Abs, arms, and inner thighs

[BriannaLynn]

I live in a very small town without a gym. My only real problem areas are my inner thighs, my upper arms*on the inside*, my abs and my sides. Anyone have any at home exercises I could do to fix my problems? Thanks!



~Bri~

 

[DaveNY]

Go running. Do some crunches 3x a week. Curl some soup cans. And go running again. Then pop in "Richard Simmons Sweatin to the Oldies." You'll tone up in no time.

Funny you said your only problem areas are your legs, arms, and stomach. Wish I could say, "Yeah, I'm pretty ripped, except for my legs, arms, and abs."

DaveNY

 

[Grizzly]

Funny you said your only problem areas are your legs, arms, and stomach. Wish I could say, "Yeah, I'm pretty ripped, except for my legs, arms, and abs."

DaveNY

LOL! Hey, I didn't think about it until I read that, but legs, arms and abs really do comprise you're whole body don't they? I'm in the same boat, too, though. I have no problems except my whole body is too small and too fat, if you ask me.

As for the question at hand. Maybe you should find a gym in a neighboring town and go there. There's no substitute for a good gym and the workout that you can get there. If it takes you half an hour to get there, then so be it. Atleast you'll stay and finish your workout if it takes a while to get there.

 

[WarriorPL]

haha yeah, i wish i could say that too....
my only problems are my legs, shoulders, abs.


~WizKid

 

[Tombstonealley]

You don't need a gym!
Just some dumbells or, as stated above, soup cans.
Do 30-60minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week.
Do a full body resistance training routine 2 to 3 times a week. (legs-to-back-to-chest-to-shoulders-to-arms-to-abs)
And most importantly-START EATING BETTER!

 

[Grizzly]

You don't need a gym!
Just some dumbells or, as stated above, soup cans.
Do 30-60minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week.
Do a full body resistance training routine 2 to 3 times a week. (legs-to-back-to-chest-to-shoulders-to-arms-to-abs)
And most importantly-START EATING BETTER!

That's bullshit! Fine, she could use dumbbells. No argument here. However, they would need to go up to atleast 50 lbs and, let's face it, that would cost a shitload of money. As for the soup cans, what the fuck good would that do? I don't care if you're the weakest person in the world, a goddamn three year old can curl a soup can. What about the ol' legs, hmmm? Yeah, those 12 ounces of resistance will really build some decent quads. The cardio advice and the eating better part are both good suggestions. But, the most cost efficient and effective method is still to go to the gym. Why don't you just tell her to buy some of the pink plastic dumbbells and use those because, as we all know, those girls in the aerobics classes using the pink dumbbells have such great bodies. If you like soft, flabby chicks with no muscle tone, that is.

 

[Tombstonealley]

If she is a bodybuilder I would agree with you, but if she is just looking to tone up you are so fucking wrong. i train women all day and most never even get near a 50lbs dumbell and the ones who do look like guys. Most women never have to go over 20 to 25lb dumbells and if she is asking a question like this I would guess she would not have to go over 15lbs. I thirteen yrs of experience and about two hundred toned and beautiful women who either I or my company have trained all of whom would tell you-you are full of shit!

 

[flex4life]

Train everything- not just the trouble areas-but for question:
get some dumbbells- nothing blue or pink- get REAL weights!
overhead trcep ext, tricep kickbacks, curls, plie squats for inner thighs
dips between 2 chairs for tri's
as for the soup cans, get the huge can of pork & beans sold at Costco- of course, do not EAT the pork & beans after lifting.
Flex on!

 

[Grizzly]

If she is a bodybuilder I would agree with you, but if she is just looking to tone up you are so fucking wrong. i train women all day and most never even get near a 50lbs dumbell and the ones who do look like guys. Most women never have to go over 20 to 25lb dumbells and if she is asking a question like this I would guess she would not have to go over 15lbs. I thirteen yrs of experience and about two hundred toned and beautiful women who either I or my company have trained all of whom would tell you-you are full of shit!

I still have to disagree. Maybe 50 might be a little high, but I would ahve to say atleast 40. Legs are strong muscles. i don't see how doing lunges with 30lbs total weight is going to do shit in terms of muscular development. And, whether she wants to acknowledge it or not, the only way to tone a muscle is to make a bigger muscle, thus one must strive for hypertrophy and the key to hypertrophy is heavy weights. Sure, she probably doesn't want to look like Kim Chizevsky so she shouldn't be squating with 225, but legs need a little more than soup cans to be worked properly.

And as for heavy weight making women look like men, that's bunk, too. There is a girl in my gym who I would imagine is what most women say they want to look like when they say that they want to "tone." She's got killer abs and just enough muscle to where you can see it, but it popping out all over the place. I can see her quads, but they're not gigantic and shredded. When she does the sled do you know hwo much weight she uses? At least 4 plates. That's 180 pounds, not counting the weight of the sled. And when she squats she uses 95 pounds or more. Thus, heavier weights than 15 are necessary.

 

[Tombstonealley]

Grizzly,
I am sure you know the skinny guy who can bench 315lbs when he looks like he can only do 150lbs. The girl you are describing is the female equivalent.
I agree that some women can get pretty strong and still look beautiful-but the key is most don't have to and many (maybe most) don't want to. I had one girl who used to do fitness competitions and she could do rock bottom squats with 225 for 10 to 15 reps. She looked outstanding-but most of my woman would not need to do that to look the way they want to. Additionally very few would want to do it. On a third point, as the amount of weight you lift increases so does the incidence of injury.

 

[DaveNY]

Soup cans?

Soup Cans. Ok, maybe Hi-C cans, they're bigger. I use them to get burley.

DaveNY

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly,
I am sure you know the skinny guy who can bench 315lbs when he looks like he can only do 150lbs. The girl you are describing is the female equivalent.
I agree that some women can get pretty strong and still look beautiful-but the key is most don't have to and many (maybe most) don't want to. I had one girl who used to do fitness competitions and she could do rock bottom squats with 225 for 10 to 15 reps. She looked outstanding-but most of my woman would not need to do that to look the way they want to. Additionally very few would want to do it. On a third point, as the amount of weight you lift increases so does the incidence of injury.

Several things. One, who cares what they want to do? It is a plain fact that you have to get stronger to get any amount of anything, be it mass or "tone", and if the women don't like this fact, then maybe they should reasses their goals for their body. Do I like the fact that my legs seem to respond best to squats in the 12-20 rep range? Fuck no! But I do it anyway.

Secondly, if you would mail me the phone number of that girl who could squat 225 I would be mighty appreciative. I think I'm in love.

Next, I don't think that the girl I'm refering to is that "type." All of the girls that I've seen who have anything even close to a decent set of legs have been squatting with at least 65 pounds and used 2 plates on the sled. And when I say "decent" I'm being very generous and I'm not holding them up to my bodybuilder standards.

Finally, just out of curiousity. Am I the only person who never thinks about injury? God, so many people are like "I'm going light so I don't hurt myself." or some other variation. I don't give a shit about getting hurt and I don't even really believe that I can get that hurt and do you know what? Aside from a few sore joints and all I've never been injured and I train as heavy as possible all year long.

 

[BriannaLynn]

reply

MY legs are great... just need a little toning on the inner thigh... my stomach is flat, I just want to tone it a little... and my upper arms and just the part that touches my sides... those areas are the only parts that I want to work on... they aren't bad... the rest of me is toned and in great shape. So don't act like I am talking about my entire body. I don't want to be a body builder. All I wanted to a more toned body so that I can go dancing without feeling larger than the rest of the girls I am out there with. My god, you all talk like I need to travel to a gym that would make me travel almost 2 hours away. For one thing, I work six days a week and have NO WAY of getting to a gym. All I asked for was AT HOME ways of getting back into better shape. I don't want to look bulky.

 

[HeavyDutyGuy]

Brianna, just TRY to look bulky- I bet you couldnt if you tried. I've been training 15 years to look "bulky"- actually not bulky because thats really just a cop out for a lot of fat with your muscle-but bigger. I have had to lift hundreds of pounds and train till I was exhausted just to get "bulky". How do women think they can do that with less than 1/10-1/100th a guy's testosterone level? It won't happen....

 

[BriannaLynn]

.

Women can get bulky... it takes a lot, but they can. Women, of course, will never be as large as men, but for a woman's build, she can get bulky. Don't act like you everything. Some women have more testosterone levels than normal. Bone up on some medicine.

 

[Robboe]

Thighs get a complete workout from squats. [including inner thighs]

Arm shape is genetic and no exercise can make your side biceps improve - just make the entire muscle bigger. You'll have to live with it,sorry.

Abs and sides can be improved by reducing bodyfat. You can have great ab developement not show through due to bodyfat covering it.

 

[Belial]

Listen to Robboe. Even though he smells somewhat rank, he still summed it up pretty well.

Oh, and if you're not going to take advice, don't ask for it.

 

[MrMuscle]

id just move to a place with a gym...or start one myself

 

[Grizzly]

Re: .

Women can get bulky... it takes a lot, but they can. Women, of course, will never be as large as men, but for a woman's build, she can get bulky. Don't act like you everything. Some women have more testosterone levels than normal. Bone up on some medicine.

Yes, women can get bulky. Look at the IFBB. However, do you know how long they been lifting for? And, more importantly, how much drugs they have to use. You CANNOT get bulky in a few months. That look takes YEARS to achieve. I've been at this hardcore for 4 years and I still think that I need to be much, much bigger.

 

[keiko]

Personally, I almost never respond to messges that use the word "toned". Toned is such a b.s. word. You either work and stress your muscles or they're flab.

Anywho--

if you want to tighten up your inner thighs and squatting isn't what you want, try sitting on the floor, with your legs straight out in front of you one on either side of a stationary object (chair, trash can, etc.) Squeeze, relax, repeat a couple of zillion times. Or buy a Swiss ball by mail and use it for lots of stuff.

I think by inner arms, you mean inner tris--. Use heavy cans and lift them up over your head with a straight arm. Lower and repeat.

Go to the library and look from some Joyce Vedra (sp?) and some Callenetics books--the latter are pretty good isometric/ballet moves and will work, if you do them reguarly.

Also, anyone who's all worried about getting bulky might be happier looking at the about.com exercise site. They go for light weights,. high reps there.

 

[Phemomena]

If she is a bodybuilder I would agree with you, but if she is just looking to tone up you are so fucking wrong. i train women all day and most never even get near a 50lbs dumbell and the ones who do look like guys. Most women never have to go over 20 to 25lb dumbells and if she is asking a question like this I would guess she would not have to go over 15lbs. I thirteen yrs of experience and about two hundred toned and beautiful women who either I or my company have trained all of whom would tell you-you are full of shit!

excuse me, but i've used 50lb dumbells on numerous occasions and i hardly think i look like a guy (do a search, i've posted pics...)

i need at least 350-400 lbs on leg press to challenge my hardly bulky legs...

i would stay away from the generalizations, women who look like men (as far as muscle structure goes) are either

1) men
2) doing some heavy AS
3) part of the 0.2% population of women who bulk up on heavy weights (naturally high test levels i guess)

 

[Belial]

women who look like men (as far as muscle structure goes) are either

1) men

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[bignate73]

lose bodyfat, gain muscle (everywhere).....period.

if you have fat arms, inner thighs, abs, etc. no amount of resistance training is gonna make the fat shrink. get on a cardio regimine, monitor your eating, and stick with the weights to put on muscle. with the added muscle you will increase your metabolism and thus your fat burning capacity. dont become a cardio queen just because you "want to lose the fat first". you will only lose muscle and slow your metabolism.

i see it daily. skinny chicks with fat arms and no muscle.
"can you do my bodyfat?"
"sure....28%" "
"what??? how can that be? im skinny."
they have no muscle tone. they think they have "loose" muscle.....ITS FAT!

heres the quick lowdown:
find a gym, ymca, some place with some versatility in resistance training devices.
calculate your caloric needs, go 500 cals below it. write everything down you eat from there on out. make sure you get 1gm per lb bodyweight of protein and meet your calorie goal each day.
calculate your target heart rate for fat burning based on your age (hint: use karvonen formula)
start low on your cardio training and dont neglect your resistance training.
take a multivitamin

now youre on your way.

 

[HeavyDutyGuy]

Re: .

Women can get bulky... it takes a lot, but they can. Women, of course, will never be as large as men, but for a woman's build, she can get bulky. Don't act like you everything. Some women have more testosterone levels than normal. Bone up on some medicine.

Ok since you don't really want help, but seem to want people to kiss your ass.....
Women CAN'T get huge muscles without taking anabolic steroids. (Look at the female IFBB competitors from1980-presteroid era- no huge muscles there,ooooooh what a shocker huh?) And guess what? Most GUYS cant' either.
Medicine- all right lets talk medicine. Hormone levels, like all human attributes, will be vary from individual to individual. If you measure a representative cross sample of people you would find a bell curve distribution with the highest number being average,, and 2/3 of the population within 2 standard deviations of the mean.
Again, guess what? Almost all the men at the bottom of the curve are still higher than all but the freakiest of women - the top .1%. And this woman would have large muscles before she even lifted weights. YOU WONT GET HUGE MUSCLES. But with your reasoning, you probably won't get results either.......LATER

 

[bignate73]

well said