These are some of the most popular questions I am asked.
Any time I am asked a question several times, I will usually write a blog post on this topic in detail. So chances are, I already have the answers to your question on my blog :)
If you ever want to search for a question on my blog, all you need to do is type your word/phrase into the search bar and any relevant blog posts will come up.
So here are some of the questions!
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY BODY TYPE IS?
I get asked this one a lot, so I have actually just created a body type calculator that you can use for free! It will tell you your body type and also give you some tips on how to eat / exercise for you body type.
You can use the body type calculator here.
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You can also read my blog post explaining the 3 different body types.
WILL JUMP ROPE MAKE MY LEGS BIGGER?
Skipping is great cardio, but doesn’t have the same slimming down legs effect as walking and running. Because of the constant jumping, it can make your calves bigger. And depending on your skipping style, can make your thighs bigger too. It may not make everyone’s legs bigger, but if you gain muscle easily, you might want to avoid skipping.
I get a lot of questions about certain forms of exercise and whether or not they make your legs bigger. So I have written a blog post covering dancing, barre, cycling, rowing, swimming, sprinting, elliptical, step machine, running, yoga, etc. You can read this blog post here.
I HAVE BEEN EXERCISING A LOT AND NOW MY LEGS ARE TOO MUSCULAR. HOW DO I GET RID OF THE MUSCLE?
First of all, I am sorry to hear this happened! But just know that you can slim down your muscle so it’s not forever!
The most important thing to do is STOP whatever exercise was making your legs too muscular. If you continue doing this exercise, your legs will stay the same size or continue to grow. And then add cardio to help them slim down. It will take time to reduce muscle (usually longer than it took to build it) so you must be patient.
Please have a look at this blog post for more information on how to slim down muscular thighs.
I WANT TO GET RID OF FAT (PLUS CELLULITE AND MUSCLE) IN MY INNER THIGH AREA. IS THAT POSSIBLE?
You can’t target an area specifically, but you can certainly do specific exercises to help slim down your legs all over. I often find that when legs slim down, inner thighs seem to be the area that get results the quickest – so you’re in luck!
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Please have a look at this blog post on how to slim down inner thighs.
I EAT SO HEALTHY AND EXERCISE A LOT BUT I STILL CAN’T GET RID OF MY SADDLEBAGS / MUFFIN TOP NO MATTER WHAT I DO! WHY IS THIS?
This is usually due to high cortisol levels or a hormone imbalance. I know it sounds like only really unlucky people can have hormone imbalances, or only people with really stressed out jobs get high cortisol. But it’s actually so much more common than you think. And if you’ve tried everything to get rid of your muffin top, I am 99% sure that the issue is hormones.
Please have a read of this blog post for some hormone issues that can be causing it, and have a read of this one about high cortisol.
WHAT IS A GOOD CARDIO ALTERNATIVE TO RUNNING?
There are so many great forms of cardio! But honestly, none of them will slim down your legs like running and walking. So it’s hard to answer this one. I guess the next best form of cardio (for slim legs) would be swimming or the elliptical.
Also, boxing is great cardio and doesn’t tend to bulk (unless there’s lots of burpees and squats in your boxing class). I would consider boxing a mix of both cardio and resistance training.
IS YOUR PROGRAM JUST FOR LEGS?
Whilst my program focuses on slimming down legs (both muscle and fat), the resistance workouts are all full body workouts. So that means it includes upper body and core workouts too. It will help you tone your entire body, but keep a slim look.
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It is a complete workout program and you don’t need to any extra exercise. If you want to find out more about my program, click here.
Hope you found this blog post helpful :)
Love Rachael xx
It’s FREE
Hey Rachael, I’ve been following your diet and exercise plans and I’ve been seeing some results. I struggle with my thighs and I was wondering if running on an elliptical is good for cardio while not making them bulky, thank you!
Hi rachael i was wondering if you used stevia in any of your recipes. i use it a lot and i’ve done some research but i’m not sure if it’s the healthiest sweetener. i was wondering what your thoughts are on it ;)
Hi, I’ve tried power walking for slimmer thighs and do see results. However, it is starting to really hurt my hips, even with walking slower and not so long. What is the best cardio alternative? I want to try the elliptical but have heard it makes thighs bigger. I am a mesomorph/endomorph.
Hey lovely,
Are you sure that you are walking on a flat surface?
I suggest that you try stretching before and after your walking routines. :)
Here are the links to Rachael’s indoor cardio workouts that you can practice instead of walking.
Have in mind that they are not as effective and won’t show results as fast, but it’s better to practice these than skip your daily cardio routine. :)
FREE AT-HOME CARDIO VIDEO
FREE AT-HOME CARDIO VIDEO (BOXING)
Love,
Ana
Hey, Rachael. I have purchased your lean legs video course and I want to know whether I should do cardio (walking) every other day (as the resistance workout is on mon,wed,fri) or everyday for best results.
Hi lovely,
I believe we just emailed :) But I’ll post the answer again :)
For the best results, Rachael recommends walking every day :) Aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. You can track your steps in The Health App on the iPhone or download a free app called Argus.
Please let me know if you have any questions! xx
Love,
Sanja
Hey Rachael
I’m an endomorph body type. I’m following your workout regime from past 1 week. I just had one question. Is it fine to do legs workout provided in the video on daily basis or only alternate days. Also I’m willing to do HIIT workout designed by you on daily basis cause it makes me feel very light and charged. Is it fine if I do these workouts on daily basis with Sunday as a rest day.
Hi lovely,
We recommend doing resistance workouts(circuits) every 2nd day. So you could do them on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It’s unnecessary to do HIIT more than once a week and I would avoid it entirely since you’re an endomorph.
If you’re trying to slim down your legs I would focus more on cardio (walking and running)! :) xx
Love,
Diana
Hey Rachael,
I’m an endomorph and have quite heavy back. Does doing rowing strokes will develop muscles in my legs and make them look bigger.
Hi lovely,
I used to think rowing mostly used your arms, but it really is a full body workout. Rowing relies heavily on your quads and glutes and it can bulk up this area (especially if you’re an endomorph), so I wouldn’t do it too often. :) xx
Love,
Diana
Hi Rachael,
I do a lot of dancing in and outside of school and have a bit too much muscle in my thighs. I’ve been wanting to do the lean legs program for quite some time now and I’m just wondering if the program will still give me the same results. Could my dancing affect progress?
Kind regards,
Emily
Hi lovely,
If you find that dancing made your legs overly muscular, then I would definitely cut it back. We usually recommend dancing, but if it makes you gain a lot of muscle it’s best to do it in moderation. So it won’t affect your progress if you dance once or twice a week.
Our Lean Legs Program has been designed to include the perfect type of resistance training and cardio to give you a lean and toned look, without making you bulky.
It’s an 8 week workout and nutrition plan that 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.
If this is what you’re looking for I would definitely recommend giving our program a go. :) You can find out more about it here:
Lean Legs Program
Love,
Diana
xx
Hey :)
I really like walking and running. But i can’t go out when the weather is rainy or cold. I don’t have a treadmill. So I’m jogging in one place at home. Is it a good substitute for walking?
Hi lovely,
I understand that doing cardio on bad weather days can be frustrating! Nothing will slim down your legs like walking and running will, so the next best thing would be joining the gym. If you’re unable to do this, please have a read of this blog post for more ideas on what you could do instead of running! xx
Love,
Diana
Hi Rachael! I’ve been following your program for the past couple of weeks or so (cardio, resistance training and a lot of walking) and I’ve found that my thighs are still basically the same size and the muscle that was previously there has been replaced with fat. What would you reccomend that I do to slim down my thighs and get rid of the fat? Thank you!!
Hi lovely,
Oh I’m sorry to hear that! :(
Usually I find that there are a few potential reasons for not getting results:
It might just take you a little longer. Everyone gets results at different rates. We’ve had women say they didn’t get results until week 6. So we suggest to keep going and be persistent!
If you have ever done any super low calorie diets in the past, this will affect your metabolism and make it harder for you to lose weight. And on the other end of the scale, binge eating prevents you from getting results too. We’re not sure if either of this situations apply to you, but it’s one thing to take into consideration.
Sometimes weight loss isn’t just about calories in and calories out. Your body is a lot more complicated. Any issues with gut health, hormones, thyroid, cortisol or nutrient deficiencies can actually make a HUGE difference to your weight.
Please have a read of this blog post as it explains these situations in more detail and you’ll be able to see if any of these sound like you.
Love,
Diana
xx
Would you recommend boxing as a better substitute workout for a run or for one of your HIIT workouts? Following the Slim Legs plan but have an outing to take a boxing class with a friend this week and need to swap out either a run or HIIT this week :)
Hi lovely,
Nothing really works as great as running and walking for leaning out legs.
But the next best would be elliptical, swimming, or even boxing. You could substitute running with boxing once a week :)
Love,
Diana
xx
Hi Rachel,
I’m really interested in starting up your program. I’ve always struggled with larger legs, what was once large legs just turned to muscular and bulky legs with exercise (obviously doing the wrong types of exercise).
One thing I’m curious to know is, would you suggest a step class is hindering my chances to slim down my legs or helping.
Hi lovely, I think a step class once per week wouldn’t hurt as it burns a LOT of calories. But it does have the potential to bulk you up. I would keep it in for now and if you notice that your legs aren’t getting slimmer, try cutting it out xx
Hi Rachel! I just wanted to know how long it takes to get rid of muffin tops? Thank you so much!
-Anoushka
Hi lovely, I already replied to you on social media but thought I would reply here to everyone can see the answer too :) This is difficult to answer because it really depends on how much body fat you’ve got to lose and how dedicated you are. The fat stored here is usually pretty hard to get rid of so I would say it will take at least 8 weeks. Also please have a read of this blog post on how to get rid of stubborn fat xx
Hi Rachel I have been doing a lot of walking ever since I read your blog and I feel it really worked I walk about 5k most days after work and more on weekends since I have more time but I feel as if maybe my body Is getting too used to it? What do you think? Is there anything you would recommend xxxxx
Hi lovely, you could try to increase your walking. But I would also make sure you’re doing other types of exercise too :) xx
Dear Rachel,
I am 51 years old & excited about the prospect of lean legs. Following your instructions, I have been walking 10 Km for about a week now on my treadmill and loving it. I have a mesomorph body shape & I am wondering if you could suggest an alternate cardio routine than running. After having 3 big bouncing baby boys 20-30 years ago, running can’t be accomplished without a bathroom break every 15 minutes! Thanks so much!
Hi Joanne, wow good for you! :) As I mentioned in the blog post, nothing really works as great as running and walking for leaning out legs. But the next best would be elliptical or swimming, or even boxing. If you’re not worried about bulking your legs, you can do other forms such as cycling or rowing too. Good luck! xx