Thinning thighs without losing strength / pear

[Hedgehog]

I've read about a million threads on this over the past month and I've mostly found my answers but....I'm still looking for more input.

I'm mainly using Cathe's B&G, GS Legs & L&G 3x (MWF) week and adding in Bret C's weighted hip thrusts. I'm pretty happy with my strength gains and the muscle development however, I'm having major issues with thighs fitting into my pants!!!

A little background (probably too much )
I'm a meso/endo, 5'3 115# building muscle is no problem! I've had 6 children and I have no weight to lose, it took a LOT of work (and 10+ years of VF lurking & purchases) after each pregnancy but, I'm happy with my weight and I eat VERY well. For UB, I've been doing Cathe's PS doing both UB on T&Th and my UB & abs are awesome. I have had some body issues and still struggle especially after a long destructive divorce and currently a long term relationship with an additional 2 children to care for. Working out has helped *some* of my body issues by giving me strength which is empowering to me. I have an extremely hard time with my previously D cup bust which is now an unsightly A thanks to the weight loss and well...probably 6 kids! (sorry if it's TMI) but I'm trying to shift my focus to things I *can* control....like my building butt and 6 pack!!! I've always loved heavy lifting and don't do cardio beyond lots of walking and movement but I'm one of the pears who still has some decent cellulite and a layer of fat on my bottom half. I've seen suggestions for tonique so I've downloaded some off youtube, I have BBL, Jillian, the firm, cathe (but nothing since STS), lots of beachbody...

Now, my question, how do I progress into a new routine withOUT losing strength? Has anyone had good results doing 1 week heavy followed by a week of something like BBL or tonique and just going back and forth? I am thinking barre has worked for many pears, I don't have any yet and don't even know where to start. I CAN'T afford to lose strength, I'm a firefighter and the strenght I've built is what allows me to do my job well and carry my weight in a dept of mostly 6' - 6'4" men who weigh 2 or 3 times myself! I can play around a little to see what I respond to however, I can't really afford to try lose much strength and have to build it back....if that makes sense?

Thanks in advance for any input and sorry it was so long.

[bubbles76]

Each body is different. Folks on here have also suggested barre/Tonique, but for some people that made their thighs bigger. I am a pear, 5'5", and Cathe's Rock Bottoms rotations worked for me as far as slimming and giving me definition. I do not gain size easily though. Personally, I wish I had your lower body issues I want strength AND size, but it appears I can only get the strength. The more I do, the smaller my legs get. However, I seem to do more cardio than you. Maybe doing more cardio is the answer? Or if not more, maybe more intense for shorter periods?

What do you consider big thighs anyway? Circumference-wise. Big thighs always come up on the boards, and that has always confused me. One lady here lamented that her butt was "huge" and it was the same size as mine. I think my butt is tiny haha! Maybe embrace your big, strong thighs that make you the baddest chick at your job and buy new pants

[noodles]

Hi Hedgehog,
I am also a pear and have worked very hard on my lower body for 2 years now. I also tend to work my legs 3 times/ week but once I developed the strength I desired I changed from mainly weighted routines to incorporating contrast training (ie Cathe's RWH) as well as exercises to hit the smaller muscles (ie brazil butt lift) as I was finding imbalances with my glute medius resulting in hip problems. The final shedding of the extra fat though came when I started doing Hiit intervals on the treadmill at orangetheory twice weekly (and clean d**t of course). Do you have knee issues that you don't do more intense cardio? I just ask because it certainly aided in my quest to achieve my goals but may not necessarily suit others. Admittedly I used to detest running but found I actually enjoy it on the treadmill with great music playing.
Hope that helps,
Jamie

[alisoncooks]

Listening in because I've been playing around with a similar idea. I am struggling to balance strength workouts with workouts I find to be slimming. I'm leaning towards including both in my weekly lineup.

[bzar]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog

I'm a meso/endo, 5'3 115# building muscle is no problem! I've had 6 children and I have no weight to lose, it took a LOT of work (and 10+ years of VF lurking & purchases) after each pregnancy but, I'm happy with my weight and I eat VERY well.

I just want to say after all that you have been through, you are a success story imho. you and I are the same height, but I weigh 12# more than you do.

my thighs are my best parts - for me it's my stomach that is my trouble zone. I am also an A cup and have always been an A cup (during breastfeeding, maybe an A.5, but not a B).

without even seeing a picture of you, I'm pretty sure you look fine and just want to push the envelope a bit. I have nothing to suggest! sometimes it's just genes.

in regards to your strength maintenance, I'd think that your normal job as a FF would help maintain your strength. you can test it every now and then by lifting the heaviest dumbbell(s) that you can lift and mark it down on your calendar.

[Hedgehog]

(Replying from my phone so I can't quote!)

Thanks for all the replies and kind words!!
Bzar - I do look "fine", as part of maybe my mental struggles?? working on things I *can* control such as my strength and maybe I'd call it some form of "sculpting"? and fine-tuning, seems to be better for me than banging my head with things I *can't" fix/improve? If that makes sense? Instead of concentrating on parts or just things in life I can't fix and feel crappy about....I can work on things I can actually change.
Since I live in a small town, FF ends up being periods (often days to a week-ish) of zero serious labor with interruptions of all out, work till you puke effort....leading to the #1 cause of FF deaths; sudden cardiac arrest (51%) :/ I WISH it was consistent enough to keep all of us in top shape!

Jamie-I haven't had knee issues but did off and on when I did a lot of step losing weight after each pregnancy. I started stretching/ rolling my IT and it helped. I kinda hate cardio if its scheduled, I hike pretty steep trails where I live, walk often and far especially with my kids....I'm sort of at the point where I'm done doing things I dread in life hiit might still be a good idea and I tend to enjoy it more than steady state cardio....

Bubbles76/Noodles Isn't the grass always greener?!?!? I'm willing to *try* barre and, lesson learned for me if it makes them bigger maybe? I can deal with that for a short time to find out it doesn't work for me but it makes me nervous to think I could lose some of my strengh gains and have to rebuild it. In all my reading, I've seen 2 camps I guess with our body types....maybe I should just try? I have BBL and was looking at H&T + BB on my leg days on the non-heavy weeks since I own it, maybe Tonique because youtube has it...then as a true vidiot, enlarge my selection with dvds?!? I'll measure at home and let you know! It is kinda each person's perception I guess but at this point, even pants that fit fine before I was this consistent lifting heavy (so...periods during my divorce!) are too snug! I CAN'T find pants that fit right!! In a weird roundabout way, this is a major step in embracing my body for me. Finetuning what I can has helped me sto focusing on things I can't change I appreciate you pointing that out though and, if I can't reachy goal with this, I WILL embrace my strength and ability!

[bubbles76]

Hedgehog, I just thought of something -- freestyle training? I think that's what it was called. Doing some kind of lower body training every day, but I think it was all unweighted but tough.

Here is one thread about it. I know there are more.

[hch]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog

I CAN'T afford to lose strength, I'm a firefighter and the strenght I've built is what allows me to do my job well and carry my weight in a dept of mostly 6' - 6'4" men who weigh 2 or 3 times myself!

Congratulations on having built strength! Congratulations on being a successful firefighter!

Do the men in your department have similar problems?

[m42]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog

I've read about a million threads on this over the past month and I've mostly found my answers but....I'm still looking for more input.

I'm mainly using Cathe's B&G, GS Legs & L&G 3x (MWF) week and adding in Bret C's weighted hip thrusts. I'm pretty happy with my strength gains and the muscle development however, I'm having major issues with thighs fitting into my pants!!!

A little background (probably too much )
I'm a meso/endo, 5'3 115# building muscle is no problem! I've had 6 children and I have no weight to lose, it took a LOT of work (and 10+ years of VF lurking & purchases) after each pregnancy but, I'm happy with my weight and I eat VERY well. For UB, I've been doing Cathe's PS doing both UB on T&Th and my UB & abs are awesome. I have had some body issues and still struggle especially after a long destructive divorce and currently a long term relationship with an additional 2 children to care for. Working out has helped *some* of my body issues by giving me strength which is empowering to me. I have an extremely hard time with my previously D cup bust which is now an unsightly A thanks to the weight loss and well...probably 6 kids! (sorry if it's TMI) but I'm trying to shift my focus to things I *can* control....like my building butt and 6 pack!!! I've always loved heavy lifting and don't do cardio beyond lots of walking and movement but I'm one of the pears who still has some decent cellulite and a layer of fat on my bottom half. I've seen suggestions for tonique so I've downloaded some off youtube, I have BBL, Jillian, the firm, cathe (but nothing since STS), lots of beachbody...

Now, my question, how do I progress into a new routine withOUT losing strength? Has anyone had good results doing 1 week heavy followed by a week of something like BBL or tonique and just going back and forth? I am thinking barre has worked for many pears, I don't have any yet and don't even know where to start. I CAN'T afford to lose strength, I'm a firefighter and the strenght I've built is what allows me to do my job well and carry my weight in a dept of mostly 6' - 6'4" men who weigh 2 or 3 times myself! I can play around a little to see what I respond to however, I can't really afford to try lose much strength and have to build it back....if that makes sense?

Thanks in advance for any input and sorry it was so long.

I'm going to go in an entirely different direction and suggest that you lift very heavy with very low reps. Ex. 3 sets of 3 reps or 5,3,1. Very low reps don't build mass but will increase strength and muscle density(tone). Also you'll only have to work out twice a week.

[m42]

Originally Posted by bubbles76

Hedgehog, I just thought of something -- freestyle training? I think that's what it was called. Doing some kind of lower body training every day, but I think it was all unweighted but tough.

Here is one thread about it. I know there are more.

I tried freestyle back in the day and my thighs were tight and lovely. However I did lose strength. I've always felt that tonique could be used for freestyle workouts. So many reps.