This may be a silly question. However I'm starting a workout to tone my legs and MAJORLY build my glutes. LOL! So I plan to squat heavy for the added size. However, I want abs too. I know I need to get rid of the belly fat for the abs to show, but I don't want to get too skinny. I'm a girl by the way. I'm already 36-27-38 (5 feet 7 inches 139 lbs). Just trying to get more defined curves. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanx!!!!
2007-11-30 09:19:49 · 19 answers · asked by stldiva22 2 in Health ➔ Diet & Fitness
being skinny has nothing to do with being lean and having low body fat. in reality most skinny people have average levels of body fat or higher because they lack sufficient muscle mass. just like most people that have very low BMI's (less than 20) have a high percentage of body fat because they lack sufficient muscle mass.
2007-11-30 09:27:28 · answer #1 · answered by lv_consultant 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
No, you most certainly do not. Don't confuse skinny with being lean. You can be skinny and have high body fat or you can be lean and height/weight charts might say you are overweight.
For abs to show you'd probably need to have about 15%-18% body fat. Don't go under 12%-15% body fat though or this can cause health problems.
2007-11-30 17:40:33 · answer #2 · answered by : ) 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um, to show muscle you have to have low fat which will also make you look skinnier. But, if you build up muscle, it won't look like the sickly skinny way models look, more like an athlete, look up some Olympic player, or athlete photos if you want an idea of what a low body fat person looks like with some muscle.
edit* also, you can't gain muscle and starve yourself at the same time, i don't think you would but just to make sure i'm saying it, some people starve and work out allot and just end up getting themselves killed.
2007-11-30 17:28:55 · answer #3 · answered by Emily 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No - a muscular, shapely woman can have a low body fat percentage. Body fat percentage is just that - the percent of your body that is fat. So if you increase the non-fat (muscle) part of your body, or decrease the fat part of your body, your body fat percentage will go down either way. (And the 18% figure given above is false - that's the very bottom end of normal for a woman, not the average.)
2007-11-30 17:25:02 · answer #4 · answered by Beth 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
WELL--- 139 and 5'7 isn't exactly over weight-
so i wouldn't label yourself as not skinny... you are fricken awesomely healthy!
But, you can have a low body fat percentage, if you increase your muscles to fat ratio. Working out, and ingesting proteins will do this.
But the muscle will turn into fat, when you stop your work out routine for an extended period of time.
And working out won't make you loose your boobs, and unless you "booty" is really fatty, much of it won't change either, just firm up.
Good luck! and keep up the good work.
Check you BMI online. google it!
2007-11-30 17:24:41 · answer #5 · answered by kaddykat 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Muscle tissue is heavier and denser than fat cells. Unless you get lipo, fat cells only shrink - you can not get rid of them or burn them. You cannot convert fat to muscle - you can only add muscle and shrink fat cells. Therefore, you may technically weigh more, but be thinner and healthier and have an inflated body fat percentage. I agree with the above - a woman's standard (normal) body fat range in great shape is between 17.5% and 22.5% (A man's is 7.5% to 12.5%).
2007-11-30 17:24:57 · answer #6 · answered by CNuxoll 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't think you have to be built like a stick to have low body fat, you just have to gain muscle. However, in order to do that, you might start to see your curves disappear. your booty and boobs are made up of fat, if you want to keep those assets the I would focus the main part of your workouts to be for your legs, back and stomach.
2007-11-30 17:24:17 · answer #7 · answered by emerald_wang85 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
from what you say it sounds like your height matches you weight...i can tell that you want muscle..but losing weght doesn't need to happen...mm..but just eat alot of vitamins and protein. i don't think getting too skinny would be a problem either. just pace yourself..AND DO NOT STARVE..because thats bad....you need vitamins. another thing that might happen will you'll GAIN weight. muscle weighs more then body fat, so don't freak when this happens, my sister is 130..and 5'6 or so...but she has alot of muscle in her legs from marching band and in her arms cause she plays trumpet
GOOD LUCK =)
2007-11-30 17:25:36 · answer #8 · answered by Allisandra 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, even with lots of muscle mass you can have low body fat percentage - look at men!
2007-11-30 17:23:10 · answer #9 · answered by Camarogirl67 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Generally, Women should have body fat % btw 15 and 20
2007-11-30 17:23:09 · answer #10 · answered by FinalThought182 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋