If I have to pick the most popular question I am constantly asked, it would definitely be: ”How to slim down muscular thighs?”
How to Slim Down Muscular Thighs – Get Toned Without Bulking
I know most people go to the gym to build muscle, but many women actually have issues with getting overly muscular legs when they exercise.
Some people have even told me that their legs get bigger with running, barre, yoga and other exercises that you wouldn’t expect to bulk up your thighs.
In saying that though, everyone’s idea of “bulky” is different. This is something every personal trainer should be aware of.
For some women, having just a little bit of muscle in their thighs might be too much, and for others, it might be OK.
For me personally, when I do weights and HIIT, my legs get too muscular for my liking.
However, my arms and stomach tend to slim down. Even just 2 weeks of HIIT, will cause my legs to increase in size. I don’t have too many examples of photos of me when I’m like this, but here is one so you can get an idea.
I will share with you the exact exercises you need to do to slim down muscular thighs. And at the end, I will also give you some ideas on exercises you can do to slim and tone the rest of your body, but without bulking up your legs.
Steady State Running
Everyone knows that marathon runners have skinny legs. Long duration steady state cardio will slim down your legs.
I would run at a medium fast pace and aim for 5kms or at least 30 minutes. But longer is better if you’re trying to slim down muscle.
For speed, I would recommend somewhere between 9-12 km/hr.
And always make sure you’re running on a flat surface. Any uphill running will use your quads more and will contribute to bulkiness.
I should also mention that if you are very short and are the endomorph body type, your legs may actually get bigger with running.
If this is a problem for you, I would focus on walking.
Power walking is the best exercise for slimming down your legs and still burns a surprising number of calories, so don’t feel disheartened if all you can do is walk.
The last thing I want to mention is that running is much more effective at slimming down your legs than the cross trainer/elliptical.
In case you want more details or have more questions about cardio, read my Q&A Cardio post.
Related post: Why You Need Cardio For Lean Legs
Do Fasted Cardio
When you do cardio, your body will burn stored glycogen (carbohydrates) first, and then fat, followed by protein (muscle).
If you do cardio before you eat, you will have less stored glycogen, and your body will, therefore, burn more fat and muscle.
But for this to work, you need to eat low carb (preferably you haven’t eaten any carbs for dinner the night before), and you need to do cardio for a fairly long period of time.
I have written a much more detailed blog post on fasted cardio, so have a read of this here if you’re interested.
Eat At A Calorie Deficit And Low Carb
Decreasing your calorie intake will help you lose weight and also muscle. Muscles are a metabolically active tissue, so they require calories.
If you reduce your calories, your body will not be able to sustain your muscle size, and they will decrease. To work out how many calories you should be eating, read this blog post.
If you also eat low carb, your body might also use fat and protein (muscle) for energy, rather than carbohydrates. This will help you decrease your muscle size quicker.
OK, so if you do these 3 things, your leg muscles will start to decrease. However, it is important to know what NOT to do.
What Not To Do
Avoid Any Exercise That Uses These Muscles
As long as you are lifting heavy or doing exercises that use your leg muscles, you won’t lose the muscle.
It’s really that simple.
Even if you’re doing light weight and high rep, you still won’t lose the muscle. You won’t necessarily build muscle, but you will maintain the muscle that you currently have.
So avoid anything you’re doing that uses your legs, including the traditional squats, deadlifts, burpees, and leg weighted machines. And avoid “leg days”.
I would also avoid exercises such as HIIT and CrossFit.
Avoid Any Exercise That Causes You To Get Bulky Legs
As I mentioned, some women experience bulky legs when they do running, barre and yoga.
If you notice your legs increasing in size with a particular exercise, don’t do it! It is very individual, and you need to do what works best for you.
On my blog, I do have some HIIT exercises that won’t cause you to bulk up.
However, if you are an endomorph, are very short, or very very sensitive to building muscle, these exercises still might cause you to build too much muscle for your liking. So I would do these with caution.
If they work for you, that’s great! If not, don’t do them.
Don’t Sprint
Cardio is good for slimming down your legs, but not if you’re sprinting.
Sprinting will build muscle, and especially in your quads. Make sure your cardio is steady state. And again, make sure it’s on a flat surface (no hill or stair runs!).
How To Tone Up Without Bulking Up Your Legs
There are still different types of exercises and resistance training workouts that you can do to tone up, without targeting your legs and making them bigger.
ALL of the workouts on my blog are designed to help you tone up without getting bulky, so I would highly recommend giving them a try! :)
For your lower body, my favorite exercises are pilates-style moves and exercises that focus on toning up your butt, rather than increasing the size of your thighs.
For your upper body, I absolutely love swimming and boxing for toning up (as well as burning LOTS of calories) without bulking up.
When I lift weights for my upper body, and especially when I do pull-ups and overhead pressing, my back gets really wide.
However, if you still want to do weights, read my blog post on how to do it without getting bulky.
Boxing tones up my shoulders and arms without getting broad. Swimming is also great, but just be careful not to overdo it, or your back might get broad.
I also have a Lean Legs eBook which will help you slim down your legs and tone up your body, without getting bulky legs. It includes cardio and the style of resistance training that I have mentioned in this blog post.
Check out my eBook here.
And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! xx
hello sweetie , what do u think about eliptical trainer? does it reduce muscle mass in leg? thank u
Hi lovely,
I don’t think the elliptical machine will really cause bulkiness, but it won’t slim down your legs like running and walking will. The pushing down motion means you engage your quads more so it will build more muscle here. But it’s not the style of workout that will necessarily cause bulkiness. If you can’t walk or run for some reason, the cross trainer is the next best thing :) xx
Love,
Diana
Hi, I am 35 and was dancing all my life and have a toned lady like body. I am not into gym type of exercise and was doing only squats sometimes. It was fine until 2 weeks ago I spotted a bumpy muscles on top of my front thighs which doesn’t look good. It’s not a gradual one and looks weird especially when I stand straight. My thighs ewas my favourite part of my body but now I hate it☹️. I haven’t changed anything in my diet or the way I exercise. I really really want to lose that particular muscle and have straight thighs. I can send u the picture if needed. Pls pls help as I can’t wear short skirt any more and it ruined my confidence😔
Hi lovely,
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program!
We have designed the Lean Legs Program to include the perfect type of resistance training and cardio to give you a lean and toned look, without making you bulky.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe ebook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the program here:
Lean Legs Program
Please feel free to send photos to info@rachaelattard.com, I will gladly help you figure out your body type and answer any questions you have! :) xx
Love
Diana
A little about me… I played college basketball all 4 years, so I do have quite a bit of muscle in my legs. I had ACL surgery in May of this year and for the longest time I was walking on incline 10 because I was told that would slim down my legs. It actually bulked them up, therefore when I was cleared to start running I did it every day. For the last 4-5 weeks I have been running every day at a speed around 7.5MPH-8.2MPH for about 20 minutes. For my legs to get slimmer, do I need to run at a slower pace for a longer amount of time? I don’t see a difference in my legs. After cardio I always do lunges, curtsy lunge and some leg machines; should I stop doing that as well?
Thank you.
Hi lovely,
Yes, I would recommend a lighter intensity cardio like walking and running at the speed of 6.2-7.5mph. I would also avoid squats, lunges and heavy weight lifting if you’re trying to make your legs leaner.
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program.
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs and reduce cellulite, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
For more helpful tips please have a read of these blog posts:
https://www.rachaelattard.com/female-guide-how-to-get-lean-and-not-bulky-skinny-legs/
https://www.rachaelattard.com/how-to-get-skinny-legs-cardio-for-lean-legs/
Love,
Diana
xx
Thanks a lot
I goal to reduce size and burn fat and muscle both.
I have an idea that is based on 2 things:
1- increase size of upper body with build muscle(3 days a week)
2- decrease size of down 1 day a week with both cardio and weight training to burn muscle!
i m sure first idea is true but second one although is very hard, don t increase muscle?
Hi lovely,
You don’t have to build muscle in order to reduce fat. Also, training once a week to decrease muscle won’t help and using weights to achieve that would only be counter-productive.
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program.
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
For more helpful info please have a read of this blog post.
Love,
Diana
xx
Hello! I integrated squats and lunges into my exercise plan like 3 months ago. The thing is my vastus lateralis and medialis are really noticeable especially when I flex. Is there any way that they can go back to when they were not noticeable. Will a fat burning thigh workout help?
Hi lovely,
I would suggest avoiding squats and lunges and doing more power walking instead.
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program!
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
For more helpful info please have a read of these blog posts:
https://www.rachaelattard.com/female-guide-how-to-get-lean-and-not-bulky-skinny-legs/
https://www.rachaelattard.com/how-to-get-skinny-legs-cardio-for-lean-legs/
https://www.rachaelattard.com/how-to-get-skinny-legs-series-summary/
Love,
Diana
xx
Hi, I’m a 14 years old and I’d like to reduce my thigh and muscle thigh. I’m Vegan and I don’t know if your program have a vegan option. Also, Can you please tell me what food are low carb and low protein and everything.. ? (Sorry for my mistakes English is not my native language)
Hi lovely,
The meal plan in the program has not been tailored for vegans, but we have a list of vegan alternatives and recipes that I can send you to help you modify the plan :)
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program!
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
For more helpful info please have a read of these blog posts:
How to get lean and not bulky
How to get skinny legs
Cardio for lean legs
Love,
Diana
Hello my name is Genta,and i like you and your job that you do,i just wanted to asked you something that now for me is a problem.I train my legs and glutes 2 time a week and i was training very hard i didn’t think this would happend,now my legs are so big and looks fat wich i know they aren’t and i don’t like how i look,now im so disappointed,i just want my legs to be how they were las year ,can you just tell me what should i do.
Thank you if you respond this
Hi lovely,
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program!
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
For more helpful info please have a read of these blog posts:
How to get lean and not bulky
How to get skinny legs
Cardio for lean legs
Love,
Diana
What if you are eating once a day, without any excercise ,you are eating no protein can you lose muscles… Because I have muscles on my thighs and arms… What should I eat and not eat?? I use to dance but I stopped it like two months ago
Hi lovely,
Yes you can, but that’s not a very healthy way of losing muscle.
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program!
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
Love,
Diana
xx
Hi, I am 13 years old and I have very large thighs, however, they are mainly muscle. I am very self-conscious about them as the front of my thighs are bulking out quite a lot and I don’t know what type of exercises would reduce the muscle/bulkiness. What would you recommend?
Hi lovely,
We would love to help you as much as we can :) So that’s why we have created the Lean Legs Program!
The Program is an 8 week workout and nutrition plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking.
It will help you slim down your legs, but will also help you slim and tone your upper body and core too (the workouts are full body).
It also includes a full meal plan, a separate recipe eBook and demonstration videos.
You can find out more about the Lean Legs Program here:
Lean Legs Program
Another thing you could do is to follow our YouTube channel,
there are lots of great workouts there that will help you reduce bulkiness!
For more helpful info please have a read of these blog posts:
How to get lean and not bulky
How to get skinny legs
Cardio for lean legs
Wishing you all the best hun! xx
Love,
Diana
Milly, I am a 13 year old cheerleader and muscular thighs are nothing to be ashamed of, they help strengthen your whole leg and they are a sign of dedication if they’re from working out. They also show that you aren’t afraid to go to the gym because many 13 year olds will avoid the gym because of this.
How do you feel about jumprope? I have recently gotten into barre and I bike to work and feel like my thighs and legs are just getting massive so while I will still be biking 3 days a week I’d love to know if on the other days I could do jumprope since I struggle with running due to bad knees. Thank you!
Hi lovely,
I think skipping is a good workout for weight loss but not the best for slimming down your legs.
It could make your legs bulky – especially calves if you tend to gain muscle easily.
There’s a more detailed explanation about what exercises could make your legs bulky, so please have a read of it:
https://www.rachaelattard.com/cycling-dancing-barre-make-legs-bigger/
You could do more power walking instead of running :)
For more helpful info about how to substitute running, check out this blog post:
https://www.rachaelattard.com/cardio-exercises-that-dont-involve-running/
Love,
Diana
xx