The whole bulky woman thing page 3

[JoanieL]

I could lift from morning 'til night,* and could eat 1200 cal 'til forever (and have done so), but even at what I consider my right weight (which is less than most people tell me it should be), I merely look like a boy with small boobs. I once wished for the perfect hourglass figure, big boobs, tiny waist, lush ass, but alas, I'm not built that way. So now I've fallen in love with my perfect figure - kinda scrawny and lean. I do cheat a little and buy jeans with decorative pockets so I look like I've got some ass.

*just an expression. Obviously, lifting from morning 'til night would accomplish only injury.

Women are not smart? Did someone actually post that? lolol Whattadork.

[kcarol]

I've been lifting "like a man" and putting on muscle significant enough that it's been getting bothersome. However, I've decided to continue with my routine because I'm not at my desired leanness yet so I can't make my final call until I'm sincerely approaching body fat percentage goals.

And no, I've never considered bulky to be the steroid abused female figure competitors.

Bulky is this:
http://images.askmen.com/blogs/women/.jpg
http://www.fitmole.net/wp-content/up...mie-eason1.jpg

Of course you need the low body fat to see this definition, but if these women were at a higher body fat, they'd be "butch" as everyone in this thread is terming it.

In reality, I want a petite, toned (meaning some muscle at a higher body fat than competitors), softer frame.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Pck6ut3oK5...res+bikini.jpg


I really think this is what women are getting at by the term bulky, because in reality, many women's ideal is a soft figure, petite frame and enough muscle to keep things looking tight and perky.

[sbhikes]

I only started this thread because I have been reading around about weight lifting and women and there is always on every site that thread about how weight lifting won't make you bulky and it usually has a picture like this:


I was surprised that this is what everybody thinks women mean by bulky because I always thought bulky meant looking like a butch softball player who is a little overweight and has broad almost hunched over shoulders (as opposed to one that is super androgynous yet strong and thin--I like that look, actually.) I had a total misunderstanding of what bulky meant to most people. I know darn well you can't look like that up there ^ just lifting heavy weights.

This wasn't supposed to be about what I want for my own body. All I want is to look like however I'm going to end up looking like when I'm strong enough to kick some ass.

[sakura_girl]

You look like you could kick some ass now.

[cdmuscle]

Each individual has their own perception of what is "bulky."

I actually prefer the way Lenda Murray looks (the bodybuilder photo). She won Ms Olympia numerous times and looked amazing even between competitions. Some of the other muscular-women photos are Figure or Fitness competition ladies and they are quite a bit smaller than they actually appear in photos. Many only compete at around 100-115 pounds.

I have competed in bodybuilding as an all natural competitor and can guarantee you that women do NOT look like Lenda Murray on average. As a personal trainer, I am always surprised at the conception of what "weight training" means to others. If you don't like to lift heavy, then don't. You can do circuit training or crossfit and tone very nicely. If you want to lift heavy, then DO! I am 5'4 and weigh 145 lbs with 22% bf so I am not huge but I do wear a size 6, so I am solid and I train 5-6 days per week - the heavier, the better.

Do what suits you and reap the rewards. Best to you.

[Miscellangela]

. All I want is to look like however I'm going to end up looking like when I'm strong enough to kick some ass.

This is the best attitude to have. So liberating!

[Diogenes]

That was a really rude thing to say and couldn't be further from the truth. You are obviously not smart making that kind of generalization. Yes, there are some women who won't touch weights because they have been given the wrong kind of information about what lifting weights can do for a woman's body. It has nothing to do with them not being smart and not wanting to put effort in. I wouldn't touch weights when I was younger because I was misinformed, but don't you dare kid yourself into thinking that I put in no effort. Women put in incredible amounts of effort to fit into the mold that society says we should fit in to be physically attractive.

Translated from Womyn's Studies 101 jargon to English:

"Women put in incredible amounts of effort to to be physically attractive to men."

[jfreaksho]

Translated from Womyn's Studies 101 jargon to English:

"Women put in incredible amounts of effort to to be physically attractive to men."

You know, I think that women often try to look good in order to compete amongst themselves, more than trying to achieve a body a man would like. Men do the same thing, actually, focusing on chest and biceps, when really women tend to look at the shape of a man's back and backside (or so I'm told by my wife). (However, she may be trying to make me feel better about my small arms. I haven't quite worked that out yet.)

[tomi]

I only started this thread because I have been reading around about weight lifting and women and there is always on every site that thread about how weight lifting won't make you bulky and it usually has a picture like this:

.

Thats gross........ and doesn't even slightly resemble a woman. That takes steroids - because its not physically possible for a woman to do that without steroids. Even the face looks like a man with make up on. Yuck.

[MarissaLinnea]

Translated from Womyn's Studies 101 jargon to English:

"Women put in incredible amounts of effort to to be physically attractive to men."

That's not really what I meant. For instance, I put incredible amounts of effort into working my body because I have an idea in my head of what I "should" look like, or what I want to look like. That idea has probably come from years of being programmed to believe that in order to be beautiful and attractive, I need to have D cup breasts, a 25 inch waist, 34 inch hips and be so toned that a quarter would bounce right off my ass. That is what I was told was attractive when I was growing up. Those are the kinds of women that are idolized everywhere as being beautiful, sexy and attractive.

Now, I will never look like that because I have birthed five children, two sets of twins, I have stretch marks and loose skin, my breasts are completely deflated from nursing and I'm about 20lbs overweight and battling a thyroid problem. And, no matter how hard I workout, my waist will NEVER be that small, and my hips would never be that small either, I'm just not built that way. I'm ok with all of that, I have a strong, athletic and muscular body type and I amaze myself sometimes at the things that I can do physically. But I'll be damned if someone tries to tell me that I'm not smart and that I don't put in the effort. I put in the effort EVERY DAY so I can get as close to the beautiful me that I see in my mind as I can.