How to attain a slender look
Options
Replies
-
"In summary, training plans should be tailored to the individual and are dependent upon genetics, logistics, preferences, and goals. There is no one-size fits all approach to strength training and we all need to respect the various training methodologies."
- Bret Contreras in "How to Attain a Slender Look (like Jessica Alba & Zoe Saldana)"
This is so true. I wish more held this perspective.0 -
It's a good read and not much different what you see heavy lifters saying in many of the "I don't want to look bulky" threads. His big point is to focus on fat loss and then avoid progressive overload as the person progresses.
I quote from the article:
My primary advice to ladies seeking the “slender model look,” however, is the following:
Wait until you start getting “bulky” or “overly muscular” until you decide to switch up your training.
Start off training just like other fit women. Wait til you get too bulky to admonish heavy strength training. Many women never bulk up or develop bulging muscles. This is why the typical strength training advice – to focus on progressive overload on a handful of primary movement patterns – works for a good percentage of women.
Moreover, any muscle that a women packs on will elevate their metabolic rate and help them lose bodyfat. So the training itself and the adaptations the training imposes will help women reduce their bodyfat levels and improve body composition.
Considering that 69% of Americans are either overweight or obese, most women should be more concerned with losing weight and fat rather than packing on muscle. When women lean out sufficiently, they lose the fat that hides their muscles so that they can start to see whether or not they indeed have too much muscle.0 -
6. Faster pace – you want dense sessions that are metabolically demanding. There’s no need to rest longer than 90 seconds, as you can employ paired supersets that combine non-competing lower body and upper body movements. A 60 second rest period is the usual here.
I don't know if it's because I haven't had my full cup of coffee yet, but can someone elaborate on this bit? Specifically the "you can employ paired supersets that combine non-competing lower body and upper body movements"?
It's like following a set of squats with a set of OHP instead of squat set, squat set, squat set....
Ah, thank you!0 -
hmmmmm I cant decide what id prefer slender look or some muscles here and there, either way that was great read, need to make choice!0
-
Bumping for later - just got called into a meeting!0
-
"In summary, training plans should be tailored to the individual and are dependent upon genetics, logistics, preferences, and goals. There is no one-size fits all approach to strength training and we all need to respect the various training methodologies."
- Bret Contreras in "How to Attain a Slender Look (like Jessica Alba & Zoe Saldana)"
This is so true. I wish more held this perspective.0 -
Great read. Thanks. :drinker:0
-
Really, really interesting.
Now, I've just got to get to the stage where this is an issue :laugh:0 -
Because of the pics, this link is not safe for work! Learned the hard way ><
Sorry! My husband told me the same thing happened when he clicked on it. I'm a dancer. And I'm so used to reading fitness articles, I forgot that to onlookers it just looks like a bunch of photos of scantily clad women and their booties. I should have said something in the OP, but did not realize. I'll remember that in the future.
Great comments everyone. And great sharing of quotes and content in the article.
I agree that everyone should start out weight lifting and that the article shows why weight lifting is so important to all physique goals. My other take away from the article was that I can just keep doing my thang (as he says) because I am getting great results that I love, it works for me, and it is right in line with what he is saying.0 -
bump for later0
-
Bump for later, the article was very interesting, I want to get some more information later.0
-
Interesting, but I don't feel that I've come away with any solid advice from the article.
Seriously? I thought it was an excellent article packed full of good advice. :drinker:
Agreed
Yeah!I want to read this but it's blocked at work!! Can anyone copy and paste it?
The article is really too long for that, and it is picture heavy as well.0 -
I definitely think it's interesting that he notes now some female strength and fitness experts have a hard time relating to women who do not share the same aestetic in terms of how they want their bodies to look. I have definitely found that to be the case - I told my trainer that, although I respect women who get very muscular and strong, it's not what I want for my body. She kind of scoffed at me and acted like I was objectively "wrong."
Now, I'm nowhere near looking like Jessica Alba or Zoe Saldana, so I will continue my heavy lifting regime, but I do appreciate this man's objective viewpoint and discussion on this issue. Good read!0 -
Bump for later.0
-
TL;DR Just kidding. I read the whole thing and I rarely finish fitness articles. They are usually the same BS you read everywhere.
This was actually very helpful for me in the stage I'm in right now. I'm not necessarily trying to become slender but I still found this a lot more useful than most other things I read. Thanks!0 -
Good info thanks for the link0
-
TL;DR Just kidding. I read the whole thing and I rarely finish fitness articles. They are usually the same BS you read everywhere.
This was actually very helpful for me in the stage I'm in right now. I'm not necessarily trying to become slender but I still found this a lot more useful than most other things I read. Thanks!
Yeah, I'm personally not trying to be slender. But, I just am naturally slender and always have been. I'm also fit and I have a booty (and fairly muscular legs). I just like maintaining my body as it is naturally and continuing to work on my figure, fitness, and dancing abilities. Because I know that I can "use it or lose it". And I have found that I do like training for my own personal physique goals and have found areas I like to work on more and other areas in which I am happy with where I am at and don't want to change it.0 -
Bump0
-
This is a very well thought out and balanced article - not surprising considering the source.
Very true, Sara.
Man, this guy is smart and very considerate and well-thought-out. Not your typical loudmouth trainer writing a column. I've bookmarked his page. I'm bulking and I got a lot out of the article!
Thanks, Binary! (We meet again :flowerforyou: ).
.0 -
"Now, the majority of lifters (men and women) aren’t very good at lifting. They never progress that far because they don’t understand proper form, proper intensity, and proper program design. Therefore, there’s a sort of built-in safety net for female lifters not seeking advanced muscular development. When very good coaches and trainers train their clients, however, they often achieve very rapid results. Skilled female lifters with good kinaesthetic awareness and a genetic propensity toward building muscle tend to see rapid results too, and these are the ladies who speak up and heavy progressive resistance training and its tendency to add too much bulk. The typical response in the industry to these ladies is to tell them that women are unable to get too muscular. This is both foolish and myopic as it depends on the woman’s training, genetics, and goals." -- from the article
I liked this part a lot. Finally, it's refreshing to see somebody mentioning this fact about women's bodies in an honest and open way. I'm sick of the "if you're a woman, you'll never bulk up while lifting heavy" nonsense that's regurgitated over and over again. Of course most women will not...but some will...and it's time people recognized and acknowledged that. For some women, that's their goal. For others, it isn't. And that's fine!
I like Bret's emphasis that it's ok to have different fitness goals. Everyone can do whatever they want to their own body.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 396 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 967 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions