Help losing excess bulk in legs

I'm seventeen, and I was gymnast for most of my childhood and early teen years. As a result of that, when I stopped I had a lot of muscle bulked up, which as long as I was regularly working with stayed toned and lean. However as soon as I stopped working out so regularly, that muscle seemed to bulk up rather heavily especially around my calves and thighs.
I really would like to see the muscle in my calves be leaner and more shapely, and I would like to see the muscle in my thighs be reduced significantly. I naturally retain muscle mass, so running and biking only made it worse, does anyone know how to make this happen?
 
To significantly reduce the amount of muscle in your legs, it would either take years of inactivity or starving yourself to waste away. Neither is a healthy option. Keep the muscle. Muscular legs are never unattractive, in my opinion.
 
Losing muscle mass might sound counterproductive, but in reality it actually might come in handy. The real question is why do you want to lose muscle from your thigh? As far I know certain sports requires speedy and agile legs.

Big, bulky legs often translate to a lack of speed and quickness, compromising your ability in the cage. The goal with losing muscle mass is similar to losing fat. You may consider couple of my recommendation:

• Decrease your total daily caloric intake by 500 to 750 calories per day. A caloric deficit is needed to lose weight. You can find your maintenance calorie intake by using a standard calorie calculator. Maintenance calories are those needed to maintain your body as it is. To lose weight from the thighs, you must subtract your calorie reduction from the daily maintenance total.

• Do long-duration medium- to high-intensity cardiovascular exercise on an empty stomach upon waking up in the morning. When you awaken, your body's cortisol levels reach their highest point. A natural stress hormone, cortisol breaks down muscle tissue when your body does not have enough calories for energy. Doing cardio in a fasted state forces the body to turn to muscle protein for a source of energy, helping to slim down muscular thighs.

• Do high repetition, low-weight isolation exercises for the thighs immediately after your cardio session. For example, one to five sets each of 20 to 50 reps on leg extensions and leg curls. This strategy allows your body to burn up any glycogen or muscle-stored carbohydrates during your cardio. When you get to the resistance training, your body will be in a very catabolic state, readily breaking down muscle. Isolation exercises have more of a catabolic effect than compound exercises.

• Eat less frequently to allow cortisol to break down muscle. Frequent meals’--eating every two to three hours--blunts cortisol and creates a muscle-building effect.Waiting four to six hours between meals encourages muscle loss. Keep saturated fats and sugars low to prevent storing body fat in unwanted places while dieting to slim the thighs.

• Decrease your total daily protein intake. Taking in less than one gram of protein per pound of your body weight each day will keep you in a negative nitrogen balance, meaning protein synthesis cannot overtake catabolism. Stick to healthy low-glycemic carbohydrates such as fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, and nuts and seeds.

Lastly I want to suggest you that do not follow this diet for more than four to eight weeks and always consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
 
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