Exercise! Love it or hate it, let's motivate each other to just DO IT!

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Old 03-17-2007, 04:26 PM   #46  
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Originally Posted by Diva0302 View Post
Okay, my question is this. When we ly on our side on the floor and do the leg lift's for both the inner and outter theighs, are we waisting out time there too? Just about every exercise DVD I have, we do this at the end of the cardio in addition to crunches and stuff. I'm confused now.

As for Curves, I remember they had machines for everyone of then No-no's on the list. I never felt like I got a good enough work out @ Curves and ended up cancelling my membership. I guess I'm a cardio junkie. If I don't get a good sweat, a nice heart rate and become winded (in a good way) I am so not satisfied. I try to get at least 30 minutes to an hour or so of cardio at least 3 to 4 day's a week, more if I can.
I personally feel that inner and outer thigh exercises are, useless...
If your goal is to build inner and outer thigh muscle, then unweighted inner/outer leg lifts aren't going to do much because there's no resistance. You need to be working with weights or resistance bands if you're trying to build muscle. If you build muscles under a layer of fat your legs will look bigger.

If you want to spot reduce your thighs in that area, we all know that there's no such thing as spot reducing. Only a low fat diet along with cardio and weight training will reduce your overall body fat, you will look leaner all over. Some areas, such as legs, butt and tummy are the most difficult places to reduce and the fat will be the last place to leave.

If you didn't like Curves maybe a regular gym with a personal trainer to show you some exercises would be your best bet. Lunges and squats are your butt and legs best friend. There are umpteen variations you can do for both that will lean your legs out nicely. I get my ideas from Oxygen magazine, their Special issues for Butt and Legs are great for suggestions on workouts.
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Old 03-17-2007, 05:59 PM   #47  
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???

Seeing how the IT band is strengthened by abductors (outer thigh) muscles and the adductors (inner thigh) muscles are the opposing group, any runner will tell you that those muscles need to be trained and trained well.

Knee pain?

IT band is out of whack.

Diva0203, my advice to you is keep working those muscles. You got 'em, you may as well use 'em.

Either that, or find a good orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in knees. Sooner or later, you're gonna need him.

;-)
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Old 03-17-2007, 06:06 PM   #48  
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My legs were not going anywhere with suats and lunges when I added some leg lifts it made the world of difference but I do the fire hydrents (someone said that is what they are called) and lost an inch 1 and 1/2 on both legs combined. Now thought they are stuck again maybe time to add more reps.
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Old 03-17-2007, 08:26 PM   #49  
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Diva0302 -- Did you mention you had knee pain? I didn't see that...

AnAbsoluteDiva -- I interpreted the question as being, were inner and outer thigh exercises conducive to reducing the size of the thigh... Maybe I was wrong....

canadian mom -- the variety of squats and lunges I do hit the legs ALL around ...Here is a sample of what I do: the side to side lunges, reverse lunges, front lunges, walking lunges, walking lunges with a front kick, walking lunges with a back kick, wheel lunges (front, side, reverse), plus I do these holding 10-20 lbs weights...Here I found Squat Exercises Photo Gallery plus I do others that are very good too not shown in that gallery... Much more fun than doing leg lifts... I just looked up firehydrant leg lifts, I haven't done those in a while, I just may try them this week... I love variety...
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Old 03-17-2007, 09:01 PM   #50  
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I may have mentioned my knee pain in another thread or maybe AbsoluteDiva was reading my mind, because I did hurt my knee a lil' the other day doing the step, but it was ok, I just slowed down a bit and worked out without the step. It wasn't until yesterday when i went to pay a bill, I got out of the car the wrong way and really hurt the SAME knee....I've been limping everysince. How did she know that? LOL! Anywho....Can I wrap it in an ace bandage and continue my workout? I really don't want to stop. I did take today and also tomorrow(Sunday) off.

I am still a bit confused I must say. I have read in this forum and others to go ahead and start weight lifting, even thought I haven't lost all the weight yet, and now y'all are saying it'll only make me look bigger? So should I wait until I drop the weight and get closer to 135 before I lift weights?
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Old 03-17-2007, 09:19 PM   #51  
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Oh dear, poor Diva , please by all means, use weights and don't be shy about using them ... As you lose the fat your muscles will show through and you will look awesome, but you must lose the fat on top of the muscles that's the point I was trying to make. Weight training is a girl's best friend for many reasons, here are a few :
Quote:
Help raise your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn all day long.
Strengthen bones, especially important for women
Make you stronger and increase muscular endurance
Help you avoid injuries
Increase your confidence and self-esteem
Found those reasons in this article Weight Training 101
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Old 03-17-2007, 09:28 PM   #52  
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Okay, coolbeans Ilene, thank you! I use 2 and 5 lb weights a couple of times a week and that resistance band with the Bootcamp DVD's that totally kick my butt! I was hoping I wasn't going to have to stop, hehe!

Billy Blanks and his bands are so hard! I also want to get one of them Balls to do sit ups and some other things I saw Bob(TBL) do on the Ellen show.
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Old 03-17-2007, 10:04 PM   #53  
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Diva - I actually went to a physical therapist for my knee pain. I had tons of leg exercises but only 2 that worked the inner or outer thigh muscles. Both used some form of resistance or weight.

1. Get a band of some sort, attach it to something stable. I put mine under a coffee table leg. You do 4 directions. You face away from whatever the band is attached to, put one of your legs in the bands loop and you lift straight up. That works your quads. Then you turn 90 degrees in one direction. Then you lift away from the attachment point, you are working either your inner or outer thigh (depending on leg and direction of turn). Then you face toward the bind point and lift behind you, you are working your hamstrings, then you turn yet again 90 degrees and you are working your inner thigh (or outer thigh but the opposite of the second to last exercise). You then switch legs and work the next leg. I know it is hard to explain but basically you make a loop with a band of some sort, you put one leg in, you lift in the direction of creating tension, then turn 90 degrees until you have worked all 4 directions.

2 - Turned out leg lifts with weights. Bend one leg, straighten the other. For the straight leg, turn the leg out so that the inner thigh is facing up. Then lift your leg up.

If you have questions, feel free to PM me. It is important to strengthen your leg muscles if you have knee problems.
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Old 03-17-2007, 11:01 PM   #54  
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Thank you Nelie! I am working on it. I never had knee problems before so it must be all this extra weight I've been sporting for the last 5 years or so. I got me some ankle weights to use too.

I was looking at your Weight ticker thingy! you have lost losts of weight! WTG!!!! That gives me hope!
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Old 03-18-2007, 12:08 AM   #55  
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I've been through a recent round of PT myself. The exercise I am doing is called the bowler. Stand on left leg, hold light weight in right hand, sweep right leg behind and to the left side like you are doing a curtsy or bowling a ball. Lean over until your hand with the weight just touches the floor. At this point if you havent fallen over you should look like the pro bowler dudes right when they release the ball.

This is for my outer hip (piriformis) - not thigh, but it is to help with pronation which does affect the knee and ankle.
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Old 03-26-2007, 03:24 PM   #56  
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lol the one with the broom in back of the neck lol i always did that! guilty!
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Old 04-25-2007, 07:53 AM   #57  
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Quote:
I am still a bit confused I must say. I have read in this forum and others to go ahead and start weight lifting, even thought I haven't lost all the weight yet, and now y'all are saying it'll only make me look bigger? So should I wait until I drop the weight and get closer to 135 before I lift weights?
Weights are so important for women. Besidse the bemefits mentioned above, you might lose fat, but if you're not building muscle what's the point? You'll still have a soft body.

I used to have to do the 'broom' exercise for rep softball. Except we used our bats, in the middle of winter! Thank God I was a pitcher and had a towel in my bag, which went over it, but it was pure torture the first week for those who didn't. I wish I had this article then to give to my coach. I found them useless, even for making your body pivot.
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Old 05-13-2007, 06:56 PM   #58  
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Wow - this has certainly changed my approach to weight training at the gym!
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Old 05-23-2007, 12:15 AM   #59  
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Nice ARTICLE.
Accurate information.
Thanks for posting it.
cert pft fitmom1
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Old 06-12-2007, 08:37 AM   #60  
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Just one comment about the cardio. I also go on long walks for longer than an hour but as has been said here, that probably doesn't get my heart rate up enough to be harmful. But as for more than 60 minutes of intense cardio per day, my gym trainers in the past have said it is okay as long as you don't do it all at once. Example, okay to do an hour morning and an hour evening. I haven't seen this mentioned here -- the posts seem to be about doing it all at once -- and wondering what others here who are knowledgable think about this.

Thanks
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