“Thunder thighs” is a pejorative term for women with larger thighs, hips, and buttocks. While genetics plays a role in fat storage, weight loss and exercise can help. However, some women may develop larger thigh muscles, and there is a double standard in how the term is applied. Female athletes may have different thigh sizes despite similar training. The term is insensitive and disrespectful.
For many women, the upper thigh and hip region tends to be a problem area when exercising or body sculpting. The appearance of disproportionately large legs, hips, and buttocks has unfortunately inspired the pejorative term thunder thighs. The term is believed to refer to the thunderous sound created whenever an obese person’s thigh muscles come into contact, or to the exaggerated sound of the ground shaking from excess weight. Normally, a woman could be proportionate in any other area of her body, but having thicker than average thighs or prominent hips could still trigger an insensitive comment about thunder thighs from her.
In reality, men and women are genetically predisposed to store excess fat in different areas of the body. Many men tend to store fat in their midsections, while some women tend to store fat in their upper thighs, hips, and buttocks. Efforts to combat the development of “thunder thighs” often involve general weight loss diets, specific thigh and hip exercises, and stretching to lengthen the leg muscles. However, because the mechanism of fat storage is largely genetic, it can be very difficult for a woman to specifically reduce the size of her upper thighs. General weight loss and increased exercise can be helpful, but there is a risk of developing larger thigh muscles that still give the appearance of “thundering thighs.” For some women, a viable solution is to select fashionable clothing that minimizes their problem areas or draws attention to other areas.
There can be a double standard when it comes to the application of the term thunder thighs. An artist or professional athlete like singer Beyonce Knowles or tennis player Serena Williams may have noticeably larger thighs and hips, but they still aren’t considered to have “thunderous thighs.” An attractive woman with a toned physique can have muscular or thick thighs and still be considered well or physically fit. On the other hand, an average woman with excessive fat deposits on her hips and thighs would still be ridiculed for having “thunder thighs.”
Some female athletes develop larger thigh muscles as a result of intensive training, while others in the same sport may have normal or thin thighs. Some gymnasts, for example, develop thick, powerful thigh muscles for passing and vaulting. Others develop long, lean leg muscles that give them more aesthetic appeal while performing. Both types of gymnasts perform the same training exercises on the same equipment, but some develop thicker hip and thigh muscles than others. The same genetic makeup can determine whether one person will store fat around their midsection while another will store fat around their upper thighs or buttocks. However, there can be little doubt that the casual use of the term thunder thighs to describe a woman’s body type is highly insensitive and disrespectful.
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