I have big soccer thighs and hamstrings

soccerguyhere wrote:

How do I slim down my thighs and hamstrings? And butt as well I guess...

I have a soccer player's build, and I hate wearing short shorts. I could swear I have an extra 20 pounds from my thighs and hamstrings. Squats? Elliptical?

Neither of those would help your situation at all. In fact, squats would have the reverse effect, same with any sprinting. I have pretty big thighs as well and found the only way they slim down is if I don't do any leg work (no squats, deadlifts, leg curls/ext) and just run a lot of mileage.

Why don't you just start playing soccer?

I don't know the answer, but if you find out what it is, let a brother know, ok?

What you should first accept is that genetically, you are not an ectomorph. There are mainly 3 types of bodies that you could be categorized under. Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. To cut the fancy crap, you sound like a mesomorph. This does not mean that you are too heavy to be a runner or too muscular. You might not have the optimum build (those lean Kenyan legs with chiseled quads and tiny calfs). However, you are better off than you think.

While ectomorphs tend to be leaner with longer limbs and their muscle is more spread out. Instead of having defined pecs their chest/stomach is very flat. They do not have the short/stocky hamstrings or biceps that mesomorphs do. However, they also tend to have a more difficult time adding muscle. Endomorphs are the other extreme, they tend to be somewhat shorter and rounder. Their skin is usually softer and their bodies are less defined.

While you cannot change your genetic makeup, there is still a little bit you can do. The important thing to realize is that there is no such thing as spot reduction. You can aim at toning overall areas of your body but you cannot go eliminating muscle/fat from one specific area and not another. I have the same problem you do in that I am conscious of my "soccer" thighs and calves. I did find that doing more reps and sets of exercises such as lunges/squats and hip abductions and adductions helped me take inches off my thighs. I would do sets of around 2-3 and started with lighter weight and aimed for 12-20 reps. That sounds like a big gap in # of reps. But it depended on what I was using for weight that day. One day I might just go for endurance and do 2-3 X 25 squats with a heavier medicine ball. Maybe a few days later I would do something heavier with a barbell and do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with a heavier weight. Doing this twice a week made a huge difference for me, but you will also feel tired when running. I would try it for 4-6 weeks and then make sure to ease back so you don't become injured.

Run a lot of miles and to the extent it's not just genetics, your body will adapt.

Bekele has a stocky build. Stop worrying about your body shape.

It's called genetics. And, you won't be able to do anything that will have a big (which it sounds like you are looking for) impact.

Kenenisa Bekele has already been mentioned, but I think his name warrants being mentioned again. He was a soccer player as a youth. He has very thick quads and hamstrings. It doesn't seem to slow him down as he his the reigning WR holder at 5000m and 10000m and the best XC runner ever.

Go run.