Toning Legs

We all want to get the toned thin bodies that we see on TV and at the gym. This really isn’t as tough as some people think it is. The first thing to know is that there is a huge difference between “muscle toning” and “muscle building”. These two are NOT the same thing. With toning, you are just trying to lose the excess flab that most of us have, not build huge muscles.

To get your legs toned or any part of your body for that matter, there are two parts to the program. The first part of the program is to get on a diet that will help you to burn fat. You do not have to go on some fancy, far out, point counting, food weighing, crazy diet. All you have to do is eat right. You will want to find a diet that is low in fat and high in protein. Eating this way will help your body use the excess fat for fuel to build muscles. By eating this way you will lose the flab faster and gain solid muscle faster. You can either ask your doctor about a diet for this purpose or look on line and you will find many different variations of this type of diet.

Now that you are eating right, here are some exercise tips to complete your goal of toning your legs.

• Getting the perfect set of toned legs will take some time, learn to just relax your mind and keep your goals fresh in your thoughts. The tip here is to take it slow, if you take your time and combine this with eating right, the results will last. It will also seem like less work if you go slow and steady on a daily basis.

• You will want to mix things up. You will want to vary your exercises so your legs don’t get used to one type of exercise. If you do a lot of long distance cardio work, you will want to mix in some intense quicker style exercise. Go from walking one day to squats and thrusts the next day and then back again. You will get much better results by doing this.

• You should incorporate some weights into your program. There are a lot of people that shy away from weights because they think they will get big and bulky. Just use the weights a couple times per week and it will increase the speed at which you can arrive at your goal.

• Walking briskly will work wonders; you should do this every other day. If you can incorporate a few hills into your walk, it will even be better. Walking will also help you to shape your buttocks.

• Back to eating well. As I said before, toning is more about eating right than it is about exercise. While you are working out and moving toward your goal, you need to eat lots of protein, fruits and vegetables in order for your body to begin burning the fat and building the muscle.

• Drinking water is also very, very important. Drinking at least 8 16oz glasses of water a day will help your body to burn fat also. This will also keep you from being as hungry as you are when you are not drinking water, thus, helping you to use the fat you are trying to get rid of.

• Do slow reps. When you are doing your lunges and squats or other leg exercises you like, you should do them slow and even. This will seem harder, and it is. By doing fewer exercises slowly, you are actually getting more out of your program.

• You will need to stretch. You should stretch before exercise, during and after. This will help your muscles to recover faster and give you more out of your work out.

• Protein is good for you. You need to eat good protein. The good sources are meat, fish, milk, eggs and whey protein. Your muscles need protein to grow and use the flab you are trying to get rid of

• Stay busy. If you stay busy during the day and stay on your feet, you will be exercising your legs even more. The trick here is that it does not seem like exercise so it is kind of a bonus to your plan.

If you follow these simple rules, give yourself some time, and not give up, you will have the legs you are looking for before you know it.