What should be the correct goal

samg76124338
samg76124338 Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started

Hi, does anyone know what should be my goal if I want to grow my lower body (legs and butt) without growing my upper body. This is because I have an inverted triangle body shape and my legs are obviously thinner compared to my arms. Should I do calorie surplus or just maintain my weight while focusing on lower body exercises? Thank you!

Answers

  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 2,171 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10950504/what-should-be-the-correct-goal

    I would eat at maintenence and focus on lower body exercises like squats. That being said…your body shape is your body shape. You may be able to even it out a little... but not likely by much. Your body is bigger on the upper half because that's the way it's built. Barring surgery, that's just kinda going to be it's shape. I say this because I used to see other people talk about how to get a tiny waist. I thought "great! I'll do that!!!" I set about trying to get the 24 inch waist that everyone brags about. I'm 5 ft tall, and at one point weighed 80 pounds. And guess what... my waist never got under 28 inches.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,172 Community Helper

    Generally agree with Sollyn: Strength training - seriously challenging but not injurious-level strength training - is the key thing.

    However, whether to stay at maintenance calories or a slight surplus may vary based on some things you didn't tell us. If you're underweight to lower normal weight range, a small calorie surplus is most likely to favor muscle growth alongside the strength program. If you're relatively young and relatively new to strength training, maybe shooting for half a pound a week weight gain would be a starting point to try. If of an age/stage where muscle growth may not be achievable as relatively quickly, maybe more like a hundred calories a day surplus? If high normal weight as a woman, to somewhat overweight, the calorie surplus may be less important.

    That's all theory, though: Experimenting with calorie level for a couple of months at a time may be a way to figure out what give you the best results.

    Be sure to get good overall nutrition, especially good protein intake, too. Good sleep habits don't hurt, either.

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