Monday, March 24, 2008

Can women get too muscular?

This is a big topic in the athletic world, and the general consensus among my colleagues and peers is a resounding no. It likes to be said that because women don’t have enough testosterone they should quit worrying about getting bulky and start lifting weights, yet my entire (and very successful) business has been built on the premise that they can get too muscular. I have created programming that assures that my girls, while looking fit, won’t come off as overly buff or ripped. So what gives? How can the majority of some of the top fitness professionals believe it is a myth that women can get too muscular, much like before Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile it was believed to be physically impossible to do. This is a topic I am so passionate about, that I am giving my first ever presentation on the subject. It is being delivered via the web on Wednesday, March 26th at 3 pm PST. To learn more about my “Movie Star Fitness” presentation click here

During my seminar I will break down the secrets of programming I have used to help my clients achieve the look I call Red Carpet Ready.

I think that the confusion lies with not clearly understanding the word “too.” According to Webster’s dictionary, the adverb “too” means: more than desirable, more of an amount or degree of something than is desired, necessary or fitting. Frankly I think this explains things perfectly. It means the term “too muscular” is subjective to the person desiring the muscle and not the person doing the programming.

Here’s a comparison: I am a novice surfer. I have the basics down but I will not be going out on the tour anytime soon. While I know how to catch a wave, I get very scared when the waves are “too big.” My instructor often laughs at what I consider “too big.” More skilled surfers wouldn’t waste their time on the waves I take because they could be considered “too small.” So who’s right? Does it matter to me that they say it can’t be considered to big unless the wave is overhead or the swell has a certain amount of volume or intensity? No, because once the waves hit shoulder height I’m sitting on the beach.

One more example. I love to look at the magazines and see what the stars are wearing. Sometimes I think “wow, her clothing is too revealing” other times I think, “she dresses too conservatively.” Am I right? I am sure the person in question thinks they look nice and really, who am I to judge?

So the next time your client, girlfriend or fellow gym goer says “I’m afraid of lifting weights because I don’t’ want to get too big,” please don’t tell her she is being ridiculous. Instead, ask her what that means to her. Better yet, get her to show you pictures of what body type she likes and what she thinks isn’t right for her. She has her reasons and it just might open your eyes.

5 comments:

Amy said...

Valerie-

This post really expressed what I've discovered from my own personal training.

People always say that women can't get very muscular. On the contrary, I've found that I put on muscle very easily, and faster than many men! After doing six weeks of squats and heavy lifting, I was already more muscular than I desired. Not the "red carpet" look I was going for.

Thanks for expressing what I've been trying to tell all my friends who say "women can't get too muscular!"

Jamie Milnes said...

I agree that it all comes down to the subjectivity of how you personally define "too muscular". Scientific research published about the ability of women to develop muscle really bears very little relevance to the real world of preference and taste.
Also, I absolutley agree that women usually have far less natural propensity to develop muscle mass than men but that comparison is pointless. Why are we using men as a benchmark? Why not compare the effects of different workouts on women without bringing men into the equation? If a woman wants to train to perform as a professional athlete in some capacity then the trade off for not fitting into skinny jeans seems like a fair price to pay for her. Most female professional athletes I know by the way still bitch about how difficlut it is to buy jeans that fit. This may make a lot of guys roll their eyes but you're judging female preference not scientific reasoning here. Surely ou can achieve a more active, healthy, lifestyle without compromising your right to look and feel a certain way.
Jamie Milnes cscs

InstantBlue said...

I know this is an old post, but I'm just catching up! I love your examples about what it "too much." I also love that you aren't saying either point of view is wrong, just that different people have different goals. Thanks for pointing this out!

Anonymous said...

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sophia smith said...

I am also agree with you..Women can get muscular..Thanks for sharing such an interesting post..

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