I emailed zoneperfect.com as well and am looking for advice on reducing muscle bulk in the thighs and buttocks. I run at least 25 miles a week with 2 strength training days (minor lunges/squats...upper body with medium weights and abs). It's frustrating balancing an 11 block day and excercising as I do, but not reducing inches?? Somethings not right? A zoneperfect reader suggested upping my aerobic activity. Doing what....longer running distances....no hills...faster pace? Natasha :?

Hi Natasha, quote="nbosa"]I emailed zoneperfect.com as well and am looking for advice on reducing muscle bulk in the thighs and buttocks. I run at least 25 miles a week with 2 strength training days (minor lunges/squats...upper body with medium weights and abs). It's frustrating balancing an 11 block day and excercising as I do, but not reducing inches?? Somethings not right? A zoneperfect reader suggested upping my aerobic activity. Doing what....longer running distances....no hills...faster pace? Natasha :?[/quote] Fulton said measure fat v Muscle, Dave Flory said increase aerobic. Likely BOTH are right. On your schedule with 11 blocks you should reduce size. If you are increasing size or above ideal fat Perhaps you need a Sears certified consultant, to help (listed or otherwise) White Light

:?: How would I get in touch with them to help me out? Appreciate the reply, Natasha

You don't necessarily lose size when you are on the zone. You do lose fat if you are overweight though. The strength training that you do looks like you are training for explosiveness (like I do for my sprints/jumping on the track) this will result in so called Fast Twitch fibers that are short and thick as opposed to slow-twitch fibers that are long and small. If you want to gain more slow-twitch fibers and reduce the amount of fast twitch fibers you could indeed do more long distance work and perform stretching. Maybe power Yoga would be something for you. It's a combination of gaining strength and stretching.

Hi Natasha! Like Denise said, strength and explosiveness training will increase girth. My personal experience: I would run up to about 5 miles at a time at 7:30 pace. I did not lose inches until I slowed down to a 9:00 pace. Don't ask me to explain it, I'm just reporting it. I also lost inches when I walked a mile to and from work every day. BUT that route had a few short, steep hills in it. When I moved and started walking 2 miles each way, but all flat, all losing of inches stopped. But for me, when I jog slowly, I end up with "toothpicks on the bottom of a barrel". Go figger. Bob

Oh, one other thing. I'm surprised 11 blocks is enough. I couldn't lose weight for awhile until I increased my blocks, then I started having some success. hth Bob

yikes

hi
So nice to find someone who shares my dilemma - I jogged to the rescue for almost 10 years, and then whem meopause hit, I BULKED - fans were calling me "hulk-ess" and other terms that are popular now, and I tried to be nice about it, but
I have lifelong NICE fitness and general great health and leave the muscle stuff to my marathon / aerobics champ Brother, Son and late spouse. I like my dresses and want to remarry, and dumping this muscle, without blobbing out has been a big problem. Worse than that - the bulk/muscle weight took beauty away and added pounds and took inches from my height. Finally bones splintered in feet an toes.

I got busy and lighted the diet - reduced meats and all the major muscle-building
activities, while keeping a good sound healthy and delicious diet and daily walks and yoga.... it worked! But more slowly and with fatblobs where the too much muscle was , at first before the fat went away. Still, it worked! And the bone and joint issues let up considerably.

But, guess what? The very first time life got unusually demanding, it happened again!

I just weighed in again at 170, when 140 is better for me, and almost 2 inches shorter, and the doctor saying that losing the extra weight was NOT the path, but strengthening the bones to carry it...BALONEY. That's like telling someone not to correct someone for hitting you , but to learn to heal from the bruises faster.

I am not doing it.
I am de-bulking and feeling good again as soon as I can!

Help with chat and food items and support talk would be fine.

Thanksomuch

elle fagan
ellefagan.com

Some people naturally build muscle easily. So lifting weights is increasing muscle mass. HIIT burns fat the fastest. But it has be be real HIIT. Not namby-pamby jogging an hour a day. Bulkiness is subcutaneous fat plus deeper marbled muscle fat. They shrink evenly and equally. You'd need muscle biopsies to know how much marbled fat you have. But it's safe to say with a lot of sq fat you've also got some deep marbled fat.

HIIT is getting your heart rate above 90% of maximum. For me the only way I can do it is on a treadmill at 15% grade. After warming up I'll run for a minute or so. As soon as it feels like I'm about to throw up I jump off, rest then do it again. Six or eight times, once or twice a week.

The problem is working that hard can lead to injury. I'm on the disabled list right now with achilles tendinitis, thanks to the treadmill workouts.

kevin

To answer the question best it would be quite helpful if you could outline your running and weight program as detailed as possible; you say moderate weights however what is moderate for some may be high intensity for others, etc... . That would be the first step.

Also, in my opinion, you may want to change your exercise program up. It seems the exercises, sets, reps you are doing now are increasing your muscle mass. Again if you could post your routine it would be incredibly helpful.

I also think a focus on what you are looking for would be helpful. You are looking to decrease muscle mass from those areas, not necessarily lose fat (please correct me if I am wrong). However if I am right than it doesn't come down to adding more cardio. or doing the best fat burning routines (although as was stated HIIT performed correctly and at high enough intensity is best). I think (going off the bits of information I have) you should simply re-define your goals and perform a routine which is efficient in meeting your goals. Either that or simply stop weight training, and focus on distance running, pilates, yoga, etc... to maintain muscle tone while reducing muscle mass.

This is a very quick answer based on what I know. It would be much better if you could post your routine in its entirity to give us a better view of what to look at; the most important piece of the puzzle if you will.