Will my legs get bigger before getting smaller? This is a question that confuses a lot of women.
There is no straight answer for this one. Some people do get bigger and then smaller, while other people get bigger and stay bigger. Let me try to explain.
IF YOU ARE AN ENDOMORPH
Most endomorphs already have a lot of muscle, naturally (especially in their legs). They build muscle quickly and find it difficult to lose fat. Endomorphs need to be careful of the exercises they do because they can increase their muscle size very quickly and it’s hard to reverse this.
If you are an endomorph and are experiencing your legs getting bigger from exercise, I would stop the current exercise that you are doing. Focus more on cardio, lighter exercise such as pilates (or the workouts on my blog) and eating at a calorie deficit.
I have covered the main scenarios, but just remember that everyone is different. You may not fit into the exact situations I have described above. Listen to your body and do whatever it is that gives you the results that you are happy with!
IF YOU ARE NEW TO EXERCISE
If you haven’t done any exercise or have just started working out, you will likely have very little muscle. Any type of exercise (even cardio) will build some muscle. So at the start, you might build muscle before reducing your body fat.
In this case, your legs might look bigger at the start, but eventually, your body fat will decrease and your legs will get smaller.
However, if you are still getting bigger after 6 months, you might find yourself in the situation I describe below.
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED AT EXERCISE
If you have been exercising for longer than 3-6 months, I assume that you have already built up some muscle and lost some fat.
If your workouts are making your legs bigger, this is most likely due to increasing muscle size. This will not go away and if you continue to exercise in the same way, your muscle will either stay the same or continue to grow.
Getting bigger can also be related to diet. The more you exercise, the hungrier you get. So you may start eating too much, which will make you gain fat.
You can use my FREE calorie and macros calculator to learn how many calories you should actually eat.
Most people can tell if their weight gain is due to muscle or fat, or both. If your legs feel really firm, then it’s muscle.
- If your increased size is due to muscle only, you won’t get smaller.
- If it’s due to fat only (which is not very likely if you have been exercising for more than 3-6 months), you will get smaller.
- If it’s due to both fat and muscle, you will potentially get a bit smaller when the fat decreases, but only to a certain extent. This is because the muscle has caused you to increase in size and if you continue to exercise in the same way, this won’t go down. So you will reduce the fat, but not the muscle.
HOW TO SLIM DOWN YOUR LEGS
I have written a series of blog post on this topic so I would suggest to read those first. You can find them here :)
If you want to slim down your legs, you can start by changing your diet.
But if you really want to get the best results, I would recommend checking out my Lean Legs Program 1. It is designed to help you get gorgeous lean legs without the bulkiness. It includes an 8-week workout program. :)
There are 3 different versions of the program, one for each of 3 body types.
Each version includes resistance training in a way that works best for that particular body type.
The resistance training has FULL-LENGTH videos that you can follow from warm up to cool down.
To find out more about my Lean Legs Program 1, CLICK HERE!
And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Love Rachael xx
SOURCES:
- Can the Endomorph Diet Help You Lose Weight? – https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/endomorph-diet
- Cardio Exercise – https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/cardio-exercise
- How to build muscle with exercise – https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319151
It’s FREE
33 Responses
I have started doing exercises which you have suggested but after a week my legs are getting bigger instead of smaller and l can feel it in tighs what to do now???
Hi lovely! It’s also important that you follow the right type of workouts and diet for your body type. Incorporating cardio will help, too. Feel free to share more info about your concern so we can give you proper guidance. you can reach us at info@rachaelattard.com :)
I measured my legs 1 week ago when I started to do a slim legs stretching routine that lasts 15 minutes. 15 minutes in the morning and then I repeat before I go to bed. I measured my legs after doing the routine everyday twice a day for a week and I gained 1.5 inches on my thigh. I am really confused because I have been eating normally, (I’m not allowed a calorie deficit). I usually get about 10,000 steps a day. I get these by walking and dancing. However, one day this week I went on a hike that lasted about 20 minutes. I’m not sure how that 20 minutes could have caused me to bulk up so fast. my other measurements are all the same just my legs got bigger (Muscle). Please help.
Hi lovely,
After doing any type of workout, there will be a surge of fluids that will cause your muscle to swell up, making your muscles look larger than usual. But this is only temporary that why we don’t recommend measuring your legs right after working out. :) I hope that helps. xx