Slim (135-160 lbs) Transformation Guide: Lose Fat and Build Shape at the Same Time

A woman at 135 to 160 pounds can lose fat and build muscle at the same time by lifting four days a week on an upper/lower split, eating 1,700 to 2,000 calories, a small deficit of 100 to 300, and getting 120 to 145 grams of protein. Expect your waist and photos to change faster than the scale.

Who is the Slim archetype?

This guide is for women between 135 and 160 pounds, usually pear, hourglass or inverted triangle shaped, with a mesomorph or meso-ectomorph build. You build muscle well and have some fat to lose. That is the ideal setup for recomposition, which means losing fat and building muscle together.

Why does copying other people’s programs not work?

Because their plan was built for their body, goals and history. Many women in this range follow six day programs and big calorie cuts from social media, then lose muscle and stall. You do better with fewer, harder sessions and a small deficit.

An older version of this guide used a six day push/pull/legs plan at 1,900 to 2,300 calories and 140 to 165 grams of protein. The plan below trains four days and eats a little less, which is easier to recover from and to stick with.

How many calories and how much protein?

• Calories: 1,700 to 2,000 a day, 100 to 300 below maintenance. Start in the middle and adjust after three weeks.
• Protein: 120 to 145 grams a day (Morton et al., 2018)
• Fat: about 25 to 30 percent of calories
• Carbs: the rest, with more around training

Split protein over four meals of 30 to 35 grams (Schoenfeld and Aragon, 2018). Higher protein helps hold muscle in a deficit (Longland et al., 2016).

What does a week of training look like?

Upper/lower split four days a week, about 50 to 60 minutes each:

• Monday: lower body, glute focus
• Tuesday: upper body, back and shoulders
• Wednesday: rest or a 30 minute walk
• Thursday: lower body, quad and hamstring focus
• Friday: upper body, shoulders and arms
• Weekend: walks and rest

What are the main lifts?

Lower, glute focus:

• Barbell hip thrust: 4 sets of 8 to 12. Add 10 pounds when you hit 12 on all sets.
• Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 8 to 10
• Bulgarian split squat: 3 sets of 10 per leg
• Cable abduction: 3 sets of 15 per side

Lower, quad and hamstring focus:

• Goblet squat or hack squat: 4 sets of 8 to 10
• Leg press: 3 sets of 12
• Seated leg curl: 3 sets of 12
• Walking lunge: 2 sets of 12 steps per leg

Upper days:

• Lat pulldown: 4 sets of 10 to 12
• Seated dumbbell overhead press: 3 sets of 10
• Single-arm cable row: 3 sets of 12 per side
• Cable lateral raise: 3 sets of 15
• Face pull: 3 sets of 15 to 20
• Dumbbell curl and triceps pushdown: 2 to 3 sets of 12 each

Pear shapes can push upper body volume a little higher. Inverted triangles can lean more on lower body work. For more detail, see glute training for Slim and back training for Slim.

What should a normal day of eating look like?

• Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 cup egg whites, toast, fruit
• Lunch: 5 ounces chicken, rice, vegetables
• Snack: Greek yogurt with berries
• Dinner: 5 ounces salmon or lean beef, potatoes, salad
• Evening if needed: a protein shake

That comes in around 1,850 calories and about 140 grams of protein.

What should you expect at week 1, week 4 and week 12?

Week 1: The scale may bounce 1 to 2 pounds. Ignore it. Hunger should settle within a few days as protein goes up.

Week 4: Waist down about half an inch to an inch, lifts up 5 to 10 percent, scale within a couple of pounds of your start.

Week 12: Most women are 1.5 to 2.5 inches smaller at the waist with visible definition in shoulders and glutes. The scale may only show a few pounds down. Photos tell the story.

Change something if your waist has not moved in six weeks: drop 100 calories from fat. If strength drops for two weeks, add 100 calories from carbs around training.

Is this plan right for you?

Do you weigh 135 to 160 pounds and want to lose fat while building shape? Can you train four days a week? Have past diets made you smaller but softer? If you said yes to two of these, this plan fits.

Two real clients finished inside this range: Tanya went from 165 to 135 pounds and Sierra went from 175 to 140. If you weigh 160 to 190, use the Slim Thick guide. For the band below, see the Petite guide. Men in this range should read the Cut guide.

What is the next step?

Take the XPL quiz to confirm your archetype, check coaching options and pricing, or see the services page.

Written by Zavier King, personal trainer in Houston and online coach at XPL. ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Nutrition Coach.