{"id":6872,"date":"2017-02-05T05:29:44","date_gmt":"2017-02-05T01:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rachaelattard.com\/?p=6872"},"modified":"2025-10-21T17:02:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T07:02:52","slug":"how-to-slim-down-muscular-thighs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rachaelattard.com\/how-to-slim-down-muscular-thighs\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Slim Down Muscular Thighs – Get Toned Legs Without Bulk"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If I have to pick the most popular question I get asked on my weekly Instagram Q&A<\/a>, it would definitely be either \u201chow to slim muscular thighs\u201d or \u201chow to lose thigh fat and get smaller thighs\u201d.<\/p>\n

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And I understand why these are such popular questions.<\/p>\n

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I also used to struggle with finding the answer to this myself. I spent years figuring out how to lose fat from my legs, without gaining too much muscle in the process.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll explain why slimming down legs can be tough for women and show how to slim down muscular thighs effectively.<\/p>\n

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WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR WOMEN TO GET SMALLER THIGHS?<\/h2>\n

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There are 2 main reasons why it can be quite hard for women to get smaller thighs.<\/p>\n

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1. WOMEN ARE OFTEN PRESSURED TO LIFT HEAVY AND DO LOWER BODY WORKOUTS THAT BULK THEM UP<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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I\u2019ve seen this a million times with my clients and I\u2019ve experienced this firsthand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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When I was in my 20s (I\u2019m 35 y\/o now), I wanted to get into shape. For me, being in shape meant getting stronger but also improving the way I looked. Like most women, I wanted to look lean and toned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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My fitness trainer from back then told me I should start lifting weights and focus on lower-body workouts. (Mistake #1) Cardio was out of the question. (Mistake #2)<\/p>\n

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I was young and didn\u2019t know much about fitness so I did it. In the beginning, I loved it. I started noticing results fast and I was really happy about my progress. I was getting stronger, I had abs for the first time in my life and I felt good.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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But then things started to change for the worse.<\/p>\n

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My legs were starting to get bigger and more muscly. I could feel my quads being worked from all those squats and heavy weights. I could see my jeans getting tighter and tighter. And I did not like it.<\/p>\n

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I asked my trainer about it and he tried to reassure me, \u201cYou look great, <\/em>your legs will get bigger before they get smaller<\/em><\/a>\u201d.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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THE OLD “WOMEN CAN NOT GET BULKY” MYTH<\/h4>\n

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I kept trying to tell him I was not happy with the way I looked but he kept pushing. And every other trainer in the industry, male and female was telling me the same thing, \u201cYour legs are not bulking up, women cannot bulk up,…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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But I knew I wasn\u2019t crazy, I could see myself getting bigger and too muscular for my own liking. I knew that the heavy weight lifting I was doing for my lower body was making me bigger and more muscular.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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After a couple of months, I’d finally had enough. I stopped training with my trainer and enrolled at the Australian Institute of Fitness<\/a> and became a fully qualified personal and group trainer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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I now have more than 10 years of experience as a personal trainer and during this time I\u2019ve helped tens of thousands of women get the results they want – lean and toned legs without muscle bulk.<\/p>\n

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And if you want to get the same results, keep on reading. :)<\/p>\n

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BEFORE AND AFTER PIC OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBER<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGET THIS PROGRAM<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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RELATED POST: THE FEMALE GUIDE ON HOW TO GET LEAN AND NOT BULKY<\/a><\/p>\n

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2. WOMEN NATURALLY TEND TO STORE MORE FAT IN THEIR HIPS AND THIGHS<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The second reason why women have a hard time losing leg fat and getting slim legs is physiological and sex-based.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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We women tend to have a higher fat percentage than men and we store most of our body fat in our hips and thighs<\/a>. This is largely because of the female sex hormone (estrogen).\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Scientists and doctors believe that women tend to store more fat in this area in order to reserve energy storage during breastfeeding. So it\u2019s not strange that women drop pregnancy weight during breastfeeding quicker during this time. I experienced the same thing when I had my daughter.<\/p>\n

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Now that you know the main reasons why it can be hard for women to get smaller thighs. So let\u2019s talk about the things you should and shouldn’t do if you want to slim down muscular thighs and lose leg fat.<\/p>\n

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RELATED POST: THE BIGGEST MISTAKES WOMEN ARE MAKING WHEN TRYING TO GET LEAN LEGS\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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CAN YOU GO FROM MUSCULAR THIGHS TO SLIM THIGHS? SHOULD YOU DO IT?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

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Yes, going from muscular thighs to slim thighs is 100% possible.<\/strong> If you adjust your workout routine and diet and stay consistent, you will be able to slim muscular thighs.<\/p>\n

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When it comes to, \u201cshould you do it<\/em>\u201d, the answer mainly depends on your personal goals and preferences.<\/p>\n

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I know most people, men especially, go to the gym to build a significant amount of muscle.<\/p>\n

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But many women actually find they get overly muscular when they lift heavy weights and do lots of squats and lunges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Some girls have even told me that their legs get bigger in size with exercises such as running, barre, yoga and other exercises that you wouldn\u2019t expect to bulk up your thighs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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So, my first tip would be to track your body\u2019s response to different exercises as it is very individual. If you see that a certain type of exercise is growing your muscles, then you should stop doing it if you don\u2019t want to bulk your thighs.<\/p>\n

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And before we continue, I just want to clear one thing – There\u2019s absolutely nothing wrong with having strong, muscular thighs, if that\u2019s something you want. Everyone has different goals and preferences.<\/p>\n

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Some women prefer to look more slim and toned and that’s OK too. I firmly believe we should not be judged for it or told that that\u2019s not a look to aspire to.<\/p>\n

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So if you are one of these women who, like me, care about being healthy and strong but also about aesthetics, you are in the right place. :)<\/p>\n

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HOW CAN I SLIM MY THIGHS AND TONE THEM UP?<\/h2>\n

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Everyone\u2019s idea of \u201cbulky\u201d and \u201ctoo muscular\u201d is different \u2013 I cannot stress this enough. This is something I believe every personal trainer should be aware of.<\/p>\n

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For some women, having just a little bit of muscle in their thighs might be too much, and for others, it might be too little as their goals are different.<\/p>\n

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For me personally, when I do heavy weights, squats, lunges, and HIIT<\/a> which includes jumping, my legs get too muscular and my thighs get too big for my liking.<\/p>\n

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I don\u2019t have too many examples of photos of me when I\u2019m like this (I didn\u2019t like taking pictures of myself at the time), but here is one so you can get an idea.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Women\u2019s Health and Fitness (@rachael_attard)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n