Welcome to Wellness Wednesday where in-house nutrition coach, Coach Diana Leigh, answers YOUR questions about health.
Got a question you want to see answered here? Submit it on the AMA form.
Let’s jump into it!
Q: I love CrossFit but I’m afraid I will get too bulky. How do I avoid getting bulky from my training?
A: It pains me to see a question like this but it’s also a question I’ve seen cross my path so many times, especially in the CrossFit space so I’m really happy to have the opportunity to address it here.
Quite honestly – you will not get bulky. When you look at major CrossFit athletes such as Katrin Davidsdottir or Tia-Claire Toomey-Orr we might think we will get “bulky” like them by doing CrossFit because that’s what they do, right?
Wrong. These women are so dialed into their training, nutrition, and recovery and have been able to achieve this level of muscle mass through a lot of hard work over many years. If you think you can achieve this so easily with a few times a week at CrossFit, you’re sorely mistaken.
The average CrossFitter is going to develop lean muscle mass from the style of workouts we perform in the gym – a variation of weightlifting and conditioning can help you build muscle, burn fat, and get fit. When people say they want to get “toned” this is exactly it – there’s really no way to discern toned from building muscle, it’s the same. If you want to look toned, you need to build muscle and lose fat.
How you eat will also determine the outcome of your physique. In order to build muscle mass to the level of Games competitors, you need to eat like a Games competitor. Safe to say most of us are not eating the quantity or even level of quality that these athletes are. But if you’re following a mostly whole foods diet with adequate protein intake and burning as much or more calories than you consume, you’ll most likely achieve a strong and lean physique.
Finally, genetics does play a part in how your body will develop through strength training. You can’t spot treat areas the way certain magazines or blogs claim you can. Your body is the way it is, so it’s best to work with it as opposed to against it.
In summary – you won’t get bulky unless you intentionally try to. Others may call it bulky because their perception of muscular people is different, but their opinion isn’t important. What’s important is that you have a strong and healthy body that carries you through life.
Coach Diana Leigh is a Precision Nutrition certified coach who uses habit-based coaching to help her clients get stronger and feel amazing in their bodies without the restriction and overwhelm of dieting. For more helpful tips, follow her on Instagram @coachdianaleigh.
How you can work with Coach Diana:
1:1 Nutrition Coaching
Get individualized guidance in developing healthy and sustainable habits to help reach your goals – whether you’re looking for weight loss, muscle increase, or improved performance – without the stress and overwhelm of dieting or macro counting.
Nourish With Confidence Kickstart
An 8-week group coaching program that helps active individuals create a healthy relationship with food + ditch dieting for good through foundational nutrition habits, balanced strategies, and high-level support.
Enrollment opens 8/2 for the next cycle that begins on 8/16 (but you can apply today)