My girlfriend has been dying to know...Is there anything she can do to think out the bottom part of her leg near her ankles. I guess you could say she might be getting close to those dreaded Cankles. Are there any exercises that target this area, or any diet techniques, or is she stuck forever?
Can't really "spot reduce" -- what is her overall bodyfat? Does she tend to carry a higher fat concentration in her legs? (Some women just have "thick legs".) As with any other part of the body that just won't lean out, you really need to just keep dieting & training.
Can you give some stats for her, her training & diet schedule?
Can't really "spot reduce" -- what is her overall bodyfat? Does she tend to carry a higher fat concentration in her legs? (Some women just have "thick legs".) As with any other part of the body that just won't lean out, you really need to just keep dieting & training.
Can you give some stats for her, her training & diet schedule?
She is 5'4 and 120lbs. Her upper body is skinny and overall she is thin. Her legs just seem to be thicker. She does have an underactive thyroid and is on meds so I'm wondering if that is making her hold water. Currently she doesn't really exercise at all. She's looking to tone all together but starting with her legs. Any suggestions?
I'd say if she's not doing anything now and she's "skinny", she probably has little muscle development and anything she does will help. Again, since you can't really "spot reduce", I'd recommend she just start doing an overall body training regimen. Not too much cardio if she's already "skinny" -- some won't hurt, but turning into a cardio bunny will just catabolize what muscle she does have. It sounds like the fat is not really the issue so much as lack of muscle. Also if she starts building her upper body a little she can also create the illusion of a smaller lower half by balance the upper & lower proportions. And to focus on legs, lunges, squats, calf raises, etc. will all help. If she's new to the whole training thing and doesn't realy like going to the gym, I like to suggest something like the Body for LIfe approach because it keeps the training simple - upper body / lower body split and doesn't require spending 6 hrs / day in the gym.
Body for Life is great for beginners, and I think it would be perfect for your friend. It sounds like she could really benefit from getting into some good overall shape, not that she has a weight problem to begin with.
You can find the book at pretty much any bookstore these days. And since it's been around for years now, it's usually discounted. Plus they have a website out there, however I'm not sure it will give you the workout and diet details on it.
I would have her work the upper calf muscles so the ankles look comparatively smaller. If you look at Britney Spears her calves start to flare out fairly low on the ankle and it makes her legs look stumpy in bare feet. When she has heels on it looks really good though.
A leg pic might help here.
For more general feedback & experience info about Body for LIfe, just have her do a search on Google on "Body for life" -- there are all sorts of boards & people who have posted their experience with it. It really nails the basics of a healthy lifestyle for those new to it.
Thick ankles can be due to menstruation, other than that, its the way her body stores fat. You cant do anything about that, but one sure thing is, thick ankles are ugly.
try making her calves grow in order to take focus from the ankles. You cannot shape muscles, but you can shape the body.
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