do the type of exercises matter in accordance to body shape??

Hi everyone,

Although I haven't lost any weight, I've been noticing an increase in muscle. While I don't mind muscle increase, I've been seeing it most prominently in my thighs, which I had wanted to slim down by burning fat.

I was surfing online today to see what type of exercises are most suitable to me, and I came across a site that lists exercises certain body types are supposed to avoid. My measurements are: 34-27-35. I'm pretty sure I'm a spoon shape because I carry a lot of weight in my hips and thighs, and I've struggled with large thighs even when I was in shape. (I'm 5'3" so I look rather squat with these measurements.)

The sites I've visited have all warned against resistance training, weights and ellipiticals for spoon shapes.. which is a significant portion of what I do for exercise!

At the same time, I've heard that as long as you maintain a calorie deficit, it is impossible to bulk up.

Does it matter what type of exercises I do if I want more slender, toned legs??

For the record, here's the site I came across: http://www.enotalone.com/article/5791.html

I think it's funny you consider yourself rather squat with your measurements. I am also 5'3" but my measurements (when I was more in shape, weighing about 140) were 36-28-40. I am a pear shape. Based on your measurements I would say that you are much closer to an hourglass! Although, I understand that if you feel your legs are big, you may think you are closer to a spoon or pear shape. I also have larger legs, but mine are very muscular from sports. I find that large legs can look very nice if they are toned well and don't just flop around from extra weight.

As far as exercises that slim your legs, your best bet is to focus on exercises that do not focus on using your thighs. For instance, jogging would be better for slimming your legs than doing squats or leg presses, or even bicycling! Chances are your legs will always seem large, but you can do some things to prevent from "bulking up".

If you lose weight in general, you will slim down all over your body. Focusing more on your abs and upper body may help your legs to slim down without becoming "bulky" from being worked out.

I don't know if it matters based on body shape. Good luck with your exercising!

Thanks for the advice!

I always have a hard time finding jeans that fit because they'll either be too tight at the thighs and just right at the hips, or too large at the hips and just right at the thighs! I guess because of that, I've always considered myself a pear/spoon.

I'll definitely lay off the squats and lunges now, and spend a little more time on the treadmill. Hopefully, I'll be able to lose weight overall. Thanks again!

Sometimes you look 'bulkier' because you're gaining muscle in some places but losing fat in others. Your body loses its easy fat first (Seriously, in my first week, my fingers got slimmer and nothing else), and the thigh area loses much later on a lot of people. So your legs are holding extra muscle with the same fat as before, but it will balance out.

Its pretty difficult for most women to bulk up without really trying. Because of everything from hormones to calorie deficit. At this point, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Focus on stamina instead of strength for your legs (long distance runners have much slimmer legs than sprinters).

minda_spk,

Thanks for the advice. I'm really stressing out because I've been gaining weight and not losing any inches. I just saw a 3 pound spike in my weight, which I'm hoping is due to my period.

I'll try keeping up the cardio, and I'll definitely work on stamina instead! That's a good idea, and after reading your comment, I realized have been working on resistance far too much.