Slimming legs with exercise and diet

Question

I have thick legs since young (I am 29 now) and play soccer once a week. After my soccer workout I feel my legs get very thick for at least 2 days.

Why is that happening?

I am hoping to make my legs slimmer but sport seems to do the opposite. What is recommended to slim legs and butt? And when it comes to diet, what should I get rid of?

Thanks

Note: I am 5.10 and weight around 182 pounds. My complexion is athletic, barely no belly and I tend to generate muscle easily. My legs are muscled, not fatty, but I don't work out every day, I just play soccer once a week.

Answer 1

It sounds like your legs have significant lean tissue mass (and not excess fat). If that is the case, the solution is a bit more extreme. I normally wouldn't suggest it to anyone but if you really want to try to reduce leg muscle mass then you need to stimulate muscle atrophy:

1. Reduce leg activity. No intense leg exercise only really low steady state. The extreme example of this is put your legs in casts for a few months, and you will get muscle atrophy.

2. Reduce protein intake, as this causes the body to break down lean body tissue when amino acids are lacking. Honestly I strongly urge you not to take this route as you don't want to break down other important tissues because of lack of protein.

Answer 2

It looks like you personally prefer your legs to be slim, but you legs are obviously healthy and have muscle mass. Soccer Players have large legs because all they have to use in the game are their legs! Most people would always prefer muscle to slim legs.

But if you still feel dissatisfied by your legs(visually), then you could do some upper body weight training to even out the body shape.

Answer 3

This might not appeal to everyone, but swimming is a solid cardio activity that will burn fat and won't build your legs much. It's mostly about back, shoulders and core. It isn't weight bearing or impact-centric like running or soccer.

If you're not a strong swimmer already and you're interested, I highly recommend getting some lessons for awhile. Once you're swimming laps with confidence, consider joining a masters group so you can really push yourself during each workout.