Toned thighs and bum

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Am 46 and a size 16. I desperately want to tone up my bum and thighs. I hate running with a passion, love swimming and have just invested in a rowing machine (although I have no idea how to use it yet!)

does anyone have any tips/youtube recommendations please?

I'd recommend Caroline Girvan on YouTube, I noticed some good results after doing one of her 15 minute thigh sessions every evening for a month. Pretty simple to do and gets easier the more you do. Other than that, sounds daft but I just dance around to music for 30 mins or so and that is really effective

Do you have any glute exercise bands I do Pamela reif YouTube workouts and Sydney Cummings weight workouts I also go to the gym now but in lockdown my bum and thighs were so toned from doing workouts with no weights

Thank you, I shall look those up!

My friend also told
me that dancing was the best cardio! Great idea!

You need weights as well as cardio. Sydney Cummings is free on YouTube and really good.

I do squats- when I don’t forget- that helps me with leg strength as well as toning.

Thank you. Shall look this up too!

I hate them… but you are right. Needs must…

I don’t think the rowing machine will do anything about your thighs and bum. I actually find that machine quite useless. Same about stationery bikes. Any kind of cardio where you just sit on your bum (even though your legs are moving) are a waste of time. Unfortunately you hate running, which is one of the best cardio workouts ever and can really tone you up. I would also recommend the stairmaster for that purpose.

Rowing is a great full body work out - if you’re rowing properly. Look up some you tube videos on correct rowing technique. I see a lot of people in globo gyms mainly using their arms with very little leg drive. You need to really think about driving through your legs and your arms just follow. It’s also great cardio. Concept 2 have free daily workouts you can sign up to receive and they have short/medium/long sessions.

You do need to do squats and lunges regularly though, in addition to cardio.

The thing about the rowing machine is that your arms are doing the pulling and consequently your legs just follow and keep bending, simply because of the mechanics of the machine. But apart from your arms, no muscle in your body is making a considerable effort. I used to row on that machine and I know it from experience.
You could say that any exercise is better than not moving at all, but not all exercises are created equal. When it comes to toning yourself up from the waist down, rowing is not very effective. Even my PT said it.

That’s not true. Rowing is like a deadlift but sitting down. Your legs drive and your arms should stay loose and relaxed until your legs are fully extended. People who are rowing and predominantly using their arms are doing it wrong. I have been a competitive indoor rower 😬

I would say both rowing and spin classes are incredibly good cardio for leg toning. Combine with barre or Pilates and weights and you’ll definitely see results

Check Daisy Keech on YouTube
You don't need squats (uuurgh) or weights

https://www.youtube.com/@DaisyKeech/videos

I read somewhere (probably on here) that 'toning' muscle isn't a thing - you build muscle, or you don't. Weights or body-weight exercises (squats, sorry) will help with that. But to get the toned look even if you have great muscles you need to lose body fat as well and diet is the quickest way to do that.

You need to do strength exercises to build muscle.

Squats, lunges, glute bridges, deadlifts. Start bodyweight only first so you have got the form correct before you start adding weight.

I run 6 days a week but it wasn't until I started lifting weights that I actually got a bum worth speaking of.