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Fix Flabby Thighs
What exercises can I do to get rid of my flabby thighs? Should I do lots of reps with light weights, or do a regular pyramid weight lifting programme where I lift relatively heavy weights until I am too fatigued? Also, are jogging and walking on a treadmill better than using the stepper or exercise bike?
Since it sounds like you go to a gym, we recommend using leg machines that work the fronts and backs of your thighs. Try the leg extension machine for your quadriceps (the muscles on the fronts of your thighs) and the leg curl for your hamstrings (the muscles on the backs of your thighs). If there's a leg press, use it to work your glutes (the muscles in your bum) as well as your quads. If there isn't a leg press, ask a trainer how to do squats or lunges while holding hand weights.
The abductor/adductor (AB/AD) machines will exercise your inner and outer thighs, but these are the smaller muscle groups, so concentrate on the larger leg muscles first if you want to firm up your legs.
Lifting medium-heavy weights until you are very fatigued will make you stronger and more muscular quicker than doing many repetitions using lighter weights. The latter does build endurance, but doesn't exercise muscles enough to gain mass. And in order to change your body shape, you need to convert fat into muscle and increase your metabolic rate. That way, you'll burn more calories throughout the day.
Finally, it doesn't matter whether you jog, walk, use a stepper or a bike. It’s how long you exercise that matters. If you find walking or jogging on a treadmill so boring that you can't stand it for more than 20 minutes, it’s irrelevant how hard you work during that time. If you like the bike and can spend 45 minutes to an hour on it, you'll burn more calories even if you’re cycling at a low intensity. So choose activities that you do like and do them for as long as you can.
Check out Thin Thighs by Matt Roberts
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