Having skinny legs while having a big upper body is an issue that many guys struggle with. It can be frustrating when you feel like all your hard work in the gym doesn’t seem to make a difference regarding your skinny legs. Skinny legs are not uncommon, and there are several reasons why guys may get stuck with skinny legs. We will discuss the most common causes and provide helpful tips to help you bulk up your skinny legs while keeping a big upper body.
Skinny Legs Fat Upper Body: Reasons Guys Get Stuck With Skinny Legs
One of the main reasons guys have skinny legs is that they are not switching up their exercises in the gym. Your body gets used to the exercises you’re doing, and the muscles stop growing. Therefore, it is essential to change your routine, so your body adjusts and builds new muscle fibres to cope with the new stimuli.
Another possible reason for skinny legs fat upper body is that you may have weak legs. This means you need to focus on building your legs’ strength before worrying about bulking up. Doing a lot of heavy squats and deadlifts will increase your leg strength, leading to bigger, thicker legs over time.
You also need to concentrate on volume training. This means that rather than just doing a few sets of one exercise, you need to do multiple sets of different exercises. This will help build more muscle in your legs and make them thicker.
You might also be complicating things too much by overthinking what you’re doing in the gym. You don’t need to try every new exercise or trend that appears online – stick with basics like squats, deadlifts and lunges, and you’ll see an improvement in your skinny legs.
Doing too much cardio can also contribute to skinny legs. It would be best to focus on building strength rather than burning calories with long runs or bike rides to bulk up those skinny legs.
You may also not be taking in enough carbs. Carbs are essential for muscle growth; if you’re not getting enough of them, you won’t see results from your workouts.
Finally, skinny legs can also indicate that you are neglecting your calves. Ensure to include calf raises in your routine – these will help build muscle and make your skinny legs look thicker.
You Are Missing Leg Days
Another common mistake when trying to bulk up skinny legs is not training your legs often enough. It would help if you aimed at least 3 leg days a week to see results. Make sure you switch up the exercises and amount of weight each time so that your body can adjust and build new muscle fibres.
Best Workout For People With Skinny Legs And Big Upper Body
If you’re looking to bulk up skinny legs while keeping a big upper body, then here are some of the best exercises for this goal:
The Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat
The Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat is an excellent exercise for skinny legs as it helps build strength and size in the quads, glutes and hamstrings. Stand with one foot on a bench or box behind you, keeping your other foot flat on the floor. Holding a barbell across your back, lower yourself into a squat position, and then rise back up.
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise
The Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise is a great exercise to help build more muscular, bigger calves. Sit on a bench or box with two dumbbells in your hands. Rest the weights on your thighs and lower your heels until they almost touch the floor. Slowly raise them back up and repeat.
Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift is an excellent exercise for skinny legs as it helps build strength in the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell across your upper back. Keep your core tight, hinge at the waist and lower the barbell towards your feet. Raise it back up to the start position and repeat.
Hack Squats
Hack squats are another excellent exercise for skinny legs as they help build size in the quads and glutes. Stand with a barbell across your back and then squat down. Push up through your heels and squeeze your glutes at the movement’s top.
Barbell Side Lunge
The Barbell Side Lunge is an excellent exercise for skinny legs as it helps build size in the inner thighs. Stand with a barbell across your back and then take a big step to one side. Lower yourself down into a lunge, keeping your knee above the ankle and then push up through the heel to return to the standing position. Repeat on the other side.
Good Morning
The Good Morning is an excellent exercise for skinny legs as it helps build strength in the lower back, hamstrings and glutes. Stand with a barbell across your upper back and then hinge at the waist, pushing your hips back until your torso is parallel to the floor. Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you return to standing.
Hip Thruster
The Hip Thruster is an excellent exercise for skinny legs that helps build strength in the glutes and lower body. Lie on your back with a barbell across your hips and press up through the heels, thrusting your hips towards the ceiling. Squeeze at the top of the movement before lowering back down to starting position.
Hip Thruster
Each exercise should be done with a heavy weight and multiple sets so the muscles can build and thicken.
Skinny Legs Big Upper Body: The Bottom Line
If you want to bulk up skinny legs while keeping a big upper body, then there are several things that you can do to make it happen—switching up your exercises, focusing on strength training, taking in more carbs and making sure not to miss leg days will help you achieve your goal. If you are consistent with your workouts and eating, then you should see an improvement in the size of your skinny legs over time.
