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Can a Dance Class Really Get Rid of Thunder Thigh Fat?
If you have the classic thunder thighs, don’t count on mere dance classes to slash off this unsightly fat; there are much better ways to accomplish this!
Unfortunately, the dancing approach is one that many people take for stripping off fat, and one that may even be suggested by some fitness professionals.
I’m not one of them if the goal is to “get rid of” big thighs. Dance classes are not at the top of the list for this goal.
Dance fitness classes don’t focus on working thighs.
There are some muscles that may get worked hard during dance fitness classes, but the thighs simply don’t.
The upper body might get a decent workout, the midsection might be worked some as well, and the cardiovascular system can definitely benefit, but all these areas of the body are actively engaged and the thighs aren’t.
There might be a few dance aerobics moves that work the thighs for a bit, but that’s just not enough exercise to slash the fat in thunder thighs.
Getting rid of thunder thighs requires more than dance fitness.
Getting rid of thunder thighs requires working the quads and the hamstrings.
For effectiveness, this should be done using weighted exercises, like the leg press, dumbbell squat, barbell squat and deadlift.
Back squat. Shutterstock/Jasminko Ibrakovic
Deadlift. Freepik.com
Walking lunges, while you hold medium to heavy weights, are also valuable — as long as the weight isn’t so heavy that it interferes with proper form and full range of motion.
These exercises target the thighs specifically, toning the muscle and increasing the blood flow so that the fat is burned.
Weighted walking lunge. Shutterstock/Undrey
But these exercises also, when done intensely, incite a hormonal response that causes your body to suck the fat out any big fat cells all throughout your body, so that you get leaner overall.
Dance Classes Will Not Cure Thunder Thighs
Using dance fitness classes as the cure to thunder thighs is simply not a good suggestion.
These classes are better reserved for an aerobic workout to benefit heart health. You’ll get a training effect for your cardiovascular system. But this doesn’t translate to blasting out the fat in your hefty thighs.
So if you enjoy dance classes for the aerobic component, keep taking them. But to get rid of the thunder in your legs, you need to do more.
Those who have thunder thighs should do exercises specifically for the lower body in addition to their dance classes: intense compound weightlifting routines.
This includes sled pushing as well. This will force your entire lower body (and some upper body) to work like it has never worked before.
To maximize the fat-burn all throughout your body, include upper body strength training that targets the back and chest.
Lat pull-down for the back.
These large muscles will burn fat for recovery energy — which will partially come from your “thunder” thighs.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Depositphotos.com
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How Fast Should Walking Speed Be on a Treadmill ?
Ever wonder what that fine line is when a walking speed on a treadmill should transition to jogging? Just HOW fast should someone walk on a treadmill?
Walking, either on a treadmill or outdoors, is one of the safest forms of exercise and highly recommended by doctors.
The irony is that the person who’s wondering how fast he or she should walk on a treadmill, might think nothing of ambulating briskly over a long distance at an airport to catch a plane.
Or, they might walk quite fast in an attempt to make a meeting that’s at the other side of the building they work in.
But on a treadmill, suddenly, the idea of brisk walking becomes a concern.
Reassure yourself that walking is as natural as drinking water.
The human body was engineered to walk, including briskly, and including up hills. This is how ancient man survived.
In fact, people did a heck of a lot of walking up to the time that cars were invented.
I honestly cannot think of one medical condition in which this fundamental form of movement can hurt a person, with the exception of orthopedic injuries, and afflictions such as osteoarthritis.
But even people with diabetes neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease and emphysema will benefit tremendously from walking.
So how fast would you like to know you can walk on a treadmill?
- How fast do you normally move in day-to-day life?
- Does brisk ambulation bring on hip or knee pain?
If so, you need to see an orthopedic medical professional. Did you recently sprain an ankle? Limit your walking.
Do you have plantar fasciitis? Same thing during flare-ups: Limit walking.
If your joints are fine and you have no injuries, then exercise away. If you feel dizzy during your session, get off the machine.
It’s possible your blood sugar is low, or that you may even be pregnant.
It’s also possible your body just isn’t used to walking on a moving belt.
Do not hold onto the machine, as this will not solve the underlying issue.
If this popular exercise brings on nausea or dizziness, stop and re-evaluate your eating habits and water intake.
Medications can also cause these side effects. If you’re pregnant, treadmill use is perfectly safe to do as long as you feel fine. Talk to your OB/GYN about that.
What’s most important is not how fast you should move on a treadmill, but your form.
You absolutely should not cling onto the machine when walking. Here are 10 reasons never to hold onto a treadmill.
Walk fast enough on a treadmill to get the heart rate up.
Swing arms and focus on good posture and breathing.
• Don’t slam your feet.
• Relax and let your body fall into its natural stride.
• If walking fast on a treadmill fails to get your heart rate up much, then either add an incline (but not so much that you’re forced to hold on), or transition to jogging.
• Don’t obsess about heart rate, and when you do take it, it’s more accurate to take it via feeling for your pulse while at rest, rather than assuming that the machine’s interpretation is correct.
Put a challenge on yourself: Train to work up to maintaining a 4 mph pace on a treadmill — without holding on.
That’s a pretty fast clip, but at the gym where I had worked as a personal trainer, I always saw a man, age 72, spend an entire hour walking 4 mph — without holding on!
