How to Get Skinny Legs Quick

Walk 5-10 minutes to warm your muscles., Jog for 15 minutes., Kick your legs up to your butt., Run and lift your knees up to waist height., Walk for about 5-7 minutes to slow your heart rate. , Go biking or cycling., Do leg rolls., Do squats...

24 Steps 12 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Walk 5-10 minutes to warm your muscles.

    Once you have warmed up a little bit by walking, you might want to transition to jogging.

    This may also be substituted by 10-15 minutes of skipping a jump rope. , These are called butt kicks or kick backs .

    Do at least 50 times per leg.

    It may seem a lot but it's not as much as you think! , This is called high-knee marching.

    Do two or three laps around a tennis court, running track, or around the block in your neighborhood.,, Cycling around is a great way to burn fat and substitute it with muscle mass.

    By some estimates, if you weigh 130 lb (59 kg), you can burn anywhere from 325 to 550 calories per hour, depending on your speed.This makes cycling a great way to lose weight.

    There are several ways to use a bike to get skinnier legs:
    Biking around casually.

    Bike to the grocery store instead of driving.

    Bike to work instead of taking public transportation.

    If you bike casually, going about 11 mph (17.6 km/h), you can burn 275-450 calories per hour, depending on your weight.Use a stationary bike at home or at the gym.

    Because this is a lighter exercise, expect to burn anywhere from 250-450 calories per hour, depending on your weight.Do a spinning class.

    Spinning classes are butt-kicking but definitely worth it.

    The advantage here is that you burn a lot of calories: a 145 lb (65.8 kg) person might expect to burn about 750-1000 calories per hour of very vigorous spinning.

    On the other hand, spinning can be quite monotonous and you'll have to push yourself for maximum results. , Leg rolls are easy, effective, and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

    These are not as effective as high calorie-burning exercise like spinning, but it's much better than nothing.

    Lie on your right side and place your left arm on the floor in front of you for support and balance.

    With your left leg, raise it to your hip level.

    Pretend your leg is in a barrel and with your toes, lead the rest of your leg to trace the inside of the barrel.

    Your leg will go up, down, and around in circles.

    Do 50-100 circles, switch legs, and do the same number on the other side. , Squats are very versatile.

    You can do a bunch of different kinds of squats, all with the same basic principle, and get different results.

    With squats, proper technique is important.

    Do standard squats:
    With your legs shoulder-width apart, slowly bring your butt down, bending your knees and keeping your arms outstretched in front of you.

    Arch your back slightly but keep your torso erect.

    Bring your butt down as far as you can, keeping the tension on the leg muscles.

    Make sure that your knees are aligned with your feet.

    Never let your knees go past your toes.

    Exhale deeply and use your legs and hips, not your back, to lift out of the squat.

    Do three sets of 20 repetitions each.

    Do split squats with a dumbbell or other weight:
    Using both hands, hold out a weight.

    Standing in front of a bench, lift your right leg back so that it is resting comfortably on the bench.

    Your supported leg should form a 90° angle.

    Bend into a squat by lowering the left leg, so that the right knee almost hits the floor.

    Explode upward.

    Do this 8 times, 3-4 sets each.

    Repeat using opposite leg.

    Do jump squats Go all the way down into a standard squat.

    Instead of returning to starting position, jump into the air as high as possible, landing with both feet on the ground.

    Repeat carefully, 15 times, 3-4 sets each.

    These squats can be more strenuous on the knees. , There's a host of great exercises that you can do to help burn fat and build muscle.

    These exercises should be done two or three times a week for the best results.

    Here are just a few of them:
    Lunges.

    With a 5 or 8-lb (2 or 4 kg) dumbbell in each hand, lunge forward with one leg and bring the opposite knee about an inch above the ground.

    Step back and continue with the opposite leg.

    Do eight to twelve repetitions on each leg.

    Inner-thigh press.

    Lay down on a mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the ground.

    Put a medium rubber ball (or a knotted beach towel) between your legs and squeeze for 30 seconds.

    Let go and repeat two to five times.

    Hip extensions.

    Kneel on a mat with your elbows bent down on the floor.

    Lift your leg up and extend it fully behind your body.

    Bend your lifted leg and draw it in so that it lightly taps the back of your right knee.

    Extend the left leg out again.

    Repeat with other leg 10 to 20 times. , Do some laps using the freestyle motion.

    Learn how to do a flip turn so that you won't have to stop when you get to the end of the lap.

    Swimming is an excellent way to burn calories and build up leg muscle, as well as a great cardiovascular exercise.

    Burn about 440-480 calories doing a moderate freestyle workout for an hour.Different strokes for different folks.

    Different strokes burn different amounts of calories.

    For most people, butterfly stroke burns the most calories, while backstroke burns the least.Keep in mind that the number of calories you burn in an hour will depend on your age, muscle tone, fitness level, weight, intensity of the workout, and other factors. , The elliptical is that funny looking, stationary machine that you can run or jog on; it has arm supports that move when you walk/jog.

    A 140 lb (64 kg) individual doing a moderate intensity workout on the elliptical trainer can expect to burn roughly 300 to 600 calories in an hour.

    If your goal is to slim down by losing fat in your legs instead of building muscle, then aim to keep your heart rate high while you're on the elliptical.

    You can also try interval training. , Zumba is dance fitness program created by a Colombian dancer and choreographer.

    The average 140 lb (64 kg) individual can expect to burn about 450 calories after an hour-long Zumba workout.A dancer can expect to probably burn a little less than that, depending on the workout intensity — about
    275. , The gym is a good opportunity to band together with other like-minded, similarly-motivated people who are looking to have fun and burn weight.

    In order of most calories burned, the following sports are good for exercise:
    Playing full-court basketball can burn up to 700 calories in an hour for a 140 lb/64 kg person, provided that they are moving the entire game.

    Playing competitive soccer may be able to burn up to 650 calories in an hour if you are running and actively participating for the entire game.

    Rollerskating can burn roughly 525 calories an hour while ice-hockey can burn around
    450., It may sound boring, but the treadmill can be effective if that's the only exercise you choose to do.

    Walking on the treadmill at 4 mph (6.6 km/h), for a 140 lb (64 kg) individual, will burn about 175 calories.Running on a treadmill at 6 mph (10 km/h), for a 140 lb (64 kg) individual, will burn about 540 calories., To lose weight, you will need to burn more calories than you eat each day.

    To lose one pound of weight, you must burn 3,500 more calories than you take in as food.

    To make sure you that you are doing this, keep track of the calories that you eat as well as how much you exercise.

    You can use a diary or an online fitness tracker.

    It is safe and realistic to lose one pound a week.

    Break this up into daily goals.

    For example, you might decide to cut 500 calories a day or set daily cardio goals to burn more calories. , Protein is vital for building and maintaining muscle mass.

    Sources of lean protein include fish, chicken, tofu, and turkey.

    Stay away from simple carbohydrates found in processed or refined products.These include:
    Candy Sugary, carbonated beverages, such as colas Syrups Sugars Complex carbohydrates are acceptable to eat, although they should at most make up 60% of your total caloric intake.Complex carbs include:
    Legumes Starchy vegetables Whole-grain breads and cereals , Fruits and veggies provide you with dietary fiber, which can help reduce the amount of fat that your body stores.

    They also contain essential vitamins and minerals, and give your body a break from an otherwise monotonous diet. , Many doctors recommend that males get 10-12 cups of water per day, which works out to
    2.5–2.9 liters (0.7–0.8 US gal), while females are recommended to drink 8-10 cups per day, about
    2.0–2.4 liters (0.5–0.6 US gal).Water will help your immune system stay healthy, keep your skin looking great, and give you more lasting energy to do the things you need to do during the day.

    You probably already know this, but sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks aren't the way to go if you want to shed pounds off of your legs.

    Sugars, as mentioned above, are simple carbohydrates, an excess of which will lead to more calories.

    Reach for a glass of water instead! You'll see the difference. (Unsweetened) green tea is another good substitute for sugary drinks.

    Green tea contains a good amount of antioxidants, meaning that it helps your body fight against free radicals, which enhance signs of aging in humans.If you are trying to eat less, drink of cup of green tea before a meal.

    You'll notice that you feel more full and won't need to eat as much. , Common sense tells us that if we want to lose flab, we better cut out fats.

    Right? Not always.

    Getting the right kinds of fats into your diet gives us energy and helps us absorb vitamins, while getting the wrong kinds of fats will make it harder for us to shed those extra pounds.

    Eat healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

    Omega-3 is needed to regulate clotting, build up cell membranes and support cell health.

    Food high in omega-3 fatty acids include:
    Fish, notably salmon Nuts and seeds, notably flaxseed Leafy greens, notably kale and spinach Avoid saturated fats such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatback.Avoid trans fats, which are found in vegetable shortenings, margarine, cookies, snack foods and other foods containing or fried in partially hydrogenated oils., Make the most of your day by eating often, but little.

    Try eating five meals a day, with a couple meals being small snacks (sauteed vegetables or nuts make a great snack) in between.

    Try eating more in the morning than at night.

    Ever heard the phrase "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?" That's because your metabolism starts slowing down during the nighttime as it prepares for bedtime, making late meals prime candidates for being stored as fat instead of burned as calories.Drinking water before meals can result in consuming less calories at those meals, which can ultimately lead to weight loss.

    Water makes you feel fuller, so you do not need to eat as much food to reach the point of satiety. , The body converts fat into energy when it's exercising or low on food.

    Unfortunately, the body converts fat from wherever it wants, and not always where you want it to.

    It highly depends on your body type.

    Some people are bottom heavy, whereas other people can be top heavy.

    Spot-training, or working one area of your body at a time, may help tone your legs but it will not slim them down.

    You will need to reduce your overall body weight. , A lot of people who want to lose weight make this mistake.

    Their reasoning is that calories get stored as fat when the body doesn't use them; calories come from food; if they starve themselves, they'll get fewer calories; if they get fewer calories, there will be less fat to store.

    This is a misconception.

    What happens when a person starves him/herself? The body realizes it is getting less food, your metabolism slows down to save energy, and you start consuming lean tissue instead of fat reserves because the body wants to prepare itself for a while without food.

    If you do manage to lose weight by starving yourself (you did it the hard, painful way!) your body will gain all the fat back as soon as you begin eating again, and you should eat again.

    Why is this? Because your metabolism is still hibernating, and it needs to be kick started.

    How do you kickstart it? By eating the right types of foods in the first place. , It can take three or four months before you start noticing results.

    Many people with really good intentions and strong discipline quit just before they start to see results.

    They work like crazy for a month, don't see any results, and throw their hands up in the air in despair.

    Keep at it! , Most people who want skinny legs would like to be a bit skinnier all over.

    But some people who want skinny legs are perfectly skinny in their abs and arms — just not in their legs.

    Exercise your full body, not just your legs.

    If your legs are abnormally muscled, that's a sign that you're working them a little too hard at the expense of the other muscles in your body.

    Genetics can affect the size of your legs.

    Some people might store more fat in their legs than others.

    You can still be fit and have great legs even if they are not as slender as you might want them to be.

    Accept who you are and embrace it.
  2. Step 2: Jog for 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3: Kick your legs up to your butt.

  4. Step 4: Run and lift your knees up to waist height.

  5. Step 5: Walk for about 5-7 minutes to slow your heart rate.

  6. Step 6: Go biking or cycling.

  7. Step 7: Do leg rolls.

  8. Step 8: Do squats.

  9. Step 9: Target your legs with other exercises.

  10. Step 10: Swim for a great full-body workout.

  11. Step 11: Use the elliptical.

  12. Step 12: Take a dance or Zumba class.

  13. Step 13: Join an organized/intramural sport.

  14. Step 14: Run or walk on the treadmill.

  15. Step 15: Track your calorie intake.

  16. Step 16: Eat more protein instead of carbohydrates.

  17. Step 17: Add daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

  18. Step 18: Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

  19. Step 19: Get the right kinds of fats into your diet.

  20. Step 20: Eat small portions.

  21. Step 21: Don't expect to lose the weight from just your legs.

  22. Step 22: Don't starve yourself.

  23. Step 23: Do not give up.

  24. Step 24: Use your legs less if you are skinny but your legs are muscled.

Detailed Guide

Once you have warmed up a little bit by walking, you might want to transition to jogging.

This may also be substituted by 10-15 minutes of skipping a jump rope. , These are called butt kicks or kick backs .

Do at least 50 times per leg.

It may seem a lot but it's not as much as you think! , This is called high-knee marching.

Do two or three laps around a tennis court, running track, or around the block in your neighborhood.,, Cycling around is a great way to burn fat and substitute it with muscle mass.

By some estimates, if you weigh 130 lb (59 kg), you can burn anywhere from 325 to 550 calories per hour, depending on your speed.This makes cycling a great way to lose weight.

There are several ways to use a bike to get skinnier legs:
Biking around casually.

Bike to the grocery store instead of driving.

Bike to work instead of taking public transportation.

If you bike casually, going about 11 mph (17.6 km/h), you can burn 275-450 calories per hour, depending on your weight.Use a stationary bike at home or at the gym.

Because this is a lighter exercise, expect to burn anywhere from 250-450 calories per hour, depending on your weight.Do a spinning class.

Spinning classes are butt-kicking but definitely worth it.

The advantage here is that you burn a lot of calories: a 145 lb (65.8 kg) person might expect to burn about 750-1000 calories per hour of very vigorous spinning.

On the other hand, spinning can be quite monotonous and you'll have to push yourself for maximum results. , Leg rolls are easy, effective, and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

These are not as effective as high calorie-burning exercise like spinning, but it's much better than nothing.

Lie on your right side and place your left arm on the floor in front of you for support and balance.

With your left leg, raise it to your hip level.

Pretend your leg is in a barrel and with your toes, lead the rest of your leg to trace the inside of the barrel.

Your leg will go up, down, and around in circles.

Do 50-100 circles, switch legs, and do the same number on the other side. , Squats are very versatile.

You can do a bunch of different kinds of squats, all with the same basic principle, and get different results.

With squats, proper technique is important.

Do standard squats:
With your legs shoulder-width apart, slowly bring your butt down, bending your knees and keeping your arms outstretched in front of you.

Arch your back slightly but keep your torso erect.

Bring your butt down as far as you can, keeping the tension on the leg muscles.

Make sure that your knees are aligned with your feet.

Never let your knees go past your toes.

Exhale deeply and use your legs and hips, not your back, to lift out of the squat.

Do three sets of 20 repetitions each.

Do split squats with a dumbbell or other weight:
Using both hands, hold out a weight.

Standing in front of a bench, lift your right leg back so that it is resting comfortably on the bench.

Your supported leg should form a 90° angle.

Bend into a squat by lowering the left leg, so that the right knee almost hits the floor.

Explode upward.

Do this 8 times, 3-4 sets each.

Repeat using opposite leg.

Do jump squats Go all the way down into a standard squat.

Instead of returning to starting position, jump into the air as high as possible, landing with both feet on the ground.

Repeat carefully, 15 times, 3-4 sets each.

These squats can be more strenuous on the knees. , There's a host of great exercises that you can do to help burn fat and build muscle.

These exercises should be done two or three times a week for the best results.

Here are just a few of them:
Lunges.

With a 5 or 8-lb (2 or 4 kg) dumbbell in each hand, lunge forward with one leg and bring the opposite knee about an inch above the ground.

Step back and continue with the opposite leg.

Do eight to twelve repetitions on each leg.

Inner-thigh press.

Lay down on a mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the ground.

Put a medium rubber ball (or a knotted beach towel) between your legs and squeeze for 30 seconds.

Let go and repeat two to five times.

Hip extensions.

Kneel on a mat with your elbows bent down on the floor.

Lift your leg up and extend it fully behind your body.

Bend your lifted leg and draw it in so that it lightly taps the back of your right knee.

Extend the left leg out again.

Repeat with other leg 10 to 20 times. , Do some laps using the freestyle motion.

Learn how to do a flip turn so that you won't have to stop when you get to the end of the lap.

Swimming is an excellent way to burn calories and build up leg muscle, as well as a great cardiovascular exercise.

Burn about 440-480 calories doing a moderate freestyle workout for an hour.Different strokes for different folks.

Different strokes burn different amounts of calories.

For most people, butterfly stroke burns the most calories, while backstroke burns the least.Keep in mind that the number of calories you burn in an hour will depend on your age, muscle tone, fitness level, weight, intensity of the workout, and other factors. , The elliptical is that funny looking, stationary machine that you can run or jog on; it has arm supports that move when you walk/jog.

A 140 lb (64 kg) individual doing a moderate intensity workout on the elliptical trainer can expect to burn roughly 300 to 600 calories in an hour.

If your goal is to slim down by losing fat in your legs instead of building muscle, then aim to keep your heart rate high while you're on the elliptical.

You can also try interval training. , Zumba is dance fitness program created by a Colombian dancer and choreographer.

The average 140 lb (64 kg) individual can expect to burn about 450 calories after an hour-long Zumba workout.A dancer can expect to probably burn a little less than that, depending on the workout intensity — about
275. , The gym is a good opportunity to band together with other like-minded, similarly-motivated people who are looking to have fun and burn weight.

In order of most calories burned, the following sports are good for exercise:
Playing full-court basketball can burn up to 700 calories in an hour for a 140 lb/64 kg person, provided that they are moving the entire game.

Playing competitive soccer may be able to burn up to 650 calories in an hour if you are running and actively participating for the entire game.

Rollerskating can burn roughly 525 calories an hour while ice-hockey can burn around
450., It may sound boring, but the treadmill can be effective if that's the only exercise you choose to do.

Walking on the treadmill at 4 mph (6.6 km/h), for a 140 lb (64 kg) individual, will burn about 175 calories.Running on a treadmill at 6 mph (10 km/h), for a 140 lb (64 kg) individual, will burn about 540 calories., To lose weight, you will need to burn more calories than you eat each day.

To lose one pound of weight, you must burn 3,500 more calories than you take in as food.

To make sure you that you are doing this, keep track of the calories that you eat as well as how much you exercise.

You can use a diary or an online fitness tracker.

It is safe and realistic to lose one pound a week.

Break this up into daily goals.

For example, you might decide to cut 500 calories a day or set daily cardio goals to burn more calories. , Protein is vital for building and maintaining muscle mass.

Sources of lean protein include fish, chicken, tofu, and turkey.

Stay away from simple carbohydrates found in processed or refined products.These include:
Candy Sugary, carbonated beverages, such as colas Syrups Sugars Complex carbohydrates are acceptable to eat, although they should at most make up 60% of your total caloric intake.Complex carbs include:
Legumes Starchy vegetables Whole-grain breads and cereals , Fruits and veggies provide you with dietary fiber, which can help reduce the amount of fat that your body stores.

They also contain essential vitamins and minerals, and give your body a break from an otherwise monotonous diet. , Many doctors recommend that males get 10-12 cups of water per day, which works out to
2.5–2.9 liters (0.7–0.8 US gal), while females are recommended to drink 8-10 cups per day, about
2.0–2.4 liters (0.5–0.6 US gal).Water will help your immune system stay healthy, keep your skin looking great, and give you more lasting energy to do the things you need to do during the day.

You probably already know this, but sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks aren't the way to go if you want to shed pounds off of your legs.

Sugars, as mentioned above, are simple carbohydrates, an excess of which will lead to more calories.

Reach for a glass of water instead! You'll see the difference. (Unsweetened) green tea is another good substitute for sugary drinks.

Green tea contains a good amount of antioxidants, meaning that it helps your body fight against free radicals, which enhance signs of aging in humans.If you are trying to eat less, drink of cup of green tea before a meal.

You'll notice that you feel more full and won't need to eat as much. , Common sense tells us that if we want to lose flab, we better cut out fats.

Right? Not always.

Getting the right kinds of fats into your diet gives us energy and helps us absorb vitamins, while getting the wrong kinds of fats will make it harder for us to shed those extra pounds.

Eat healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 is needed to regulate clotting, build up cell membranes and support cell health.

Food high in omega-3 fatty acids include:
Fish, notably salmon Nuts and seeds, notably flaxseed Leafy greens, notably kale and spinach Avoid saturated fats such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatback.Avoid trans fats, which are found in vegetable shortenings, margarine, cookies, snack foods and other foods containing or fried in partially hydrogenated oils., Make the most of your day by eating often, but little.

Try eating five meals a day, with a couple meals being small snacks (sauteed vegetables or nuts make a great snack) in between.

Try eating more in the morning than at night.

Ever heard the phrase "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?" That's because your metabolism starts slowing down during the nighttime as it prepares for bedtime, making late meals prime candidates for being stored as fat instead of burned as calories.Drinking water before meals can result in consuming less calories at those meals, which can ultimately lead to weight loss.

Water makes you feel fuller, so you do not need to eat as much food to reach the point of satiety. , The body converts fat into energy when it's exercising or low on food.

Unfortunately, the body converts fat from wherever it wants, and not always where you want it to.

It highly depends on your body type.

Some people are bottom heavy, whereas other people can be top heavy.

Spot-training, or working one area of your body at a time, may help tone your legs but it will not slim them down.

You will need to reduce your overall body weight. , A lot of people who want to lose weight make this mistake.

Their reasoning is that calories get stored as fat when the body doesn't use them; calories come from food; if they starve themselves, they'll get fewer calories; if they get fewer calories, there will be less fat to store.

This is a misconception.

What happens when a person starves him/herself? The body realizes it is getting less food, your metabolism slows down to save energy, and you start consuming lean tissue instead of fat reserves because the body wants to prepare itself for a while without food.

If you do manage to lose weight by starving yourself (you did it the hard, painful way!) your body will gain all the fat back as soon as you begin eating again, and you should eat again.

Why is this? Because your metabolism is still hibernating, and it needs to be kick started.

How do you kickstart it? By eating the right types of foods in the first place. , It can take three or four months before you start noticing results.

Many people with really good intentions and strong discipline quit just before they start to see results.

They work like crazy for a month, don't see any results, and throw their hands up in the air in despair.

Keep at it! , Most people who want skinny legs would like to be a bit skinnier all over.

But some people who want skinny legs are perfectly skinny in their abs and arms — just not in their legs.

Exercise your full body, not just your legs.

If your legs are abnormally muscled, that's a sign that you're working them a little too hard at the expense of the other muscles in your body.

Genetics can affect the size of your legs.

Some people might store more fat in their legs than others.

You can still be fit and have great legs even if they are not as slender as you might want them to be.

Accept who you are and embrace it.

About the Author

G

Gary Harris

Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.

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