Fitness advice for 5'2" female feeling stagnant

@jessica50332 I think you look great!! If you’re wanting to lean out but maintain your muscle I don’t think it would hurt to add in a bit of cardio. Maybe an incline walk, 20 mins on the stairmaster a few times a week, or some sprint intervals! I think you’ll notice the changes you’re hoping to see without changing your calories, or forgoing weights. Plus its good for your heart 😊 if you want some specific cardio workouts lmk! Cardio is my jam
 
@jessica50332 i also get bored of cardio workouts really easily! some things i do enjoy: cycling (outdoors, weather allowing) and dance workouts. if i do find myself on a treadmill or elliptical, i literally have my tablet up to watch an episode of tv -- podcasts and music alone don't work because i can't help but stare at the slow passage of time on the machine lolllll
 
@lichti The worst part about living in the cold, cold midwest of the US is we don't get to do many outdoor activities for long. But dance workouts sound fun!! I definitely want to pick that up.
 
@jessica50332 i'm not in the midwest, but i can relate because we definitely get all four seasons out here! and for me, cycling is just not the same indoors... i get bored too easily, and the fun for me is being able to look at the scenery and travel distances i wouldn't ever on foot!

hope you find your cardio fit! :)
 
@jessica50332 I don't want to invalidate how you feel at all but girl bulky WHERE? If you want more strength then continue on the lean bulk. If you want more leanness aesthetically then it may be time to cut. Cardio sucks sometimes but if you really want to even out health it's good to work your heart and lungs too. Weightlifting is great for bone density and muscle mass, but for well balanced fitness cardio and mobility have their place for fitness longevity.
 
@deaconbling Lol I definitely think I got some body dysmorphia goggles on! I think this thread is definitely helping me open my eyes. Fitness can be such an internal struggle sometimes.

And yeah, cardio sucks for me and I lose motivation very quickly but maybe I'll start with some walking!
 
@jessica50332 I'm 5'1 and 128, so similar. A problem we shorter girls have is that we forget how small we are. We may see some body proportions as "big" but aren't. I have the same problem where I think my arms are huge or don't match my lower body but then I'll see a photo taken of me and realize that I'm just too hyper-focused on it if anything its not big at all but maybe needs a little toning. I think you look great and slim. We need to get out of our heads sometimes lol.
 
@jessica50332 I had the same feeling before. Sometimes it’s not really aesthetics but rather if you have been lifting for a long time somehow your body has peaked. And when something remains status quo for some time, naturally you will start nitpicking at it.

That said it will remain the same unless you change up your program or take up something new.

For me having been lifting since 2016 I became just really bored with lifting and also figured there’s not much more progress I can make. Slightly more than 1.5 years ago, I took up pole dancing and not only did I made progress performance wise. I started seeing my body transforming again. Areas where I didn’t thought could get more muscular or leaner started showing up.
 
@meteorstorm Wow that is amazing to hear about your progress after trying something different! That gives me motivation to try something new. I think finding that thing will be the hardest part.
 
@jessica50332 honestly you look great! i know some people into lifting are very tedious so it’s just up to aesthetics you want now. just curate your workouts and have fun your body is awesome as is!
 
@jasonsim Thank you for the advice! I think everyone is right that I've build a very good base and now I can just tailor my workouts and diet to be what I want to focus on more.

And of course! I'd say my weight right now averages around 124-125.
 
@jessica50332 Also don't sleep on body recomping or maintaining. Eating at maintenance calories + high protein + strength training + good sleep can still lead to building muscle mass. If you can stick to that consistently, you will have far better results that if you are having trouble fully committing to a bulk or cut. Don't feel like you need to keep playing the cut-bulk-cut etc game if you don't want to. I think people can overcomplicate this because of what you see through fitness social media sphere. With that said, obviously you'll have the most success in bulking/cutting phases but it's a big committment and it's not the only way
 
@wisdomtracker Yes for sure! I think my progress so far is due to body recomposition. I went from weighing 110 with no muscle to gaining a bunch of weight and shooting up to 135 when I decided to try and eat healthy and weight lift with a lot of fat gain. Then over the course of 5ish years, I've body recouped down to where I am today!

Body recomp is a great tool for sure!
 
@jessica50332 You look amazing! Definitely some body dysmorphia going on, I don't see any bulkiness like you mentioned.

I will say I have similar issues with my current physique. My arms/upper body have gotten really bulky after 4 yrs of lifting and it makes me feel really insecure. Especially when I wear normal clothes, my muscles just look like fat lol. I'm trying to combat this by going on a deficit which helps a lot! I'm also not progressively overloading my upper body lifts anymore and it's helped a lot with my arm size. I'm working on getting 7-10k steps a day which has really helped me lean out.
 
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