Water Retention in legs

[Lushbod]

Hello all,

I'm quite new to this site and have a few questions

I've been told by an experienced bodybuilder that I am around 15% body fat. I found this very hard to believe. I have visable abs but still think I'm around 20% because my legs are still so full of fat. Then I was told I am just carrying water in my legs. My legs have always looked like this all my life and I was wondering if there was anyone out there with the same problem and was able to transform their legs entirely revealing all the muscle underneath. What do I need to do to get this? I have been lifting for 3 years now and my legs just don't seem to change in shape. My diet is very clean i do 5 days of lifting a week and cardio of 20 mins every morning.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated. I just feel i'll be stuck with these unshapely legs forever

Thanks
Wen.

 

[Sassy69]

Well, you're going off people's "opinions". Your bodyfat is measured across your whole body so if you look fatter in one area vs. another, hard to draw a conclusion based on only one body part.

Women will tend to hold a higher concentration of fat cells in the waist to thigh area - and that distribution can be very individual. You may have some issue w/ both water & fat in your legs, but what I'd really suggest you do is get a 7 or 9 point skinfold bodyfat test. Write down the measurements at each pinch point. Two of those pinch points are on your legs -- quad & calf. Then get your bodyfat tested the same way (best by the same person so the measurements are consistent) and track the changes of each point. If, say during your period some of those points go up, e.g. your legs, that tells you where you tend to hold water when you are retentive.

You may also tend to hold more water because of your diet - i.e. if you eat stuff w/ sodium in it, higher carbs (even good carbs) can all cause you to hold more water. But if you track the changes in the pinch points across your body you will have a better feel for how your body changes.

 

[slat1]

When you see women with ripped upper bodies and "fat" legs one thing comes to mind.
Diet. They are lacking quality fat in their diets. They usually go low fat. Their bodies need quality fats like Omega 6. If you don't have that in your diet your body will produce more estrogen. When that happens it puts fat in certain areas to use it.

BTW. This information was told to me by a writer for MD who is a National level competitor and a 3rd year med student. He trained the women who won the Worlds in Spain last year. He knows his shit!
His recomendation was that women should take Primrose oil at night before bed. I started doing it and my body has leaned out a bit too...

 

[Sassy69]

And I'd also say that to make get the fat to come off those tough spots (e.g. like when women say they have "muscular legs" ..its usually some fat) it takes an ultra clean diet for at least 3 weeks to start kickign in that extra step above & beyond where you might have maintained a decent weight & bodyfat.

 

[Lushbod]

And I'd also say that to make get the fat to come off those tough spots (e.g. like when women say they have "muscular legs" ..its usually some fat) it takes an ultra clean diet for at least 3 weeks to start kickign in that extra step above & beyond where you might have maintained a decent weight & bodyfat.

Hi sassy. Thanks so much for your feedback. Much appreciated.



Wendy.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

List the diet - with specifics. The more detail the better.