Women: Why are you afraid of muscle?

DigitalRain

I think a lot of women have the misconception that when they start to lift weights, they will end up looking like those lady body builders on the cover of muscle and strength magazine that look like they can bench a cadillac.

I don't think they are aware that it leans out the body and that those women train in insane amounts and eat a special diet to look that extreme. Regular weightlifting for fitness and weight loss does not equate to looking like amazon.

MontanaB

once I've shifted my first 24lbs I'm going to start doing more gentle weights than what I do now - just because I used to enjoy doing them at the gym and I think it will help me tone up a bit - I don't want to become a powerhouse but just a little bit of definition around certain areas would be nicer than what I have now

edorice

I don't think they are aware that it leans out the body and that those women train in insane amounts and eat a special diet to look that extreme. Regular weightlifting for fitness and weight loss does not equate to looking like amazon.

Exactly, and some of the pro bodybuilders take Andro and other testosterone boosters. It's funny how women think that they will look like a pro-bodybuilder if they lift more than a five pound weight.

fitnewlife

If you lift weights your muscles will only become more defined because you will be reducing your body fat. You cannot develop muscles like a man unless you take supplements that would do it. Besides, muscles help to burn fat and who doesn't want to get rid of fat. I encourage you to lift weights and see the results.

Have you seen Michele Obama's arms? She's not manly but you can tell she does some type of strenght training. I think when a woman's arms are defined and she wears something sleeveless, that's sexy, not manly.

i dont mind alittle but i want to stay lady like and not scare my man away im not into the whole body building woman look yuk!!

fitnewlife

I'm not afraid of muscles. I have a vision board and on that board is a picture of Angela Basset. Her arms are amazing and I've found exercises on the internet to help get my arms defined like her. I don't like to wave my hand and once my hand stops, my arms is still moving because of fat. I make sure I do pushups to help develop my muslces in my arms.

Right now I love my legs, I have great muscle tone, they are not bulky. I can see them through my dress pants and jeans. I don't have cellulite (Thank God). I do cardio, lunges, and squats, both with weights. The Trainer is purposely trying to develop my legs more so he has me running 16 flights of stairs, walking lunges, squats with the weight bar, sprints, and all types of things. He sees the potential to really get my legs cut and I'm down for it.

My legs could be consider skinny by many. I say they may be skinny but they sure are fit.

So I encourage any woman to put down the 2lb weights and challenge yourself. You will be amazed at how toned you can get if you lift weights. And imagine if you are eating clean while you incorporate weights into your routines?

fitnewlife

I so agree. The more I lift, the more I feel myself sweating and working hard. I appreciate my trainer pushing to lift heavier than I would make myself.

I think a lot of women have the misconception that when they start to lift weights, they will end up looking like those lady body builders on the cover of muscle and strength magazine that look like they can bench a cadillac.

I don't think they are aware that it leans out the body and that those women train in insane amounts and eat a special diet to look that extreme. Regular weightlifting for fitness and weight loss does not equate to looking like amazon.

rybo

Glad to see so many women not afraid to pick up a weight.

But in the defense of the originial poster, outside of this thread, I see TONS of women showing fear of getting muscles. So I can see where that generalization came from.

fitnewlife

So can I. I hope by so many of saying we love lifting it will encourage others to give it a try.

Glad to see so many women not afraid to pick up a weight.

But in the defense of the originial poster, outside of this thread, I see TONS of women showing fear of getting muscles. So I can see where that generalization came from.

platoon

Oooh! Oooh! I want muscle! :-)

TheNewJessieMae

I want to be defined and toned. I want people to see my muscle, but I don't want to look "bulky"

kdiamond

I'm not afraid of muscles. I have a vision board and on that board is a picture of Angela Basset. Her arms are amazing and I've found exercises on the internet to help get my arms defined like her.

I agree she looks awesome, also Jada Pinkett Smith comes to mind...wow. She has been hitting the weights for sure!

I want to be defined and toned. I want people to see my muscle, but I don't want to look "bulky"

You will never be "bulky" unless you take steroids or supplements that provide testosterone. TRUST ME ON THIS. The 12 lean girls in my CrossFit class and my instructor will attest to this.

Here is Miss Figure Olympia, totally natural, on and off season. Does she look bulky to you?





One of her quotes: "Squats are my favorite exercise. I've gone as heavy as 315 pounds for four reps. They work a lot of different muscles and are great for shaping the legs."

So yeah, she lifts heavy.

Supa817

I love my new muscles!!! My new favorite body parts are my legs and my obliques because that's where I have the most definition at the moment... I'm working on getting more definition in my arms. My trainers push me to train with heavier weights at times to gain strength. I don't mind muscles at all

itzamos

I actually don't like the firm fitness-model look. I'm not opposed to anyone else liking that, but I really do just want to be a smaller version of what I look like now. I'm a woman! I'm soft!
(Though yes, I DO lift weights sometimes :>P )

millerll

No fear here! Bring it on! I've been lifting for years and love it. It drives me crazy when women tell me "I don't want to lift heavy weights and get bulky. I want to be toned like you." :huh: Well, I've got news for you - I lift heavy weights, and there's no such thing as toned. You either build muscle or you do not. "Toning" actually refers to the reduction of body fat so that the underlying muscle definition begins to show. At least in my opinion.

I would love to look like a bodybuilder, but I don't have 5 hours a day to spend in the gym. :grumble: I do admit that a lot of men think I'm kinda gross looking. Screw 'em. I'd rather be "obsessed" with building a good physique than worrying about breast implants and spray tans. :glasses:

AEROBICVIC

i love the fact that i can rep 450 pounds on the leg press and bench my body weight. I'm only 4'11" and always had a "stocky" body. i grew up on a 60-horse horse farm throwing around 100 pounds sacks of feed, putting up acres of hay, carrying water buckets, cleaning stalls along with training/riding several horses a day. i HAD to have a muscular body just do live my life, now we are down to 1 horse and having fun. being fit and muscular helps me cut, split and stack wood for our outdoor woodburner, train sports with my 13 yr old son and husband, be able to ride quads for 12 hour days in the mountains, teach several aerobic/cycling classes a week and back to back classes, and basically do what most people dream of doing because i have the endurance and stamina to do so. my husband is a power lifter so he help build the muscle mass i have and loves the way i look (still need to shed some body fat before I AM happy) and supports my workouts 100%. having the support from family and friends is a large tool when setting goals and achieving them. it doesn't matter if you lift 3 pounds or 30, as long as your are taking care of your body and love the results, keep it up! strong, healthy people are happy people!

edorice

bump

chrisdavey

No input other than Miss Figure Olympia is the hotness! :P

Carry on

ivyjbres

We're not afraid of pretty muscle. We have a problem with this:

pkgirrl

Okay, I actually AM afraid of gaining muscle, and am currently doing empty stomach cardio every morning to lose some.

But I'm a weird exception, as far as females go. I DO gain muscle very easily, easier than my boyfriend, actually. Last summer I started p90x, but I quit about a month in because my shoulder width was becoming unflattering. It was good at first, and I still maintain some definition up there, because it helps balance out my otherwise fairly pear body. That being said, my legs are really muscular. I've never had a problem with cellulite, (not complaining about that!) however, my calves are HUGE. I blame all the sprint drills I used to do when I was big on interval cardio. I'm relatively lean, about 20% body fat, but my calves are shredded, and about 16 inches. Doesn't sit well on somebody with 22 inch thighs haha.

So maybe I'm not afraid of having muscle, I like definition for sure, but I know for a fact that for some women, taking it too far is a legitimate concern.

glfprncs2

I think what happens with a lot of women is that if they are overweight, when they begin working out and lifting weights, they do increase muscle mass, but they haven't yet shed the layer of fat that is over those muscles. Sooo...some women think that they are 'bulking up' instead of toning up. What they're forgetting though is that over time, if you continue to include a cardio workout alongside your strength workouts, maintain a calorie deficit and eat cleanly, they will then lower the body fat percentage, lose the bulkyish look, (and actually be) smaller, yet toned.

After 3 rounds of P90X where I lifted moderate weights, I did a round of ChaLean Extreme this spring and her mantra is, "Go heavy or go home." I used 25-30 lb. dumbbells for bicep, shoulder press, chest press/fly and back work, and 12-15 pounds for smaller muscle groups like triceps and posterior delts. I truly went to failure in 10-12 reps in months 1 and 3 and 6-8 reps in month 2. I could have used heavier dumbbells for lower body work (squats and lunges), but just didn't have the $$ to invest at the time. I actually weigh about 7 pounds heavier than I did at the end of my 3rd round of P90X, but I'm SO much smaller in size. To really get the results you want, though, you HAVE to eat cleanly. Period. If you don't, you may not get that lean, muscular look you desire.

Also, I've always been a 'big girl.' I'm 5'9" and I have a big frame. The more I lift, the smaller I get. I will lift for life, and I will always push myself to lift heavy.

jennylynn84

I think most women are afraid of looking "bigger". That is a misconception that a lot of people have...that muscle = big.
I have plenty of muscle and I am the smallest I have been in years. I am hoping to build up more muscle as I lose the last of my weight.

This. I think there are a lot of women who don't realize that our hormone levels will not allow us to get bulky like men do. So they don't want to lift weights.

edorice

What they're forgetting though is that over time, if you continue to include a cardio workout alongside your strength workouts, maintain a calorie deficit and eat cleanly, they will then lower the body fat percentage, lose the bulkyish look, (and actually be) smaller, yet toned.
To really get the results you want, though, you HAVE to eat cleanly. Period. If you don't, you may not get that lean, muscular look you desire.
The more I lift, the smaller I get. I will lift for life, and I will always push myself to lift heavy.

Amen to that.