What's Your Dream Figure/Physique?

noexcusesjustresults2014

VeganChristy wrote: »

NextPage wrote: »

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

Ksnider414 wrote: »

I have a friend who seems to like this body type as well. I told her is she wants to look like that she should stop all running, lifting, swimming and yoga. Then she should sit on the couch and eat as much ice cream as possible for 6 months.

I think if she averaged a daily caloric surplus of about 500 for 6 months while remaining very sedentary she could achieve that body type. I don't think she has the willpower to actually do this as it would destroy for VO2 max and any chance of setting new running PRs this year.

I know a lot of people seem to like this body type (in the US at least) but as a runner you must be willing to sacrifice performance in order to achieve it.

I got a good chuckle out of this - curvy is a body type not the automatic result of sitting on the couch and overeating. This women will not keep that tiny waist and rather flat tummy with the habits you describe. Many curvy girls, myself included, work out very hard and are in good cardiovascular condition (in my case weight lifting, spin classes etc.) and have to watch our weight very closely to keep our waist. However, we don't lose our curves when we increase our work outs or lose weight. Part of me wishes this was true - it would be nice to to wear a bottoned down tailored shirt. If lying on the couch increased your bust size it certainly would reduce sales of those bust creams you see advertised in the back of cheap magazines!

And if the whistles during my runs are any indication, other people like my curves too. Lol

I acknowledged that many people love this body type! Particularly in the US (and other Western countries where average BMI has been climbing for decades). My only point is that my friend can never hope to achieve it unless she is willing to sacrifice her performance as a runner. Sometimes we have to choose between aesthetics and performance.

Do you honestly think most people believe the most attractive body type is that of a major marathon winner? Of course not! But elite runners choose a diet and exercise program designed to maximize performance anyway.... because aesthetics are not their primary concern.

NextPage

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

NextPage wrote: »

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

Ksnider414 wrote: »

I have a friend who seems to like this body type as well. I told her is she wants to look like that she should stop all running, lifting, swimming and yoga. Then she should sit on the couch and eat as much ice cream as possible for 6 months.

I think if she averaged a daily caloric surplus of about 500 for 6 months while remaining very sedentary she could achieve that body type. I don't think she has the willpower to actually do this as it would destroy for VO2 max and any chance of setting new running PRs this year.

I know a lot of people seem to like this body type (in the US at least) but as a runner you must be willing to sacrifice performance in order to achieve it.

I got a good chuckle out of this - curvy is a body type not the automatic result of sitting on the couch and overeating. This women will not keep that tiny waist and rather flat tummy with the habits you describe. Many curvy girls, myself included, work out very hard and are in good cardiovascular condition (in my case weight lifting, spin classes etc.) and have to watch our weight very closely to keep our waist. However, we don't lose our curves when we increase our work outs or lose weight. Part of me wishes this was true - it would be nice to to wear a bottoned down tailored shirt. If lying on the couch increased your bust size it certainly would reduce sales of those bust creams you see advertised in the back of cheap magazines!

Sorry if I made you chuckle, but I strongly disagree with several of your points:

1."This women will not keep that tiny waist and rather flat tummy with the habits you describe." I don't see a tiny waist or flat tummy in the pic I quoted. If you compare that pic to the body fat pics above I am guessing that woman would fall somewhere between 25% (at best) and 30%. My friend had about 16.5% body fat the last time she was tested so she would need to gain a lot of fat to look like that.

2. I never suggested that my friend could maintain that shape forever with the plan I described. I merely defined a method for her to attain it. She is a D1 collegiate runner and would need to gain a lot of fat to look even remotely like that. I don't doubt that some people work hard to maintain the physique in that picture, but I can guarantee you that it probably less work than what my friend does right now as a D1 scholarship athlete.

3. I never implied that curvy girls could not be in good cardiovascular health. I just stated a fact that my friend (who often will win races with other D1 athletes) would become a lots slower (I mentioned her VO2 max) if she packed on enough fat to look like the woman in that picture. You will never see someone with that body type win a major long distance running event. There is a big difference between "being in good cardiovascular health" and winning races at the D1 college level.

I totally get that a scholarship athlete will have a lower body fat and train harder than this curvy women (as well as most women, curvy or not). My main point was not understanding why you thought being very sedentary would be the route to attaining what is really a body type mainly due to genetics. Eating too much and exercising too little will result in increased body fat no doubt. However, most people do not end up looking like this women when their body fat increases.

NextPage

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

VeganChristy wrote: »

NextPage wrote: »

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

Ksnider414 wrote: »

I have a friend who seems to like this body type as well. I told her is she wants to look like that she should stop all running, lifting, swimming and yoga. Then she should sit on the couch and eat as much ice cream as possible for 6 months.

I think if she averaged a daily caloric surplus of about 500 for 6 months while remaining very sedentary she could achieve that body type. I don't think she has the willpower to actually do this as it would destroy for VO2 max and any chance of setting new running PRs this year.

I know a lot of people seem to like this body type (in the US at least) but as a runner you must be willing to sacrifice performance in order to achieve it.

I got a good chuckle out of this - curvy is a body type not the automatic result of sitting on the couch and overeating. This women will not keep that tiny waist and rather flat tummy with the habits you describe. Many curvy girls, myself included, work out very hard and are in good cardiovascular condition (in my case weight lifting, spin classes etc.) and have to watch our weight very closely to keep our waist. However, we don't lose our curves when we increase our work outs or lose weight. Part of me wishes this was true - it would be nice to to wear a bottoned down tailored shirt. If lying on the couch increased your bust size it certainly would reduce sales of those bust creams you see advertised in the back of cheap magazines!

And if the whistles during my runs are any indication, other people like my curves too. Lol

I acknowledged that many people love this body type! Particularly in the US (and other Western countries where average BMI has been climbing for decades). My only point is that my friend can never hope to achieve it unless she is willing to sacrifice her performance as a runner. Sometimes we have to choose between aesthetics and performance.

Do you honestly think most people believe the most attractive body type is that of a major marathon winner? Of course not! But elite runners choose a diet and exercise program designed to maximize performance anyway.... because aesthetics are not their primary concern.

Actually for the record I think most elite runners have great bodies and I envy and admire them. If that is you and your friend in your profile pic you both have pretty faces and stunning bodies. I certainly don't for a minute think there is one standard of beauty and I think strong, healthy bodies cover a broad range.

noexcusesjustresults2014

NextPage wrote: »

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

VeganChristy wrote: »

NextPage wrote: »

noexcusesjustresults2014 wrote: »

Ksnider414 wrote: »

I have a friend who seems to like this body type as well. I told her is she wants to look like that she should stop all running, lifting, swimming and yoga. Then she should sit on the couch and eat as much ice cream as possible for 6 months.

I think if she averaged a daily caloric surplus of about 500 for 6 months while remaining very sedentary she could achieve that body type. I don't think she has the willpower to actually do this as it would destroy for VO2 max and any chance of setting new running PRs this year.

I know a lot of people seem to like this body type (in the US at least) but as a runner you must be willing to sacrifice performance in order to achieve it.

I got a good chuckle out of this - curvy is a body type not the automatic result of sitting on the couch and overeating. This women will not keep that tiny waist and rather flat tummy with the habits you describe. Many curvy girls, myself included, work out very hard and are in good cardiovascular condition (in my case weight lifting, spin classes etc.) and have to watch our weight very closely to keep our waist. However, we don't lose our curves when we increase our work outs or lose weight. Part of me wishes this was true - it would be nice to to wear a bottoned down tailored shirt. If lying on the couch increased your bust size it certainly would reduce sales of those bust creams you see advertised in the back of cheap magazines!

And if the whistles during my runs are any indication, other people like my curves too. Lol

I acknowledged that many people love this body type! Particularly in the US (and other Western countries where average BMI has been climbing for decades). My only point is that my friend can never hope to achieve it unless she is willing to sacrifice her performance as a runner. Sometimes we have to choose between aesthetics and performance.

Do you honestly think most people believe the most attractive body type is that of a major marathon winner? Of course not! But elite runners choose a diet and exercise program designed to maximize performance anyway.... because aesthetics are not their primary concern.

Actually for the record I think most elite runners have great bodies and I envy and admire them. If that is you and your friend in your profile pic you both have pretty faces and stunning bodies. I certainly don't for a minute think there is one standard of beauty and I think strong, healthy bodies cover a broad range.

Thanks! I feel the same way and see beauty in all shapes and sizes. That is not me in the pic (although my body type is pretty similar). They are two of my runner role models.

I actually think that society judges male (long distance) runners more harshly than female runners. For example many people find the Usain Bolt sprinter body type attractive but dont feel the same about Dennis Kimetto (current marathon world record holder). Women long distance runner body types (very lean) seem to be accepted a lot more than the elite men (also very lean) who won the same distances.

My last boyfriend was extremely lean (long distance runner), but most women I know prefer the sprinter body type (much more muscular) over the marathon body type for men.

I think its easier for a woman to have a BMI of 19 (for example) and be considered attractive than a man with the same BMI even if both are at an ideal weight for long distance running performance.

For long distances running performances often increases up to the point where increased injury risk (from being too thin) derails training. For me I will never be underweight (like some elite female runners are based on BMI charts) because I don't want to get hurt and am not a world class runner.

That being said I can tell a big difference between running at 130 pounds (20.4 BMI) and 122 pounds (19.1 BMI) at 5'7. Being lighter does make long distance running much easier. As long as I am running hundreds of miles per month I intend on staying pretty lean, even if I think aesthetically I might look a little better at a slightly higher weight