Ambivalent about muscle mass?

Yanicka1
Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
First, this Is not a post about how i gained muscle mass doing 15 minutes of elliptical. I worked damn hard for my muscles for the last 3 years. Most of the time, I am proud of my muscular arms and legs and wish I could be even more muscular since I go at a gym where many pro bodybuilders train. Then I get out in the real world and for a moment wish I was all slim and tiny. Slim and tiny could never happen since while I am short, I come from a long line of women with large hips and shoulders.

So you woman with muscles, are you always happy with your muscles or do you sometime feel ambivalent about them?

Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    This topic applies to men, too.

    There is a point at which there clearly isn't enough muscle mass, and a point at which there is clearly too much, but everything between can lead to feelings of...ambivalence. :)
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    unfortuantely i've yet to hit the 'too much muscle mass' problem lol
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    i have been shamed into thinking i'm perhaps too thin...
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I accepted long ago that I am not built to be petite. I'm always happy with my muscle mass. I'm not always happy with how I look when there is fat over it because even though my body fat might be average it makes me look much fatter (can't suck in fat when you have lots of core muscle).

    There are moments during competition prep where I hate how small I look. When I'm not flexing I often look sick or frail. Hoping that this bulk will help fix it.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
    For the most part I am proud that I have the muscle mass that I have. There are times I feel that they can make me feel out of place and less feminine than I'd like to be, but being fit is part of who I am and I have muscles.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    nope I always love how defined my arms are getting, how my quads are looking and my glutes...

    I can hardly wait till my abs catch up...

    I lift to look like this...

    I have been told I am "too defined", that my muscles are "too big" and that I should not wear sleevless shirts...
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
    As of now, I only want to be more muscular. But when I get there I could see myself feeling this way. I'm pretty quiet in real life so I feel like it might make me feel weird to not be small?

    But this topic really doesn't apply to men the same way. Society tells men to have muscle mass. Society tells women to be thin and "lean" and "toned." Men, sorry... some things aren't about you.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Uh, no. I pretty much am always happy with my muscles. I actually get sad that they aren't that visible in most clothing. But yeah, I'm 5'9" and have big shoulders and hips. I have no hope of being "slender" or whatever.
  • trishfit2014
    trishfit2014 Posts: 304 Member
    I tried on a medium tank this weekend and it was too small. I used to wear smalls and had no problems. In the gym I like my muscles but outside the gym I feel too big. I carry almost all my fat in my lower body so upper body increase is muscle.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    probably no one cares, but the only thing that is like an automatic turn off if its somewhat over developed on a woman is traps


    tho i've heard women say the same thing about men.
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    This topic applies to men, too.

    There is a point at which there clearly isn't enough muscle mass, and a point at which there is clearly too much, but everything between can lead to feelings of...ambivalence. :)

    There's no such thing as too much muscle ;)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    probably no one cares, but the only thing that is like an automatic turn off if its somewhat over developed on a woman is traps


    tho i've heard women say the same thing about men.

    That would definitely be a personal preference thing. I have large traps and I don't target them when lifting. My boyfriend likes them and other guys don't.
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    Honestly, I don't like a lot of muscle definition on *me*. I like a little bit of definition on my shoulders and legs. But I don't want to be super cut and shredded.
    I think about stuff like that simply because when I am working out, it helps me to visualize the aesthetics that I am trying to reach--
    I realize that it takes tremendous effort and dedication to achieve that shredded look and that I am not accidentally going to wake up like that.
    So I am not worried that it could be a possibility for me at this point.


    But I like to see the look in other women for fitness inspiration because muscle mass usually symbolizes strength and effort. But I prefer not to have a ton of....defined geometric shapes, lol.

    To each their own, huh?
    Some strive to have the most muscle mass and definition, some would be happy with skinny fat.

    I used to be happy with skinny fat. Now I want to be strong and lightly defined.
    I am super short and have a very short torso. Maybe if I had a different frame I would have difference preferences. IDK
  • BruteSquad
    BruteSquad Posts: 373 Member
    Hollywood and Disney have done a lot to ruin what a woman should be.....there are skinny little women that will blow away with the wind...there are muscular woman that are stout and solid...there are woman that are naturally tall, large breasted and full hips...some full hips and no breasts.....all flavor and size....and that is AWESOME! There is more than one type of beauty. Just understand that your beauty is YOUR beauty. Same goes for men, I will never be a small pretty boy. Even if I stop lifting and drop a ton of weight including muscle mass....I will still be pretty big. So accept your beauty.

    I have accepted your beauty :)
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Hollywood and Disney have done a lot to ruin what a woman should be.....there are skinny little women that will blow away with the wind...there are muscular woman that are stout and solid...there are woman that are naturally tall, large breasted and full hips...some full hips and no breasts.....all flavor and size....and that is AWESOME! There is more than one type of beauty. Just understand that your beauty is YOUR beauty. Same goes for men, I will never be a small pretty boy. Even if I stop lifting and drop a ton of weight including muscle mass....I will still be pretty big. So accept your beauty.

    I have accepted your beauty :)

    ^^^^^ Full of WIN!

    Indeed. It truly truly comes down to our inherent body type. There ARE things we can change / improve upon to a degree. There are things that we simply cannot. It's how we are made. It truly comes down to embracing ourselves and being accepting of the awesome bodies that we do have. WE are always always more critical of ourselves than others are. We tend to focus on what we view as our "flaws". Others don't. They see US - total package. When we lose sight of that, we set ourselves up for lots of unnecessary ANGST which almost always diminishes our Joy and can set us up to "wrecking our train" - wrecking what we have in pursuit of MORE.

    As I always say: It's YOUR body so Rock It Out.
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    Hollywood and Disney have done a lot to ruin what a woman should be.....there are skinny little women that will blow away with the wind...there are muscular woman that are stout and solid...there are woman that are naturally tall, large breasted and full hips...some full hips and no breasts.....all flavor and size....and that is AWESOME! There is more than one type of beauty. Just understand that your beauty is YOUR beauty. Same goes for men, I will never be a small pretty boy. Even if I stop lifting and drop a ton of weight including muscle mass....I will still be pretty big. So accept your beauty.

    I have accepted your beauty :)

    Yay!!!! I love all the positive energy in this reply.
    Thank you :)
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    all i know is cross fit girls are probably the most muscular girls i've ever seen, and they are definetly amongst the most attriactive i've seen.

    the powerlifter type may or may not have more musle then the cross fit girl, but is less aesthetically pleasing to me, again i don't espect this to really matter to anyone lol
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    This topic applies to men, too.

    There is a point at which there clearly isn't enough muscle mass, and a point at which there is clearly too much, but everything between can lead to feelings of...ambivalence. :)

    There's no such thing as too much muscle ;)

    Yeah, if you're thinking it's possible you'll one day have "too much muscle" that just means your body dysmorphia hasn't set in yet. Once that kicks in, you'll be feeling small once again. :tongue:
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    After the eleventy billionth time a woman commented on my arms or my butt, I decided that I would never be ambivalent about muscle. I'm a small woman. I am 5'7", a size 4, and I'm sitting at around 21% body fat. I'm not so lean that I don't have soft spots, and only the people who know me well know that I lift weights. When someone hugs me for the first time, I get comments about how "solid" or "hard" I feel, and I get asked all the time what I do for exercise. When I say weight lifting, most women glaze their eyes and stop listening.

    Because I'm human and a little bit vain, I compare myself to other women who are half my age. I look around and am very pleased with how hard I've worked and how I've taken care of myself over the past almost 2 years. Besides, I can spot a woman who strength trains out of a crowd with no effort. They just look better no matter what size they are or how old they are. NO way will I ever feel ambivalent about how I've gone from skinny but flabby to thin but firm.

    Muscle is where it's at.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,252 Member
    Not sure....can't really decide.:bigsmile:
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    This topic applies to men, too.

    There is a point at which there clearly isn't enough muscle mass, and a point at which there is clearly too much, but everything between can lead to feelings of...ambivalence. :)

    There's no such thing as too much muscle ;)

    Yeah, if you're thinking it's possible you'll one day have "too much muscle" that just means your body dysmorphia hasn't set in yet. Once that kicks in, you'll be feeling small once again. :tongue:

    Haha, exactly!
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Appearance and aesthetics are subjective, health is not. By putting on some muscle you are considerably healthier than many of the twigs out there. Fact is its rare for a person to be 100% satisfied with the way they look, no matter how good you actually look there will always be something to nitpick. Health though can be quantified and I bet you are pretty healthy for your efforts so be proud.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    I agree with the poster that said there are all kinds of beauty. I know gorgeous folks who look NOTHING alike of both sexes. Work on what you like not what's "popular".

    I will never be cute, petite and super curvy. I will always be tall and lanky. It is what it is!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    all i know is cross fit girls are probably the most muscular girls i've ever seen, and they are definetly amongst the most attriactive i've seen.

    the powerlifter type may or may not have more musle then the cross fit girl, but is less aesthetically pleasing to me, again i don't espect this to really matter to anyone lol

    I'm a powerlifter. You really shouldn't generalize like that.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    ok
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I want to add that I am ok 97% of the time with my muscle mass, it is the other 3% that is messing with my head
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    I love my muscle mass! It has taken hard work, dedication, and discipline to get to where I am at now, and I *still* feel like I have a long way to go. I look and feel better than I did when I was half my age. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

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