Want a body like Jessica Biel?

ChristiH4000

body pump is nothing like real lifting.

just an FYI.

Thanks, and yes I know. We do learn form on moves like squats, deadlifts, OHP, etc. so I can't imagine learning proper form being counter-productive to real lifting once I get there.

ItsCasey

I think guys like Jason and Bret who write these articles have good intentions. I believe their point is less "You should try to look like these people" and more "See, ladies, even Hollywood types lift heavy weights, so stop making excuses about how you don't want to look like a dude." They're not always great at making the distinction because, like Jason points out in the article, women have been sold the idea that heavy weights will pack on huge muscles overnight, so these guys are trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

I read an article back when the movie Sucker Punch came out about how the actresses did heavy lifting to get in shape for their roles. Vanessa Hudgens talked about deadlifting 180 lbs, and Jena Malone said she pulled 235 lbs. And nobody would ever call those girls bulky. You can tell by looking at Jessica Biel when she's in camera-ready shape that she lifts heavy weight. You do not get to be that lean and ripped with baby weights. When you are dieting to lose body fat, like these actresses do when they're getting ready for action films, it takes heavy lifting to maintain your lean mass.

It's disappointing that so many people on this site refuse to follow legitimate fitness professionals and refer, instead, to what some journalism major regurgitated in a women's fitness mag after spending half an hour on Google.

JoRocka

I think guys like Jason and Bret who write these articles have good intentions. I believe their point is less "You should try to look like these people" and more "See, ladies, even Hollywood types lift heavy weights, so stop making excuses about how you don't want to look like a dude." They're not always great at making the distinction because, like Jason points out in the article, women have been sold the idea that heavy weights will pack on huge muscles overnight, so these guys are trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

I read an article back when the movie Sucker Punch came out about how the actresses did heavy lifting to get in shape for their roles. Vanessa Hudgens talked about deadlifting 180 lbs, and Jena Malone said she pulled 235 lbs. And nobody would ever call those girls bulky. You can tell by looking at Jessica Biel when she's in camera-ready shape that she lifts heavy weight. You do not get to be that lean and ripped with baby weights. When you are dieting to lose body fat, like these actresses do when they're getting ready for action films, it takes heavy lifting to maintain your lean mass.

It's disappointing that so many people on this site refuse to follow legitimate fitness professionals and refer, instead, to what some journalism major regurgitated in a women's fitness mag after spending half an hour on Google.

great post.

jacksonpt

I think guys like Jason and Bret who write these articles have good intentions. I believe their point is less "You should try to look like these people" and more "See, ladies, even Hollywood types lift heavy weights, so stop making excuses about how you don't want to look like a dude." They're not always great at making the distinction because, like Jason points out in the article, women have been sold the idea that heavy weights will pack on huge muscles overnight, so these guys are trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

I read an article back when the movie Sucker Punch came out about how the actresses did heavy lifting to get in shape for their roles. Vanessa Hudgens talked about deadlifting 180 lbs, and Jena Malone said she pulled 235 lbs. And nobody would ever call those girls bulky. You can tell by looking at Jessica Biel when she's in camera-ready shape that she lifts heavy weight. You do not get to be that lean and ripped with baby weights. When you are dieting to lose body fat, like these actresses do when they're getting ready for action films, it takes heavy lifting to maintain your lean mass.

It's disappointing that so many people on this site refuse to follow legitimate fitness professionals and refer, instead, to what some journalism major regurgitated in a women's fitness mag after spending half an hour on Google.

BarefootSerenity

Thanks for posting this link.

TheWiseCat

I can understand everything he's saying, but I'm still scared to lift. As a female who is 5 foot 9, the idea of doing something that might challenge my femininity is a real mental block.

What does height have to do with it?

growing up half a foot taller than all of the boys and being told by society that women are supposed to be shorter and smaller than men in order to be "cute" can make one develop a complex.

I'm 5'0" and have always tortured myself about not being model tall status. We all have our insecurities

I would challenge you to broaden your perceptions about what it means to be female and "feminine". When I started weight lifting in high school it was intimating being around all the guys on the free weight floor, but as I got more comfortable with it, I found it quite liberating. And here's the thing - I didn't get bulky. In fact, if anything, I got the muscle definition I always saw in the women's health magazines that I'd spent hours staring at (which btw, I do far less of now). I look thinner and more fit when I lift weights and not in a manly-wow-she's-doing-'roids kind of way.

To me, femininity is in how you carry yourself - how you walk into a room, how you speak, how you present yourself, not just about how you look. I challenge you to not keep yourself locked up in a perception that was formed when you were much younger. You might find it really liberating.

infamousdrew76

Sorry, but I saw a recycled article!

curvygirl77

I read the article but honestly people say the same thing on this site everyday. I received some of the best advice from this site --

swillybay

I liked the articles premise but that guys writing style is horrendous it's a struggle to read.

Lift weights + be awesome, nuff said.

That was a tough read for me too - and what an ego on that guy. Yuck. I think to each their own. I lift weights, but don't go super heavy and my body has completely changed over the past year - works for me. Having said that, I have increased my weights as I've gotten stronger, but never over 12 lb. dumbbells as I struggle with tendinitis and anything over that seems to inflame it. I do the Kelly Coffey Meyer videos - both she and her "helpers" are strong and fit and are plenty good enough role models for me.

If you love to lift, have at it and enjoy! If cardio is your thing, then go ahead and have fun! Whose business is it but yours...

deksgrl

If you define femininity is such a way that you must be dainty then I can see how lifting might threaten that.

Dainty is subjective.

Fitfully_me

Great article! Sharing it with my friends - who seem to think only Cardio will get them a body like that. If they only knew....

Yep. Already sent it to a friend.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I can understand everything he's saying, but I'm still scared to lift. As a female who is 5 foot 9, the idea of doing something that might challenge my femininity is a real mental block.

What does height have to do with it?

growing up half a foot taller than all of the boys and being told by society that women are supposed to be shorter and smaller than men in order to be "cute" can make one develop a complex.

Well society can go screw itself. Un-develop the complex. I weigh the same as my husband and am the same height. Actually I'm about 10lbs heavier right now since he's in racing shape and I'm in stressed-out shape. And really who wants to be "cute" past 16? I want to be smart, funny, sexy, confident, beautiful, and powerful even.

JoRocka

And really who wants to be "cute" past 16? I want to be smart, funny, sexy, confident, beautiful, and powerful even.

rlmadrid

I can understand everything he's saying, but I'm still scared to lift. As a female who is 5 foot 9, the idea of doing something that might challenge my femininity is a real mental block.

Models are 5'9" and up... not a perfect consolation but even though long legs are hot, long, lean, muscular legs take the cake!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I can understand everything he's saying, but I'm still scared to lift. As a female who is 5 foot 9, the idea of doing something that might challenge my femininity is a real mental block.

I'm also 5'9". First, that's not really that tall. 6' plus is tall. 5'9" is just above average. Second lifting doesn't challenge femininity unless you have a weird 1950s definition of it. Pretty sure it's not unfeminine to be strong and awesome. I am still very "curvy" (as that is my natural shape but being naturally uncurvy is also feminine). Why is strong and healthy manly? Are we supposed to be weak and frail?

5'9" is NOT just above average. The average woman is five foot four.

The exact mean is yes, 5'4". There's a range for "average" in BMI, why not height? But I'd say:

"average" is more like 5'2 to 5'7".
5'2" to 5' is "below average".
Shorter than 5' is "short".
5'7" to 5'10" is "above average.
5'10" to 6' is "tall".
Above 6' is "really tall".

And yes, I just made up those definitions. Maybe I just know a lot of tall women but I'm 5'9" and haven't felt "tall" since high school. Three of my best female friends in college were 5'10", 5'11" and 6'6". I know a lot of women 6' and above.

MsEndomorph

I can understand everything he's saying, but I'm still scared to lift. As a female who is 5 foot 9, the idea of doing something that might challenge my femininity is a real mental block.

I'm also 5'9". First, that's not really that tall. 6' plus is tall. 5'9" is just above average. Second lifting doesn't challenge femininity unless you have a weird 1950s definition of it. Pretty sure it's not unfeminine to be strong and awesome. I am still very "curvy" (as that is my natural shape but being naturally uncurvy is also feminine). Why is strong and healthy manly? Are we supposed to be weak and frail?

5'9" is NOT just above average. The average woman is five foot four.

Average doesn't mean most women are 5'4. It's just a decent middle ground between the span of heights.

I thought 5'9 was kind of a strange height to be self-conscious of, as well. It's not really that uncommon or gigantic. I guess we all have our "things" though.

JoRocka

I'm 5'8" and have never considered myself exceptionally tall.

5'5" is the average height of the american woman- so comparatively I'm "tall" but I don't consider myself really that tall- just slightly tall.

throw on my 5" heels- and now I'm TALL.

i'm okay with it- I my heels.

wapan

Great articles!

shutupandlift13

I think guys like Jason and Bret who write these articles have good intentions. I believe their point is less "You should try to look like these people" and more "See, ladies, even Hollywood types lift heavy weights, so stop making excuses about how you don't want to look like a dude." They're not always great at making the distinction because, like Jason points out in the article, women have been sold the idea that heavy weights will pack on huge muscles overnight, so these guys are trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

I read an article back when the movie Sucker Punch came out about how the actresses did heavy lifting to get in shape for their roles. Vanessa Hudgens talked about deadlifting 180 lbs, and Jena Malone said she pulled 235 lbs. And nobody would ever call those girls bulky. You can tell by looking at Jessica Biel when she's in camera-ready shape that she lifts heavy weight. You do not get to be that lean and ripped with baby weights. When you are dieting to lose body fat, like these actresses do when they're getting ready for action films, it takes heavy lifting to maintain your lean mass.

It's disappointing that so many people on this site refuse to follow legitimate fitness professionals and refer, instead, to what some journalism major regurgitated in a women's fitness mag after spending half an hour on Google.

This is exactly what I was coming back in here to write.

My point wasn't so much you should want to look like Jessica Biel or Alba... I don't care if you want to look like Jessica Simpson. But you have to understand the training that is required to achieve those varying physiques. Be your own person by all means but for pete's sake don't come into the forums complaining that you workout 80 bajillion hours a week doing the elliptical and Zumba and wonder why you are at your goal weight but your body doesn't look anything like you want it to and definitely doesn't look anything like Jessica Biel.

Women and people in general often don't understand HOW to train or workout or whatever you want to call it to accomplish the body that they want or to get anywhere close to their fitness/physique role models.

chefwrx

Amazing article, I'm going to pass this on. Thank you.