I want a ballerina body

MSeel1984

So...I've never been "willowy" or very slender. I've always been slim but curvaceous. (size 6 pants, x-small-medium tops depending on the store. usually small-medium).

I'm working out routinely but I am having a hard time with strength training to build lean muscle. I do NOT want to be bulky at all. I am aiming for a willowy, slender but toned body...

Anybody have advice on how to accomplish this? I have done pilates (admittedly not as routinely as I do cardio) and that seems to hurt the next day, which means it's doing something...

Just wondered if anyone out there had some good tips

http://media.photobucket.com/image/ballerina body/diana_fan_2/6fd48c4eaf_8323810_o2.jpg

vim_n_vigor

Take up ballet?

roachhaley

it is very hard for women to get bulky. you simply dont have the testosterone levels. so dont worry about that

wtfusernameisnttaken

Taking Dance classes is a fantastic way to tone/gain muscle without getting bulky. The stretches alone are worth it.

ZoeyRobinson

Lifting weights will not make you bulky. Women do not have enough testosterone to make them bulky. So I would suggest some weight lifting.

A group of us on here are doing the "Butt Bible" workout. I have done hundreds of workouts and this is the best one at transforming the body.

There are 3 levels. First level is 20 min, second is 30 min and the last level is 40 minutes.

You do Lower Body, Upper Body, Cardio, repeat and the last day you rest.

The woman can get annoying but it is really worth the 6 week commitment. All you need is a pair of dumbbells. And at first I was only using 3 pounds because I have horrible wrists. I hope you like it. And good luck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcNxaXb5Ews&list=PL5B92B5F4EA6B88B1&index=1&feature=plpp_video

wtfusernameisnttaken

You could also try the Jillian Michael's DVD's.... Yoga's good too... OH! And ZUMBA!

sammyjbray

My daughter does ballet, they are not as slender as they look. There are some serious muscles in the leg department. She won't go much further though, as many of her peers now starve themselves to try and get a concave tummy. Not happening here!

vypeters

Unfortunately, to some extent your body type is your body type. I'd love to have slender legs, but I have Mary Lou Retton legs instead. I wear size 6 or 8 bootcut jeans, have 18.5% body fat and need wide calf boots. My daughter has a Jennifer Lopez butt and big boobs but slender legs. You can ditch the fat, but you can't change your basic body type.

That said, if you're not taking steroids lifting won't make you bulky.

ninerbuff

Take up ballet?

THIS. Not to mention lots of ballet dancers have eating disorders.

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

mercymarque

Denise Austin Pilates

RenovatingSuzanne

Like others have said, work with your body type. You may want to try a Barre class or even a Barre youtube workout, I can recommend a good one if you're interested. It's part cardio, strength training, ballet and pilates. I've been doing it for about 3 weeks and I'm already noticing a difference in my legs and bum

fit_librarian

I love these videos/downloads. They are pilates-based, but still very effective in creating a long, lean shape.

http://leahsaragofitness.com/

Yanicka1

Ballet dancer are the results of their genetic disposition and training.

I am 4'11" and built wide and muscular....no amout of training will change that.

amandamay83

Unfortunately, to some extent your body type is your body type. I'd love to have slender legs, but I have Mary Lou Retton legs instead. I wear size 6 or 8 bootcut jeans, have 18.5% body fat and need wide calf boots. My daughter has a Jennifer Lopez butt and big boobs but slender legs. You can ditch the fat, but you can't change your basic body type.

That said, if you're not taking steroids lifting won't make you bulky.

I'm with her. You can't really change your basic body type. I can lose all the weight I want, but I am never going to have an Audrey Hepburn figure. I will always have an *kitten* and boobs.

contingencyplan

A willowy body comes from being naturally built that way. If it isn't you, it's best to not attempt to get it because you will eventually drive yourself to unhealthy means. It is imporant you instead focus on being the best "YOU" that you can be.

Rae6503

Ballerinas are very lean, probably naturally slender and tall. If you've never had this body type, chances are it's NOT your body type. You have to work with what you have. Learn to love the body you have, and make it the best it can be, which probably won't look like anyone else.

chivalryder

Dancing (like ballet) is actually the best full-body workout you can possibly do! Not only do you have to be extremely flexible, but you also have to be STRONG! Dancers actually have a LOT of muscle, but as you can see, the girls are never bulky. They're very, very toned. They wouldn't be able to do all the crazy things they do if they were all skin and bone.

secretlobster

If you want the body type of a certain person, emulate what they do. Take up ballet.

But, if a willowy body type is not in your genetic makeup, and you struggle too hard to achieve this, your health will probably suffer in some way or another. The ballet dancers for whom a "willowy, slender" body type is not natural have often ended up achieving it through disordered eating. I just hope you're not willing to sacrifice your health if a willowy body is not in the cards for you.

FireTigerSoul

Ballet Beautiful DVD/streaming video workouts by Mary Helen Bowers - www.balletbeautiful.com

I LOVE her workouts. I've always had huge thighs, but after a few weeks of BB, I noticed my thighs look smaller. I've also gained quite a bit of strength. I can feel the muscles in my legs now...and that's a good thing! Ballerinas have nicely toned muscles...don't worry about 'bulking'.

hottottie11

Genetics play a big part. You can't expect to have a "slender, willowy" body if you don't have the genes for it. It's not fair to aspire to someone else's body type. Focus on having the best body for YOUR body type.

I'll never be "slim and slender". I'm predisposed to have more lean mass for my height. I'll never have the body of a slender model. Therefore I'll never use it as a guide to my goals. Body of a track star, however, oh yea:glasses:

MichelleLydia

As someone who preprofessionally danced for all of my childhood/teenage years for 50+ hrs. a week, I can tell you it's all about your body type. I never had the ballerina body. That being said, I was in amazing shape. Ballet is all about control of your body. At all times your tummy is sucked in, butt in and down, neck high. It's a lot of bending (so squats would be great), your arms are always engaged, and you have to control each and every muscle in your body.

ClareRae

I was in ballet when I was younger. I would love to take it again, not because I was skinny (I wasn't) or even because I was good at it (I wasn't) but I really enjoyed it.

blonde71

A willowy body comes from being naturally built that way. If it isn't you, it's best to not attempt to get it because you will eventually drive yourself to unhealthy means. It is imporant you instead focus on being the best "YOU" that you can be.

^^^^This. I long to be voluptuous and curvy but I'm not built like that. I have more of an athletic build. You can definitely "fine-tune" things about your physique but at the end of the day, genetics does play a role...like it or not.

MonkeyBars

Take up ballet?

I know "Vim_n_vigor" seems blunt, but she's spot on

I've been modifying my body between a gymnast & fighter, what did I do?
I dropped a weight class & started including gymnastic routines and stopped lifting heavy.

I think it's working, but then that's me

If you don't want the class and you're confident in your ability and knowledge of exercise, "steal" what you can from the internet
But...many techniques could put you in danger without good guidance!
Don't join a beginners class with a bunch of 4 year olds, go and pay for privates and see how you get on
Those dancers are STRONG!

or you could just focus on your "core", improve your core, improve your composition (reduce your fat % & increase your muscle mass). you will not become bulky. lb for lb, muscle takes up considerably less space then fat. you'll be lithe

you can find your own way or ask for tips from MFP, get a hard nosed ballet teacher or even a "quality" PT instructor

if you're really interested in doing this, please friend me as I'd love to track your progress. I reckon with the right diet, rest, training you could see results within 6 weeks and reach your goals if you write them down

Good luck!
ps
remember, you may be limited by certain genetics (apple/pear/hourglass/tube)

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBAfBT-P1PdVqsaLALnQsNC1hXtWN_UDIuzwvI3SfY9CUbbViJxDdhBJFPYg

thefullmontysmom

I found 2 great DVD's on amazon that I can do at home so I am not as embarassed. Beginners balet, and balet conditioning...they are great and man do you feel it after!

MSeel1984

Thanks all for the great advice. Ballet lessons it is...anyone know offhand if there's a ballet group on here?

melisha922

OP: I actually get what you're saying. The workouts you choose do impact the way your body bulks. Case in point, my sister who is in fantastic shape and is on a college swimming scholarship has huge shoulders due to the amount of swimming she does. This is typical of swimmers. Certain activities tend to build up different parts of the body which can cause it to look bulkier in those areas. Like you, I have no desire to look like a weight lifter... more toned and slender. My advice would be yoga, pilates, core-centric workouts, and swimming (if you're not swimming 4 hours a day like my sis you won't get the shoulders ). Good luck!

Ely82010

Unfortunately, to some extent your body type is your body type. I'd love to have slender legs, but I have Mary Lou Retton legs instead. I wear size 6 or 8 bootcut jeans, have 18.5% body fat and need wide calf boots. My daughter has a Jennifer Lopez butt and big boobs but slender legs. You can ditch the fat, but you can't change your basic body type.

That said, if you're not taking steroids lifting won't make you bulky.

Well said!

Ballet is a great exercise, I do ballet once a week, been doing it for a long time and I don't have and I never will have a ballerina body. You need to start dancing at a very early age to get such a slender body, and dance a lot, not just a day or two a week. However, it is genetics what determines out body type.

kalyn_QT

not all ballerinas are tiny..they come in all shapes. . i did it for several years. i had a nice core and legs but i was never super tiny. after i stopped about 3 years ago i put on weight...dancing is definitely a good workout and it is enjoyable. even dancing for 17 years (6 years of competitive) and i always considered myself curvy.

bms34b

Unfortunately, to some extent your body type is your body type. I'd love to have slender legs, but I have Mary Lou Retton legs instead. I wear size 6 or 8 bootcut jeans, have 18.5% body fat and need wide calf boots. My daughter has a Jennifer Lopez butt and big boobs but slender legs. You can ditch the fat, but you can't change your basic body type.

That said, if you're not taking steroids lifting won't make you bulky.

I'm with her. You can't really change your basic body type. I can lose all the weight I want, but I am never going to have an Audrey Hepburn figure. I will always have an *kitten* and boobs.

Same! This goes for ballerinas, too. I got to a conservatory of music and dance, and while I'm on the music side, the dansers have all kinds of body shapes and while they're all in really superior shape, some of them still are really big. It's body type. If you try to avoid hard exercises because you think it will make you bulky, you probably won't see much progress. I suggest reading New Rules of Lifting for Women...it will totally change the way you think about exercise.

Front_Runner

I totally agree with all the comments so far - especially the ones about "body type." Still, I want to add another suggestion that may help you achieve long lean muscle. Look into a Bar Class - for example "Karve (located in Arizona & Utah, I think), "Bar Method" (all over U.S.) or "Dailey Method." Also - a good Pilates class and even a good Yoga class (i.e. Asthanga) will help you provide similar results with dedication! Good luck - and most important - Be Strong & Healthy! )