Skinny Fat Girl Workouts You Need to Shed Fat And Tone Your Body

Let me ask you something:

Are you skinny but feel like you have excess fat covering your hips, belly, buttocks, and thighs?

If so, you’re probably a skinny fat girl. More importantly, you’re probably not sure what training you should do to change how your physique looks.

If that’s the case, read on because we are breaking it all down for you today.

Let’s dive in.

What Does It Mean to Be a Skinny Fat Girl?

Being a skinny fat girl means having low muscular development and a high body fat percentage. As a result, you appear thin while wearing clothes, but a layer of fat covers your muscles, robbing you of any definition. The skinny fat look is often accompanied by more fat around the buttocks, thighs, hips, belly, and arms.

Here is a photo of a skinny fat girl:

She doesn’t look bat, but you can see that she lacks definition despite the good lighting and tan.

What Type of Training Should Skinny Fat Girls Do?

Skinny fat girls often want to ‘get in shape,’ not knowing what that genuinely means. So, they follow the traditional dieting approach, coupled with lots of cardio, typically in the form of long sessions on the treadmill. As a result, they lose some fat and might even enjoy how they look for a while.

Sadly, the popular approach is flawed because it doesn’t account for muscle retention. Sure, you lose some fat, and you might even see some muscle definition after a few weeks. But, aside from the fat, you also lose muscle, which is bad. Muscle is important because it adds shape to your body, making you look great. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at this model:

Not everyone enjoys the look, but most people can agree that she looks great. But do you know what? She can credit her appearance to a high protein intake, regular strength training, and plenty of sleep. Not cardio.

Having muscle is also essential because it makes you more functional and independent. Instead of relying on others for physical tasks like carrying groceries and opening jars, you can do these things yourself. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found pride in the ability to handle stuff on my own.

Plus, muscle is beneficial for your metabolism, and having more of it can improve your insulin sensitivity and basal metabolic rate. The effects are by no means huge, but they add up to good health and an easier time maintaining weight loss.

Lifting weights is the single most effective way to build muscle, lose fat, improve your functional capacity, and gain confidence. More importantly, weight training is deeply beneficial for fixing the skinny fat look. It allows you to make the quickest possible visual progress without using crazy diets or spending a dozen hours exercising each week. 

Three Simple Skinny Fat Girl Workout Routines

1. Full-Body Gym Routine To Fix The Skinny Fat Look

The first workout program we’ll be looking at features three weekly workouts, similar to a 5x5 program. You will need access to some basic gym equipment to perform it, but there are always replacements you can make to fit your preferences.

Workout 1

Barbell bench press - 3 to 5 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Goblet squat - 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Seated overhead dumbbell press - 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Lat pulldowns - 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Glute bridge - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps

Workout 2

Romanian deadlift - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Machine overhead press - 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Seated cable row - 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Cable face pulls - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps

Workout 3

Hip thrust - 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Close-grip barbell bench press - 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Barbell row - 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
Lateral dumbbell raises - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Glute bridge - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps

2. Full-Body Home Routine For Skinny Fat Girls

The second routine is a home alternative that requires minimal equipment to perform.

Workout 1

*Diamond push-up - 4 to 5 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Bulgarian split squat - 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 15 reps
Pike push-up - 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 15 reps
Glute bridge - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
**Inverted rows - 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 15 reps

*Support yourself on your knees if you can’t do the complete movement.

**You can perform these underneath a sturdy table or desk.

Workout 2

Single-leg Romanian deadlift - 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 20 reps (per leg)
Pike push-up - 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 15 reps
*Towel pull-ups - 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 15 reps
**Towel face pulls - 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 20 reps

*Secure an old towel or sheet on a door at home, grab both ends, and pull yourself up.

**Similar to the pull-up, secure a towel or sheet and pull yourself repeatedly, but flare your elbows more to engage your posterior shoulder muscles.

Workout 3

Alternating forward lunge - 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 20 reps (per leg)
*Classic push-ups - 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 20 reps
Glute bridge - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
**Inverted rows - 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 15 reps
Towel face pulls - 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 20 reps

*You can support yourself on your knees if you don’t have the strength for the classic push-up.

**Do these underneath a sturdy table or desk.

3. Resistance Band + Dumbbell Skinny Fat Home Routine

The final routine on our list is a fun alternative to gym training, but you will need some dumbbells and a few resistance bands at your disposal. Similar to the above two routines, this one also features three workouts.

Workout 1 (Push)

Dumbbell floor press - 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Standing dumbbell shoulder press - 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Band chest fly - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps
Band lateral raises - 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Dumbbell overhead tricep extension - 2 sets of 15 to 25 reps

Workout 2 (Pull)

Bent-over dumbbell row - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Upright dumbbell row - 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Band lat pulldown - 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps
Standing dumbbell hammer curl - 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Band face pulls - 2 sets of 15 to 25 reps

Workout 3 (Legs)

Dumbbell glute bridge - 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Goblet squat - 2 sets of 12 to 20 reps
Romanian deadlift - 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Dumbbell lunges - 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps (per leg)

How to Progress With Your Training (And Why You Must)

Progressing with your training is about doing more work as time goes by. You should see some improvements in your performance when looking back at your training from months ago.

One of the apparent signs of improvement is lifting heavier weight. In the case of bodyweight training, it means doing more reps per set. There are other signs of progress, and you should learn to recognize each. Here are a few examples:

• Doing more reps. For example, if you could squat with 45 lbs last month but can now do so with 65 lbs, you could be improving. The same goes for doing more reps on bodyweight movements like push-ups.
  
  
• Doing each repetition with better technique and through a longer range of motion. For example, if you can squat deeper with the same weight, you’re likely improving.
  
  
• Doing more challenging variations of exercises. For instance, if you began with knee push-ups and can now do decline push-ups, you’re improving.
  
  
• Being able to do the same amount of work quicker. For example, if a workout took you an hour to complete before, but you can now do it in 40 minutes, you’re getting better.
  
  
• Maintaining your performance while losing weight. For example, if you can keep squatting 65 lbs but have lost 10 lbs of body weight, your relative strength has improved.
  
  
• Using the same load for the same number of reps but doing more sets. For instance, if you used to do three sets on the bench press but can now do five, you’re progressing.
  
  
• Doing reps with greater speed and explosiveness. For example, if you can now bench press a certain weight more quickly than before, you’re probably stronger.

Of course, it’s important to note that measures of progress are tightly linked to your effort and technique. For example, pushing yourself harder might allow you to do more work, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve built strength or muscle. Similarly, you might be doing more reps or lifting more weight, but if that comes at the expense of your technique, you’re not improving but ego lifting.

How to Track Your Skinny Fat Progress (4 Tactics)

Tracking your skinny fat progress is essential for ensuring that you’re on the right track. Many girls hit the gym consistently but feel like they are stalling because improvement doesn’t occur readily. But here is the thing:

Progress occurs gradually, and many people never realize that because they don’t track it. For example, you might experience visual improvements without noticing them because you see yourself in the mirror daily. With that in mind, let’s go over the four effective tactics for tracking your skinny fat progress:

1. Weigh-ins

Tracking your weight can provide valuable information about how your physique changes over time. To make these effective, you should follow four simple rules:

1. Weigh yourself at least four times per week, limiting yourself to a single weigh-in per day.
2. Take the weigh-ins at the end of each week and calculate the weekly average, comparing the values over time.
3. Weigh yourself in the same conditions each time: in the morning, after going to the bathroom, and on an empty stomach.
4. Don’t obsess over any given reading, as weight tends to fluctuate. Instead, pay attention to your weekly averages and how they change over time.

Often, skinny fat folks will not see significant weight changes because of body recomposition – building muscle while losing fat. This is why, aside from weighing yourself, you should track other metrics.

2. Progress Photos

Progress photos are the second valuable way to track your progress because they show visual improvements or lack thereof. I recommend taking a set of progress photos initially as a base of your starting point. These are the photos you will be comparing yourself to later, so photograph yourself from the back, front, and side.

You can also take photos in a flexed or relaxed state – whichever you prefer. But make sure to be consistent about the poses you use.

Once you’ve taken the initial progress photos, repeat the process every three to four weeks. Take the photos in the same condition and while using the same lights. I recommend photographing yourself in the morning, on an empty stomach, and against a natural light source (such as a window). Doing so will help you remain consistent with your photos and track your visual improvements more accurately.

3. Circumference Measurements

The third beneficial metric to track is your circumference measurements. When combined with weigh-ins and progress photos, tracking the circumferences of key body areas will give you even more insight. For example, let’s say that you haven’t lost or gained any weight in the last three weeks, but you’ve seen some visual improvements, courtesy of progress photos. If your waist circumference is also going down, it likely means that you’re building muscle and losing fat simultaneously.

Like the previous methods, I recommend taking circumference measurements in the morning and on an empty stomach. Doing so will help you make more accurate and consistent measurements.

You can take measurements of your upper arms, chest, a couple of fingers above the navel, at the navel, the hips, and your thighs. Don’t wrap the tape too tightly against your body, as that can compress fat and show an inaccurately low reading.

As for frequency, you should take circumference measurements every three to four weeks.

4. Gym Performance

Tracking your gym performance is the fourth vital metric because it gives you even more insight into how you’re doing. Plus, seeing improvements can be profoundly motivating.

A simple log or a plain notebook will do; it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Start by writing the date of the workout, the movements, the number of sets, and the reps you get per set. Check back every few weeks to review how you’re doing.

How Long Is The Whole Process Going to Take?

Improving how your body looks will be difficult. You will have to push yourself and work hard, even when feeling like you’re not making any progress. Despite the hard work, you will feel like you’re spinning your wheels because visible progress takes time to occur.

The above is one reason why I recommend tracking progress so much: you have proof of progress, even when you feel like you’re stuck.

How long the process takes will vary from person to person. One girl might see great results in as little as two months, and another might need up to half a year to see good progress. Your consistency and dedication will play a pivotal role in the equation.

What matters most is that you work hard, trust the process, and avoid falling for the shiny object syndrome. So long as you do that, you will build muscle, lose fat, and start feeling great about yourself.