"Bulky" vs "Muscular". The real definition.

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  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS38VzDuLHxZi8wVsI7Z0WXhytI6xH1RFuIK-a84eMiITDRckAh

    I just wanted to add that just because you have low body fat % does not mean you will look more defined or muscular as you can clearly see here. animated-smileys-puking-06.gif
    I really do not like skinny bashing but this picture just makes me sad

    and she probably thinks she is not think enough..

    You mean there are still people on the planet that think that picture is real?

    /headdesk
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    "Bulky" is not a term of art. Neither is "muscular." Besides, most women who are concerned about putting on too much muscle (usually in certain places where they are predisposed to put fat) are concerned about getting "bigger," not "bulky." They also do not want to be "skinny" or "skeletal."

    I bought a program that tailors exercise for women with these concerns. What I liked was that the trainer acknowledged that many other trainers are not listening to women. I suggest looking into "Visual Impact for Women." I have no connection to it.
  • MLgarcia3
    MLgarcia3 Posts: 503
    Wooot! I'm in the "muscular and defined" category! Day has been made.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Thought this needed to be rebumped and re-emphasized to dispell the word "bulky" when referring to an athletic, muscularly build female.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    bump because it needs it again
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS38VzDuLHxZi8wVsI7Z0WXhytI6xH1RFuIK-a84eMiITDRckAh

    I just wanted to add that just because you have low body fat % does not mean you will look more defined or muscular as you can clearly see here. animated-smileys-puking-06.gif
    I really do not like skinny bashing but this picture just makes me sad

    and she probably thinks she is not think enough..

    You mean there are still people on the planet that think that picture is real?

    /headdesk

    Unfortunately I knew a woman who looked exactly like that. While this particular picture might not be real there are people who look like that.

    The woman I knew ended up dying a few months ago.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS38VzDuLHxZi8wVsI7Z0WXhytI6xH1RFuIK-a84eMiITDRckAh

    I just wanted to add that just because you have low body fat % does not mean you will look more defined or muscular as you can clearly see here. animated-smileys-puking-06.gif
    I really do not like skinny bashing but this picture just makes me sad

    and she probably thinks she is not think enough..

    You mean there are still people on the planet that think that picture is real?

    /headdesk

    Unfortunately I knew a woman who looked exactly like that. While this particular picture might not be real there are people who look like that.

    The woman I knew ended up dying a few months ago.
    When I was in VA there was a female who was in the gym in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening always only doing the stepmill for an hour at a time. The drawback was where I worked at the time, we couldn't engage conversation with her on her over working out and anorexic look........................until she fainted trying to walk out of the gym.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    Love the criteria of BF % to work out where you lie, I'm def bulky by this but gives me a goal!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    bump
  • emzack
    emzack Posts: 26 Member
    If I were an olympic athlete, I don't think I'd care much about being bulky either.

    Cause I'm at the Olympics, biatches.

    LIKE
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    More muscular in "competition" and "bulkier" in the offseason. TIANNA TA is one of my favs.
    interview-tianna-ta_asm.jpg
    tianna_ta.jpg


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Had to repost this pic of Tianna Ta!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I just have to throw this out there, because...well, just because...
    stomp_template2011ver2jpg1342861403340-data.jpg
  • runner2runner
    runner2runner Posts: 1,937 Member
    Wow I never knew Jessica Biel was so muscular.
    But it's a "sexy" muscular that many women here may want to attain.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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    Actually Jessica Biel's always been muscular. Even back in the early days of Seventh Heaven (which was like really long ago) she still had a pretty muscular build.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    More muscular in "competition" and "bulkier" in the offseason. TIANNA TA is one of my favs.
    interview-tianna-ta_asm.jpg
    tianna_ta.jpg


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Had to repost this pic of Tianna Ta!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    what's her bf% in both pics?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    More muscular in "competition" and "bulkier" in the offseason. TIANNA TA is one of my favs.
    interview-tianna-ta_asm.jpg
    tianna_ta.jpg


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Had to repost this pic of Tianna Ta!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    what's her bf% in both pics?
    First pic about 17% and second about 21%.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    What would you say Yo is matey?
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    So to sum up:

    Bulky = muscular with high body fat, 27%+

    Muscular = muscles with moderate body fat. 20% to 26%

    Muscular and defined = muscles and lower body fat 12% to 19%

    I happen to agree with this.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    More muscular in "competition" and "bulkier" in the offseason. TIANNA TA is one of my favs.
    interview-tianna-ta_asm.jpg
    tianna_ta.jpg


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Had to repost this pic of Tianna Ta!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    :love: :love: :love: GEEZUS!!! Hot Tamale!!!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    More muscular in "competition" and "bulkier" in the offseason. TIANNA TA is one of my favs.
    interview-tianna-ta_asm.jpg
    tianna_ta.jpg


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Had to repost this pic of Tianna Ta!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    :love: :love: :love: GEEZUS!!! Hot Tamale!!!
    I know right?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374

    Also, when a lot of women say "I'm getting bulky" they don't realize it's due to their body fat percentage and that if they'd be patient and lose a little more body fat, they'd probably be really happy with those once "bulky" muscles.

    So true. It's a catch-22, many woman don't want to lose their curves (body fat percentage) so they never see much "definition." IMO, it makes the most sense to exercise for the health/fitness benefits. If you feel strong and healthy, it will give you body confidence and it won't really matter which "category" you fit in.

    Just one question (in general, not to the person I quoted): Do you folks spend as much time obsessing over men's physiques as you do over women's?
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    More muscular in "competition" and "bulkier" in the offseason. TIANNA TA is one of my favs.
    interview-tianna-ta_asm.jpg
    tianna_ta.jpg


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Had to repost this pic of Tianna Ta!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    what's her bf% in both pics?
    First pic about 17% and second about 21%.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    thanks :smile:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    bump
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Just one question (in general, not to the person I quoted): Do you folks spend as much time obsessing over men's physiques as you do over women's?

    Its not about obsessing over women's physiques. It's about combatting a very real misconception that WOMEN have regarding their own physiques. I can't count (literally, I'm too stupid to count that high) how many women I've tried to explain to, and failed...that lifting heavy weights, with little to moderate cardio, will change their body faster than ANY full on cardio or high rep/low weight workout (your typical trainers approach) ever could. The reason this fails is because they fully believe that lifting weights will make them look like the first picture of Tianna Ta (or the Hulk...)...when what they ALL want is to look like the second picture.

    Well guess what? It's the same girl, same muscle underneath the softer off season curves. Those two pictures together prove the point. There's similar pictures of Jamie Eason out there as well...who im my opinion is even more muscular in competition.

    So...I guess if you consider trying to help women understand their own bodies just a bit better is 'obsessing'...then we'll just continue to obsess on.

    :)

    ETA ~ Oh, and as to the comparison to men's physiques. There is nowhere near the confusion when it comes to men's fitness and/or body types. Thus the lack of 'obsession'.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    bump because of confusion again on bulky and muscular
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    ETA ~ Oh, and as to the comparison to men's physiques. There is nowhere near the confusion when it comes to men's fitness and/or body types. Thus the lack of 'obsession'.

    It's not as bad, but I see lots of guys nowadays that don't want to get big, and freaking skinny jeans are popular. I don't understand it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    ETA ~ Oh, and as to the comparison to men's physiques. There is nowhere near the confusion when it comes to men's fitness and/or body types. Thus the lack of 'obsession'.

    It's not as bad, but I see lots of guys nowadays that don't want to get big, and freaking skinny jeans are popular. I don't understand it.
    Maybe it's because you train your legs?:laugh:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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  • many woman don't want to lose their curves (body fat percentage) so they never see much "definition."

    Man, I would love to get rid of my curves. My goal is 19% BF. (Right now am at 24%, so I have to lose about 12 pounds of fat without compromising any muscles. I'm already at 116 pounds lean body mass so I'm not sure if I really need to be more muscular??)
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I love this thread, and I am not sure how I never saw it before!

    I'm sitting at 22-23% body fat (depending on the method of measurement) trying to get down to 16% body fat. If some mis- or under- informed people want to call me "bulky" when I get there simply because I will have low body fat and awesome muscle definition all over, so be it. I grow tired of explaining the difference... but this thread is a great start!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    many woman don't want to lose their curves (body fat percentage) so they never see much "definition."

    Man, I would love to get rid of my curves. My goal is 19% BF. (Right now am at 24%, so I have to lose about 12 pounds of fat without compromising any muscles. I'm already at 116 pounds lean body mass so I'm not sure if I really need to be more muscular??)
    Any particular reason you're shooting for 19%?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    bump because is was mentioned this morning