Should a female train legs hard or not?

TheUsual

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Okay here is a question my gf had:

She has kind of a big butt and legs right now and is trying to get them smaller through diet/training. Even though she wants to gain some muscle overall on her body, shouldn't she take it easy on leg days to avoid building her legs up even further? Is it true that since her legs tend to build muscle pretty easily and they are already bigger than she wants that she should probably reduce sets and use high reps to just tone (20 reps or so) on leg days?
 

good_guye28

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id say go with the higher reps and target the areas she has probs with. i had a training partner for 5 yrs that did legs all the time and her legs were beautiful........

dam did i wanna bang her........... but hey thats another thread all together....lol
 
CDB

CDB

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Okay here is a question my gf had:

She has kind of a big butt and legs right now and is trying to get them smaller through diet/training. Even though she wants to gain some muscle overall on her body, shouldn't she take it easy on leg days to avoid building her legs up even further? Is it true that since her legs tend to build muscle pretty easily and they are already bigger than she wants that she should probably reduce sets and use high reps to just tone (20 reps or so) on leg days?
If she's trying to get them smaller through diet and training it's fat she's trying/hoping to lose, not muscle. She's not really going to get any benefit from high rep low weight training on the legs. I'd say her concentration should be on maintaining strength and muscle mass on her whole body and using diet and cardio to lose fat. If she's already in reasonable shape it's goingto be hard for her to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Best to concentrate on one or the other for better results.
 

Lean One

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:goodpost: I agree. It drives me nuts when I hear how women don't want to "lift heavy" for legs because they're worried about them getting "bigger". For the most part, the size and shape of a womans legs is genetic. Short bones and long muscles will give the appearance of bigger legs, but nothing can really be done to change that. I train all my females the same way I train males. Squats and deads as heavy as can sefely be handled. No exercise will make a muscle smaller. to reduce the size of any bodypart, nutrition and cardio are key.
 

Lean One

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Also, point out to her that bigger muscles will help her burn more fat. That usually changes their perspective fast.;)
 

TheUsual

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Thanks for the quick responses. I will definitely recommend to her that she stick with training her legs hard.

What about avoiding squats though? I know these are a great "rump builder" but what if one already has a rather large rump? ;)
 

Lean One

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Bigger the better IMO. :thumbsup:

To answer your question though, It all goes beck to that genetic/muscle shape issue. Do you think J-Lo squats heavy?

Technically, squating bellow paralel hits the glutes more. So one option would be to only squat to 90*. It won't really make a noticable difrence though.
 

jjjd

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if she wants SMALLER legs, AND her leg size is attributable to muscle size (not fat), then she needs to determine what type of training gives her hypertrophy, and do the opposite. for example, some women can shrink their legs by doing enough distance work (fiber type conversion, atrophy of fast twitch fibers etc).

so, cardio and lots of distance stuff MIGHT work. frankly, it depends (tm). if it's FAT, then obviously that;'s a different story
 
jminis

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I agree with lean One I train all my clients the same way obviously depending on their goal. The only thing you have to be careful with is adding muscle to her frame and her flipping out because the scale went up. Most don't understand :think:

Lean One I'm sure you can sympathize with me here with this example. A client of mine came to me and said "all my measurements are down and my clothes are all big on me but my weight on the scale hasn't changed, what were doing isn't working." I just smile and shake my head, :sad: I really want to smack the piss out of them though. LOL
 

Lean One

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Yup, been there. But when a female client turns to you and says,"you know, I really don't want to loose any more weight" Then its all worth while.
 

jjjd

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i find female clients (in general) are easier to train. they have inferior strength and recovery ability (not PC, but true), but PSYCHOLOGICALLY they are in general more willing to use proper form (guys seem more interested in putting more plates on the bar even if that means dangerous improper form), and more willing to LISTEN
 
jminis

jminis

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i find female clients (in general) are easier to train. they have inferior strength and recovery ability (not PC, but true), but PSYCHOLOGICALLY they are in general more willing to use proper form (guys seem more interested in putting more plates on the bar even if that means dangerous improper form), and more willing to LISTEN
I hear ya on that, Ego has no place in a gym and men most of the time have that problem. But correct their form, drop the weight in half, and slow down the rep speed and their sore for a week. LOL :whip: Problem solved, haha.
 

Lean One

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Haha yeah. Every so often i get the pleasure of humiliating some nucklehead who asks me to train him. It's funny as hell to see them struggling with 15lb dumbells at the end of working biceps. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! :icon_lol:
 
jminis

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Haha yeah. Every so often i get the pleasure of humiliating some nucklehead who asks me to train him. It's funny as hell to see them struggling with 15lb dumbells at the end of working biceps. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! :icon_lol:
LOL so true so true.
 

roidpuple

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YOU CANT TONE A MUSCLE!!! i for one like muscle on girls legs... I really dont think she can get her legs to big... womens legs just dont get that big without juice..
if she diets down to where you can see her abs... i bet she will not think her legs are big.. i say do heavy legs.. for more muscle... when she can see her abs .... then rethink it.... is she still thinks her legs are to big... then eat less cardio more...and stop doing legs for a while just do cardio...
 

jjjd

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some women get legs that are too big (via muscle) based on THEIR perception of too big. and that IS without juice, dood. not everywoman wants hyooge gams. heck, i have seen some very low bf aerobix instructors with VERY buff legs.

people's genetics, fast-twitch components, etc. VARY. some women's legs will blow up on the same protocol that will give another woman legs "to die for". people need to do what DOESN"T work for hypertrophy for them, if they want skinnier legs. for many women, that might be distance running, for instance.
 

roidpuple

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ya there are always genetic freaks... but i doubt that is the case... lets see some viens in arms.. and see if she still thinks her legs are big..
 

jjjd

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that may be. i don't think one has to be quite a genetic freak to have legs that are too big (based on muscle) by a WOMAN's (a woman who wants skinny legs) standards.

again, that's the average gym bunny standard, not one we would probably find compelling
 
exnihilo

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Muscular legs are sexy...

I like the amazon look though.
 

jjjd

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i do, too. if by amazon you mean kelly ryan, monica brandt or something (excuse me craig)

y'know, monica hasn't called me ONCE.

what is she? stuck up? :)
 
exnihilo

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i do, too. if by amazon you mean kelly ryan, monica brandt or something (excuse me craig)

y'know, monica hasn't called me ONCE.

what is she? stuck up? :)
LOL, yeah that's pretty much what I mean. I'll even bite on something a bit more buff than that - I draw the line when you start to get to the becca swanson side of things though ;)
 

jjjd

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becca swanson probably has something you could bite on underneath her bikini bottom

considering her muscle size (presumptive AAS use) i suggest it's the size of a gummy worm
 
exnihilo

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haha, I saw some musclechick pr0n a while back, it was funny - the labia grows out along with the clitoris, in some cases over half an inch... Freaky ****.

Given some of the girls I've dated in the past I can probably make accomodations though :rofl: I'd tell some stories but they're not in keeping with the family nature of this board ;)
 

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