it's not true for every aspect of the athlete's body (e.g. height) but it is generally true for the muscles that the athlete builds as a result of playing/training for that particular sport.
And with that being said I would agree with this:
But the people with the slimmest legs have very little muscle and low body fat.
I have run a lot for a long long time, been very fit, been at different weights, etc., and in pants my legs have always looked super bulky because I built up my quads so much by doing all that running.
Then I got sick and lost a LOT of weight in a short time and also didn't exercise almost at all during that time. That is the only thing that has ever decreased the size of my legs. (In case it's not obvious I'm not suggesting that for you.) Muscle atrophy is probably not healthy.
posted by cairdeas at 9:49 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Right, it's not true for every aspect of the athlete's body (e.g. height) but it is generally true for the muscles that the athlete builds as a result of playing/training for that particular sport.
And with that being said I would agree with this:
But the people with the slimmest legs have very little muscle and low body fat.
I have run a lot for a long long time, been very fit, been at different weights, etc., and in pants my legs have always looked super bulky because I built up my quads so much by doing all that running.
Then I got sick and lost a LOT of weight in a short time and also didn't exercise almost at all during that time. That is the only thing that has ever decreased the size of my legs. (In case it's not obvious I'm not suggesting that for you.) Muscle atrophy is probably not healthy.
posted by cairdeas at 9:49 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Legs are an especially troublesome area because most of the exercises you do to lose weight overall will add muscle and therefore mass to your legs.
For the most calorie-burning overall I think maybe you should consider swimming a lot. Pilates and yoga are great for core strength.
On preview, as dance was mentioned: my overall weight was much lower when I was heavily involved with dance, but my legs were fucking ripped. Like, Angela Bassett playing Tina Turner ripped. Many of my less pleasant/more critical female friends told me they were unsightly man-legs. (but obvsly fuck the haters)
However achieving that level of fitness is a 6-7h per day commitment, and you pay for it heavily later on in life.
posted by elizardbits at 9:53 AM on August 3, 2013
For the most calorie-burning overall I think maybe you should consider swimming a lot. Pilates and yoga are great for core strength.
On preview, as dance was mentioned: my overall weight was much lower when I was heavily involved with dance, but my legs were fucking ripped. Like, Angela Bassett playing Tina Turner ripped. Many of my less pleasant/more critical female friends told me they were unsightly man-legs. (but obvsly fuck the haters)
However achieving that level of fitness is a 6-7h per day commitment, and you pay for it heavily later on in life.
posted by elizardbits at 9:53 AM on August 3, 2013
(Going by your username I am assuming you are a woman)
Fashion tips:
-Put width and fullness around your hips and mid-thigh, as well as across your shoulders and at the neckline. (Full skirts, peplums, belted tunics or cardigans, winged shoulders, small puff sleeves, statement necklaces, cropped jackets.) This might seem weird to you, but it will by contrast make the rest of your legs seem slimmer by comparison. If you can cinch your waist with belts, contrasting waistbands, or ties, this will give the impression that your legs go all the way up to your waist. Balance wider legs with wider shoulders. This will overall make you feel more proportional, and thus make the "thickness" of any part of you irrelevant to the overall pleasing package.
-Wear solid colors and monochromatic outfits. This is advice given to petite women, to "lengthen" them, but this applies to everybody. For example, straight-line long grey tweed pants with a slightly shiny slate blouse with vertical elements like tuxedo pleating or a scarf tie or a deep V neckline, or dark blue jeans with a blue tunic with embroidery across the collar bones, or an ankle-length dress in one color with embellishments at the neck and hemline. It will, again, balance you out overall, masking the length or width of your legs with an overwhelming impression of verticality.
-Pointy toed shoes. You don't need heels for this to work. Unfortunately I find that pointy toed shoes, even flats, are less comfortable than other shoe shapes, but we all must suffer for fashion.
posted by Mizu at 10:03 AM on August 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
Fashion tips:
-Put width and fullness around your hips and mid-thigh, as well as across your shoulders and at the neckline. (Full skirts, peplums, belted tunics or cardigans, winged shoulders, small puff sleeves, statement necklaces, cropped jackets.) This might seem weird to you, but it will by contrast make the rest of your legs seem slimmer by comparison. If you can cinch your waist with belts, contrasting waistbands, or ties, this will give the impression that your legs go all the way up to your waist. Balance wider legs with wider shoulders. This will overall make you feel more proportional, and thus make the "thickness" of any part of you irrelevant to the overall pleasing package.
-Wear solid colors and monochromatic outfits. This is advice given to petite women, to "lengthen" them, but this applies to everybody. For example, straight-line long grey tweed pants with a slightly shiny slate blouse with vertical elements like tuxedo pleating or a scarf tie or a deep V neckline, or dark blue jeans with a blue tunic with embroidery across the collar bones, or an ankle-length dress in one color with embellishments at the neck and hemline. It will, again, balance you out overall, masking the length or width of your legs with an overwhelming impression of verticality.
-Pointy toed shoes. You don't need heels for this to work. Unfortunately I find that pointy toed shoes, even flats, are less comfortable than other shoe shapes, but we all must suffer for fashion.
posted by Mizu at 10:03 AM on August 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
One thing you might want to consider is posture. Not posture as in good or bad - but certain ways of holding your body might make your bottom half look more leaden. Move the upper half of your body around while looking in a mirror - you might find that one stance looks better to you than another. Also look at how you walk and run - most people use their quadriceps to whip their legs forward, but some people have a more balanced gait that is more hip driven (look at ballet dancers.)
Certainly heed the advice of people asking you to consider dance. Adding an aura of awareness and intentionality to your movement is in some ways more important than the gross composition of your body. I'm not an expert but ballet especially asks a lot in terms of flexibility and articulation of all your leg muscles, in fact right now I am fantasizing about Paloma Hererra's tibialis muscles.
I'd also join the chorus of people that like muscular legs (on anyone), and I think that is a pretty common opinion (haters excepted.)
posted by Teakettle at 10:09 AM on August 3, 2013
Certainly heed the advice of people asking you to consider dance. Adding an aura of awareness and intentionality to your movement is in some ways more important than the gross composition of your body. I'm not an expert but ballet especially asks a lot in terms of flexibility and articulation of all your leg muscles, in fact right now I am fantasizing about Paloma Hererra's tibialis muscles.
I'd also join the chorus of people that like muscular legs (on anyone), and I think that is a pretty common opinion (haters excepted.)
posted by Teakettle at 10:09 AM on August 3, 2013
at the same time athletes of a certain type of sport will have bodies that look different from athletes from a different type of sport.
Make sure you are looking wide ranging bodies of humans within normal range. Professional athletes are not within normal human range. These cross-country runners, for example, look very different than typical world-class marathon runners. Women in the Army who meet the PT requirements and would totally kick my ass do not necessarily look sleek. These runners, while fit for a half-marathon, are not slim-legged either. Genetics are going to play their part, no matter what the sport.
Here's a pilates "ballet legs" workout, and while that woman is fit as fuck, I don't think she has the legs of a professional ballerina. Because she isn't one.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:47 AM on August 3, 2013 [8 favorites]
Make sure you are looking wide ranging bodies of humans within normal range. Professional athletes are not within normal human range. These cross-country runners, for example, look very different than typical world-class marathon runners. Women in the Army who meet the PT requirements and would totally kick my ass do not necessarily look sleek. These runners, while fit for a half-marathon, are not slim-legged either. Genetics are going to play their part, no matter what the sport.
Here's a pilates "ballet legs" workout, and while that woman is fit as fuck, I don't think she has the legs of a professional ballerina. Because she isn't one.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:47 AM on August 3, 2013 [8 favorites]
I had some success getting my legs to look more toned by doing lunges and squats. Of course, I was losing weight at the same time, so I don't know how much the exercises had to do with anything.
posted by MFZ at 11:06 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MFZ at 11:06 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Other people have pointed out that it's hard to untangle selection from treatment in elite athletes, and I'd like to go farther to say that it's not even helpful. The "treatment" for a competitive gymnast or professional dancer is 20 hours a week for ten years, preferably starting when you were six. If you were up for that sort of training program, you wouldn't be on AskMe, you'd be talking to your coach.
Perhaps counterintuitively, I actually think powerlifting is the way to go. For example. The trick is, fat accumulates in lots of different places, and the distribution differs from person to person, but as far as anyone can tell without dissection everybody has the same muscles. Which means strength training will reliably produce curvy calves that taper in toward the ankle, and so on.
By the way, a lot of women seem to think that strength training will make them bulk up. I have no idea where this comes from. If you read any men's bodybuilding magazine, it's full of tips and programs for bulking up, because adding muscle mass is really hard. And that's for a man, who is naturally on steroids compared to women.
posted by d. z. wang at 11:21 AM on August 3, 2013
Perhaps counterintuitively, I actually think powerlifting is the way to go. For example. The trick is, fat accumulates in lots of different places, and the distribution differs from person to person, but as far as anyone can tell without dissection everybody has the same muscles. Which means strength training will reliably produce curvy calves that taper in toward the ankle, and so on.
By the way, a lot of women seem to think that strength training will make them bulk up. I have no idea where this comes from. If you read any men's bodybuilding magazine, it's full of tips and programs for bulking up, because adding muscle mass is really hard. And that's for a man, who is naturally on steroids compared to women.
posted by d. z. wang at 11:21 AM on August 3, 2013
By the way, a lot of women seem to think that strength training will make them bulk up. I have no idea where this comes from.
Just want to note, it comes from the fact that there are a lot of women who build bulky muscle easily and have naturally strong, solid, somewhat stocky builds. I put on muscle very very very easily, more easily than a lot of guys I know. But when I bulk up, I just look like a squarish woman, not a male bodybuilder. Everyone in my family is the same. The men in my family put on muscle like putting on a pair of socks, and get to neanderthal-looking levels very easily. I would not get anywhere near the neanderthal point but I do get to the "very bulky woman" point. It's not as simple as "putting on muscle is universally easier for all men than for all women." It makes sense that a woman from a family where everyone naturally had very bulky muscular bodies, would quickly develop the female version of bulky muscle, whereas a man from a family where everyone is small and slight might not even get that far.
posted by cairdeas at 11:26 AM on August 3, 2013 [9 favorites]
Just want to note, it comes from the fact that there are a lot of women who build bulky muscle easily and have naturally strong, solid, somewhat stocky builds. I put on muscle very very very easily, more easily than a lot of guys I know. But when I bulk up, I just look like a squarish woman, not a male bodybuilder. Everyone in my family is the same. The men in my family put on muscle like putting on a pair of socks, and get to neanderthal-looking levels very easily. I would not get anywhere near the neanderthal point but I do get to the "very bulky woman" point. It's not as simple as "putting on muscle is universally easier for all men than for all women." It makes sense that a woman from a family where everyone naturally had very bulky muscular bodies, would quickly develop the female version of bulky muscle, whereas a man from a family where everyone is small and slight might not even get that far.
posted by cairdeas at 11:26 AM on August 3, 2013 [9 favorites]
If you want to make your legs look longer you need to shrink your butt and lose as much weight off your thighs as you can. No secret, by making you upper thighs thinner you elongate your legs. Keep losing weight and run and lift weights/ dance/ pilates to build muscle.
As for spot training look at photos of celebrities. Like Gwyneth paltrow before and after she started training with a dancer. You most certainly can change your shape quite a bit.
posted by fshgrl at 12:18 PM on August 3, 2013
As for spot training look at photos of celebrities. Like Gwyneth paltrow before and after she started training with a dancer. You most certainly can change your shape quite a bit.
posted by fshgrl at 12:18 PM on August 3, 2013
Best answer: Losing weight will definitely help. In the meantime, there is always Spanx "tight-end" tights! Not very helpful in the summer, but in the winter, they do wonders for he sleekness of your bottom half.
posted by rpfields at 1:44 PM on August 3, 2013
posted by rpfields at 1:44 PM on August 3, 2013
Well, if strength training doesn't incur bulk, it's a crazy coincidence that I and 5 of my friends who all do one-the-toes kicky folk dance (irish step, scottish highland, etc) all have mammoth calves and can't buy tall winter boots because of circumference issues. The up-side is, we've all got pretty narrow ankles, so even with huge muscular calves, I'd call my legs "shapely"... I'm not advising against exercise: leg exercises won't help make you legs smaller, and if you were starting with stick-skinny legs, they'd probably get bigger in some areas, but those muscley areas accentuate the thinness of the parts of your legs that aren't a major muscle group (knees ankles, etc) and create lovely tapering shapes.
posted by aimedwander at 2:25 PM on August 3, 2013
posted by aimedwander at 2:25 PM on August 3, 2013
Mizu's fashion tips are spot-on. I have muscular legs and carry most of my weight between my belly button and my knees, and that's largely how I dress.
You can totally wear prints and stuff as someone who's bottom heavy, though (I do it all the time). Try to wear darker colors on your lower half when possible. Skirts and dresses are also more flattering than pants or shorts. You can wear bike shorts or slip shorts like Skimmies underneath if you're prone to chafing (you can get Skimmies for cheaper at Jockey outlets). Gathered, pleated, full, a-line, and circle skirts that end below the widest parts of your legs are usually more flattering than shorter skirts or pencil or straight skirts. Also: Emphasize your waist as much as you can.
posted by topoisomerase at 7:33 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
You can totally wear prints and stuff as someone who's bottom heavy, though (I do it all the time). Try to wear darker colors on your lower half when possible. Skirts and dresses are also more flattering than pants or shorts. You can wear bike shorts or slip shorts like Skimmies underneath if you're prone to chafing (you can get Skimmies for cheaper at Jockey outlets). Gathered, pleated, full, a-line, and circle skirts that end below the widest parts of your legs are usually more flattering than shorter skirts or pencil or straight skirts. Also: Emphasize your waist as much as you can.
posted by topoisomerase at 7:33 PM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
The type of muscle you will build depends on the exercise that you do. Strength training will build large muscle mass, while endurance training won't. This is why sprinters have giant legs, while marathon runners don't. If you want your legs to be thinner, you will need to lose weight, and also make sure that the exercising you are doing is of the endurance variety, and not strength training.
posted by markblasco at 9:40 PM on August 3, 2013
posted by markblasco at 9:40 PM on August 3, 2013
I'm with MFZ: squats and lunges. Preferably weighted squats and lunges (i.e., with a barbell across your shoulders).
I already had kind of long, skinny legs, but doing this 3x per week has really defined the muscle. In a good, shaping way, not a 'bulky' way.
(I also agree that a huge amount of this is genetic. I'm nearly six foot tall, with chicken ankles. My legs are never getting bulky in this lifetime.)
posted by Salamander at 10:14 PM on August 3, 2013
I already had kind of long, skinny legs, but doing this 3x per week has really defined the muscle. In a good, shaping way, not a 'bulky' way.
(I also agree that a huge amount of this is genetic. I'm nearly six foot tall, with chicken ankles. My legs are never getting bulky in this lifetime.)
posted by Salamander at 10:14 PM on August 3, 2013
Consider participating in a sport where people with your body type have the natural advantage. You're more likely to keep working out if you are having fun. Bottom-heavy girls with powerful muscular calves are a force to be reckoned with at a roller derby bout, for example.
posted by steinwald at 8:25 AM on August 5, 2013
posted by steinwald at 8:25 AM on August 5, 2013
If you really want very slim legs rather than general fitness, you could theoretically achieve that by focusing exclusively on your upper body. Maybe look into wheelchair sports.
posted by steinwald at 10:12 AM on August 5, 2013
posted by steinwald at 10:12 AM on August 5, 2013
Best answer: As others have mentioned, the only way is really losing body fat. Even then, you may get to the point where you're underweight before your legs get very slim - some people just have a naturally stocky build.
For a different angle - as someone with naturally thick, muscular legs (even before I started to be active at all), starting to play soccer really helped me accept that particular physical quirk, since I can focus on the positive aspects (strong, sturdy, fast) rather than on how strange I look in skinny jeans. It's not likely to decrease your leg size (mine are about the same size after years of frequent playing, although they've exchanged some fat for muscle), but you might feel better about it.
posted by randomnity at 12:32 PM on August 6, 2013
For a different angle - as someone with naturally thick, muscular legs (even before I started to be active at all), starting to play soccer really helped me accept that particular physical quirk, since I can focus on the positive aspects (strong, sturdy, fast) rather than on how strange I look in skinny jeans. It's not likely to decrease your leg size (mine are about the same size after years of frequent playing, although they've exchanged some fat for muscle), but you might feel better about it.
posted by randomnity at 12:32 PM on August 6, 2013
Response by poster: Re: ryanars I agree with you and have noticed especially now that I am actively looking out that the type of exercise may draw people who are naturally adapted to the sport. But is the slow/fast twitch muscle distinction relevant? There are so many pictures of bodybuilders who have deliberately worked to change the composition of their muscles... What I meant to say is, is there a reverse equivalent for making a certain muscle group leaner?
posted by dinosaurprincess at 10:46 AM on August 26, 2013
posted by dinosaurprincess at 10:46 AM on August 26, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Justinian at 9:39 AM on August 3, 2013 [2 favorites]