Defined Knees?

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Saphron_Girl

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As long as I can remember, I've had virtually no definition in my knees. I've noticed that my body seems to store fat on the inner part of the joints (where it touches when I press my legs together) so that it appears as if my thighs go straight down to my calf, like a tree trunk. :mad:
I've been working to build definition in both my thigh and calf muscles, but this hasn't achieved much besides making my legs look bulkier, because the fat won't go away... is there any way to specifically target the area around my knees, or am I just going to have to rely on cardio to burn where my body stores its fat?
 
Spot reduce

Saphron_Girl said:
As long as I can remember, I've had virtually no definition in my knees. I've noticed that my body seems to store fat on the inner part of the joints (where it touches when I press my legs together) so that it appears as if my thighs go straight down to my calf, like a tree trunk. :mad:
I've been working to build definition in both my thigh and calf muscles, but this hasn't achieved much besides making my legs look bulkier, because the fat won't go away... is there any way to specifically target the area around my knees, or am I just going to have to rely on cardio to burn where my body stores its fat?
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HI Saphron_Girl,
There is no real way to spot reduce. You have to rely on your workouts and diet to reduce overall bodyfat. Is your diet setting you back ?? What exercises are you doing for you upper and lower legs ? How much cardio are you doing ? Maybe you can post an example of what you eat and what exercises you are doing. Then maybe we can make some suggestions to help you out. Keep your head up. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.
 
That’s what so irritating about this – I’ve been meticulous about my diet. I’m eating the same thing every day:

8:00 am – 1 serving protein, 1 serv. carbs, 1 serv. dairy
10:00 am – 1 serv. fruit, 1 serv. carbs
12:20 pm – 2 serv. protein, 1 serv. carbs, 1 serv. veggies, 1 serv. fruit
3:00 pm – 1 serv. carb, 1 serv. veggies
5:30 pm – 3 serv. protein, 2 serv. veggies, 2 serv. carbs
7:30 pm – 1 serv. protein, 1 serv. fruit

As far as exercises go, I’m doing 3 sets of 10 – 12 reps for the following muscle groups:
Quadriceps (leg extensions, squats)
Hamstrings (squats, lunges)
Calves (calf raises)

I do an hour of lower intensity cardio 3 – 4 days a week (dancing and pilates), and then 20 minutes of higher-intensity cardio following my weight training (intervals on either a stationary bike, treadmill or elliptical machine).

The most irritating thing about all this is that I can feel the muscles being built and defined under the layer of fat which I just can’t get rid of. Besides my knees, it’s also persistent around my midsection (lower abs!) and the back of my thighs. *sigh*
 
Try working your legs harder (higher weight fewer reps) for a little while and see if the muscle doesn't push the fat out of the way some. Sounds like you are already doing everything right...

Eliminate ALL trans fats (they tend to end out on hips, butt, and lower abs for women). And, drink lots of water throughout the day.

Keep working as hard as you feel you can... Sometimes you gotta dance with who ya brung.

(-:
 
Hello Rip – thanks for the feedback. I’ll definitely try what you suggested with my legs. As for trans fat, I don’t eat it at all (I’m on an all natural/organic/free-range diet), and drink at least 64 oz of water a day.

I see that you’re a professional, and am curious if you’re familiar with other concerns that I have (and posted other threads about) which may all be related to my inability to shed this layer of fat:

Amenorrhea: http://www.fitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10337

Starvation Mode: http://www.fitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10371


I’m only 25, and never had this problem when I was in my teens… so I’m kind of reluctant to accept that it’s in my genetics. ;)
 
Your BF% is in the healthy range (18-24% for females). And, it is possible for women to experience menstruation issues at 10 or lower % BF.

I would contact a doctor.

Saphron_Girl said:
Hello Rip – thanks for the feedback. I’ll definitely try what you suggested with my legs. As for trans fat, I don’t eat it at all (I’m on an all natural/organic/free-range diet), and drink at least 64 oz of water a day.

I see that you’re a professional, and am curious if you’re familiar with other concerns that I have (and posted other threads about) which may all be related to my inability to shed this layer of fat:

Amenorrhea: http://www.fitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10337

Starvation Mode: http://www.fitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10371


I’m only 25, and never had this problem when I was in my teens… so I’m kind of reluctant to accept that it’s in my genetics. ;)
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Definitely... I've got an appointment set up for next week.

I'm also going to see a nutritionist as well... I want to make sure I'm eating the right amount/type of food for my fitness level (which has gone up drastically in the past 9 months).

Thanks!
 
I've read your other posts as well. Basically you are doing the correct thing... talk with your doctor and seek the guidance of a nutritionist. You mentioned going from 44% body fat to 22% body fat by participating in a supervised program.

That's great and I am glad to see you are healthier now. I just wanted to add that you are at a healthy weight and body fat %. If you wanted to go lower... you need to change the way you eat and workout. It would be more of a bodybuilding lifestyle than a losing fat lifestyle.

To be where you are and want to go lower.... it's all about how clean you eat. Make sure you are going to fatigue on your strength training. And be sure you change things up every 4-6 weeks. I wouldn't eat the same meals every single day. Variety is the spice of life :)
 
Trainer Lynn said:
If you wanted to go lower... you need to change the way you eat and workout. It would be more of a bodybuilding lifestyle than a losing fat lifestyle.
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Thanks! Do you have any resources you would recommend for getting into the body building lifestyle? If I'm going to get more serious about this, I want to make sure that I do it right...

The food I eat is about as clean as you can get (I shop organic and eat as many raw foods as possible), so I think the way I'm working out is probably what I'll have to work on modifying the most.
 
I know you eat a lot of organic stuff (me too!). But the point here is that you will need to change your mentality from wanting to lose weight/body fat to wanting to increase lean muscle mass. This doesn't mean you will bulk up and look like a guy.

You will have to focus on eating a lot of protein and getting into a serious weight lifting routine. Those are key to add lean muscle mass (which will reduce the body fat even lower for you).

Bodybuilding.com is a place to start. There is also a great ebook by Tom Venuto. He is an all-natural bodybuilder and he shows people exactly how he does it. I have the book on my site if you're interested (.

Also, email me from my site and I can send you some free reports from the author, Tom Venuto. It's a great read and can give you some good insights. Just hit the "Contact" button on the nav bar.
 
Thanks for all the tips! I'm quite excited about the prospect of adhering to a "body-building" lifestyle... I find all this info fascinating. :D
 
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