Switching to sculpt/low weight workouts to lean out?

[lichti]

@lostsoul777 omg this sounds like me. i'm getting back into fitness and working out, and i'm honestly so nervous about this, but i feel like people always say some variation of "you're not going to bulk up as a woman." as though i'm not speaking from personal experience! not to mention, people have different definitions of what "bulky" means--i'm not saying i become a bodybuilder in my lower half, i'm saying my pants will get tighter while the rest of me gets smaller. i just want a little balance lol

(now that i'm done ranting) based on your experience, do you happen to have any good tips on preventing that leg bulk?

 

[wings777]

@virtualhope Not an expert but our stats sound similar. Maybe add extra cardio? I also bulk and muscle pretty easily, but I've never been low enough on calories to get that super fit lean look, so I'm always a little bulky. The only times I really lean down are during a training cycle for a long race (half marathon). Maybe consider doing some running (in addition to spin if you love it)?

 

[rossylisy]

@virtualhope If you are 5’1 and 130 and look “bulky” you probably just need to lose some weight. If your body fat percentage is over 20-22% I would try that first. Also, your calories seem low for your weight and the amount of exercise you do so I’m wondering what’s up with that. I would get my thyroid checked. If you want smaller denser stronger muscles you might want to try powerlifting routines rather than traditional bodybuilding routines. I’m sure you look fine, just not how you want to look. A powerlifting routine won’t necessarily lean you out but your muscles don’t get huge. On the other hand a bodybuilding routine, if you lean out, you will have visible muscles. It’s a question of preference. Good luck!

 

[me1111]

@rossylisy I’m sitting at 18-19% bf right now 5’3 129lbs; goal is 120lbs 16-17% bf in a few months. Still working on upping my protein, is the only way to get there pretty much being really strict with my workouts and diet?

 

[rossylisy]

@me1111 16-17% is bordering on an unhealthy fat percentage and is going to be difficult to maintain, imo. Women in general need 17% minimum to sustain normal hormonal function. Osteoporosis isn’t good. Also, as I said, it depends on what you want to look like, but also how much time you want to devote to it, and how sustainable you think it will be. I’m 60, and I look pretty good, but I’m realistic about what I’m willing to do. Your bone structure matters too. It isn’t “bulk” if you have a medium or large frame, it’s just that you aren’t a delicate person, you are a small person. Be thankful for the stamina and strength. We don’t all look the same but that doesn’t mean your body isn’t beautiful.

 

[dmhanson511]

@virtualhope I would focus on cutting a little bit! I feel similar but I know I have fat over my muscles but I’ve gained muscles recently. Also maybe try doing less maybe? 4-5 is a lot with cardio. Maybe 2x spinning and 2-3 strength?

 

[virtualhope]

As far as I know, no pcos. I’ve have an iud for years though, which might mask anything of that sort. Definitely no symptoms of that or thyroid issues, although I know they can be latent. I am on lexapro , if that makes a difference.

 

[rodneys]

@virtualhope Read through the wiki on r/xxfitness. I think you may be falling prey to some misconceptions, which are negatively impacting your ability to get the change that you want.

First, you cannot sculpt a human body. We are people, not pottery. Using and understanding the correct terminology is really important. It sounds like what you are looking for is more visible muscle definition. That means you need to decrease your body fat, which isn’t going to be impacted by your workouts.

You said in your post that you “only“ lost 3 pounds in three months with your last cut, but that’s a perfectly healthy and normal rate for somebody our height. As someone else has pointed out, your maintenance calories are extremely low for your described level of exercise. That suggests you may not have an accurate maintenance number, you have a health issue that’s causing a very slow metabolism, or you’re not counting your calories correctly. Using a TDEE spreadsheet or an app like MacroFactor can be really helpful to make sure that you have the correct maintenance number and you are correctly recording all of your calories. You also have to use other measures such as progress pictures. It is very possible that some of the weight you lost on your last cut was muscle, which would have decreased your muscle definition. You can’t have muscle definition without muscle. Most people are not going to be able to maintain muscle under 1500 cal.

The human body doesn’t build visible muscle differently from different workouts. Switching from weightlifting to something like Pilates isn’t going to change the way your muscle looks. You may just lose strength and have less muscle, but there isn’t different kinds of visible muscle. It all looks the same. I think it would be really beneficial to just focus on your diet right now instead of changing up your workout if you enjoy the types of workouts that you’re doing.

If you ultimately decide that you would prefer to have less muscle, then you could try changing up your workouts. At that point you would have to decide whether it was worth it for you to change a work out that you love in order to get a specific appearance. I personally prefer the way my body looked when I was lifting five times a week, but currently I’m focusing more on yoga because that’s what I enjoy more.

 

[virtualhope]

Also how would my workouts need to change?