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

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  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    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.
    14% is the body fat of an ELITE female athlete. Honestly I look at your physique and guess you around 21% body fat. Females usually have 6 packs at 16%-18% body fat. So whatever method you're using, it's probably not accurate.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Instead of "guessing" by eyeballing you could just read her profile to see she checks in at 15%. Can you really eyeball BF%?

    Yes. Actually at lower BF%'s it is one of the most accurate methods, since definition is a function of BF%.

    Niner is spot-on. There are a couple fitness models at my gym and right now they're in competition mode with a fully on 6-pack, VERY defined deltoids, biceps, triceps, and even in the traps. Although the poster is lean, she's definitely not in the 14% range.
  • coopersmom2006
    coopersmom2006 Posts: 839
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    I want to be a mixture of both. Lean with nice definition but not crazy veiny muscles.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    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!! :-)

    The body will adapt to whichever activity you set it to do. This is why long distance runners are lean and sprinters are much more muscular, why swimmers are extremely powerful in the shoulder, arms and lats areas and why cyclists have powerful legs.

    Those that do bodybuilding are that way because of the way they train and eat.

    Unfortunately, it would be a peculiar physique to have if you were a marathon runner but looked like Arnold. That particular body would not be suitable for its intended activity.

    What really matters is what YOU consider best and when you decide you may have to cut right down on either running or weights due to desiring a certain build.

    Personally, I do a lot of running and compete in 5ks and within the next few months up to 10k and then half marathons, therefore my body will take on the shape of the training that I do - which is lots of running.
  • Ironphoenix
    Ironphoenix Posts: 36
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    Can't one be both? Lean and muscular, I mean...

    Yes you can :) just takes time. Take a look at the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner. Sprinters are very very lean and have excellent muscle definition. Female body builders and fitness models are all lean and muscular. You cant however build muscle if your consistently long distance running.

    Personally Id favour strong and lean because I think its much sexier :)
  • Ironphoenix
    Ironphoenix Posts: 36
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    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.
    14% is the body fat of an ELITE female athlete. Honestly I look at your physique and guess you around 21% body fat. Females usually have 6 packs at 16%-18% body fat. So whatever method you're using, it's probably not accurate.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Instead of "guessing" by eyeballing you could just read her profile to see she checks in at 15%. Can you really eyeball BF%?

    Yes. Actually at lower BF%'s it is one of the most accurate methods, since definition is a function of BF%.

    Niner is spot-on. There are a couple fitness models at my gym and right now they're in competition mode with a fully on 6-pack, VERY defined deltoids, biceps, triceps, and even in the traps. Although the poster is lean, she's definitely not in the 14% range.

    Im a personal trainer and I can "eye ball" a persons body fat before I even measure it for them. The more you do the more you get used to being accurate. 14% is low even for competition standards. Being thin doesn't mean you have low body fat! This person would have yo be training and have their nutrition on point to be anywhere close.

    Also many anorexics have high body fat readings! I do however think she looks beautiful as she is whatever body fat she is and does not need to worry about it unless she wants to compete. x
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If you are asking for personal opinions on what looks better, I prefer a firm but not muscular look. Both men and women can get too "muscley" for my taste. But I'm not overly fond of the ultra thin marathon runner look either. Somewhere in between is my prefernce. Some muscle definitely, but not body-builder muscle. Not cut or ripped.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    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.

    ^^^^^ this!

    You can have both, do both on the same day so you get good rest days in between!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Whatever YOU prefer. Hate it when guys or girls tell a woman how to look, esp when they train. You don't often get people telling overweight people how to look, don't know why people feel they can tell slim shapely women how to look either!
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    I prefer my own body to be lean and strong (not where I am right now but getting there!) because my main love and focus is yoga. It works against me to have muscles which are too bulky if I am trying to wrap my arms through my legs, but it does pay me to be exceptionally strong so I can acheive the more extreme poses in the first place.

    I prefer to perform own bodyweight exercises so I am training my body to hold its own weight rather than handling an external force. I do supplement bodyweight exercises with some dumbell moves.

    But yeah - lean and strong is my preference for myself and also what I like to see in others if I'm honest.

    I would never tell anyone else what they should be. We are all blank canvasses and it is up to us what we put there.
  • Be_EmbracE
    Be_EmbracE Posts: 1,472 Member
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    Hmmm very interesting thread.. :)
    I would love to have lean, strong, muscular and preferably nice definition cutting if possible. Wow! U trainer blow my mind just by look.. Gonna ask around than ;p.
    Hope to have 17-18% BF if possible though to work at.. Hope to still retain my curve haha..
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    I do both--i never gave up running when I started lifting. I didn't find it necessary and it works for me. I've built tremendous muscle mass and strength but I've maintained my endurance. Now--I truly believe this is a byproduct of genetics--a lot of people find that their strength goals are completely obliterated with long distance running.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    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.
    14% is the body fat of an ELITE female athlete. Honestly I look at your physique and guess you around 21% body fat. Females usually have 6 packs at 16%-18% body fat. So whatever method you're using, it's probably not accurate.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Not always--even at 12% body fat I didn't have a 6 pack--flat stomach but no six pack. I can't get the ripples. Sucks.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
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    I am going for the fit ballerina body. I want to be able to run a 5k, but not at any elite level, just run without stopping the whole 5k. I do light dumb bells with a barre 3 video every day, walk a lot and now that the Texas Weather is fall, will get back into Couch to 5k training next weekend. (I just can't run in the heat) I am 54 years old and want to make my fitness routine sustainable no matter what my finances or age is for the next 50 years!

    I want to keep my body fat at or below 19%.

    I think all the various fit body types look great - as long as the person is happy and smiles. I don't think one is better than the other.

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