Want a body like Jessica Biel?

124»

Replies

  • Fitfully_me
    Fitfully_me Posts: 647 Member
    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
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    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
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    And really who wants to be "cute" past 16? I want to be smart, funny, sexy, confident, beautiful, and powerful even.

    <3
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    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
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    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
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    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
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    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 <3 my heels.
  • wapan
    wapan Posts: 219 Member
    Great articles!
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    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
    chefwrx Posts: 59 Member
    Amazing article, I'm going to pass this on. Thank you.
  • Juanwi
    Juanwi Posts: 68 Member
    People also don't want to forget genetics. One muscular body will not look exactly the same as another's.
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    People also don't want to forget genetics. One muscular body will not look exactly the same as another's.

    Which was addressed in the second article posted written by Bret Contreras, if you haven't read it, it is also a good read.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member

    20070128233328-troll.jpg

    I wouldn't call an insecure 19 year old a troll...
  • astrovivi
    astrovivi Posts: 183 Member
    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????

    I'm a belly dancer... like- actually a belly dancer not the "I took a couple of classes and I like shaking my chit" variety.

    I perform at a restaurant and at local shows yearly and I train several hours a week. plus the 4 hours or so of class a week I attend.

    I just dead lifted 245 lbs yesterday and did 5 sets of some weird pull up variety- like honest to god pull ups.... trust me- my lifting doesn't affect my femininity. (I'm 5'8" by the way and a solid 160)

    You're femininity has nothing to do with how much weight you move- it's part of who you are as a person- I can dress in ragged jeans and an over sized shirt and still be feminine. You're doing it wrong if you think your physical appearance is 100% tied to who you are as a woman.

    You should lift- it will do wonders for your body. Seriously. That **** doesn't happen over night- cutting super cut and ripped takes HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS... weeks and weeks- months and months. I've been trying very VERY hard for the last 6 months to get cut up- and I'm making slow progress- but it's not there yet- I still very much look like a woman.

    You must eat at a calorie suprlus PLUS lift aggressively/train consistently for months to get like that. It doesn't happen over night- I promise you... you don't "bulk by accident". it's just not possible.

    QFT

    plus woohoo on the belly dancing....awesome stuff and congrats on the PBs ... always a win!
  • beyondmywildestdreams
    beyondmywildestdreams Posts: 79 Member
    Bump for later
  • nali44
    nali44 Posts: 1 Member
    Great info and I appreciate the links. The more I research the better results. I hope :)
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
    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.


    Correct. "tall" pant sizes start at 5'7" height, average goes 5'4" to 5'6" height and below 5'4" is short pants length
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Depends on how you read the word "just" in the phrase "just above average." :laugh: I took it to mean, "5'9 is above average, but not really, really tall." Some of you seem to take it as "5'9 is barely above average."

Categories