Best exercises for thighs and bum

[DrRiverSong]

I’ve recently started to make much more effort with my exercise. I’m getting min 30mins of high effort in 5 times a week plus increasing my steps. I’m a month in and starting to feel the benefits.

I think I’m ready to start to add to it now and really want to focus on toning up my bum and thighs a bit as they’re almost a size bigger than the rest of me. I’ve started adding some squats and lunges, but is there any thing else that is particularly good?

I have a feeling this will take consistency and time but for the first time ever I feel like I could do it. I just need a little support and advice.

Weights! I do weighed squats, deadlifts, glute bridges and crunches where I lift my legs too and it’s transformed my body!

Fab. Is there anyone you can recommend on YouTube / internet to make sure I’m doing it right and don’t hurt my back etc? I’m good if I can see someone doing something 🤣

Weights are your friend. And the leg press machine if you go to the gym. Although more muscle will mean potentially bigger glutes and thighs. But gym honed ones look brilliant. Losing weight is the only way to make them smaller

What do you mean by toning? If you want to reduce the size of your bum and thighs the the only way to do this is by losing weight overall - exercise does not remove fat in a specific location. If you want to develop your glutes, quads and hamstrings then squats, lunges and deadlifts are the usual exercises, using weights (barbell for the squats and deadlifts and dumbbells for the lunges). Kettlebell exercises are also really good and have the advantage of helping your cardiovascular fitness as well as your strength and muscular development. Kettlebells also take up less space so easier to do at home.

I guess I just want it less wobbly? At 42 I’m willing to accept my shape might change and it’s harder to keep weight off. I’m half a stone heavier than I have been historically, which isn’t much I suppose, but has been noticeable. I’m not adding any more weight (I’ve improved diet, reduced my drinking etc) and just want to look fitter I suppose if I’m honest.

Weight training is the best way to change shape and look fit. Can you go to the gym? If you can, I’d get a couple of sessions at least with a PT to show you the basics. Just a few exercises, but increasing weights week in week is the way to go

Yoga! Goddess squat. Half moon. High lunge. Warrior III. The slower and more controlled the better to feel the burn.

I second adding weight. 3 sets of 5-8 weighted bar bell squats + starting with a warm up set of just the bar (20kg) will eventually give you quads & glutes of steel. Make sure you start with low weights, and each session try to add a bit of weight.

Keep your form good: weight in the heels, core braced, proper depth - thighs past parallel, don't 'sit' in the squat at the bottom, power it up.

Have a look at MegSquats on YouTube. I first heard about her here. She doesn't give you a free programme (although her paid-for programme is excellent and only $US90 per year) but she has a lot of excellent content. (I am not paid to promote her - I just think it's an excellent lifting programme, with really good reference videos).