Saddlebags are the casual name given to the fat that accumulates on the outer thighs just below the butt. It is one of the most common 'trouble spots', especially for women. I too really struggle with saddlebags.
Most women do store extra fat in their thighs and butt compared to men who store most of their extra fat in their belly area. Saddlebags are therefore more common among women. Okay seriously, it's weird to see a guy with saddlebags!
Saddlebags can be caused by several factors,
- Hormones - during a woman's reproductive years the body releases estrogen. This hormone usually triggers the accumulation of fat during pregnancy and since women have larger pelvises, some fat gets stored in that area.
- Been Inactive- when you are inactive, sitting all day, underusing those butt muscles; fat stored in the butt area tends to fall out to the sides. Sometimes this leads to saddlebags. (This attacked me directly)
- Genetics- Sometimes we just inherit stuff from our family members. It might not be guaranteed but if your mum, aunt, grandma, sister had saddlebags there's a chance you would get them as well.
How to deal with Saddlebags,
- Doing more Running - Running is a great full-body workout and it burns loads of calories in a short while. Since it is hard to target saddlebags or one area really, you want to lose overall weight (fat) and you surely lose some from the outer thigh region(saddlebag). One other exercise that burns loads of calories in a short time is dancing. I really love this dance workout Try it
- Doing strength training - Strength training or resistance training is great for this. Combining that with a good cardio routine should help firm and tone your butt and thighs. Save this Saddlebag workout for later.
- Eating Healthy - Processed foods loaded with sugar and fat can lead you to pile on weight. Eating healthy means trying to reduce processed foods. Try to go for healthy carbs like whole grains, vegetables, fruits. Good protein like nuts, fish, eggs, seeds. This will help your body burn more fat, especially when doing the right resistance training.
- Try to Avoid These- despite how much you do all the above, please check on sleep, drinking water, and stress levels. If you often find yourself sleepy, too stressed, or dehydrated, it will be hard to lose weight despite how hard you work out or how healthy you eat. I try to approach life with an open mind and this really helps with my stress levels.
I understand saddlebags can be quite hard to try to lose but once you get into a good workout program, eat right and try to live a healthy lifestyle, you'll be sure to lose some inches off those thighs.
So how can you do the workouts,
- Do a run ( interval running:2 min walk then 3 min run ) for around 3o mins on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Do your strength training workout (an example of what is shared above) for around 30 minutes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
- If you can it would be an added advantage to add in steps at least 7000 a day.
- Rest on Sundays.
Try this free 7 days Thigh Challenge Click Here
If you would love to get a 4-week workout program that focuses on cardio, right weight training workouts, and a healthy diet plan all made for women and girls who want to lose fat in their thighs and slim those babies down Start the Program
I hope this hope helped you learn a few things or two about saddlebags.
In case of any comment or question be sure to leave it down below.
Love you all xx
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