path75

I am close to goal weight, have lost 85lbs since I started my journey in January 2010. The problem I noticed this week is that fat is staying at my outer upper thigh and lower butt area. Now I don't know if this is skin sagging or if the fat just won't escape this area. Does anyone have any good exercises to tone this area. I do weights and toning 3 times a week (40 min, 10min cool) and a cardio video 4 days a week (40 min, 10min cool). I also walk sometimes jog 2 miles a day takes about 30 min to walk 7 days a week. My toning includes lunges (side, pendulum, basic), squats, push ups but I am thinking a more specific exercise might be needed. Does anyone have any ideas on these areas. The top of my butt has shape but not the bottom LOL. It is like you lay and bed and see this blob hanging off the sides and it stops about mid thigh. Sorry to be so specific but I am in a jam with this area. Thanks for your help.

pinenutcasserole

WOW Patti, what an amazing job! Kudos!

I've got wicked saddlebags, and am also dealing with a bit of leftover extra lower bum, after reaching my first weight goal.

Don't know if you have access to a gym... I've been on a free trial membership, which is amazing as it provides lots of cardio options. I've just this week added the rowing machine into my cardio mix, and while I can't comment on results yet, I can seriously feel my glutes work in my mere ten mins on that machine. (I do other cardio - running & swimming, in the same session, but am trying to avoid overuse problems.)

Michele Olson seems to be a kind of specialist on pear shapes. She reckons that if you really want to mitigate peariness, it takes a lot of work... i.e.:

- being really good with nutrition
- doing at least 45 mins of cardio 4-5 x a week, with most of those sessions consisting of interval training (at a level 7/8 for intense bits, and 5 for recovery sections)
- low weight, HIGH rep strength training for legs/glutes 3-4 x a week. (She does a DVD, which I'll probably order.) But basically, tons of squats, lunges, and variations thereof.

Here's the article I summarized above.

My repertoire of glute/butt exercises - picked from here and there, including Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones; Self magazine; Women's Health Magazine, Alwyn Cosgrove:

- Deadlift
- Donkey kicks
- Fire hydrant
- Co-contraction lunge
- Split squat
- Single leg bridge
- Something i call arabesques (can't remember what they're actually called): you stand on one leg, lean forward so you're perpendicular to the ground, raise your other leg so it's also perpendicular to the ground. You look like a T, now. Slowly bend your standing leg, then come back up. (25 reps per set)
- LOTS of leg kicks - I do 25 reps per set, front, back, side, roundhouse.

Full workouts (I have these in a word doc, just pasted them here)

Butt workout from Self.com
One of the bonus exercises is great. (Basically, deep plies from a wide 4th position)

Ballet leg workout from Self.com

"Skinny jeans" workout from Women's Health Mag

Butt w/ plyo workout from Women's Health Mag

Oh yeah have heard about the clam and the pretzel - will incorporate those in a few weeks.

Schilcott

maybe try dumbell bench stepups. hold light weight in each hand and step up onto a flat bench. step with one foot then follow with the other, then step back down again leading with the same foot you went up with. start with maybe 6 reps leading alternately with each foot. if its tough start off with no weight.

you could also try hip raises. lay on your stomach on a flat bench - have your entire leg extend off the bench - slowly lower and both legs to floor and raise them, keeping the legs straight. try to have it be a slow 3-4 count in both directions, you should not be moving the legs quickly at all, the slow movement with maximize the contraction.

path75

Great ideas will try all of these! :-) It's about time to change up my work out any way, gets too boring after a while and I seem to get stuck on a schedule. I don't have a gym membership but am currently searching for one. I think machines will definitely help. Thanks for the help. I do have some of Self magazine workouts so will try them as well.