Quest for Thin Thighs (again)

Tugger31 · 01-22-17, 03:18 PM

My thighs keep getting bigger, due to both fat (which diet will be key) and also due to increase muscle mass. I keep hearing that CS, barre, TA type workouts have worked for so many. In the past they did nothing for me, however, I did not stick to them for long b/c of boredom. I am willing to give them another chance b/c I am getting desperate!

I am a Meso/Endo type so I know BOTH diet and exercise will play an equally important role. I want to debulk my thighs a bit but still would like them to be strong/firm.

How many times a week do I need to do these types of workouts? I'm worried about them having no cardio affect. Do most people do both on the same day or on separate days? I am not interested in streaming and I do have a small collection of workouts that I hope should work. Does anyone have any generic rotations to share? I don't think I'll do many barre workouts as they seem to bother my back, the bone spur in my toe joint and also could they bulk my thighs with so much direct quad work??

I own Ballet Body upper and lower body workouts, Ballet Beautiful Total Body workout and her Blast workout, I have TA Mat, Tonique Mat, KV's GWW, Cathe's Turbo Barre, SB Barre Amped Bootcamp, TM's Booty Barre Plus Abs and Arms, a few P57"s, Pilates for Runners, Strong Stride, Essentrics Total Body and the separate thigh workout (can't recall the name), Signature Sculpt and Butt Bible (to work the glutes). I'm hoping I can do something with these!

I want to give myself at least 3-6 months before I call it quits.

blueskies · 01-22-17, 03:45 PM

Hi Tugger31!

I remember responding to you last year with a recommendation for the eating plan I follow. I will reiterate that here (feel free to PM me if you need a refresher), and mention that I have been following it effortlessly for almost a year, and it has gotten me to my lowest adult body weight, with 15-16% body fat. It truly works!

Regarding exercise, I designed my own total body routine based on barre-like moves for the lower body, with very basic upper body moves. I have done this every day since last August. It takes only 10-15 minutes, and has really smoothed out and tightened up my thighs, and given me great definition all over. It's a "paper workout" and can be done anywhere--it also can be split up throughout the day if you need to. PM me if you're interested and I can send you a breakdown of the exercises I do.

Remember, though, the key to losing the fat is diet! Be consistent with that for 6 months, and you will be amazed at how your body looks. Use exercise to refine and define what the lost fat reveals.

Following both my eating and exercise plan has given me a body shape that I'm thrilled with, and I'm spending less time exercising than I ever have.

primrosecat · 01-22-17, 06:04 PM

Have you checked out YouTube yet? I've found some info there in the past the I saved.

pricek · 01-22-17, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueskies

Hi Tugger31!

I remember responding to you last year with a recommendation for the eating plan I follow. I will reiterate that here (feel free to PM me if you need a refresher), and mention that I have been following it effortlessly for almost a year, and it has gotten me to my lowest adult body weight, with 15-16% body fat. It truly works!

Regarding exercise, I designed my own total body routine based on barre-like moves for the lower body, with very basic upper body moves. I have done this every day since last August. It takes only 10-15 minutes, and has really smoothed out and tightened up my thighs, and given me great definition all over. It's a "paper workout" and can be done anywhere--it also can be split up throughout the day if you need to. PM me if you're interested and I can send you a breakdown of the exercises I do.

Remember, though, the key to losing the fat is diet! Be consistent with that for 6 months, and you will be amazed at how your body looks. Use exercise to refine and define what the lost fat reveals.

Following both my eating and exercise plan has given me a body shape that I'm thrilled with, and I'm spending less time exercising than I ever have.

I'm interested in the plan that has worked so well for you. If you don't mind I'll PM you. Thanks!

schoolgirl-01 · 01-22-17, 07:25 PM

delete

Tugger31 · 01-22-17, 07:57 PM

This is not meant to be rude, but could this post be kept to answers to the original topic rather than letting blueskies know a PM was sent. (I remember these announcements getting very numerous last time) Thanks

blueskies · 01-22-17, 08:33 PM

Out of respect for Tugger31's wishes, I'll just make a general announcement that I will definitely answer all PMs regarding diet. I will be sending most of them out tomorrow, so please be patient.

Regarding my paper workout plan, I decided to post it here as it's too long for a PM and it falls within VF guidelines. Any specific questions about the exercises are welcome.

Warm up (exercises very similar to the warm up portion of Slim in 6):
• Plie position, breath in and out with arms going down and above head 3 times (the classic start to most video routines).
• Reach up and over, 8 times.
• Reach side to side, 8 times.
• Reach side to side with side lunge, 8 times.
• Standing plie twist, 8 times each side.
• Reach and pull with knee up, 8 times.
• Arms to side and kick, 8 times.
• Arms to side with mini squats, 8 times.
• Reach and kick back, 8 times.
Toning:
• Squat sequence: slow squats 16 times; pulsing squats 8 times.
• Plie sequence: Sliding plies 8 times each side (slide each leg in to meet other one coming up out of plie position); tiptoe plies 8 times (balancing on toes, do plies--you may need to balance with a chair when starting out); pulsing plies 8 times.
• Standing legs/balance sequence (do all sets on one leg first, then switch sides; again, at first, you may need a chair for balance; work up to doing it balancing on the opposite leg from the one you're working):
o Knee in, push leg out straight behind, 3 sets of 8.
o Leg lifts straight behind, 3 sets of 8.
o Leg curls, 3 sets of 8.
o Bent leg slow pulses back, 3 sets of 8.
o Stretch legs out between sides.
• Bent-over rows/pushup sequence: Do a total of 40 of each, however you want to break it up, with whatever weight you’d like for rows, with whatever style of pushups you want. Some days, I do 4 sets of 10, alternating rows and pushups. I’ll vary the hand positioning for the pushups.
Stretch:
• Keep it simple, and stretch out your back, chest, legs, and arms. I usually do cobra/child pose for back, and a very straightforward series of standing stretches for legs, chest, and arms.

This routine can be done every day. If necessary, you can break up the exercises throughout the day (do pushups/rows in the morning; do the standing legs in the bathroom before your shower in the evening, etc.). I've done this routine in the bedroom when we had guests over the holidays--it's very quiet and you don't need a dedicated workout room for it. It's also very apartment- and travel-friendly. The standing lower body exercises have really worked to improve my balance, lift my rear, smooth out my thighs, and give great definition without bulk. The rows and pushups have given me a very cut upper body, with only two exercises! This has been a true time-saver, and there is no temptation to skip it because it works and is so efficient.

alisoncooks · 01-22-17, 08:36 PM

I think a lot of the workouts you listed do give a cardio effect. You wouldn't think so, but barre-type workouts increase my heart rate and cause me to break out in a sweat. Not all, but some.

How often you do them is a personal thing, I think. Some people do barre/Pilates/ballet/mat every day. I never could. I'm about to try a 2-on/1-off rotation (2 days of barre/Callanetics/lower body), 1 day rest. In the past, I've done every other day (alternating walking or yoga with my toning days), but I was curious if I could comfortably do 2 days in a row.

My current goal is lower body slimming; thighs, yes, but more hips for me. I'll be using: Callanetics (new DVD), Bar Method, Jari, and a couple others to make a rotation. I'm going to try and hit it (and diet) hard all the way until May (when we have a big vacation planned).

Tugger31 · 01-22-17, 08:56 PM

Blueskies, thanks so much for posting this!

Alison good luck to you! I'm thinking of joining/starting a check-in. I would love to get my thighs slimmer by shorts season which is right around the corner!

I'm still not sure if I should pick 2 or 3 workouts and just do those for the first few weeks and then swap them out. Or just do a general rotation and pick whichever workout I want. Some of these I've had awhile and are still virgin workouts to me (Ballet Body, the Essentrics parts workout) and the Ballet Beautiful workouts are in the mail. I know they are on youtube, but I like having the dvds (and I had an amazon gift card!)

starbelly · 01-23-17, 07:04 AM

I also tend to get bulky thighs and mat work is key for me. If I do a lot of squatting my thighs grow.

The Ballet Beautiful sequences on the classic DVD are not exciting, but they always slim me down. I did a month of her streaming and really leaned out. The Pure Barre Burn 30 series also worked well, even with standing work. Share10 has given a 10% discount for a long time so it may still work.

Support VF
VF Membership Subscription
Shop These Vendors
Activa	Collage Video
Amazon.com	eBay.com
Amazon.ca (Canada)	Half.com
Amazon.co.uk (UK)	Junonia
Amazon.fr (France)	Onehanesplace.com
BN.com	Overstock.com
Buy.com	Road Runner Sports
CenturyFitness.com	Sierra Trading Post

01-22-17, 03:18 PM
Tugger31 Join Date: Feb 2002	Quest for Thin Thighs (again) My thighs keep getting bigger, due to both fat (which diet will be key) and also due to increase muscle mass. I keep hearing that CS, barre, TA type workouts have worked for so many. In the past they did nothing for me, however, I did not stick to them for long b/c of boredom. I am willing to give them another chance b/c I am getting desperate! I am a Meso/Endo type so I know BOTH diet and exercise will play an equally important role. I want to debulk my thighs a bit but still would like them to be strong/firm. How many times a week do I need to do these types of workouts? I'm worried about them having no cardio affect. Do most people do both on the same day or on separate days? I am not interested in streaming and I do have a small collection of workouts that I hope should work. Does anyone have any generic rotations to share? I don't think I'll do many barre workouts as they seem to bother my back, the bone spur in my toe joint and also could they bulk my thighs with so much direct quad work?? I own Ballet Body upper and lower body workouts, Ballet Beautiful Total Body workout and her Blast workout, I have TA Mat, Tonique Mat, KV's GWW, Cathe's Turbo Barre, SB Barre Amped Bootcamp, TM's Booty Barre Plus Abs and Arms, a few P57"s, Pilates for Runners, Strong Stride, Essentrics Total Body and the separate thigh workout (can't recall the name), Signature Sculpt and Butt Bible (to work the glutes). I'm hoping I can do something with these! I want to give myself at least 3-6 months before I call it quits.

01-22-17, 03:45 PM
blueskies Join Date: Dec 2002	Hi Tugger31! I remember responding to you last year with a recommendation for the eating plan I follow. I will reiterate that here (feel free to PM me if you need a refresher), and mention that I have been following it effortlessly for almost a year, and it has gotten me to my lowest adult body weight, with 15-16% body fat. It truly works! Regarding exercise, I designed my own total body routine based on barre-like moves for the lower body, with very basic upper body moves. I have done this every day since last August. It takes only 10-15 minutes, and has really smoothed out and tightened up my thighs, and given me great definition all over. It's a "paper workout" and can be done anywhere--it also can be split up throughout the day if you need to. PM me if you're interested and I can send you a breakdown of the exercises I do. Remember, though, the key to losing the fat is diet! Be consistent with that for 6 months, and you will be amazed at how your body looks. Use exercise to refine and define what the lost fat reveals. Following both my eating and exercise plan has given me a body shape that I'm thrilled with, and I'm spending less time exercising than I ever have. __________________ Rebecca PACE Express rotation: completed 11/14/12 Life is a wonderful thing even with the difficulties that are sprinkled in. ~little bird from VF I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~Jimmy Dean

01-22-17, 06:04 PM
primrosecat Join Date: Sep 2008	Thighs Have you checked out YouTube yet? I've found some info there in the past the I saved.

01-22-17, 07:25 PM
schoolgirl-01 Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Parkland, FL	delete

01-22-17, 07:57 PM
Tugger31 Join Date: Feb 2002	This is not meant to be rude, but could this post be kept to answers to the original topic rather than letting blueskies know a PM was sent. (I remember these announcements getting very numerous last time) Thanks

01-22-17, 08:33 PM
blueskies Join Date: Dec 2002	Out of respect for Tugger31's wishes, I'll just make a general announcement that I will definitely answer all PMs regarding diet. I will be sending most of them out tomorrow, so please be patient. Regarding my paper workout plan, I decided to post it here as it's too long for a PM and it falls within VF guidelines. Any specific questions about the exercises are welcome. Warm up (exercises very similar to the warm up portion of Slim in 6): • Plie position, breath in and out with arms going down and above head 3 times (the classic start to most video routines). • Reach up and over, 8 times. • Reach side to side, 8 times. • Reach side to side with side lunge, 8 times. • Standing plie twist, 8 times each side. • Reach and pull with knee up, 8 times. • Arms to side and kick, 8 times. • Arms to side with mini squats, 8 times. • Reach and kick back, 8 times. Toning: • Squat sequence: slow squats 16 times; pulsing squats 8 times. • Plie sequence: Sliding plies 8 times each side (slide each leg in to meet other one coming up out of plie position); tiptoe plies 8 times (balancing on toes, do plies--you may need to balance with a chair when starting out); pulsing plies 8 times. • Standing legs/balance sequence (do all sets on one leg first, then switch sides; again, at first, you may need a chair for balance; work up to doing it balancing on the opposite leg from the one you're working): o Knee in, push leg out straight behind, 3 sets of 8. o Leg lifts straight behind, 3 sets of 8. o Leg curls, 3 sets of 8. o Bent leg slow pulses back, 3 sets of 8. o Stretch legs out between sides. • Bent-over rows/pushup sequence: Do a total of 40 of each, however you want to break it up, with whatever weight you’d like for rows, with whatever style of pushups you want. Some days, I do 4 sets of 10, alternating rows and pushups. I’ll vary the hand positioning for the pushups. Stretch: • Keep it simple, and stretch out your back, chest, legs, and arms. I usually do cobra/child pose for back, and a very straightforward series of standing stretches for legs, chest, and arms. This routine can be done every day. If necessary, you can break up the exercises throughout the day (do pushups/rows in the morning; do the standing legs in the bathroom before your shower in the evening, etc.). I've done this routine in the bedroom when we had guests over the holidays--it's very quiet and you don't need a dedicated workout room for it. It's also very apartment- and travel-friendly. The standing lower body exercises have really worked to improve my balance, lift my rear, smooth out my thighs, and give great definition without bulk. The rows and pushups have given me a very cut upper body, with only two exercises! This has been a true time-saver, and there is no temptation to skip it because it works and is so efficient. __________________ Rebecca PACE Express rotation: completed 11/14/12 Life is a wonderful thing even with the difficulties that are sprinkled in. ~little bird from VF I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~Jimmy Dean

01-22-17, 08:36 PM
alisoncooks Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: TarHeel country	I think a lot of the workouts you listed do give a cardio effect. You wouldn't think so, but barre-type workouts increase my heart rate and cause me to break out in a sweat. Not all, but some. How often you do them is a personal thing, I think. Some people do barre/Pilates/ballet/mat every day. I never could. I'm about to try a 2-on/1-off rotation (2 days of barre/Callanetics/lower body), 1 day rest. In the past, I've done every other day (alternating walking or yoga with my toning days), but I was curious if I could comfortably do 2 days in a row. My current goal is lower body slimming; thighs, yes, but more hips for me. I'll be using: Callanetics (new DVD), Bar Method, Jari, and a couple others to make a rotation. I'm going to try and hit it (and diet) hard all the way until May (when we have a big vacation planned).

01-22-17, 08:56 PM
Tugger31 Join Date: Feb 2002	Blueskies, thanks so much for posting this! Alison good luck to you! I'm thinking of joining/starting a check-in. I would love to get my thighs slimmer by shorts season which is right around the corner! I'm still not sure if I should pick 2 or 3 workouts and just do those for the first few weeks and then swap them out. Or just do a general rotation and pick whichever workout I want. Some of these I've had awhile and are still virgin workouts to me (Ballet Body, the Essentrics parts workout) and the Ballet Beautiful workouts are in the mail. I know they are on youtube, but I like having the dvds (and I had an amazon gift card!)

01-23-17, 07:04 AM
starbelly Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Netherlands	I also tend to get bulky thighs and mat work is key for me. If I do a lot of squatting my thighs grow. The Ballet Beautiful sequences on the classic DVD are not exciting, but they always slim me down. I did a month of her streaming and really leaned out. The Pure Barre Burn 30 series also worked well, even with standing work. Share10 has given a 10% discount for a long time so it may still work.