Last Updated on March 5th, 2020 7:45 PM
This blog post is for my athletic mesomorph female who seem to have won a genetic lottery when it comes to female body types.
As you know, there are 3 main body types- ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph– according to the body classification by William Sheldon that dates back from the 1940s.
Each body type responds to a different diet and workout regime to achieve the best fitness results.
Out of these three female body types, mesomorphic women are those who have naturally athletic bodies and respond quickly to exercise.
This is pretty great, as mesomorphs lose weight quite quickly, but they can also pack up some unwanted muscle mass pretty darn fast.
Trust me, I know! I am a mesomorph, too! :)
In this article, I’ll cover the main traits of a female mesomorph, as well as the best diet and workout regime for getting a lean and toned body, without any fear of bulking up (which can easily happen to this body type).
First, let’s take a closer look at a female mesomorph body type.
They are typically characterized as naturally muscular, with a medium-size bone structure, broad shoulders and narrow waists.
Think of naturally lean-looking girls with moderate weight (not underweight or overweight) that seem to have some muscle definition even if they don’t work out too much.
Girls with a mesomorphic body type lose weight quickly, but on the flip side, they may gain weight just as readily and they distribute it evenly on their bodies.
They are generally referred to as athletic as they respond to exercise in a matter of weeks, gain muscle very quickly and have lower body fat levels.
If you’re extremely active but trying to stay lean and not gain too much muscle, you might consider this characteristic a disadvantage, because some workouts can bulk you up quite easily.
I’ve been there before :) More on that below.
If you’re not sure which body type you are, here is a FREE Body Type Quiz that will help you figure it out.
If you think of athletic-looking women in Hollywood and show business and you will most like pick celebrity mesomorphs.
Absolute badass babes like Gal Gadot, Jessica Biel, Halle Berrie, and Jessica Alba are all mesomorphs.
When it comes to famous models, the majority of the Victoria Secret angels and supermodels are all mesomorph from Adriana Lima and Lily Aldridge to Gigi Hadid and Doutzen Kroes.
The calorie needs of mesomorph females are maybe a bit higher than those of endomorphs (as they have a higher percentage of muscle mass), but they should still be very careful about not consuming more than they need, as they can gain weight very quickly.
If you’re not sure how to calculate your daily calorie intake, check out my blog post that will help you figure it out.
Mesomorphs do best on a balanced diet, which means eating a combination of healthy fats, protein and carbs.
Try to eat fat, protein and a few carbs at each meal.
I still find that most of my mesomorph clients that are trying to get lean quick (including myself) do much better on a higher protein diet, and I do try to limit daily carb intake.
I’d recommend trying it yourself- rotating between a week or two of a lower carbs-higher protein diet and a balanced ratio of protein/fat/carbs and seeing which one works the best for you.
As I mentioned, you don’t need to restrict much of any certain food types (besides going a bit lower on carbs if you like), and you should have a diet consisting of balanced carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
A good macronutrient breakdown is:
The majority of your carbs should be consumed around breakfast and post-workout when your body needs it most.
Post-workout, your body needs carbs to replenish your body, NOT store fat. This is the absolute best time to consume carbs, whether morning or night.
Make sure your carbs are coming from healthy and low GI carb sources such as vegetables, fruits, quinoa, oats and brown rice, rather than white, sugary or processed carbs.
Regular cardio will be a key factor in keeping your body from gaining fat and also slimming down your legs.
As your body type can build muscle quickly, you need to be careful of the exercises that you do so you don’t pack on lots of muscle.
I recommend using light weights and resistance bands (or just bodyweight) and keeping your repetitions high.
Focus more on endurance rather than strength in your resistance sessions (to prevent bulking).
Here is an example of a lighter resistance circuit you can do to tone up without adding bulk.
Related: Female Guide to Lean & Toned, NOT Bulky
HIIT workouts are great for the mesomorph body type, so some of your resistance training sessions can be HIIT.
Just be wary of building too much muscle with weighted HIIT workouts and lots of leg-focused exercises.
Here is an example of a full-body HIIT workout that won’t bulk up your legs.
You should aim to have 3 cardio-only days.
High-intensity cardio, such as running on a flat surface and at a steady pace, works best for fat loss without bulking.
To challenge yourself, you can make one of these cardio sessions high-intensity interval cardio (read my blog post on how to do intervals for lean legs).
Power walking is one of the best forms of exercise for reducing body fat on your legs, so I recommend doing as much as you can!
At a minimum, aim to power walk for 30-60 minutes most mornings (preferably on an empty stomach).
To find out more about why power walking is essential for leaning out legs, read my blog post here.
You should have at least one rest day as it will help prevent overtraining and injury.
Remember that you don’t get fitter and stronger during your workout- this happens afterwards, during recovery.
If you can’t stand the thought of having a rest day, you can have an active recovery day and do something light such as walking or yoga.
You may notice muscle definition and strength in a matter of weeks, before you notice a significant fat loss.
This is okay, however, make sure you’re keeping up with the cardio to reduce your body fat, particularly on your legs.
It is normal for your legs to be the last place you notice weight loss, so if you’re seeing fat loss in your upper body and stomach, then you’re on the right track to getting rid of that stubborn fat on your legs!
Remember that these are general tips, and everyone’s bodies will be different and respond differently to exercise.
If I have suggested something that doesn’t seem to be working for you, change it!
If you’re gaining more muscle than you would like, then reduce your weights and increase your cardio.
It’s your body, so do what makes you look and feel your best!
Overall, though, I hope that I have been able to provide some information to help.
I should also mention that my 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program is designed to help you get gorgeous lean legs without bulk.
There are 3 versions of my program, one for each of the three body types.
The mesomorph body type version of the program is designed specifically for girls. It combines the right type of cardio and resistance training.
My program also contains an 8-week meal plan and the mesomorph version has your ideal macronutrient ratio.
That way, you can be sure you’re going to get the best possible results! :)
Here are some of my mesomorph girls’ transformations after finishing my program.
Also, the resistance training part of my program now has FULL-LENGTH videos that you can follow from warm up to cool down.
To find out more about my 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program click the link below:
https://www.rachaelattard.com/skinny-legs-ebook/
To find out more about my FULL-LENGTH VIDEOS, follow this link:
https://www.rachaelattard.com/lean-legs-video-course/
Love Rachael xx
I want to know if it’s okay to do more than just the Rachel lean legs segment in one day . Say for instance doing extreme shed and shred cardio& weights or does that mess up trying to get the lean legs affect. I like to try and burn as much as I can so I can get slimmer
Hi lovely,
You can incorporate cardio into your routine for faster results. If your goal is to slim down your legs, try to stick to light-intensity cardio like power walking. I wouldn’t really advise that you mix our program with other types of training because it might lead to overtraining. If you need more help or tips, feel free to reach out to us at info@rachaelattard.com :)
Hi
I build muscle in my legs very quickly and I stopped doing exercises that might cause it to go bulky so I was told to just do jogging and yoga but I feel it’s not enough for me to tone up.I feel like I need to do bodyweight strength training. So what do you think I should do?
Hi lovely,
I highly recommend our 3 steps To Lean Legs Program. It is an 8-week plan designed to help you get lean and toned without bulking. It consists of a cardio plan, body-weight resistance exercises in the form of short demonstration videos (that you can watch through the link provided in the ebook), full meal plans (regular and vegan), separate recipe eBooks. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@rachaelattard.com
Hi,
Is it advisable to run for 60min? So that I can burn more fat.
Hi lovely! Running can definitely help burn a lot of fat but it also engages your quads a lot so it might build more muscle in your legs if you do it for long periods of time. If your main goal is to slim down your legs, it would be best to put more focus on power walking. :)
Hi,
How long do I need to power walk every day? And how far should I run when I am doing my cardio? I presume I have to power walk and do cardio on the same day.
Hi lovely! When power walking, try to aim for at least 10,000 steps a day, 5-6x a week for faster results. As for running, Rachael recommends that you do it for 30 minutes max 2-3 a week. Make sure that you always walk/run on a flat surface. I hope this helps! :)
Hello! Would kickboxing be considered high-intensity cardio?
Hi lovely,
Yes, it won’t necessarily bulk you up but I wouldn’t really recommend that you practice it everyday. :)
hello,
thank you very much!
Please, I wonder – what happens if you just eat in deficit and walk a lot throughout the day (without cardio effect) as a mesomorph ?
Thank you
Lena
Hi lovely,
You’ll still burn a lot of calories but without incorporating the right resistance workouts, there’s a chance that you’ll get the ‘skinny fat’ look. Bodyweight resistance training will not only help burn a lot of fat, but it’s also essential in building strength and toning your muscles. I hope this helps. xx
Hey,
Thanks for your blog. I’m this body type and have been exercising for years, including lots of weighted exercises, barre, resistant training, yoga, and spin biking (which involves some heavy bike work). My thighs are way too muscular for my liking and have also gained some fat.
However I have a permanently disabled ankle from an injury, that prevents me from running or power walking and limits what i can do. So i am forced to do spin biking as cardio, for example.
What would you recommend i do, to get less bulky legs? Bare in mind, I love exercise and I don’t want to reduce the amount I do.
Would love to hear your advice.
Thanks!
Hi lovely,
If you are a mesomorph, you may or may not be able to get away with biking. Some mesomorphs are OK with it, while others aren’t. However, either way, I would still only do it 1-2 times per week maximum because overdoing it with cycling will most likely make your legs bigger.
It would be best if you incorporate other types of light intensity cardio or follow Rachael’s at-home cardio videos. :)
I hope this helps. xx