The whole bulky woman thing page

[sbhikes]

As I've surfed around the web it seems to me that all my life I've misunderstood the whole "I'm a woman and I don't want to get bulky" thing. It seems that it means to everybody but me that women don't want to look like Arnold in a bikini. I always thought it meant I didn't want to look like an overweight, butchy female softball player.

I'm already so preciously close to looking like that already. I don't want to just add muscle under my fat and get bigger and fatter looking. I just want to be strong, slim (as is reasonable for me) and maybe if I'm lucky, some visible muscles here and there.

Am I the only one who has misunderstood this idea of what big and bulky means?

[egrok]

I think women are scared to look like either this: (Bulky) http://physicalliving.com/img/female...competitor.jpg
or this (butch) http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile...550_1394_n.jpg

[egrok]

or this haha
http://legacy-cdn.smosh.com/smosh-pit/4/body-5.jpg

[Owly]

I actually think the first one is kind of awesome, although maintaining figure competitor leanness is not something she probably does year round. When it's not competition time, she likely looks like a slim, fit, strong woman, but not "bulky" at all since her muscles would be less obvious with a little more body fat.

[paleo-bunny]

SB - you live in Cali which is full of skinny-fat clones. In terms of a realistic perspective, you are strong and slim already. Enjoy being yourself and building a bit more muscle if that's what you want. It's your choice.

[sakura_girl]

I don't think you mean bulky, I think you mean stocky, if I had to be blunt. If you were born with that type of figure, what are you going to do? There are some forum members around here who just won't accept their bodies and think that they could be the slim type with tiny bulges of muscle here and there in the right places to look sexy. Well you know what? Not everyone can do that.

If you're going to keep posting about how you're the stockier type complaining to want the uber curvy type, then maybe you shouldn't be at MDA at all. There are a bunch of other forums out there who will help you accomplish just that, and then you can start living with poor health again. Good luck to you.

[PrimalMama]

first pic is awesome and I'd love to look like that... Rosie O'Donnell is also awesome (but doesn't have an awesome body)

Third Pic is what I'm scared of looking like
Also scared of looking like https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...NwFVZQxUI1y9ig


I think sbhikes might be talking more about something like https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...-L5lPjmW_Wf6ow
or https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...3uBQY1PWWzbU6P

[Miscellangela]

Yeah, pics 1 and 3 don't happen accidentally, or overnight. Getting as muscular as 3 and as lean as either of them requires tremendous work, dedication and attention to detail. Both of those women look like that on purpose, not as a side effect of a workout. Most of us are in no danger of looking like either of them! i mean, jeez, i gain muscle very easily for a chick, and I still get frustrated because it's still slow going and I'm sick of eating so much damn food.

[MarissaLinnea]

When I think of bulky, I always think of overly muscular.....like the women who take steroids and get huge. To each their own, but I personally would never want to look like that.

I understand what you mean. You want to look strong and have good muscle tone. That's what I'm after too.

[ChocoTaco369]

This.

6 Female Strength Training Myths That Won't Die - Busted!

And this.

Train Like A Man, Look Like A Goddess | Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health

Women need to lift heavy and often to get any sort of definition. Are you willing to deadlift? Squat? Benchpress? Do chin-ups? And are you willing to do it heavy enough that you can't lift more than 5-6 your first set, 7-8 your second set and 9-10 your third set? Are you willing to keep a journal of your lifts so every single week, you're making sure you're at least adding 1 repetition or 5 lbs to one of your sets? Are you willing to lift next to guys much larger and stronger than you without being intimidated? Are you willing to accept that fat actually does make you fat, and do you realize that you have to consume less dietary fat than you burn in order to lose it? Are you willing to accept weight loss is about calories in/calories out?

If you aren't, you probably won't succeed.