Women and muscle. What is your opinion?

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  • logiatype
    logiatype Posts: 110 Member
    Don't like this:

    strength-training-for-women-99.jpg
    Wow :love:
    Women with muscle? Great.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    The scale says I have 24.2% body fat, 23.3% muscle mass, 21.2 body mass index. What does it mean? All I know is I estimate I am 5 to 9 pounds overweight; I started my diet today!

    it means you're not overweight, either by BMI or body fat percentage. Both are in the healthy range. However, if you want to generally firm up and look fitter, then lifting weights will help you a lot. With those stats, I would advise you to ignore scale weight and monitor your progress using a mirror and tape measure.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I would rather be obese than have a hard body. I want to be slender (not model-thin) and soft. I think that Marilyn Monroe had an ideal figure. I would rather be too fat than too thin. Cellulite isn't ugly to me. What is ugly is sagging/drooping/wrinkling/loose skin. But in my opinion, defined muscles look worse. I don't even like defined muscles on men. I think they look all gnarly and all. On a female, a hard body just looks unfeminine and that isn't how I want to look. No muscle development for me!

    like this you mean?

    Marilyn-Monroe-bench-press.jpg

    BTW to get the lean, non-defined bikini model look, as opposed to the fitness model defined muscle look, you train exactly the same way, only you keep your body fat percentage a little higher

    18-21% body fat = bikini model look - no muscle definition, soft, lean look

    15-17% body fat = fitness model - visible abs, visible muscle definition

    13-14% body fat = female body builder - striking muscle definition, totally shredded abs

    I've seen pics of fitness models in the off season, when they let their body fat percentage go a little higher (it's not healthy for women to sustain sub 17% body fat for long periods - fitness models and female body builders will let their body fat percentage go higher when they're not modelling/competing, then cut for modelling/competing. And they look like bikini models in the off season.... same women, same muscles, a little more body fat... totally different look. I hope someone else on this thread posts an example, because it's really striking. IMO they look beautiful at both body fat percentages, but I hope women who don't want to have the visible muscle definition can see how much having strong, developed muscles at a slightly higher body fat percentage makes them like a bikini model.

    All the above women have strong muscles, including marilyn monroe... just to not have visible definition, don't let your body fat percentage go lower than approx 18%. That is the difference. And yes it's personal preference. But you should still aim to develop your muscles for strength training for health reasons, and because if you're going for the bikini model look, strong muscles will give your body a better overall shape.

    :flowerforyou:
  • madmanmk
    madmanmk Posts: 14 Member
    a little muscle is sexy shows curves that's hot hot hot , too much reminds me of he-man but that's down to personal opinion and shouldn't mater to you.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Women have muscles
  • aedreana
    aedreana Posts: 979 Member
    This all is fascinating! I never paid any attention to the body fat percentage on the scale because I had no idea what it signified. My only physical activity is walking to the grocery store (about a 15-minute walk each way) and back, carrying all that I can tote, almost every day. It is out of necessity; I don't have a vehicle. I know that isn't actually exercise, per se. I am curious to see what my body fat percentage will read after I've dieted off the extra pounds. I know from recent experience that I don't have a waistline whenever I am over 118 lbs. I am 121@ 5' 3 1/2" and my goal is 112 - 116. I lose too much in my bustline if I weigh much less than 112! THAT is why I want to stay a size 4 jeans and not go for size 2.
  • aedreana
    aedreana Posts: 979 Member
    Yes-- I will pinpoint my exact goal weight according to the mirror, not by a number on the scale-- I will determine the magic number on the scale by what I look like. This past September, there was one particular day that I looked in the mirror and knew I was at my best weight-- but my ride to go weigh myself that day fell through. I estimate I was somewhere in the mid-hundred-teens.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Women have muscles

    Lies! We are nothing but skin, bone and fat and we need big strong men to take care of us, open the pickle jars, carry the groceries and children, and to move the furniture.

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