Should I do weighted squats or unweighted?

[mccollins]

I really need to tone up my butt, back of thighs and outer thighs, I know that squats and lunges are one of the most effective ways to do this. My question is if body weight squats are enough or if you have to add weight?

What are the best cardio exercises for your lower body?

[kheserthorpe]

Toning means adding muscle fibre, even if the overall size of the muscle isn't increasing.

Body squats would only be enough if you are quite weak.

Adding muscle fibres is best done with a resistance level such that you (as a woman, range is slightly different for men) can only do perhaps 10-14 repetitions per set. A full workout might involve 50-80 reps per body part, so you could do, for example, 3x10 squat and 3x12 lunges or something like that. Note this doesn't mean 'just stop at 12 reps'. It means if you can do more, up the weight till you can't.

I'm not sure you know what you're asking when you say 'lower body cardio'. Cardio literally means heart and lung system. While you could in theory be asking about improving blood flow to your lower body, I'm guessing that's not what you mean. What is it you want to do?

[mccollins]

Haha I guess you're right that doesn't make a lot of sense. I guess what I meant was what kind of exercises can I do to help me tone up my lower body along with the squats and lunges.

[kheserthorpe]

Well, when people say 'tone up' they often mean 'firm up the muscles' and 'lose some fat'.

Firming up the muscles - squats and lunges are fantastic. Weighted, 3x a week if you can handle it. Don't ask yourself 'what else can I do'. Muscles don't 'tone' in the gym. They 'tone' while you're recovering. The gym is just the stimulus. Get in, hammer them hard, get out...

[kheserthorpe]

Fat loss? Honestly, anything 'works' combined with good healthy eating. If your fat level is not very high (and I know yours isn't) eating appropriate amounts of clean food is the only thing that will really help. You can get sort of thin eating small amounts of junk (and not much else) but to get really low, you need your body firing like a well oiled machine, and that means eating a fair amount of very healthy food.

You can't target the fat loss.

[Alonso14]

By tone up what exactly are you looking to do? Do you want to increase the size of the muscles or do you wish to reduce your levels of body fat?

Either way the weighted squats will be better as they will cause your muscles to work harder, however if you are looking to lower your body fat you can probably get away with just doing body weight squats. As for the cardio exercises if you are looking to lose weight it doesn't matter whether you are using your lower or upper body, where the fat will be removed from isn't dependent on which parts of your body are being used in the exercise, it will depend on your genetics.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Sprints are great too FYI. Most definitely weighted. Don't forget hamstrings with exercises like stiff legged deadlifts. Squats are for quads, lunges for glutes, and the aforementioned deadlifts for hamstrings. All with the maximum weight you can do for 4 sets of ten each.

[DeepBlue]

Most girls at the gym I see doing squats use little or no weight on the bar but do a lot of reps. Probably the best way to get toned.

[DeepBlue]

Also, step machines and inclined ellipticals are good for the areas you are targeting.

[DanteSparda]

Hope this helps ^_^

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