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Cardio machines are a good piece of equipment to tone the butt and thighs. Although leg strengthening exercises are the best way to build muscle in the lower body, cardio machines can help you lose fat and tone your legs at the same time.
Before we start, it's important to set the record straight about the myth of spot reduction. It refers to the idea that you can lose fat in a specific area of the body by working out that part only. For example, if you work out your legs, you will only lose fat in your legs.
However, that's not true. When you work out and burn fat, it can happen anywhere in the body, which depends a lot on your genes. Some people can lose fat in their lower body first and notice a change in their faces last, while others may experience the opposite.
What certain exercises can do, though, is build muscle in the area they are meant for. So, if you want to tone your legs, get more definition and get stronger, you should do workouts that focus on the lower body.
Even though strength training is best, here we will talk about the best cardio machines that can also help you get a toned look in the lower body.
Cardio Machines to Tone Butt and Thighs
Check out the five cardio machines that can help tone your butt and thighs:
1) Treadmill
It's no surprise that the treadmill is one of the best cardio machines for toning legs. By walking, running, or doing both, the lower body gets a good workout, and the heart gets a good workout as well.
Speed isn't the only thing you can change on a treadmill to keep yourself challenged. You can also measure your progress by how steep the slope is that you run on. That will give you a harder leg workout, as your muscles will have to work harder to keep you going uphill.
2) Stair Climber
The stair climber or stepper is one of the best machines you can use to improve heart health and tone your lower body muscles at the same time.
It involves climbing stairs over and over again, which works the legs and glutes a lot. Not only that, but it's a flexible machine that lets you change your position, direction, and level.
Changing the speed of the treadmill is one way to work the legs. That's called a 'level' on a stair climber cardio machine, and each level is a certain number of steps per minute.
You can also squat instead of standing up straight to get better results from toning your legs. By getting low, the lower body, especially the glutes and quads, feel the burn.
You can also focus on one leg by stepping to the side instead of forward. That will work the side part of the gluteus medius more than the gluteus maximus (the underside of the glute).
Lastly, you can add more resistance to the stair climber by wearing a weighted vest. If you can step for ten minutes at a moderate pace while carrying your own weight, you might want to add a weighted vest.
3) Upright Bike
There are different kinds of indoor bikes at the gym, but the upright bike is best for the legs (as opposed to the recumbent bike). The upright bike is the best way to tone the lower body, as it's the most like riding a bike outside.
The upright bike is great, as it works all the muscles in the legs. When you push the pedal down, the quads do most of the work. When you bring the pedal back up, the hamstrings take over.
4) Assault Air Bike
The assault air bike is another type of indoor cycling that makes you work hard and gives the legs a great workout.
It has two separate handlebars that can be moved back and forth while riding. The resistance comes from the large fan situated at the front of the bike that generates air to ride against. How much resistance you get depends on how hard you pedal. The harder you pedal, the more resistance you get.
This exercise is mostly for the legs, and if you rely too much on your arms, you'll get tired faster, as the upper body doesn't have as much endurance as the lower body. So, use the arm pedals, but only to a certain extent; the legs are what really matter.
5) Curved Treadmill
You may have seen that gyms are getting more and more curved treadmills. The belts on these treadmills are curved and do not have a screen.
The curved treadmill is meant to help you move and run in a more natural way so that you can use the right foot technique. It's also a good choice if you want a machine that's easy on the joints.
The main difference between that and a normal treadmill, besides the curved belt, is that this one runs on its own (like sprinting outside).
As it doesn't use a conveyor belt to move, it depends on you and the work you put in to move it with your legs. To use a curved treadmill, you will have to use more of your hamstrings and glutes. You will also have to use your core to stay stable.
Takeaway
We would suggest that you perform a combination of strength and bodyweight training along with cardio machine exercises to properly train your legs.
That will ensure that you are not only gaining functional muscle and strength but also losing fat and toning the butt and thighs at the same time. Also, don't forget to follow a low-calorie, high-protein diet to see the quickest gains.
