Thin and lean or muscular and strong--which is better?

Carrie3B

Hi--I'm kind at a crossroads with my fitness and although I know it's a "personal preference", I was wondering your opinion. A little background--I started back to the gym last Dec and started going to bootcamp several times a week as well as other cardio/strength training classes. I also took up running and started increasing my miles (usually ran around 7-10 miles, 3 times a week). I decided to give up bootcamp and focus on the running for a few months. My weight got down but I felt like I had lost a lot of the muscle that I had built. Recently, I started weight training (heavier--or at least heavy for me) with a personal trainer and I love it. I can see more definition and I'm getting stronger.

My question/problem--I feel like the long distance running and weight training are kind of at odds with each other. Running tends to make me lean but no real muscle and weight lifting makes me strong but BIGGER. Note that I am only 5'2 and have always been petite--I don't love the idea of my legs and butt getting bigger. And believe me, they HAVE! I tried on some jeans that have always fit (even when I weighed 10 pounds more) and my legs were squeezed in them. I know it's muscle but I have always liked the leaner/thinner look.

Which do you think is better--lean or strong???

Thanks!! :-)

Princess_Sameen

I love muscular and strong....but I handle great big horses...so being lean with no strength wouldnt work for me.
Too be far you can do both do running three times a week and lifting twice. You can have the best of both worlds. My borther runs and does weights. I use to weight train and dance

probably doesnt help lol :flowerforyou:

impyimpyaj

What do YOU think is better? It's your body.

yaddayaddayadda

Can't one be both? Lean and muscular, I mean...

christinehetz80

first of all........good for you for doing both so well! You look AMAZING! I do both. I am training for a half so I run 4 times a week and do stronglifts 3 times per week. I run and do weights on m,w,f so that when I have my "rest" day or yoga day I can recover fully. I don't lose scale weight as fast as I would like, but I am losing body fat so thats all good!!!!!!! For me I LOVE both...and don't want to give up one over the other...whatever my body decides to do to accommodate my activity is what it will do.

ThePhoenixRose

I have always liked the leaner/thinner look.

Think ya answered your own question there... Isn't that all that matters?

dandelion39

Both. You don't have to choose.

sailorsiren13

I'm training for a half and reading "The New Rules of Lifting" why can't you do both? as soon as some of this weight drops off from lifting i'm sure my runs will improve.

fteale

Personally my aim is lean and strong. I don't want to be a weedy girl who can't carry her own suitcases. I need to be able to lift 5 stone of child for a start! But I don't want to look like some of the models I see out there with visible muscles. I guess my ultimate aim most days is to look as good as I can in a dress, but still able to out run any man I know.

pavingnewpaths

I know it's muscle but I have always liked the leaner/thinner look.

I think that's your answer right there

Personally I think it varies depending on the individual. Don't let others opinions alter your own choices.

jennifer52484

I think you can be all four of those with a great diet and workout regimin.
Thin - Low body weight
Lean - Low body fat
Muscular - Low body fat
Strong - when you put all those together.

sjohnny

Can't one be both? Lean and muscular, I mean...

Yes. I think a lot of people around here don't understand the definition of lean. It just means the absence of fat. It has nothing to do with how big your muscles are. This chick is extremely lean

ryno0618

Lean and muscular. The hardest to achieve, imo. I understand the crossroads... I am an avid runner but also into strength, it feels like competing goals and its difficult to do both to their full potential. But I believe it can be done and I'm out to prove it to myself, hope you can do the same! good luck!

sammniamii

Both, I'm trying to still loose a good bit of weight, but I have started adding weight training because I REALLY enjoy feeling strong and powerful, plus now I have the ability to do some of the things I had to differ to my hubby who WAS stronger. (*note the was ;} )

It all comes down to how you want to feel. If you have lost a good part of the weight you wanted to drop, then work on the ST/WT, with some cardo in the background. If you haven't, then maybe cardo first w/ less ST/WT.

michellelemorgan

I think both together are best.

guapogringo

I personally like ladies who are thin and lean witth a tight core. It is all about what you want and what your body will allow. I could never be a power lifter with lots of bulk or mass. My joints couldnt take it anyway. To me i also feel better when i am lighter. I am also quicker. Either look would be great on you however. Cheers!

katemme

I run, my body is starting to burn fat for energy for it. I'd consider myself lean. I'm 5'3" 109# and about 14% body fat.
I do some strength training about 2 times a week, and I'm fairly happy with my physique. I'd say I'm thin and lean. Since I'm a distance runner, strength really isn't too important to me.
If I can lift 150 pounds, that just means I have to help people move couches and stuff, thats why I have a boyfriend, to do that stuff for me.

skinnylove00

both; thin and lean to me is great but not being able to see visible muscle will be a WASTE of time for me. i like looking down on my arms and seeing muscle...and looking at my legs and seeing muscle....but all over i am a very lean person with muscular attributes.

both is good, leaning toward the muscular side rather than thin side.

blonde71

I'm guessing I'm more lean than muscular - 5'6, 122 lbs., 19% body fat. I'd LOVE to be more muscular but genetically, I can only go so far but I do lift weights and that's helped to make me not look so wiry, lol.

emtron500

I have serious doubts about people saying that both is possible. Heavy long distance running training will make it extremely difficult to make/maintain serious muscle gains. Strength isn't necessarily linked to the size of the muscle, though. I would recommend the book The 4 Hour Body, as he goes into great detail about the different types of muscle growth and how to achieve both - specifically read the chapters called Occam's Protocol (how to get a very muscular appearance, basically) and Effortless Superhuman (how to make huge strength gains without screwing up your athletic training or bulking up). As far as what kind of fit appearance you want - totally up to you! I think both look great.

Tat2dDom624

I'd rather be lean AND strong. Preferably the physique of a fighter.