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[Sophie]

Going to make this short. It's 12:30 am here and I'm super tired.

Name is Sophie and I'm 19, female. I'm a psychology major and philosophy minor.

I have always enjoyed working out. Will try to add more to this introduction tomorrow.

Welcome Sophie. Glad to have you on our board and I hope you got a great nights sleep!

[Sophie]

Okay, I'm more awake now. Anyway, as I said, I'm 19. I've been exercising, in some form or fashion, since I've been in elementary. I seem to always choose activities that require physical activity.

As for my workout, I do a six day split, 3 days upper, 3 days lower. I also do Tae Bo Get Ripped Advanced (55 mins) twice a week.

[CF-OC_gal]

Welcom Sophie,

I had a look at your photos. Whatever you choose for a goal, you have a great base to start with.

[cursor]

Originally Posted by Sophie

As for my workout, I do a six day split, 3 days upper, 3 days lower. I also do Tae Bo Get Ripped Advanced (55 mins) twice a week.

What are your goals with respect to personal fitness, Sophie?
What does your 6-day split routine look like?

[Sophie]

Goals are basically to slim lower body and build upper body.

Here is my 6 day split: I do three sets for each exercise. 10-15 reps for upper body and 20 reps lower body. Last rep of each set is difficult.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Upper Body)
Assisted Chin Up
Assisted Dips
Lat Pull Down
Shrugs
Front Raise
Curls
Triceps Press
Military Press
Bench Press

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (Lower Body)
Glute Kickback
Leg Press
Hamstring Curl
Toe Lifts
Inner Leg
Outer Leg
Knee Lifts
Obliques

[cursor]

That's 24-27 sets per workout session. My guess is that with the higher rep-range you don't feel a need to perform warm-up sets, right?

Have you considered lifting heavier and lowering your rep-range (perhaps half as many reps)? My guess is that you'd have improved success at body-fat control.

[Sophie]

No, I don't do a warm up set.

If anything I need more body fat, not less. Depending on which is more accurate, skin fold calipers or imepdance, I have 10 or 20% body fat. So let's just say 15%, right in the middle. While it's healthy, it's below "normal."

I've started lifting heavier on upper body, for some exercises. I was doing 3 reps of some exercises and that was to complete muscle fatigue. My foster dad was a weight lifter and he told me high reps and low weight to lean muscle nad higher weight lower reps to bulk up. So that's what I'm attempting to do.

[minime]

hi sophie!

more bodyfat? i havent ever heard of someone wanting that lol! is it with calipers u get 10%? I dont know what 'imepdance' is?

ANyway I would go with lower reps, higher weight - i usually do max reps on everything (legs too) and am thinking of upping the weights and getting into the 4-6 rep range instead. No need to worry bout extra 'bulk' that theory is pure madness

Are u trying to maintain your weight of 107, gain or lose? What kind of diet do u have?

[Sophie]

Yeah, the calipers say 10%. Impedance sends small electrical currents through your body to measure body fat.

My legs are pretty bulky for someone my size. The curse of baton twirling for so many years. From experience I know that higher weights and lower reps makes my legs bigger, which is something I try desperately to avoid.

I'd like to maintain around 105 lbs or so, so 107 lbs is fine. Not really trying to do anything with the weight. What happens, happens. I know I can't lose too much because I was hospitalized for anorexia last summer and do not to return to the anorexic thinking pattern.

As for diet, I eat a lot of pasta and drink a lot of milk. That is the best way to describe my diet. After a workout I'll usually go for something high protein, milk and chicken for example. Again, can't limit myself on my diet too much because of my eating disorder past.

[cursor]

Don't forget fresh veggies and fruits! Whole grains also go a long way toward building and maintaining a healthy body.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by Sophie

My legs are pretty bulky for someone my size. The curse of baton twirling for so many years. From experience I know that higher weights and lower reps makes my legs bigger, which is something I try desperately to avoid.

You've posted a lot of photos so it is easy to see that your shape is what it is because that is your genetic bodystyle. It is from the predisposition for bodyfat storage, not necessarily over-development of one muscle group from exercising (quads). At your age you are probably coming into your own with respect to your adult body which is different from that of your early teens. It's also easy to see that you don't store bodyfat evenly distributed over your body. Nothing can change that. Therefore I think your goal of developing your upper body is a wise one, but that does not mean ignoring your lower body.

If you really don't like the results of low rep ranges on your legs then you could do lower reps for all other muscle groups and stick to 8-12 reps for quad work. As your diet and exercise start to work in harmony you can adjust your rep/set routine.

[Sophie]

Originally Posted by Brat

You've posted a lot of photos so it is easy to see that your shape is what it is because that is your genetic bodystyle. It is from the predisposition for bodyfat storage, not necessarily over-development of one muscle group from exercising (quads). At your age you are probably coming into your own with respect to your adult body which is different from that of your early teens. It's also easy to see that you don't store bodyfat evenly distributed over your body. Nothing can change that. Therefore I think your goal of developing your upper body is a wise one, but that does not mean ignoring your lower body.

If you really don't like the results of low rep ranges on your legs then you could do lower reps for all other muscle groups and stick to 8-12 reps for quad work. As your diet and exercise start to work in harmony you can adjust your rep/set routine.

I know the routine I use for my legs work as my thighs get slimmer after doing it for a few weeks and get larger when I stop doing it.

I don't think my quads, or any muscle, are overdeveloped. I think I have more leg muscle than that averge person my height and weight which is probably from years of exercise that promoted fast twitch muscle development of my thighs.

I have been the same size, give or take a couple inches, and not counting when I was anorexic, for years. My activity seems to influence my size much more than my age does.

I don't know of any person who has evenly distributed body fat. According to this website http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/food-lab/ai/bfc.html I have 14.98% body fat, which they catorgorize as "very low." I do not see body fat as the problem with my thighs, I see muscle composition (fast vs. slow twitch) as the problem.

I've been trying to build my upper body for years. WIth the fractured vertebra and everything that comes with it, it's slow progress, if it's progress at all. That is one reason I want to slim down my lower body. I know I can slim down my lower body but building my upper body has proved to be VERY difficult with my fractured back.

[CF-OC_gal]

For the record, I have evenly distributed bodyfat. When I lose I lose, it's from all over and when I gain it is all over (always have very little butt and lean thighs). It's typical for my genetic type.

Your body fat is very low and your thighs are not a problem. They are what they are. Slimming your lower body is a spot reduction goal. It is not possible for anyone of any body type to spot reduce. You will have a challenge building your upper body, but it is certainly attainable and realistic.

I know the routine I use for my legs work as my thighs get slimmer after doing it for a few weeks and get larger when I stop doing it.

That is exactly what I am saying. You are burning off fat stores when you exercise and storing again when you stop. Working both nutrition and exercise will balance this off perfectly for you. It's not a matter of calorie reduction but rather finding the right balance of fat, carbs, protein and meal timing.

I'm sure you'll do fine. So are you going to start a journal here?

[Sophie]

My thighs are a problem when I cannot find clothes to fit me because my lower body is so out of proportion to my waist. Women's clothes are made for a 10 inch difference between waist and hips, I do not have a 10 inch difference. The greater the difference, the harder it is to find clothes. I also think I look better when I am closer to the 10 inch difference.

Slimming is NOT spot reduction. Spot reduction has to do with losing body fat from a particular area, which is impossible. I want to change muscle composition, not lose any more body fat.

When I was in physical therapy for my back, they told me not to expect much change in my upper body size. I can build arms and shoulders, but my back doesn't seem to build muscle. The winged scapula and broken back combined isn't a good combination for building back muscles.

I keep a skin fold log and my body fat on my thighs does not change much when I'm working out versus when I'm not, a few milimeters at the most which really doesn't change body fat percent that much. I doubt I eat enough to gain much fat when I'm not working out.

The size difference can also be explained by muscle size. When a person stops working out the muscle continue to grows and since it's not being torn down by exercise, it grows faster. Though I'm sure body fat plays a small role in the difference thigh measurements, I doubt it is the primary cause of it.

I cannot keep a detailed account of what and when I eat due to my eating disordered past. That would be asking for a relapse, something I cannot afford. I do my best to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.