Super Curvy Quads! How to whittle them down?

[curvymommy]

I love squats. A lot. They're fun to me and maybe I've over done them?

I have just started to do ballerina squats w/lighter weight and pointing my toes out more on all quad work to try to help my inner thighs develop. Also doing lots of lunges and more deadlifts.

Is there anyway to make my muscly quads go down? They are way too dominant looking to me! I don't wanna abandon my development in this area but would like to minimize development of my outer quads.

Any ideas?

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Run stairs or get on a stepmill this helped me bring down my legs a lot. Also I do more high volume work on my legs in general with lower weights.

 

[OMEGA]

can I share my humble male opinion?

 

[curvymommy]

can I share my humble male opinion?

Thanks SuperQT I've been using the StepMill for all of my cardio lately with the exception of the Row machine a tiny bit.

OMEGA: Please share your opinion. I do the squats how you taught me (which worked, that's for sure!) and they've got my front quads poking way out, prolly my main fat burning machine but still! LoL.

My diet is good. I've lost 7 lbs since cutting all sugar, flour, and wheat products two weeks ago.

 

[musclemom]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, if it's not fat, but actual muscle isn't exercising the muscle with increasing resistance going to make it bigger? (which echoes what QT said about high reps/low weight for legs).

Just from an observational standpoint, it seems everyone has at least one bodypart that is just plain stubborn, no matter what you do it grows very little if at all; contrarywise, everyone usually has the reverse of that body part, the part(s) that seem to respond with the least little bit of exercise. Take me, for example, my calves (not uncommonly) neither grow nor shrink, and since they are extremely stubborn I really don't like exercising them, anyway. My easy-peasy body part is my triceps, I even do biceps isolation work and my triceps get bigger

So if you think your quads are too big (and you do have those kind of legs, CM, thank your height, hun) you might have to cut back/out what you're doing for them, think perhaps looking into some of the muscle lengthening stuff, like yoga or pilates.

 

[*ebony*]

hey CM!

i know what your talking about!! my thighs are humongous. then after they leaned out a bit i still noticed how much they curved at the front. to make it worse my hammies were kinda flat and butt big. so i started really focusing on my hammies and butt. i figured since the front was filled out, adding a bit to the back would even things out. i'm very pleased with the results im getting! and my hammies are coming along wonderfully. i thought my legs might look huge as a result but thats not the case so far.


my hamstrings really respond to stiff-legged deads and a back extention bench exercise.(lower the bench a little, bend knees a little, and hold a dumbell or plate to your chest when you do them. the trick is to use your hamstrings to pull ur self back up and not your lower back. OMG feel the burn!!

 

[PhoenixS]

Pics??

 

[Smurfy]

Run stairs or get on a stepmill this helped me bring down my legs a lot. Also I do more high volume work on my legs in general with lower weights.

+1
there are actually pro figure and fitness competitors who dont lift with their legs due to the size they get from other training activities. remember, much of this is also genetics as to how your body is proportioned.

either way, you're beautiful!

 

[curvymommy]

Thanks everyone! I've been laying off any direct quad work and using the step mill while turning side to side @ intervals.

PICS: Hmmm...I'm being lazy I guess but you can imagine how my pics always are except for with a really flat tummy it makes my quads seem overly prominent.

As I drop weight I'll post pics. How about when I hit 150?

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Thanks everyone! I've been laying off any direct quad work and using the step mill while turning side to side @ intervals.

PICS: Hmmm...I'm being lazy I guess but you can imagine how my pics always are except for with a really flat tummy it makes my quads seem overly prominent.

As I drop weight I'll post pics. How about when I hit 150?

Sounds great hun keep killing it!!!!!!!!!

 

[AAP]

Stimulation to a muscle is stimulation. There isn't a difference really. You can do a bit less stimulating the muscle which is known fashionable gym cirlces as "toning".

*big goofy smile*

Instead of focusing on compound movements that cause more stimulation than their isolation counter parts, stick with exercises like leg extensions, step ups (holding bar across traps squat style but then stepping up on bench or platform), old school hack squats (straddle barbell and hold up between legs while squatting down), etc..

Since you are using lighter weight and a bit higher reps, make sure you go for complete range of movement. Watch the mirror. For instance when people talk about squatting ass to floor, the last couple of inches isn't due to further range of movement on the quads. Instead it generally occurs because you compact the body and hyperextend the muscle, placing it and the tendons and ligaments at great risk.

So watch the mirror, go down until you see the muscle actually stop expanding, then go up just shy of lock out to keep tension on the muscle.

Lunges are great, side step lunges are really really good too. Instead of following a path of movement forward you lift your leg and step sideways.

Keep us posted and let me know if you want me to share these pics you sent me.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Stimulation to a muscle is stimulation. There isn't a difference really. You can do a bit less stimulating the muscle which is known fashionable gym cirlces as "toning".

*big goofy smile*

Instead of focusing on compound movements that cause more stimulation than their isolation counter parts, stick with exercises like leg extensions, step ups (holding bar across traps squat style but then stepping up on bench or platform), old school hack squats (straddle barbell and hold up between legs while squatting down), etc..

Since you are using lighter weight and a bit higher reps, make sure you go for complete range of movement. Watch the mirror. For instance when people talk about squatting ass to floor, the last couple of inches isn't due to further range of movement on the quads. Instead it generally occurs because you compact the body and hyperextend the muscle, placing it and the tendons and ligaments at great risk.

So watch the mirror, go down until you see the muscle actually stop expanding, then go up just shy of lock out to keep tension on the muscle.

Lunges are great, side step lunges are really really good too. Instead of following a path of movement forward you lift your leg and step sideways.

Keep us posted and let me know if you want me to share these pics you sent me.

I highlighted an awesome point. I rarely actually squat anymore especially over contest prep. I do lots of issolation like AAP said reps for my legs are around 12-20 and I will do 4-5 sets. For leg extentions I do 4 with both legs together then 4 with each leg seperate and the toes pointing out and in. So yeah that is a total of 12 sets of extentions and that is just the start of the workout.

 

[Rachel...lol]

Hey CM! Sounds like you're doing great! I have no advice for you, as I like curvy quads. Keep up the good work doin what you're doin.

 

[curvymommy]

THANKS SO MUCH Everyone! AAP, SuperQT, Rachel! Thanks for visiting my thread and for the help.

Being a little more active here in this forum has inspired me to take new pics on February 1st and continue to hammer away at it and keep taking new pics every 1st of the month until summer.

I'll create a new thread for this.

 

[PhoenixS]

THANKS SO MUCH Everyone! AAP, SuperQT, Rachel! Thanks for visiting my thread and for the help.

Being a little more active here in this forum has inspired me to take new pics on February 1st and continue to hammer away at it and keep taking new pics every 1st of the month until summer.

I'll create a new thread for this.

3

Woo hoo pics!!!!!!!!!

Hai CM!!

 

[OMEGA]

On Leg days from now on simply do this:

1: the Revolving Stair Case for cardio 23 minutes
2: 5 sets Hamstring Curls
3: 5 sets Light to med leg extensions
4: 3 sets of seated ham curls
5: 3 sets deadlifts

then abs per the OMEGA method

 

[curvymommy]

On Leg days from now on simply do this:

1: the Revolving Stair Case for cardio 23 minutes
2: 5 sets Hamstring Curls
3: 5 sets Light to med leg extensions
4: 3 sets of seated ham curls
5: 3 sets deadlifts

then abs per the OMEGA method

Thank you Omega. I was wondering if you'd ever chime in but didn't wanna pester you.

I cannot tell you how excited I am for February 1st! I just ate enchilada casserole, homemade guacamole and chips, ect. and am now eating a jolly rancher sooo...I'm ready for the new month!

RE: legs

I havent done hamstring curls in forever so I'm looking forward to working them. Thank you!!!

 

[SpyWizard]

put a skin fold caliper on them.. then lets talk... i run 12-13 as a normal bf.. but my legs are 6-7% yr round, with women and those that i train, i cycle the workouts.. that is 5 weeks low rep and high weight then we do endurance training, and that is accomplished with max of their own body weight and higher reps..

the way I determine rep range is with a heart rate monitor.. depending on age (if they exceed 24 yrs old) then there is no advantage to doing lactic acid build up and training to that degree.. so, as soon as the burn starts, do 4 more reps.. that way you will still be able to walk tomorrow and the next day and even get to train the legs a 2nd time that week, and it will not interfere with further conditioning.. Stairs, yoga, that's another tool to ensure elongating the muscle..

Congrats on your squats though..

 

[OMEGA]

Thank you Omega. I was wondering if you'd ever chime in but didn't wanna pester you.

hai you can ask any time if you need anything

I cannot tell you how excited I am for February 1st! I just ate enchilada casserole, homemade guacamole and chips, ect. and am now eating a jolly rancher sooo...I'm ready for the new month!

that was me last month lol

RE: legs

I havent done hamstring curls in forever so I'm looking forward to working them. Thank you!!!
yes doing 2 rounds will make a huge difference.
do one version laying or standing, the other version seated

..