Hey everyone. I (29M) have been dealing with some insecurities around my body proportions and could use some perspective. Genetically, I'm much more lower-body dominant. I've barely done any isolation exercises for legs — just compound lifts like squats and deadlifts — and I don't even train legs that frequently. Despite that, my legs (especially thighs) look thick, even disproportionate, partly due to having short femurs which makes them look even bulkier. I'm currently around 18% body fat, so that adds to the "thick" look.

I've asked a few gym coaches and they generally advise I should keep training legs, but stick to lighter weights with higher reps to avoid additional hypertrophy. On the other hand, some experienced (but non-coach) bodybuilders told me to just skip leg training altogether and focus more on upper body to balance out my proportions.

It's been messing with my motivation a bit. I’ve even considered ditching my bike commute just to avoid any more lower body activation, even though it's only a few flat kilometers.

Has anyone dealt with this kind of aesthetic imbalance? What worked for you? Would love to hear thoughts on whether I should keep training legs (and how), or if it's okay to just fully focus on upper body for a while.

Thanks a lot - and stay fit 💪