Long, lean, slightly toned runway model legs have been considered “body goals” for decades.

They’re the legs we grew up seeing on fashion runways and in Victoria’s Secret campaigns: long, slender, lean, with just enough muscle definition to look fit without looking overly muscular.

So naturally, one of the questions I get asked all the time is:

How do you get model legs?

Can you slim down your thighs?

Should you stop lifting weights?

Should you walk 10,000—or even 20,000—steps a day?

Is Pilates better for creating long, lean legs?

And most importantly: Is it actually possible to get runway model legs if you weren’t genetically built like a runway model?

As a former model who also lost 100 pounds, this is something I’ve experimented with quite a bit myself.

My legs have always been one of my “trouble areas.” I’m naturally more bottom-heavy, I tend to carry more fat in my thighs, and even at my absolute skinniest, I’ve never had extremely long, lanky runway-model legs.

But I have been able to noticeably change the appearance of my legs.

So let’s talk about what actually works, what doesn’t—and what TikTok sometimes leaves out of the conversation.

First: Can Anyone Get Runway Model Legs?

Let’s get the disappointing part out of the way.

Not necessarily.

And that’s okay.

If you want legs like a specific runway model, one of the biggest factors is something no workout can change:

Genetics.

Traditional runway models tend to be very tall. They often have naturally long legs and body types that don’t store a significant amount of fat or muscle in their thighs.

You can’t Pilates your way into longer femurs.

You can’t walk yourself six inches taller.

And you can’t completely choose where your body prefers to store fat.

Some women naturally carry more weight in their:

• Thighs
• Hips
• Stomach
• Arms
• Chest
• Butt

You can change your overall body composition considerably, but your natural proportions still matter.

For example, I’m 5’8″, which is taller than the average woman, but I’m not particularly tall by runway standards. I also carry more of my height in my torso and naturally store more fat in my lower body.

That’s my body type.

Even when I was extremely thin and actively modeling, my legs didn’t suddenly turn into six-foot-model legs.

You have to start by being realistic about the body you’re working with.

But realistic doesn’t mean hopeless.

You may not be able to make your legs look exactly like someone else’s, but you can absolutely work toward making your legs look leaner, fitter, stronger and more defined.

And personally, I think that’s a much better goal.

Can You Actually Slim Down Your Thighs?

Yes—but there’s an important catch.

You can’t choose exactly where your body loses fat.

Doing 500 inner-thigh exercises isn’t going to specifically burn the fat sitting on your inner thighs.

If you have excess body fat and want leaner-looking legs, losing overall body fat may eventually reduce the amount of fat you’re carrying in your thighs as well.

Where you notice fat loss first—and where you notice it last—is largely individual.

For someone like me who naturally stores more fat in the lower body, my legs may remain proportionally thicker even when I’m fairly lean.

Someone else may lose weight from her legs very quickly while stubbornly holding onto fat somewhere else.

That’s why comparing your transformation to another woman’s can become incredibly frustrating.

You’re working with different bodies.

The TikTok Advice: Stop Lifting Weights for Skinny Legs

One of the most common pieces of advice I’ve seen online for getting “model skinny” legs is:

Stop lifting heavy weights.

The argument makes sense on the surface.

If your goal is to make your legs physically smaller, why would you intentionally perform exercises designed to grow the muscles in your legs?

Heavy squats, deadlifts and other lower-body exercises can contribute to muscle development over time.

And if you’ve spent years deliberately building your quads and glutes and now prefer a less muscular aesthetic, changing your training could potentially change your physique over time.

But I think social media often takes this advice too far.

Suddenly it becomes:

Never lift weights if you want lean legs.

And based on my own experience, I don’t agree.

Will Lifting Weights Make Your Legs Bulky?

This is where the answer gets more complicated.

Can resistance training increase the size of your muscles?

Of course.

That’s one of the reasons people strength train.

But how much muscle you build, where you build it, and how that changes your appearance varies considerably.

Genetics matter.

Your training matters.

Your nutrition matters.

The amount of resistance you’re using matters.

And your definition of “bulky” matters.

One woman might look at athletic, muscular thighs and think they’re gorgeous.

Another might look at the exact same legs and decide they’re more muscular than she personally wants to be.

Neither aesthetic preference is wrong.

Personally, I like strength training.

And interestingly, lifting weights actually made me feel like my legs looked leaner, not bigger.

Why Strength Training Made My Legs Look Better

I lost 100 pounds when I was younger, so I have some loose skin.

When I was at my thinnest, my legs were technically smaller—but they weren’t necessarily as shapely or defined as I wanted them to be.

There wasn’t much muscle underneath.

When I became more serious about strength training, I started preferring the appearance of my legs.

They looked more athletic.

They had more shape.

They had more definition.

Were they suddenly “model skinny”?

No.

That’s simply not my natural body type.

But I’d personally rather have slightly thicker legs that look athletic and defined than slightly smaller legs that don’t have the shape I want.

That’s why I don’t think “stop lifting weights” is universally good advice for anyone who wants better-looking legs.

What Does “Toning Your Legs” Actually Mean?

People constantly talk about “toning” without really explaining what that means.

A toned appearance generally comes from a combination of having enough muscle to create visible shape and having a level of body fat that allows some of that definition to show.

You aren’t creating some separate substance called “tone” through tiny leg circles.

You’re working muscle.

This is especially important if you describe yourself as “skinny fat”—meaning you may be relatively thin but don’t have as much muscle definition as you’d like.

Simply trying to become smaller and smaller may not create the aesthetic you’re chasing.

Sometimes building some muscle is exactly what creates the shape you’re looking for.

What About Pilates for Lean Model Legs?

I actually think Pilates can be a great option.

If you love Pilates, do Pilates.

If you prefer barre, do barre.

If you enjoy bodyweight leg exercises, do those.

These types of workouts can strengthen your muscles without requiring the style of progressive heavy lifting someone might use specifically to maximize muscle growth.

For someone who is already naturally very thin and has the long-legged body type associated with runway models, that may be exactly what she wants.

But I don’t love the idea that a particular Pilates routine will somehow make everyone’s legs physically long and tiny.

Exercise can’t change your skeletal proportions.

What it can do is improve strength, fitness, posture, muscle development and the overall appearance of your body.

Walking May Be One of the Best Exercises for Lean Legs

One piece of advice I kept seeing over and over again was:

Walk more.

And this is something I absolutely agree with.

Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise.

It increases your overall daily activity without requiring an incredibly intense workout, and it’s something you can incorporate into your everyday life.

Walk around your neighborhood.

Walk on a treadmill.

Walk while listening to a podcast.

Park farther away.

Take the stairs.

Go for an evening walk.

Increase your daily steps.

You don’t necessarily need to become obsessed with hitting an arbitrary number every single day.

But if you’re currently very sedentary, simply walking more can be an incredibly practical place to start.

Combined with appropriate nutrition and exercise, increasing your daily movement can support overall fat loss—which may eventually contribute to leaner-looking legs.

Do You Need 10,000 Steps a Day for Model Legs?

Ten thousand steps is a popular target.

Some of the women whose videos I reacted to were doing considerably more—13,000, 15,000 or even 20,000 steps.

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking there is a magical number where your thighs suddenly transform.

There isn’t.

If you’re currently walking 3,000 steps a day, consistently getting 6,000 may be a significant improvement.

If you’re already getting 10,000, maybe you enjoy doing more.

Your activity level should make sense for your body, lifestyle and goals.

The important part is the bigger principle:

Move more consistently.

Diet Matters If You Want Leaner Legs

We can debate Pilates versus weights all day long, but if you’re carrying excess body fat and your goal is to make your thighs smaller, your overall nutrition matters.

A workout can’t specifically instruct your body:

“Please remove two inches of fat exclusively from my thighs.”

Overall fat loss requires looking at the bigger picture.

That means building eating habits that support your goals.

For me, that means prioritizing nutritious foods, protein, reasonable portions and consistency rather than expecting one magical “model leg workout” to transform my lower body.

Exercise can help shape your body.

Nutrition and overall energy balance play a major role in changing your body fat.

Should You Eat More Protein?

If you’re exercising and trying to improve your body composition, protein is important for maintaining and building muscle.

But again, you don’t need to take every fitness trend to its extreme.

You don’t have to live on protein shakes.

You don’t have to become a bodybuilder.

You don’t have to organize your entire existence around maximizing muscle growth.

The goal is to create an eating and exercise routine that supports the physique you want while also giving your body adequate nutrition.

Pilates vs. Weight Training for Lean Legs: Which Is Better?

My answer?

It depends on your body and the aesthetic you’re trying to create.

If you’re already naturally very thin and simply want a little definition, you may love walking, Pilates, barre and lighter resistance work.

If you’re dealing with a “skinny fat” appearance and want more shape, resistance training may be particularly useful.

If you’ve lost significant weight and have loose skin like I do, building muscle may help create more underlying shape and definition.

If you’ve spent years deliberately building very muscular quads and now want them smaller, reducing the amount of training specifically focused on muscle growth may make sense.

There’s no single workout that creates the exact same legs on every woman.

And that’s the part social media conveniently leaves out.

You Can Lift Weights and Still Have Lean Legs

Another reason I’m skeptical of the idea that models never lift weights?

Plenty of models do.

The Victoria’s Secret models I’ve watched train aren’t necessarily spending their entire lives doing tiny Pilates leg circles.

Some strength train.

They use resistance.

They prioritize fitness.

And you can see the difference between a very thin runway-model aesthetic and the slightly more athletic, defined look historically associated with Victoria’s Secret.

Both can be beautiful.

They’re simply different aesthetics.

You have to decide which one you’re actually chasing.

The “Gym Girl to Pilates Girl” Trend

We’ve also seen the rise of another interesting fitness trend: women moving away from heavy gym routines toward Pilates, sculpt workouts, walking and other forms of exercise.

Some lose muscle and become visibly smaller.

And you know what?

If they prefer that appearance and lifestyle, that’s completely fine.

Not every woman wants to maximize her glutes.

Not every woman wants muscular thighs.

Not every woman enjoys lifting heavy.

Likewise, there’s nothing wrong with a woman who does want to be strong and muscular.

Fitness shouldn’t become another way of telling women what their bodies are supposed to look like.

Choose an aesthetic you like.

Choose exercise you enjoy.

And understand the tradeoffs involved in pursuing it.

So, How Do You Actually Get Model Legs?

If your goal is to create a leaner, more model-inspired appearance, I would focus on a few basic things.

First, be realistic about genetics.

You cannot change your height, skeletal structure or natural leg length. You also have limited control over where your body prefers to store fat.

Second, focus on overall body composition.

If you have excess body fat, overall fat loss may make your thighs leaner—but you can’t specifically choose to lose fat only from your legs.

Third, walk more.

Walking is a simple way to increase your daily activity and can complement your overall fitness and fat-loss routine.

Fourth, experiment with Pilates, barre and bodyweight training.

If you enjoy that style of exercise and prefer a less muscle-focused aesthetic, these can absolutely be part of your routine.

Fifth, don’t automatically be afraid of weights.

Some resistance training may actually give your legs more shape and definition, particularly if you’re dealing with low muscle tone, significant previous weight loss or a “skinny fat” appearance.

And finally:

Eat in a way that supports the body you’re trying to create.

No leg workout can compensate for your entire lifestyle.

Stop Trying to Have Someone Else’s Legs

This might be the most important part.

You can improve your body without believing you need to turn it into someone else’s.

I love long, lean runway-model legs.

I think they’re beautiful.

Would I like my own legs to be a little leaner?

Sure.

But I’m also realistic.

I’m never going to have the exact legs of a six-foot runway model who naturally carries very little weight in her lower body.

And I’ve accepted that.

Instead, I can ask:

What is the best version of my body?

Maybe your legs are naturally thicker.

Make them the best-looking thicker legs you can.

Maybe you’re naturally petite.

Work with that.

Maybe you’re naturally athletic.

Embrace it.

Maybe you’re naturally long and lanky.

Great.

You don’t have to give up on improving your body simply because genetics exist.

You just need to stop judging your progress against a body that was built differently from yours.

Build Your Best Body, Not Someone Else’s

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to improve your appearance.

You can want to lose weight.

You can want to gain muscle.

You can want to lose some muscle.

You can prefer a leaner aesthetic.

You can prefer an athletic aesthetic.

The important thing is understanding what you can realistically change and then working with your body instead of constantly fighting against it.

You may never have someone else’s exact proportions.

But with consistent nutrition, movement and training, you can dramatically improve your own body composition, fitness and confidence.

You don’t need her body.

You need to build the best version of yours.

Join the Supermodel Discipline Club

If your goal is to create your own version of a lean, fit, model-inspired body, come join me inside my Supermodel Discipline Club on Patreon.

This is where we take everything I talk about—weight loss, fitness, nutrition, discipline, mindset and becoming your best self—and actually put it into practice.

Inside the Discipline Club, we do monthly group challenges designed to help you become more consistent, build better habits and keep working toward your goals alongside other people doing the same thing.

You’ll also get more of my Supermodel Discipline weight loss and fitness tips, exclusive content, monthly live Q&A/coaching sessions, group support, motivation and accountability.

Because getting the body you want isn’t about finding one magical workout.

It’s about what you repeatedly do.

How you eat.

How you train.

How much you move.

And whether you have the discipline to keep showing up long enough to see your body change.

If you’re ready to stop chasing quick fixes and start building your own version of a Supermodel body, join us inside the Supermodel Discipline Club on Patreon.

You don’t have to look like someone else.

The goal is to become the best version of you.