Having muscles as a girl

[Amii]

Recently I've seen a few posts by rawbies with pictures of like, HUGE arm muscles, and it reads that this was the INTENDED result of their working out and being raw. They've been very proud posts, captioned with things like "Look how big I'm getting!! :D "

But I don't want to look anything like that. Is this a look that a lot of female raw foodists go for?? Being bulky like that?

I have no visible arm muscle (yet I'm the strongest girl in my family) and I want to keep it that way... I like looking feminine. I like to be slender and like any muscle I have to be lean and not noticeable. I want to have toned but thin arms and legs. Is this not possible on raw? I've seen quite a lot of women get big arms and legs when they combine raw with working out.. did they do that intentionally or was it an accident? (I know some people like that look) I don't understand wanting to look like that, or why guys would want us to look like this either.

What's the deal here? What's the appeal of female body-building like this?

PS. Not meaning to cause offence to anyone, obv this is just my preference.

[Revvell]

Building muscle as a woman is intentional. We (usually) don't have what it takes to build muscle without a lot of work. I'd like to see these pics you're talking about.

[snoops]

To me feminine and sexy is having arm and leg muscles. Its the way the human body is supposed to look.

[Shels]

Building muscle as a woman is intentional. We (usually) don't have what it takes to build muscle without a lot of work. I'd like to see these pics you're talking about.

Ah yes, this. Womens' bodies are not designed to have "bulky" muscles, you can be perfectly healthy and fit and strong without looking like a body-builder. It generally takes a lot of work and a specific type of working out to generate bulk as a female (although different types of muscle have a part in it as well).

At any rate, my preferences for my body seem to be like yours, I want to stay slim and toned.
To each his own, some people want the muscle mass.

[streetsurfer]

Tailor your training to get the results you want.

Read up on slow twitch and fast twitch (further divided to ftA and ftB)muscle fibers. Each react differently to stimulus, and are better suited for certain types/lengths of work. Each individuals proportions of those various muscle fibers, one to another, has a bearing on their appearance, ability to perform work, and endurance levels. Your stuck with the proportions you were born with I believe, but by different training you can cause one fiber to help take on some of the qualities of other fibers. Of course, genetics will limit how far one can take this.

[RawHealthyBeauty]

I think it just depends on each woman's personality. There's not one person like you in the world. So cool huh?

For me, I'm a go getter, love being strong, and the kind of girl who would like to arm wrestle a man just for fun! :)

I just want to be so in shape where I can go rock climbing, go on long hikes, and maybe do some mountian bike riding.

I'm now pretty thin and have pretty thin arms anyways. Like the others quoted that it takes work for women to get those muscles, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. If that's what I was aiming for as far as maintaining the no muscle look slendar arms, just do alot of cardio and an ocassional workout with light wieghts just to keep the skin and muscles firm but not bulky. And mellow exercises such as pilates and yoga to give strength without the bulk. So really it's just depends on what kind of workout that is being done.

I'm aiming to be a beautiful woman with firm muscles everywhere. It keeps the skin in good shape. But even so with the muscle added, I still have the feminine cute squeezy look to my muscles no matter what which is fine with me because I'm a woman after all!! :heart:

[cara4art]

As you get older, you'll be more and more GLAD to have muscle, seriously! Reason being if that if you don't, you'll have progressive muscle loss that comes with aging, leaving you weak, lethargic, and prone to falls and injuries if you don't do anything to counteract it. This condition is known as sarcopenia and the public will be hearing more and more about this. For this reason every pound of lean muscle that one is able to add to their frame(along with losing body fat)is to be treasured, like a good bank deposit. But trainers and certain people have known this for a long time. Both men and women can suffer from this but it impacts women more because we have less muscle mass to start with. A well-and-properly-developed body by means of solid training and solid gold nutrition will serve you well as you age, because your metabolism will remain higher than that of your sedentary, untrained contemporaries, you'll be able to live independently longer, and you'll bounce back quicker after injuries as well. Not to mention that you will continue to look amazing in your clothes LOL!
About being "big" or "bulky", that rarely happens with women, unless they are on steroids, or gain muscle but don't lose the fat. Most women have to work very hard to gain some muscle, and in fact, as fat is lost, one's arms might actually measure smaller, because of the fat loss, and the fact that muscle takes up less room than fat since it's more dense in nature. This is why people say "muscle weighs more than fat". It doesn't really - it just takes up less space than an equivalent weight in fat. This is why someone who is lean and muscled will wear a smaller clothing size(especially pants) than someone who is untrained and sedentary, , even when the two are the same body structure, height and weight. But those arms might LOOK bigger because of the distinct muscle forms!
There are some rare birds indeed who gain muscle very quickly, naturally, and there are people who are muscular with hardly any training - that's genetics talking, and again, not common among women. There are even a lot of men who have to work hard for the muscle they get and they're starting off with a hormonal advantage. Many more women, I repeat, have to bust their buns in the gym to make good gains, and most of the time will look sleek and firm from their workouts, NOT like the hulk LOL.

[iwuvmydoggy]

I have to say.. I am naturally muscular/thick/voluptuous.. Just wish my boobs were bigger! LOL! I like it, though. I'll never look like Angelina Jolie or anything like that & I wouldn't want to anyways... She sorta creeps me out, because she looks like a skeleton (sorta like that guy from the nightmare before christmas). Anyway, I used to bodybuild & wanted to do it professionally, but I got turned off by it when I realized that you pretty much HAD to do steroids and stuff to look like the pro's.. I'm not anywhere near that big & now I don't want to be. However, it's not difficult AT ALL for me to bulk up if I want to.. So not every chick has a hard time with that, contrary to what some of you were saying. I can sneeze & my abs become more defined (not really, but you know what I'm saying xD)..

In regards to your question.. You have complete control over how you want to look & how defined or not defined your muscles are. You are not going to lift weights or use exercise bands or anything like that one day & when you wake up the next day look like she hulk. You will not swell up to look like She-Ra by lifting more than 10 pounds, either. Strength training or "resistance training" helps you with endurance, helps burn fat, helps in every area of your life.. Again, you have complete control over how you want (or don't want) to look. If you start noticing muscles & you don't like 'em, cut back on what you're doing. Simple as that. :)

Hope that helped!

:excited:
(I just wanted to use the smiley, it had my name on it.. LOL)

[Eva]

To each her own. If you don't want to be big & full of muscles, don't work toward that. :)

I find that, no matter how strong I am (under normal circumstances), ON RAW I tend to be about a size 0 or size 2 and definitely not bulky. I was larger before raw, but I tend to be very lean and toned this way. Which is fine by me, no need to try to change into something else.

[RawSar]

Muscles are hot!

[OnMyJourney]

To each her own. If you don't want to be big & full of muscles, don't work toward that. :)




Pretty much as simple as that. :heart

[KaleMama]

Muscles are hot!

I second that! :wuv

[Tenuviel]

my mom has visible arm muscles when she flexes, but other than that you can't see them. I think functional muscles are good... to bulk up for no reason makes no sense to me, but I would like to be able to row without tiring, shovel snow/ climb/ farm work etc without being all tuckered out. Just eating raw won't give stronger muscles, exercise does that... raw lowers body fat percentage making your muscles look more defined though.

[Draginvry]

I have no visible arm muscle (yet I'm the strongest girl in my family) and I want to keep it that way... I like looking feminine. I like to be slender and like any muscle I have to be lean and not noticeable.

What one looks like is a complex interaction between genetics, diet, and exercise. Most women with bulky muscles use specific diet and exercise techniques to get there. On average, it is more common for females to have longer/slender muscles.

There are techniques to gain strength without looking bulky. Some women have used exercise in conjunction with high carb (but probably not raw) diet to get the "voluptuous" look while still having strength at the same time.

You probably won't get bulk on raw unless you are high protein / high iron. If you stick to fruits and starchy vegetables, it probably won't happen.

[yoga cat]

since gaining weight this fall, my arm muscles are not as pronounced. and that makes me *sad*. i love how strong my arms and back looked (all from just doing intense yoga six days a week...so yes, i think lower body fat does pronounce them, as i was not lifting weights).

i (vainly) think muscles are hot!

[DawnD]

I think muscles are hot too. I am sooooo excited to get back in to my workout routine. I spent the last year at the nursing home everyday after work. I sacrificed myself for my Mother Ann...worth it! I am just finishing up my part time tax season job. I got to find the six pack.

My thinking is that we must work out to stay strong for when we need those muscles. Yard work, turning compost and getting the cork out of the wine bottle...you never know when you need muscles. Ladies especially need to work out and keep muscle tone thru the years like Cara4art said. Mother Ann could not get up off the floor if she sat down on it. I vow to stay active and strong and keep a youthful attitide.

[green goddess]

I tend to like some muscle definition. I wouldn't want to slave away in a gym all day, though, to get big muscles! I don't like a big bulky look, but simply having just enough muscle mass so that I get the odd "Oh, you have nice arms!" comment. I don't want to look like I'd break in two, like Angelina Jolie was mentioned looking like!

[BlackKat]

I think enough muscle is to do daily tasks, lift things, like a child or a dog or boxes, etc. In case of emergency its a good idea to be strong and lean. For basic and emergency survival. As far as how the muscle looks on your body is up to you. If you want to look ripped and bulky then go for it. If you want to stay lean, that's fine too. Just remember you want a strong foundation for your bones and organs. If you choose the raw lifestyle chances are you'll be around a bit longer than predicted by the average human being. So you'll want to be strong to carry you through the years. :heart:

[FloridaMuscleGirl]

I figured this was as good a place as any to jump in as a newbie. Being highly fit and active I must agree with 90% of the posters here when they say. It is damn near impossible to become "big or bulky" unless it is a specific targeted goal and your diet is much much different. You will never ever wake up one day and look in the mirror and wonder "HOW on earth did i get those huge arms?" It comes in tiny gains and small little hurdles. I agree with one main poster who says you should be happy to have as much muscle as your body can naturally carry as you get older. As a woman it will be just that-- what YOU are pre-disposed to carry. It will not be big, or bulky, or ugly. It will be lean and strong and healthy. Hit the gym, lift, run, yoga, swim- do whatever you enjoy to strengthen your body. :)

[changeisgood]

I'm living proof of what Cara4art (love the name) spoke about. I worked out most of my adult life to have sculptured muscles, no fat, well, I'll just say it , a hot body. I prided myself in how I looked. And I felt so healthy and alive! I was a race walker and I loved running up mountains. My warm up hikes were longer than someone's hiking routine. Boy, did I feel alive. Even one of my masters is in sport psychology.

And then in my early 50's I hurt my back (disc problems) and had miniscus Sx. I kept lifting weights and would wind up at the physical therapist's office crying from pain. Thaat's after being stretched for a few months, almost everyday, twice to start. I tried having a coach, and still couldn't manage it.

So now, 4 years, later, all I can do is some lawncaare (mowing, etc) as my exeercise and my indoor exercise bike. I don't even like looking in the mirror anymore. I literally cry at the mush I see. I was amazed how fast it disappeared.

I'd do anything to get back into training, but cannot find a trainer or exercises that I won't wind up saying uh oh !

I came on this site in the hopes that someone knows how to work with a person with injuries, there's gotta be something I can do to alleviate this 'depression'.

So, although most young folks don't listen to us oldies, before you know it, you'll be here, and wish you had payed more attention.

[Revvell]

As far as how the muscle looks on your body is up to you. If you want to look ripped and bulky then go for it.

It would be ripped OR bulky.

[cara4art]

to changeisgood - so sorry to hear of your troubles! I know it's a real drag being injured and not being able to work out the way one likes, especially when one enjoys and is accustomed to a high level of physical activity in their life. As far as the "depression", that does happen when someone who is usually highly active is sidelined, because the endorphins and other "feel-good" goodies that are generated by exercise aren't there. Did you have to have surgery on that meniscus?
I know all this from personal experience not all that long ago. Back in December I had a freak accident where I tripped and fell exactly the wrong way, chipping my knee. Anyhow, a few weeks after my injury, I looked up my excellent body worker who works with dancers and people post-traumatic anything whether it is injury, surgery, etc. After assessing my situation, he put me on his own system of rehab exercises that are very comprehensive as well as doing very intense deep body work on that leg. I've been seeing him every few weeks since early January. I've had to do the rehab exercises 3x daily. In the beginning, such exercises are not necessarily comfortable but they are what gets one well again. Also, not to give up on the rehab as too many people do. As a result, and also due to my intake of green smoothies, my progress has been really good - I'm almost back to full recovery of muscle, plus I have learned so much about how things are interconnected in the body. Very determined here, and I am sure you would be once you are on a proper rehab program and general exercises that will be beneficial for you.
If you can find a good body worker who is trained in Alexander Technique and other somatic education modalities(like the guy I go to), this could be really helpful in addressing/restoring your compromised areas and help you move safely once again. Deep body work also addresses the emotions from the injuries that are stored in the body and that keep one from a good recovery.
Best of luck with this!

[mellowgirl09]

Muscles are hot to me. I work out so that I can stay super toned. I personally don't find lack of muscle definition or firmness attractive.

However, it's like everything else a personal tastes thing. If you prefer a specific look then tailor your workouts to that. That's what everyone does. If you prefer no noticeable definition stick to cardio, skip the weights and throw in a little Pilates and yoga here and there so you don't look like a marshmallow.

If you're not naturally toned or defined or prone to building muscle easily then you'd have to put in a lot (and I mean a lot) of work to get strong muscle definition. Even if you are naturally toned and build muscle fairly easily like I do, working out only gives you good firm definition you'd have to put in a LOT of work to build any substantial muscle like you seem to be referring to. Raw foods are not going to turn you into a wrestler.

[OscarHollywood]

Pictures of exactly "what" type of muscle density we're talking about would help.

Heres a few I dug up... thoughts on muscle size?

To me, these girls just have low bodyfat percentages, and probably have weightlifted, for quite a few years naturally... which to me, looks quite normal and attractive.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiTZVmM58T8DeZ17Oo8vDdWcg1IjbP8 ozg_hQxLaEsU-Zja-cUAA

http://bestuff.com/images/images_of_stuff/210x600/female-fitness-instructors-132258.jpg%3F1207757432

http://cdn.simplyshredded.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/female_fitness.jpg

http://cdn.simplyshredded.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/12726922644401.jpg

[MysticTree]

nothing very natural looking about that second picture.

[bananafish]

A woman will only get that muscly look you don't like with a LOT of hard work at the gym lifting weights, so if you're not doing that you've nothing at all to worry about.

Personally I find girls with muscle very attractive. If you post pictures of the type of build you mean I'd know more what you're talking about, but unless the women are taking muscle building hormones or heavily into bodybuilding, I like the toned look.

[Revvell]

To me, these girls just have low bodyfat percentages, and probably have weightlifted, for quite a few years naturally... which to me, looks quite normal and attractive.

The WOMEN have obviously been lifting for quite some time; do have low bodyfat ~ and implants.