Shape Up Those Chicken Legs!

“I have really skinny ‘chicken legs’ and want to have strong, shapely legs. What can I do to achieve this?”

(Carrie) Remember my comment in our last post about being blessed with just ass-crack? Mmhmm. Well, guess what else I was blessed with? Welcome to the “Legs O’ Chicken Club”! My advice for this issue is pretty much the same as tightening that tush—lots of variations of squats and lunges. Don’t be afraid to use a little heavier weight and push out all 8 to 12 reps. Just make sure your technique is top-notch, because using heavier weight with poor technique will wreck your knees…and then you’re looking at even skinnier chicken legs, because you won’t be able to work them if your knees are screwed up. Bagawk!

I also have to plug yoga again here. I lifted weights for years and was able to sculpt a decent figure. But it wasn’t until I added yoga to my regime that I became really defined—including my poultry muscle fibers. Just due to the nature of yoga, it targets fibers you may not be as likely to hit with traditional weight training.

Ryan…what are your thoughts? And don’t tell me you’re now craving chicken…

(Ryan) Mmmm…chicken… I, too, was given legs that were more fowl than ferocious. Unfortunately genetics oftentimes trumps desire. Essentially, some people have the uncanny ability to look at heavy weights and gain muscle, while others—like me—have to work harder at it. It’s all good. I’m sure I come out ahead in other areas. Anyhow, Carrie’s right. Lots of squats and lunges activate leg muscles. Heavier weights are recommended for building muscle, but like Carrie says, don’t go from bodyweight to 60-pounders overnight or injury is sure to follow.

Contrary to popular belief, you can build strong legs with lighter weights, too. This is where a bit of self-awareness comes into play. Instead of shooting for a particular number of sets and reps, aim for muscle fatigue and burnout. Burnout is an indicator that human growth hormone, a major building block of muscle, will be released. Here’s a great trick to make that happen: Go for two rounds of about four or five exercises: walking lunge, step back lunges, slow-paced squats, moderate-paced squats. Then, on the third round, turn the exercises into holds or pulses to burnout, or, fry those chicken legs! The final part of the equation is to eat…lots. But make sure you’re loading up on lean proteins (like chicken), vegetables and plenty of water, instead of hitting up the local KFC. Muscles need fuel to grow, and they prefer whole foods that are all natural.

(Carrie) Well, aren’t you the big—um, rooster—of the hen house! Haha! Yes, a non-stop variety of squats and lunges (don’t forget those pulses!) is a great way to really fry those little chicken legs. And you don’t need a lot of weight in that case—in fact, you’ll be thankful you don’t by the end of the series. While we’re on the chicken theme, go ahead and add a little Chicken Dance to your routine. Don’t forget to shake your tail feathers on the way down into that squat!

The Story of the Saggy Bottom

"As I get older, I feel like my butt is starting to sag. What exercises can I do to help lift it back to where it belongs?"

(Ryan) Ahhh, gravity. Why must you always be working against us, constantly pulling at us causing all those items that were once high and tight to fall down below? I suppose the alternative is to be flung out into space. Perhaps a saggy butt ain’t so bad after all. In seriousness, part of the reason our rears start to sag is because most people spend a lot of time sitting on the offending muscles. You’d probably be down in the dumps too if you were sat on all day. But sitting for extended periods throughout the day causes your butt muscles to elongate and become inactive. It gives new meaning to the phrase “lazy butt.” Fear not, though. While gravity will eventually win out in the end (pun intended), there are some things you can do to delay the inevitable. What needs to happen is for those sleeping buns to wake up. Some of my favorite exercises to make this happen can be done in the comfort of your own home (or office) using only your bodyweight. The first is what is known as a butt bridge. Lie on your back with knees bent and heels about 8 inches from the rear. Push the heels into the ground as your hips rise. Hold at the top for several seconds and release. Repeat until those buns start burning! For an even greater challenge, place the heels on a stability ball or other similar tool. Other moves to get that butt in gear are squats and lunges. And each can be done a million different ways to help overcome boredom. It’s also helpful to get up and move during your day. Simply standing up and squeezing your cheeks together will give those glutes a boost.

Anything you’d like to add, Carrie?

(Carrie) Yep, bridging, lunging, and squatting are great butt boosters, and for these reasons, so is yoga (and hence the term, “yoga butt”). Of course, yoga has many other benefits, too, and if you begin doing yoga for its backside benefits, you will soon learn it is multi-faceted and your entire being will benefit from it. Keep it up, and when you get to the point of gravity’s no return, you will at least be more calm and accepting of your keister’s southward-heading fate.

Another one of my favorite exercises for a tight tush is “The Rocking Horse”. Stand tall, keeping your abs contracted throughout the movement. Lift your left knee up as high as you can, leaning back slightly. Then lean forward as you lift your right leg out behind you. Focus on continuing to pull the abs up, and contract the glutes on the right side as you lift that leg up. Continue to raise left knee and then right leg for a count of 12 (knee then leg being one complete rep). Repeat on other side. For a greater challenge, hold the rear leg up on the last rep for a few seconds, then pulse it—doing smaller, quicker repetitions. Hold it after about 12 pulses. You can repeat another set of pulsing if you’re able to, or switch to the other side. 

One final word: Ladies, love your butts! If you think you have too much of one, chances are, the man (or potential man) in your life doesn’t think so (and you can shrink it some with cardio to burn the extra fat, tighten it with strength training). If you have too little…you can build it! Trust me, I know this firsthand. Genetically, I was given just ass crack. But with all the exercises Ryan and I have mentioned, I’ve been able to build nice, little, tight buns that actually fill my jeans out and look pretty good in Spandex. J

What's Best for Burning Fat? Low- or High-intensity Exercise?

"I'm keeping my heart rate in the lower 'fat-burning zone' inscribed on my gym's treadmill, but a friend told me I should be doing higher-intensity exercise. Help!"

(Carrie) Ah, yes, the old fat-burning question. I remember the days of teaching low-intensity long-duration (LILD) aerobics classes, dragging the cardio portion out to make sure enough time was devoted to fat-burning. Let me answer this first in a nutshell: it doesn’t matter whether you’re doing low intensity exercise or high, you’re burning fat either way; and not just fat, but carbs, as well. It’s true that with low intensity work, you burn a higher percentage of fat calories. But with higher intensity work, you burn more calories overall, and therefore, more fat when given the same amount of time. What this means to you is that you have a choice: spend more time working out at lower intensities to get your desired results…or sweat it out a bit more, cut your workout time in half, and still get the results you want—and then some. Ryan, which would you choose?

(Ryan) Low-intensity, long-duration aerobics classes? Sounds like torture! Anyhow, Carrie’s right. Not to get too scientific, but up until recently, researchers looked only at fat and calories burned during a workout. So, logically, longer workouts were recommended. However, all that’s changing. We now know that certain types of workouts—higher-intensity, short-duration—can cause you to burn calories and fat for days after the workout, nutrition choices considered of course. At the end of the day, or two, the more intense workouts outperform the low-intensity ones. So, like Carrie says, it comes down to personal choice. Like it long and slow? Go for it. Prefer a quickie? I won’t stop you. Hell, you might even alternate the two for a more well-rounded fitness program.

(Carrie) What, Ryan? You don’t remember LILD classes? Or was that a dig at my age? Hmmm…? In any event (correct me if I’m wrong, Ryan), I believe what Ryan’s referring to is after-burn—the increase in your metabolism for several hours to several days following a high-intensity workout. And I agree. Including both types of exercise in your regime is probably safer to avoid over-use injuries—or injuries in general.

Super Hero or Super Impossible?

“The recent spate of superhero movies has inspired me to hit the gym. What does it take to get beefed up like Captain America?”

(Ryan) Until they actually invent some fancy machine and super serum it’s not likely that the average individual can bulk up to Captain America proportions—well, at least not without a significant amount of work. Before we get into the nitty gritty of building a brick house body, perhaps you’d be interested in insights from the superheroes themselves. First, the almighty Thor, aka Chris Helmsworth speaks about how he put on 20 pounds of muscle: “It was purely eating, eating, eating, working out and working out, trying to sleep as much as you can — that's the other third of the equation. The eating was the biggest thing; chicken breasts and protein shakes, boiled chicken . . . clean meats, the right carbs. Sickly stuff." Sounds like quite the commitment.

And what about the workout? "We did two hours a day, and it was brutal. I usually like working out,” says Captain America’s Chris Evans. "This was different. I'd walk out and I'd be like, 'I need to vomit. I hate this trainer. I hate this movie. I want to go to sleep for a week.' It was just relentless.” Sound fun? How about manageable? I’m guessing a “no” to both.

These actors get paid multiple millions of dollars to get camera ready. Talk about extrinsic motivation! But the hard truth is that these programs are nearly impossible to maintain. You don’t get a social life; you don’t get to enjoy beer; and you certainly don’t get a cheat meal.

However, there are some tips that you can take from Evans and Helmsworth. First: eat, and eat a lot. But be sure that the foods you consume are clean and nutrient dense, and include healthy fats in your diet such as those that come from avocado or almonds. Second: sleep at least 7 hours per day, and be to bed before 10PM. Experts believe that muscle growth begins around 10PM each night. Third: lift heavy weights. But don’t necessarily aim for repetitions. Attempt to repeatedly hit muscle fatigue using compound movements. 

(Carrie) Before I jump into the science, let me just throw out a little female perspective here. Yes, we women like to look at hard, chiseled bodies…and may even occasionally drool over one (hey, a little eye candy never hurt anyone). However, one thing that really doesn’t turn us on is vanity, and the body-builder-type guys I know spend a lot of time looking in the mirror. They also spend a lot of time working out, sometimes missing out on quality time with family and friends to cuddle up with the iron. Then there’s the dieting, the tanning, the pouring over body-building magazines… And I won’t even mention the gas that often comes with eating all that protein. Okay, maybe I just did. But really, if this lifestyle sounds like it’s worth it to you, then I say go for it. Like I said before about eye candy… 

Regarding the science of getting big, take Ryan’s advice. You’ll also get your healthy fats from fish, such as tuna and salmon, which also happen to be good sources of protein. And yes, sleep! Your body produces more melatonin, necessary for sleep, when it’s dark, so make your bedroom as dark as possible: shut off the TV and computer, close the shades, and turn your digital clock away from you. White noise, such as a fan running, can also promote better sleep. And in case you’re wondering, compound exercises are multi-joint movements that work several muscles at once, such as squats and push-ups. 

Big Boobs or Banish the Belly?

Q: “I’ve recently gained about five pounds, all of which seems to have landed in my gut and my boobs. How can I lose the weight in my gut without losing my boobs?!”

A: (Carrie) Ha! Welcome to womanhood! This seems to be one of those age-old conundrums that many women struggle with, myself included. Pretty much the only way to keep your “girls” as is, is to visit the plastic surgeon, then lose the weight. Just remember…strengthening your pecs (chest muscles) will not give you bigger boobs, and doing sit-ups will not burn fat around your middle. Breast tissue is made up of fat and glands, not muscle. However, you can give the girls a little lift by strengthening the chest muscles, especially the upper pecs (trust me on this one…I’ve got like five years total of breastfeeding on my ladies…they should be hanging to my knees…). As for burning that fat off, your body will decide what goes, usually according to a “last hired, first fired” sort of arrangement. So if these five pounds mostly went to your gut and bust, that’s where you’re likely to lose them first. Cardio and strength training (and of course, making healthy food choices) will help you lose the fat, but keep and build sexy muscle. After all, a strong, confident body and attitude are sexier than a voluptuous bust size alone. Right, Ryan?

A: (Ryan) The first question that comes to mind is, what’s more important, bountiful breasts or a barely-there belly? Unfortunately, as Carrie says, it may not be possible to have both. A lot of where your body stores fat has to do with genetics which is why some top-heavy women can get away with having a teeny tummy. But there are ways to get that instant lift and tuck without restrictive diets, hardcore workouts or surgical enhancements. The simplest method for keeping the ladies perky while shrinking the belly is to improve your posture. First, exercises that strengthen and tighten mid- to upper-back muscles—such as pulling movements like rows--will help pull the shoulders back and down. This will cause your chest to rise a bit, giving the impression of bigger breasts. When it comes to that spillage around the middle, a simple technique called pelvic tucking can give the impression of a tighter tummy. Simply draw in, or “brace” the abdominal wall while gently squeezing the butt muscles and watch your belly shrink. Beyond that, take Carrie’s advice for lasting improvements.

Welcome!

Okay, this is really just a test post as Ryan and I get this thing up and running, but while you're here...we're looking for your health and fitness questions, so feel free to hit us up at shesfit.hesfit@gmail.com and let us know what's on your mind!