Bulky muscles versus lean muscles

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  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    muscle is muscle ad we all have the same muscles that attach to the ligaments the same exact way. one has bigger muscles that's all. and a lot of it is genetic. for instance. misty copeland is a ballet dancer but doesnt exactly fit the mold of what people think ballerinas should look like


    ac73a6ef9c32b5a3a8955fbae14dfe0305f6de00.jpg

    My daughter's dance studio director shared Misty's Under Armour commercial with all her students, as part of a discussion she was having with her girls about the unfortunate "ideal body" stereotypes that dancers are often faced with. My daughter is 5. After she came home from that class she asked me to find her a poster of Misty, to put on her wall next to her Wonder Woman print. Made me smile.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Muscle is muscle. This will explain it better than I or anyone else can...

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/i-dont-want-to-get-too-big/
    No disrespect intended, but "muscle is muscle" to me sounds like you're saying "a car is a car". Who is "anyone else"?

    Yes there are different types of muscle fiber, but that has nothing to do with what the OP asked. The difference between bulky muscle and lean muscle is one is bigger than the other, period. But they're not different "types" of muscle just different sizes and one is covered with more fat than the other.

    LOL! And to answer the other question, by anyone else I meant obviously all of us that have posted an answer in 2 pages of posts.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    muscle is muscle ad we all have the same muscles that attach to the ligaments the same exact way. one has bigger muscles that's all. and a lot of it is genetic. for instance. misty copeland is a ballet dancer but doesnt exactly fit the mold of what people think ballerinas should look like


    ac73a6ef9c32b5a3a8955fbae14dfe0305f6de00.jpg

    My daughter's dance studio director shared Misty's Under Armour commercial with all her students, as part of a discussion she was having with her girls about the unfortunate "ideal body" stereotypes that dancers are often faced with. My daughter is 5. After she came home from that class she asked me to find her a poster of Misty, to put on her wall next to her Wonder Woman print. Made me smile.

    WINNING!!!
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
    Short answer: mostly genetics.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    muscle is muscle ad we all have the same muscles that attach to the ligaments the same exact way. one has bigger muscles that's all. and a lot of it is genetic. for instance. misty copeland is a ballet dancer but doesnt exactly fit the mold of what people think ballerinas should look like


    ac73a6ef9c32b5a3a8955fbae14dfe0305f6de00.jpg
    So bulky. :love:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,970 Member
    Everyone has muscle. To what DEGREE depends on nutrition, training (if at all) and genetics.

    "Bulky" muscle has more fat in/around it and shows less definition
    "Lean" muscle has less fat in/around it and shows more definition

    One can be "lean" and have lots of muscle. One can be "lean" and have little muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member


    ac73a6ef9c32b5a3a8955fbae14dfe0305f6de00.jpg

    ^Would love me some of this muscle!!!

    21525558.png
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I'm still waiting for the pedant to explain if muscle bulk was a product of increased cell count, or greater cellular volume.

    I'm sitting with a big jug of water waiting to get swole.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    muscle is muscle ad we all have the same muscles that attach to the ligaments the same exact way. one has bigger muscles that's all. and a lot of it is genetic. for instance. misty copeland is a ballet dancer but doesnt exactly fit the mold of what people think ballerinas should look like


    ac73a6ef9c32b5a3a8955fbae14dfe0305f6de00.jpg


    to be fair- while she's probably a more muscled dancer- honestly she doesn't fit most people's expectations of what ballerina's look like because she's short and black. not because she's a little muscular. most of them are a little muscular- they are all just significantly taller- and usually white.

    She's still fabulous.



    And for what it's worth- I'm a dancer- and a power lifter- I just have muscles- I don't think they are bulky or lean.
    I have no idea how tall she is from that picture. She doesn't seem like a "typical" dancer to me because she is more muscled, pure and simple.

    She does look absolutely amazing, though. To have talent on top of that and -- based on what others have written -- to be a nice person is one helluva package.
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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I'm still waiting for the pedant to explain if muscle bulk was a product of increased cell count, or greater cellular volume.

    I'm sitting with a big jug of water waiting to get swole.

    You cannot increase you muscle cell count, you are basically born with all the muscle cells you will have. Don't believe me? Go ahead and cut off half your bicep and see if it grows back.

    You aren't the pedant I was referring to, but your idea doesn't quite act as an effective example for what you think it does. :)

    Don't believe me? Go cut off your arm. ;)
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    Can someone break it down for me and explain what makes muscle look big and bulky (like a powerlifter or bodybuilder) versus slender and lean (like a dancer)? Does one kind of muscle have fat in it to bulk it and the other doesn't?

    Well, muscle CAN sometimes have marbling of fat in it, but the main reasons typical bodybuilders look bigger than typical dancers is due to:
    - greater percentage of type 2 muscle fibers (google that term if it's new to you).
    - higher level of male hormones
    - greater stimulus on the muscles (lifting super intensely vs. prancing around)
    The first 2 are mostly genetic.
    Other factors:
    - calorie surplus
    - genetically shorter tendons and longer muscle bellies, which makes the muscle look bigger.

    Why do you ask?
    [/quote]

    I'm asking only for my own knowledge. I know no matter what I do legally in the gym, I'd never look like a BB - not interested in that look either. I also know that I'll never look like Misty Copeland, no matter how much I dance. I can only look like me.

    No odd notions of muscle building spurred the question, I promise!
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    Misty Copeland is 5'2" if anyone is curious. She's also a new spokesperson for Under Armour. She really seems like a lovely person.

    I was really just curious about why dancers look like dancers and body builders look like body builders. I know both work out really hard on their bodies. I wasn't intending on trying to use the information to do some bizarre notion of exercise at the gym or anything, LOL!

    I recently got 'promoted' to pointe shoes but my primary dance form is bellydance. I'm also a regular horseback rider. My muscle build is a weird combination of all those things under a layer of jiggle that won't seem to melt away.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    I'm still waiting for the pedant to explain if muscle bulk was a product of increased cell count, or greater cellular volume.

    I'm sitting with a big jug of water waiting to get swole.
    If it's me you're calling a pedant, I already wrote about this on the first page. By all means keep waiting, but perhaps don't hold your breath during the process.
  • CrusaderSam
    CrusaderSam Posts: 180 Member
    So why are modern bodybuilders so much bigger now then just 30 years ago.
    lMfto2y.jpg

    Look little skinny Arnold, does he even lift?

    Modern science has come up with the method of eating 500cal a day surplus. If only Arnold and the bodybuilders would have known this back then, think how much bigger then would have been. Yeah just eat that surplus and stick on that 5x5 and in no time you will be a bulky 300lb bodybuilder or power-lifter. I am sure none of it has anything to do with steroids or human growth hormone...just food:laugh:
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    muscle is muscle ad we all have the same muscles that attach to the ligaments the same exact way. one has bigger muscles that's all. and a lot of it is genetic. for instance. misty copeland is a ballet dancer but doesnt exactly fit the mold of what people think ballerinas should look like


    ac73a6ef9c32b5a3a8955fbae14dfe0305f6de00.jpg


    to be fair- while she's probably a more muscled dancer- honestly she doesn't fit most people's expectations of what ballerina's look like because she's short and black. not because she's a little muscular. most of them are a little muscular- they are all just significantly taller- and usually white.

    She's still fabulous.



    And for what it's worth- I'm a dancer- and a power lifter- I just have muscles- I don't think they are bulky or lean.
    no she doesnt fit many people's expectations about what ballerinas look like because she has boobs and butt. that has nothing to do with the fact that she's short and black.

    my point in putting her picture there wasnt to say she's muscular, but it's exactly what i said it was "misty copeland is a ballet dancer but doesnt exactly fit the mold of what people think ballerinas should look like"
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Misty Copeland is 5'2" if anyone is curious. She's also a new spokesperson for Under Armour. She really seems like a lovely person.

    I was really just curious about why dancers look like dancers and body builders look like body builders. I know both work out really hard on their bodies. I wasn't intending on trying to use the information to do some bizarre notion of exercise at the gym or anything, LOL!

    I recently got 'promoted' to pointe shoes but my primary dance form is bellydance. I'm also a regular horseback rider. My muscle build is a weird combination of all those things under a layer of jiggle that won't seem to melt away.

    the activity doesnt necessarily make you look like a typical person who performs that activity. for instance michael phelps is an awesome swimmer. awesome swimmers tend to have longer limbs (especially arms) than average. michael phelps has longer arms but it's not like swimming made his arm bones grow

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/10768083/Michael-Phelps-The-man-who-was-built-to-be-a-swimmer.html

    just work out, train at things you love and get the best body for your body type
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    To look like Arnold, you have try very, very hard. Also, you have to be Arnold.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    the activity doesnt necessarily make you look like a typical person who performs that activity. for instance michael phelps is an awesome swimmer. awesome swimmers tend to have longer limbs (especially arms) than average. michael phelps has longer arms but it's not like swimming made his arm bones grow

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/10768083/Michael-Phelps-The-man-who-was-built-to-be-a-swimmer.html

    just work out, train at things you love and get the best body for your body type

    Sadly, you are correct. Despite my activity, I still look like a fatty that sits on the couch and eats bonbons all day. Doctors don't believe that there's something wrong, but when you're eating 1200 calories from a meal plan given to you by a nutritionist (which is why I don't use MFP to log food), and you STILL gain weight....something's not right.

    It is disheartening to see no changes outside of physical ability.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    the activity doesnt necessarily make you look like a typical person who performs that activity. for instance michael phelps is an awesome swimmer. awesome swimmers tend to have longer limbs (especially arms) than average. michael phelps has longer arms but it's not like swimming made his arm bones grow

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/swimming/10768083/Michael-Phelps-The-man-who-was-built-to-be-a-swimmer.html

    just work out, train at things you love and get the best body for your body type

    Sadly, you are correct. Despite my activity, I still look like a fatty that sits on the couch and eats bonbons all day. Doctors don't believe that there's something wrong, but when you're eating 1200 calories from a meal plan given to you by a nutritionist (which is why I don't use MFP to log food), and you STILL gain weight....something's not right.

    It is disheartening to see no changes outside of physical ability.

    Nutritionist or registered dietitian? The qualification standards differ greatly between the two.
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  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    Nutritionist or registered dietitian? The qualification standards differ greatly between the two.

    I looked her up again to be certain. She is an RD, which I assume stands for registered dieticican? I found her through my insurance company.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member

    eat more than 1200 calories

    I was at 1800 before, then 1600, 1500, 1400. Kept gaining weight. I've been at this for years, not just a couple of months.
    Yes I weighed and measured my food. I briefly tried the pre-packaged meal programs but......to put it politely, the food did not agree with my system.
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  • NoMoreBlameGame
    NoMoreBlameGame Posts: 236 Member
    This is a really interesting topic, and something I've been curious about also. According to things I have read (which isn't alot), testosterone level greatly affects muscle mass; is that true? I guess the reason I'm wondering is because I have PCOS, and my testosterone level is astronomically high (haven't had it tested recently). With all the negatives involved with having PCOS, it would be nice if there were an upside to it. IE: Because of the high level of testosterone I produce by having PCOS...could I make that work for me with regard to muscle, or is that just applicable with testosterone when related to a man, and not a woman?

    OR...are the things I've read total BS and testosterone has nothing to do with muscle mass?

    I realize my muscles aren't going to build themselves, and I also realize I still have a LOT of weight to lose...I'm simply asking if my muscles will have more mass due to testosterone when I start lifting...than a woman with normal testosterone levels. =)

    (curiosity)

    ETA: I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 150 lb (I'm 5' 8"). I've never done anything that would build muscle (volleyball and basketball when I was in my late teens and early 20s, but that toned me, didn't bulk me).
  • asia1967
    asia1967 Posts: 707 Member
    Bump for future reading.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member

    eat more than 1200 calories

    I was at 1800 before, then 1600, 1500, 1400. Kept gaining weight. I've been at this for years, not just a couple of months.
    Yes I weighed and measured my food. I briefly tried the pre-packaged meal programs but......to put it politely, the food did not agree with my system.

    i dont have hormonal issues but i have friends that do, they have all seemed to find that for them calories in/calories out isn't that helpful since they all seem to have issues with insulin. one i know is eating the same amount of calories as before when she wasnt losing, switched the macros a bit to eat more fat and protein and less carbs and is now losing.

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