heavy weight less reps or light weight

[pinneyshome]

Objective is to tone my legs lift my big bazooka, and lower body fat. I have been working for the past 3 months doing cardio 5x a week. I added weights about a two months ago. SO I do a full body 3x a week. My question is I want to tone my legs and wonder if I should be using heavy weight less reps or lighter weight more reps. Now I not really doing a strict diet, I eat most atkins low carb yogurt, and some cottage cheese (about 1/2 cup for lunch) and for dinner usually chicken, beef. However I do not usually count calories for dinner but I also do not overeat. I have seen amazing results in my body already from weights at least as far as strength is concerned. SO in order to be more effective should I have heavier weights or lighter weights with more reps. I guess I should clarify I want the outer thigh to be more toned. I know your going to tell me its in the diet, and that may be something I will have to work harder at but I want to know if I am doing the weights correctly as far as how heavy I should go. I should also say all my weight is carried on bottom. Little arms, that are improving in time, little waist but saddlebad thighs! I know I was cursed!

 

[FitFossil]

Women are often told to train their legs using light weights and high reps, but this did NOT work for me.

I used to shy away from heavy leg training because I thought my legs were genetically "big". Truthfully, my upper body and lower body looked like they belonged to 2 different people. I did the light weight/high rep 'til the cows came home and nothing ever changed. One day I decided if my legs were meant to be big, then I'd make them into the biggest baddest most muscular legs ever, because even 20 years ago when I was an 88 lb anorexic, I still thought my legs were big and fat, and I figurered big and muscular would at least be better than big and fat.

I started doing heavy squats, deadlifts, sprints, etc. - all those exercises women traditionally avoid. I gained 10 pounds but dropped 2 pant sizes! I didn't even recognize my legs, and for the first time in 38 years, I actually liked what I saw. I added a size to my upper body, so now I'm a V-shape instead of a pear shape. Moral of the story is you CAN change the shape of your body, but it takes significant resistance/weight to do it. Do NOT fear the weights!

 

[pinneyshome]

i have a tough time doing squats because of my knees, yet I have no problem doing lunges. I use to run but can't do that anymore either. I am just starting to learn how to do the deadlift but until my form improves it will be a while until i can increase the weights. Is there another exercise i could do with weights that would help the back side?

 

[Sassy69]

Exercises that hit your hams & glutes:

- leg curl
- hyperextensions
- lunges
- dumbbell dead lifts - stand w/ legs just inside shoulder width, best on a box or a Step, start from an upright position, bend, pulling from your hams & not your back, then at the bottom of the motion just above your feet, push out the dumbbells almost out in front of your feet (helps to be on a step so you can go beyond your feet) so you feel the extra stretch on your hams, and then back up, again pulling from your hams & not your back.
- step ups
- Smith machine squats
- Leg press

 

[lola]

Well, having done both, I would say that heavy weight less reps worked way better for me. I do squats, front squats, deadlifts and straight-leg deadlifts, all in about the five rep range. (Not all on the same day.) I am sure this by itself got me out of the size 4s into the size 2s, I've gained some muscle and lost some body fat without having to diet any more strictly.

 

[genarr3]

Women are often told to train their legs using light weights and high reps, but this did NOT work for me.

I used to shy away from heavy leg training because I thought my legs were genetically "big". Truthfully, my upper body and lower body looked like they belonged to 2 different people. I did the light weight/high rep 'til the cows came home and nothing ever changed. One day I decided if my legs were meant to be big, then I'd make them into the biggest baddest most muscular legs ever, because even 20 years ago when I was an 88 lb anorexic, I still thought my legs were big and fat, and I figurered big and muscular would at least be better than big and fat.

I started doing heavy squats, deadlifts, sprints, etc. - all those exercises women traditionally avoid. I gained 10 pounds but dropped 2 pant sizes! I didn't even recognize my legs, and for the first time in 38 years, I actually liked what I saw. I added a size to my upper body, so now I'm a V-shape instead of a pear shape. Moral of the story is you CAN change the shape of your body, but it takes significant resistance/weight to do it. Do NOT fear the weights!

Great reply.

 

[Sassy69]

The light weight, many reps approach really just seems to me to be more of a cardio workout than a muscle breakdown / build up workout. Particularly when you are talking about lower body - your legs are awesome muscles & strong as shit so make them do what they do well!