[debs]

I have been doing yogalates on and off for around 7 years now but from May last year started doing it 5 times a week, 50 minutes per session. I then bought an exercise bike last month and have been using it on the same days after the yogalates. I use the bike for around 30 minutes, around 100rpm and on half resistance. I have recently noticed my quads look as though they are actually bulging and what I can only describe as hanging over my kneecaps. I have asked a few people about this and they say its normal but they don't look nice to me at all. My question is, is this normal and will they eventually even out with the tops of my thighs? The last thing I wanted to do was build muscle in my legs - just tone them up. Any reply/advice would be appreciated.

[DynamicCoreSolutions]

debs, on 04 February 2012 - 09:52 PM, said:

I have been doing yogalates on and off for around 7 years now but from May last year started doing it 5 times a week, 50 minutes per session. I then bought an exercise bike last month and have been using it on the same days after the yogalates. I use the bike for around 30 minutes, around 100rpm and on half resistance. I have recently noticed my quads look as though they are actually bulging and what I can only describe as hanging over my kneecaps. I have asked a few people about this and they say its normal but they don't look nice to me at all. My question is, is this normal and will they eventually even out with the tops of my thighs? The last thing I wanted to do was build muscle in my legs - just tone them up. Any reply/advice would be appreciated.

Chances are you are developing the muscles here, but they are probably not 'bulging' as much as you perceive them to be. It is more likely that you are burning off fat and are simply exposing them rather than building the size massively.

However, it's really difficult to say from a description.

The muscle you are talking about is part of your quads (thighs) and is commonly referred to as the 'tear drop' muscle. It sits differently on different people and that is just genetics. The fact that you have been able to develop it at all probably has a lot to do with your yogalates and the fact that you have a good level of flexibility. A common way of developing that muscle is to go deep on squats, but often people can't due to flexibility issues.

In some ways you are pretty lucky to be able to work this muscle as it will help in keeping your leg muscles in balance (as some of the others should be easier to develop) What I would say is, if the bike is the only form of resistance you are putting on your legs then you possibly are working your muscles out of balance and that is not only going to look a little wrong, but more worryingly, could cause injuries and joint problems in the long run.

Try and spend some time working your posterior chain muscles more as well as a more rounded approach to the quads. So throw in some walking lunges or high step ups etc. If you have access to a gym and some weights, even better.

Again, I can't fully comment as I am only basing this on your view of your own body which, from experience, can often be massively distorted from an individual point of view. So you may want to post a photo if you really want further comment.

But a good plan would simply be to have a more rounded training regime and come at your training from lots of different directions.

The yogalates is a great thing to be doing, but on its own is not ideal. Same thing with the bike. So just look to add diversity to your training programme and you should be able to taper the development of your body more the way you want it to go. Always remembering, of course, your genetic make up is going to determine a lot of it and you cant change the basic shape of muscles, just how they develop.

Oh and just one more thing, your comment "The last thing I wanted to do was build muscle in my legs - just tone them up." is a complete oxymoron - I know what you mean, but toning is all about muscle you can't 'tone' without muscle - Read this, for more on that subject. I think it is important that you understand the concept of toning if that is what you are trying to do. Hope it helps.


Mark.

[debs]

Thank you so much for your reply - it has really helped a lot. The people who I have asked about this have also said they arent "bulging" but quite normal since I am using the exercise bike. I have noticed them in the past but they have seemed to have got bigger since the bike and thats what I was a bit worried about - that it looks odd!


How many walking lunges and high steps would you recommend and should I do this at the end of my exercise bike session? Would you also be able to give me any more ideas please? Also, would this even them out in time?


Thank you so much - Debbie

[DynamicCoreSolutions]

debs, on 05 February 2012 - 01:18 PM, said:

Thank you so much for your reply - it has really helped a lot. The people who I have asked about this have also said they arent "bulging" but quite normal since I am using the exercise bike. I have noticed them in the past but they have seemed to have got bigger since the bike and thats what I was a bit worried about - that it looks odd!


How many walking lunges and high steps would you recommend and should I do this at the end of my exercise bike session? Would you also be able to give me any more ideas please? Also, would this even them out in time?


Thank you so much - Debbie

Hi Debbie, not a problem. I think most people have a slightly distorted self image and we all tend to amplify things that we don't like about ourselves in our minds a little.

On the exercise front, as I say, it's a little hard to be specific about what you should do as I don't really know that much about you, where you are at in your training or what you are really trying to achieve. My general preference is to do resistance work prior to CV, so doing the lunges before you hit the bike for example. But if one of the things you are looking to achieve is to get 'cycle fit' I'd go with the priority first and put the cycling first.

As for other exercises, there are so many you could choose from, but it depends on whether you have equipment or not. You could use Glute/Ham raises, stiff leg deadlifts, hamstring curls using a swiss ball, broad jumps, plyometric lunges - really the list is huge. But maybe just try one or two and get them right and learn to use the muscles you are trying to activate through mind muscle connection. And then develop your programme over time.

[debs]

Thanks again for your reply.

To be honest what I am trying to achieve is weight loss and I would like to tone up my bottom half. I have found with the yogalates that it is better for my top half than my bottom half and it seems to take a while to tone up my legs etc which is why I bought the bike. I don't go to the gym and do everything at home and don't have anymore equipment other than the bike.

Is there any more information that you would need?

Debbie

[DynamicCoreSolutions]

debs, on 06 February 2012 - 08:38 AM, said:

Thanks again for your reply.

To be honest what I am trying to achieve is weight loss and I would like to tone up my bottom half. I have found with the yogalates that it is better for my top half than my bottom half and it seems to take a while to tone up my legs etc which is why I bought the bike. I don't go to the gym and do everything at home and don't have anymore equipment other than the bike.

Is there any more information that you would need?

Debbie

I think what you have to maybe re-set is your idea of 'toning' - Did you have a look at the article I gave you the link to?

Because toning doesn't really exist - it is in idea not a process.

What I would take from someone saying they are trying to 'tone up' is that they are looking to achieve an athletic look. A look that is hard (no wobbly bits) but not bulky.

But that might not be what you mean by toning. (read the article, you'll see what I mean).

However, if that is the case, then it now depends on what you mean that you have been able to 'tone' your top half more than your bottom. Because there are 2 elements involved now. There is the loss of fat and there is the shaping of the muscle that is then uncovered. So if you are already low on fat and just need to shape the muscles to your liking that is a very different process than if you are saying you have managed to lose fat from your upper body, but not so much your lower.

If it is the latter, then that is probably just the way your body works - it stores fat more easily in your bottom half. So to get rid of it, you just have to keep burning fat and it will eventually go.

To try and burn more fat from your bottom half would be like trying to drain the deep end of a swimming pool faster than the shallow end. It just can't be done. But if you continue to drain the water from the pool, eventually you will drain the deep end.

Same thing applies here.

Thing is that, by doing a lot of CV you are encouraging the storage of fat. You are burning lots of calories, yes, and you are burning fat during the workout. But then when you stop, in order to ensure it is better prepared next time around, you are more likely to drop muscle tissue (as it is heavy) and store fat. If you do that enough you won't look toned, you will get 'skinny fat' (thinner but still wobbly). Hence why I suggest resistance training.

But if you are training at home, for now, just focus on body weight exercises. Ideally both upper and lower body exercises as that will cause a bigger calorie burn and give more of a demand on your body to store muscle. But simple, squats, lunges, broad jumps (if you have room), plyometric lunges, reverse lunges, high step ups etc are all good. For upper, there is a variety of press up options (regular, close grip, shoulder push, diamond (not a fan), action man, plyometric, single arm etc) then for your back you can either row something heavy (I mentioned on another thread about filling a bag with something fairly heavy, holding the handles and doing a bent over row. Or you could lie a broom-handle across two chair and do inverse rows.

Really the possibilities are endless.

Don't try to do them all, just find a few that balance each other out and do them well. Just any exercises that overload the muscles.

Mark.

[debs]

Thanks again for your reply - very helpful.

One more thing, how often do you think I should be using the exercise bike as I was thinking of going from 5 times per week after yoga to 3 times per week - 30 minutes per session. My sister does spinning and she recommended I only do 2-3 times per week.

[DynamicCoreSolutions]

debs, on 07 February 2012 - 08:56 AM, said:

Thanks again for your reply - very helpful.

One more thing, how often do you think I should be using the exercise bike as I was thinking of going from 5 times per week after yoga to 3 times per week - 30 minutes per session. My sister does spinning and she recommended I only do 2-3 times per week.

Your sister may have a point. If your target is not to be 'cycle fit' then over doing it could be detrimental to your joints. But the best advice you will get is from your own body. Listen to the feedback it gives you. If you feel you can do more, do more. If you are getting niggly pains or are feeling run down, it is likely you are overdoing it, so either change it up or pull back a little.

[Nora]

Exercise on bike is good exercises for legs and makes your legs beautiful to see. Cycling is also one of the best cardio exercise and helps you to reduce weight and belly fat.

This post has been edited by fitlife: 10 March 2012 - 04:00 PM