Can I do CrossFit and still look soft?
half_moon
Posts: 807 Member
I have recently started CrossFit and I love it very much. The workouts push me and are really varied. Two weeks and already a few pounds down!
So for inspiration, I decided to research CrossFit Before and After pictures. They were amazing, but I started to see a trend. (*braces herself for backlash...*)
Their arms and shoulders looked bulky. They looked strong, but their abs squared out their torso. Their traps were snaking along their shoulders. They had Olympian bodies. Which is great! If that is what you are looking for.
(Just look up "20 hottest girls of CrossFit" to see what I mean.)
Is there a way to still do CrossFit but not bulk up? Or-- let me clarify-- keep a layer of fat between the muscle and the skin to remain soft? And the broad shoulders... I'd wish to avoid that.
Anyone have luck modifying their WODs to get a softer toned body, or have any advice for me? The CrossFit box I am at currently incorporates a lot of cardio already, so I am unsure how to modify.
So for inspiration, I decided to research CrossFit Before and After pictures. They were amazing, but I started to see a trend. (*braces herself for backlash...*)
Their arms and shoulders looked bulky. They looked strong, but their abs squared out their torso. Their traps were snaking along their shoulders. They had Olympian bodies. Which is great! If that is what you are looking for.
(Just look up "20 hottest girls of CrossFit" to see what I mean.)
Is there a way to still do CrossFit but not bulk up? Or-- let me clarify-- keep a layer of fat between the muscle and the skin to remain soft? And the broad shoulders... I'd wish to avoid that.
Anyone have luck modifying their WODs to get a softer toned body, or have any advice for me? The CrossFit box I am at currently incorporates a lot of cardio already, so I am unsure how to modify.
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Many of those pictures you are looking at are crossfit athletes that workout as their main occupation. They WANT to look like that. In order for you to look like that you are going to have to have an incredibly regimented workout and nutrition plan. 3 or 4 WOD's a week isn't going to do it.
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brandi9172 wrote: »Many of those pictures you are looking at are crossfit athletes that workout as their main occupation. They WANT to look like that. In order for you to look like that you are going to have to have an incredibly regimented workout and nutrition plan. 3 or 4 WOD's a week isn't going to do it.
This.
They don't just do CrossFit. And then there is the element of diet. These people work to add muscle and to stay lean.
If you want to look soft, keep your bodyfat at a higher percentage. The defined look comes with lower bodyfat levels.0 -
Well, of course the "20 hottest ladies of CrossFit" are going to look like that, because that's kind of the CrossFit/bodybuilding ideal to a certain extent. What do the women who go to your gym, who have been going to your gym for awhile, look like? That's probably a better guide of what YOU can expect, even if it's not perfect.
And of course, you will maintain a "softer" look simply by eating enough to maintain a slightly higher body fat percentage, but you might still gain the muscle bulk underneath that I gather you don't want. Or you could eat below/at maintenance and not build muscle (although, still, newbie gains and all, and recomp over time if you stick with CrossFit).
It does sound, though, like you're wanting more the type of body that people tend to get from diet plus yoga/barre/Pilates classes more than CrossFit and something lifting-intensive? Maybe look into that?0 -
I considered the fact that they are athletes too -- and you're right; probably not a great example. The women at my box are all randomly giantly tall. So it is difficult to tell. But mostly athletic, square bodies.
I did try barre a few years ago and ironically was pissy because they said you won't bulk up by doing their workouts (cue me: "girls don't bulk without supplements!" etc). Now that the fear of bulking is something I am admitting to, I may look into it again, but it really didn't hold my interest like CrossFit does. The community and competition and achievement are so fun! I've just always been known for my curves and am kind of afraid of losing them completely.0 -
I agree with @3dogsrunning and @brandi9172 - plus to add those girls might even have a genetic predisposition to develop muscle/look a certain way, so it's not necessarily the result you could expect even if you copied their intense workout and diet regimes to the letter. Much like most of us will never compete in the Olympics, even if we had had access to their training teams and facilities from primary school.
You would have to really put the hours in over a long period of time to develop enough muscle to have the look you're not keen on, so it won't sneak up on you. Odds are, a couple of months to a year down the line, you'll just look like a slightly more athletic version of yourself! Glad you found something active that you enjoy so much.0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »If you want to look soft, keep your bodyfat at a higher percentage. The defined look comes with lower bodyfat levels.
Sorry to sound like such a noob-- but how do I keep my body fat higher? Not cut as many calories? Or simply keep a few sugars and fats in my diet?
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3dogsrunning wrote: »If you want to look soft, keep your bodyfat at a higher percentage. The defined look comes with lower bodyfat levels.
Sorry to sound like such a noob-- but how do I keep my body fat higher? Not cut as many calories? Or simply keep a few sugars and fats in my diet?
Eat more. Don't lose as much weight.
What an awesome solution.
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3dogsrunning wrote: »If you want to look soft, keep your bodyfat at a higher percentage. The defined look comes with lower bodyfat levels.
Sorry to sound like such a noob-- but how do I keep my body fat higher? Not cut as many calories? Or simply keep a few sugars and fats in my diet?
You should already have fats in your diet, they're essential to good health.0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »If you want to look soft, keep your bodyfat at a higher percentage. The defined look comes with lower bodyfat levels.
Sorry to sound like such a noob-- but how do I keep my body fat higher? Not cut as many calories? Or simply keep a few sugars and fats in my diet?
Don't cut as many calories.0 -
I have recently started CrossFit and I love it very much. The workouts push me and are really varied. Two weeks and already a few pounds down!
So for inspiration, I decided to research CrossFit Before and After pictures. They were amazing, but I started to see a trend. (*braces herself for backlash...*)
Their arms and shoulders looked bulky. They looked strong, but their abs squared out their torso. Their traps were snaking along their shoulders. They had Olympian bodies. Which is great! If that is what you are looking for.
(Just look up "20 hottest girls of CrossFit" to see what I mean.)
Is there a way to still do CrossFit but not bulk up? Or-- let me clarify-- keep a layer of fat between the muscle and the skin to remain soft? And the broad shoulders... I'd wish to avoid that.
Anyone have luck modifying their WODs to get a softer toned body, or have any advice for me? The CrossFit box I am at currently incorporates a lot of cardio already, so I am unsure how to modify.
yes, stop eating at a deficit when you get to your desired bodyfat %... simple...0 -
Haha. I've been waiting for years for someone to prescribe that to me!
Right now I aspire to 1500 calories/day. No paleo for me -- Luna bars, salads, fruits, chicken sandwiches, the occasional Popsicle.
I still need to shred off the fat I have now, but perhaps when I get closer to my goal I will increase my caloric intake.
As far as the reps and lifting done at the gym...? Should I avoid those, or do more reps vs more weight etc?
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I have a friend who has done CrossFit religiously for 3 years. When she goes on vacation, she visits a local CrossFit to keep up with her workouts.
She doesn't look bulky or super muscular. She looks... regular. Actually, at the moment she looks 6.5 months pregnant, because she is.
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Why don't you do Crossfit until you like the way you look and then quit for something less strenuous? People change their diets to some degree in "maintenance." The same can be done with exercise.
In my opinion, your words indicate that you are sabotaging a solution to one problem by imagining another one. If you really need to lose fat, then lose it and worry about when you should stop later. If you got "bulky" somehow it would take two weeks to make it go away.0 -
Why don't you do Crossfit until you like the way you look and then quit for something less strenuous? People change their diets to some degree in "maintenance." The same can be done with exercise.
In my opinion, your words indicate that you are sabotaging a solution to one problem by imagining another one. If you really need to lose fat, then lose it and worry about when you should stop later. If you got "bulky" somehow it would take two weeks to make it go away.
there's no need to stop when OP gets to the desired bodyfat... just eat more to maintain that level...0 -
There's also something of a genetic predisposition to do that. I have wide shoulders and slightly heavier musculature on them my whole life. Since I was little, people have commented on this - mostly in an up-beat fashion, but it's been a thing. At my lower weights and body fat % I wear a size 12 suit jacket and a size 6 pants. And the suit jacket isn't because of my chest. It's my shoulders. And my exercises for many years were swimming and ballet. No weights. No crossfit. My shoulders look bulkier than other womens' without me even trying
On the up side. Lifting hasn't really made that worse. It's just the way I've always been. I suspect that if you like the way you look now, the crossfit isn't going to change that in a negative way. And if you have a tendency to bulk up fast, you'd probably already be aware of it.0 -
All the women at the local crossfit gyms look pretty normal to me. My cousin has been doing crossfit for as long as I have been doing bodybuilding and she doesn't have that bulky look.
I've been working on building mass and trying to look bulky for 3 years. It's been a lot of work and I'm not even close to looking bulky.0 -
Nobody suddenly wakes up one day and looks like one of the 20 Hottest Girls of CrossFit. That's not something that happens by accident. You will have plenty of warning (like, months to years) that you are approaching that level of muscularity and athleticism. If you start to notice that you are getting too muscular in one area, like your shoulders, back off training that area. At that point, you'll be familiar enough with your training and lifting in general to be able to adjust (or you can talk to the trainers at your gym and they can help you).0
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Agree with the last 2 ladies - you do not get ripped by accident. I have been working out with weights for years and I have definition but I am not "bulky". Although once you start getting definition you might get a little hooked on it I am a little bigger in the arms and legs than I thought I would be comfortable with but I am really loving it! 0
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Th women at my Crossfit box mostly Have th look you're after. you don't accidently look like top level athletes... You have to diliberatly work for that look.
And no, your normal WODs won't accidently give you that look.0 -
You have to go out of your way to wind up looking muscular and "bulky" there are probably women you walk past every day that are runners- cross fitters and lifters that look like regular average people in their street clothes.
You're fine.
Go do cross fit. When you start not liking what you look like come back to us and update- I'll wait around for it.
Then just eat more.0 -
I totally agree with the other posters. The women in my box that look a bit more muscular compete in Strong Women competitions. This is all this do in thier spare time and they are also following a VERY specialized diet. The rest who've been around for a while just look lean and fantastic and I'm aiming in thier direction. If by some miracle you have the genetics of Arnold Schwartzenager and you do begin to bulk up too much maybe just back off the weights and eat more carbs. However I highly doubt that will happen. All us ladies need to stop freaking out about getting bulky for real!0
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Haha thanks for all of your comforting words! I probably had a freak out moment since I finally found something I really like. If I end up like Arnold, I'll be sure to update everyone. 0
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Erm... I don't think that's really true. Some of us maintain muscle mass for a very long time after stopping heavy exercise.
My CrossFit experience is basically that, if you don't subscribe to Paleo strictly (and probably supplement at least a little bit,) you're really unlikely to "bulk up" unless your system is already prone to that. There are certainly women who bulk up but most of us are built to maintain that soft layer.
Many women are hesitant to join CrossFit for exactly the same concerns you're voicing, and my box is pretty clear about what kind of gains to expect for women and what it would take to become that solid and well-defined. If you're not forcing yourself into a deficit to cut weight, you'll most likely maintain the softer feeling/appearance.
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So priapism is a side effect of crossfit?0
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Erm... I don't think that's really true. Some of us maintain muscle mass for a very long time after stopping heavy exercise.
My CrossFit experience is basically that, if you don't subscribe to Paleo strictly (and probably supplement at least a little bit,) you're really unlikely to "bulk up" unless your system is already prone to that. There are certainly women who bulk up but most of us are built to maintain that soft layer.
Many women are hesitant to join CrossFit for exactly the same concerns you're voicing, and my box is pretty clear about what kind of gains to expect for women and what it would take to become that solid and well-defined. If you're not forcing yourself into a deficit to cut weight, you'll most likely maintain the softer feeling/appearance.
Paleo is not required to "bulk up". The vast majority of people who "bulk up", by which I assume you mean add muscle mass and possibly lean out, do not follow paleo.
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I am cutting and counting calories while I train to lose weight. I'm doing simple MFP Calories in/Calories out, and watching my fats and sugars. Aside from that, my diet has for the most part remained unchanged.0
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Do the Crossfit and have fun. Everybody seems to think that it is easy to transform a body and if you touch a barbell new muscle appears.
If that were the case, i would be the incredible hulk with all the exercise and sports I have done. I am not. I suppose I am rather lean for someone my age. But I certainly have not found that, with a year of effort, or two years, or more, that I have grown bulging biceps and/or thighs that rip my jeans.0 -
I finally met the fourth coach at my gym. She is a short girl with very thin structure and arms. She is powerful-- did several pull ups while calmly talking and smiling at us. She is strong. She told me after class that she has in fact been TRYING to bulk up with no luck. She said that for women you have to be really trying to bulk. And she has been doing CrossFit religiously (like I said, she is a coach) for two years.
She did say that some women have muscles that look bigger, and body shapes that look broader, which could give a bulky look once the fat shed away. But she also said if I get to that point she can help me readjust me goals and lifting to get the look I want.
I found a great place to work out! She also said worrying about bulk is a very common fear for women first getting into CrossFit.0
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