Ladies... How do you lose the thighs?!? page 5

[hazyjane]

That first exercise from the Bar Method is a total rip-off of Callan Pinckney’s Callanetics, lol. Though the hair is a little better. I used to do the same exercises, and they are effective. I just came to a point where I wanted more of a challenge, which is how I got into squat, lunges, etc.

That's because Callanetics is a rip-off of the Lotte Berk Method. There are a lot of Lotte Berk rip-offs out there. Callan and Bur Leonard of Bar both trained with Lotte back in the 70's. Lotte was a dancer who took dance warmup routines and combined them with orthopedic rehabilitative exercises in the 60's.

[TigerLily]

Yeah, "this just seems like Callanetics to me!" occurred to me at first, too, but I don't really know anything about the Bar Method to actually judge, so I kept my mouth shut.

Earlier today, I checked into Bar classes here and they are $$$$. Why so much? The rent is too damn high! I do a whole lot better in a group class environment than left to my own devices at home with a DVD, but it's gonna be the DVD for me at these prices. As someone said recently "...a class for people with more money than sense." heh heh....

I have a friend who SWORE by Callanetics. Said in less than 10 sessions, she noticed a visible difference in her body. (And she was not a small girl.)

Totally off topic, but I am really enjoying my AQUA ZUMBA class (which is included in my gym membership, no extra charge). My gym has an excellent aquatics center, replete with a flowing river track feature upon which to walk or run either downstream or upstream (advanced). It's the only reason I retain my membership.

[TigerLily]

That's because Callanetics is a rip-off of the Lotte Berk Method. There are a lot of Lotte Berk rip-offs out there. Callan and Bur Leonard of Bar both trained with Lotte back in the 70's. Lotte was a dancer who took dance warmup routines and combined them with orthopedic rehabilitative exercises in the 60's.

Ahhh!

[sarahz]

I would love to know the answer to the thigh question, as I have been working out for so long (something like 15 years) and no matter how many lunges or squats or spin classes or whatever I do I still have fat, jiggly thighs. I have decided to start working out less on my legs and start doing the bodyrock tv workouts which are short but higher intensity and much more fun and see what happens! I have the bar method dvds to and whilst I think they are good, I get bored quite easily.

[Sonnenblume]

Lyle McDonalds has some interesting articles on "stubborn fat" on his site. He recommends (from what I read elsewhere, I do not own the "Stubborn Fat Solution") fasted cardio - some combination of high intensity and steady state and a very elaborate system an what/when to eat. I wouldn´t be dedicated enough to follow it. In my case, high intensity workouts when fasted definitely put my body under stress and increase cortisol...I can, however, relate: At 17% body fat I have a very lean and defined upper body and still a good amount of lower body fat. I chose acceptance and stopped worrying about it. Maybe there is a way to trick genetics but for me it is not worth the struggle. I focus on the good aspects of my body type: A little six pack that was right back a few weeks after giving birth and very defined arms. I think that compensates...

[croí]

The person who invented low wasteline for women in pants is a genius as far as I am concerned. The only cut I can wear.

The inches as the clothes desiners imagine them are totally unrepresentative of a woman's figure in my view. The waist vs thighs is really off, and don't start me on the designers' idea of a height of anyone who wears S. I mean, don't they seriously think that everyone who wears S is 5'2" and no taller? Stupid.

Right there with you. The only problem I run into is even thougth they have created low waist lines, they think that person as no butt either!

[croí]

Thigh fat is harder to lose because of the type of fat receptors (alpha 2)- they're different than on other parts of the body. Those receptors don't easily let fat back out of the cells. People with stubborn belly fat have the same receptor issue, just in a different location.

One thing that I think would help would be to do isometric body weight barre-type exercises. They're intense and they work the quads and hamstrings very deeply and they tend to make the muscles very dense and compact, as opposed to big and expanded (yes, different types of conditioning really do produce a different shape to the muscle). Also, working the quads so intensely is good for overall fat burning, as it's the largest muscle in the body. They won't bulk with this kind of work as long as they're properly stretched.

I'm a huge fan of The Bar Method (I use the dvds). It has definitely changed my thighs (which are one of the last things to change). I still have more work to do, but they're getting slimmer and now have "angles" to them that they've never had and I have a definition line down the outside that I've never had before! My saddlebags have really shrunk, too (it's also done great things for my arms- they're looking really cut and no more batwings)
Netflix has the dvds if you'd like to try them.

OOOOOOooooooo! I will definitely check these out. Are they instant, or just the DVD's?

[croí]

Awww *blush*! I feel like I'm on a never ending quest to find what works and so many things don't, so when I find something that actually does, I get really excited! My main issues are follow-through and patience. I guess I'm a magical thinker- always believing that there must be an answer out there SOMEWHERE!
Belly fat is my biggest nemesis and I've had such little luck with it until recently, when I started correcting my low progesterone (with sublingual progesterone) and doing the Dr. Kruse leptin protocol (mainly for hormonal benefits). Holy cannoli! It's truly helping my love handles to shrink and I've gone down a belt notch in a few weeks without feeling like I was even trying. I feel like with Bar Method and the leptin/hormone thing, I have a shot at having my body finally look how I want it to for the first time in my adult life.

PS-I'll def. let everyone know if I manage to crack the elusive code to getting rid of cellulite I'm trying some things right now- I just have to stick with them!

Hazyjane, what is this lepton/hormone thing you are talking about? Details please?

[RitaRose]

I would love to know the answer to the thigh question, as I have been working out for so long (something like 15 years) and no matter how many lunges or squats or spin classes or whatever I do I still have fat, jiggly thighs.

Adding muscle to your legs will not make them leaner. Unfortunately, you can't lose fat in just one spot by exercising that area.

Because of my job, I have leg muscles so strong that I have trouble wearing normal jeans, but that still does nothing to get rid of the fat. The fat just covers up the muscle, so what you need to do is lower your body fat in general. to uncover the muscle.

[Alex Good]

Get the surgery Dr. House had.