how can i lift weights for lean muscle, but not turn all buff looking?

Most women just don't get all "muscly" unless they take steroids. They can get very strong, but don't have as much of the male hormones that bulk up the muscle mass, and a natural layer of fat under the skin softens any hard edges in a lady's look.

Strong women look great - but look like women.

I dont want to sound like the broken record here, but girls don't get buff, big and bulky without trying. (taking steroids or supplements with hard core training and dieting). The passive gym bunny (one who goes for about an hour a few times a week) will just maintain a toned fit body. Like the others daid, high reps with lower weights will put your muscles in mode for a lean look vs the higher weights at slower pace for building. Do lots of cardio!

LIke some of the other respondents have said, I'm given to understand that low weights, high reps, and mostly aerobic exercises are what you want to achieve the desired appearance. You might also look at varying any regular routine by doing something different, like rock climbing, river rafting, or other exercises/activities that make you use muscles in unaccustomed ways. Good luck.

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Muscle on a woman doesn't look bad, actually--physical strength is generally attractive on anybody. Now, working out to the point that you have too little body fat for health, that looks more than a little weird... but assuming you don't do that, and unless you have a fairly rare hormone complement, you're really just not going to bulk up that much. You can gain muscle mass, yes, but most women's bodies simply aren't set up to get really bulgy muscles.

Do cardiovascular fittness training, this type of training is a specific training set up to help the heart become healthier,

and does not help gain lots of muscle. As well as helping your heart become healthier it will help you become slim as you are doing alot of exersice.

An example of a cardiovascular exersice is continues training, which is pretty much running at a comftable rate round a track for as long as you can, the more you do it the healthier and slimmer you will become :)

Low reps, start low wieght work up..3 to 5 times a week..take small breaks in between reps..

i am personally in a weight and conditioning camp this summer and here's exact words from the coach.

"girls can NOT get buff. yall do not have the things that guys have that make your muscles bulge and veins pop out. guys have testosterone. something that girls do not have enough of to make them swole."

just make a routine and stick to it. add weight for more muscle. the more muscle you have, the less fat you have. which will balance the whole bulkiness thing.

Use High reps, probably start around 20, It helps build endurance and not hypertrophy(gaining of muscle)

Well exercises that use weight you would use less weight but more repetitions for leaness. More weight and less reps build bigger muscles.