Ouch...a guy at work just told me that my arms were looking very masculine. That was particuarly painful b/c that's an area I'd like to slim down as well...I thnk I'm around 26% body fat at present and my arms are around 12.5 and 13 inches. I have been lifting fairly heavy since last August...I don't know if my arms are big b/c of the heavy weights or the extra fat I'm carrying. The douche who told my arms were masculine suggested I use light weights and high reps to tone them down...arrghh! Why do people say shit like that?

Am I on the right track lifting heavy? I covet the bikini model type body.

Thanks!

It's truly sad that this kind of misinformation (light weights, high reps = "tone") is still touted as fact. There is nothing wrong with females lifting heavy weights and it is probably the best way to transform your physique. Once your body fat levels come down further you will see the benefits to heavy training.

You may also want to consider implementing complexes into your training. They are a great way to expedite your body fat burning.

Further, there is nothing wrong with muscular arms (or anything else) on a woman. You will get more compliments than you can imagine once they really start to show.

Good luck and remember to filter what you hear, always considering the source. You could ask the guy where he got his degree - it could provoke an interesting discussion.

gymgrrl11-

Your arms look great. I might have never seen you, but when idiots are commenting on the muscle on them your doing good. When you diet down (yout V-Dieting right?) you are going to lose a fair amount of size around your arms and they are going to look great.

-BJM

IMO
for bikini, cardio and diet. if your arms are looking too masculine that may just be a body part that responds well to training. Reduce the amount of lifting for it, and even lighten the load you don't have to go super high reps just moderate and keep the tone. Either high reps or heavy reps if you go intense they are only going to get more muscular.

You didnt give us your height or weight.


How do you know your arms are carrying muscle and not fat and water on top ?

Yeah, I would like to hear height/weight also. Did this douche form judgement while you were flexed or unflexed? My biceps are about 11" unflexed, 12 " flexed and no one can tell that I've got a pair of guns until I flex 'em. Shocks the hell out of people all the time. It would take a highly trained eye to spot my muscles unflexed and I am at 19-20% bodyfat. I don't think this guy has any idea what the hell he is talking about.

Keep lifting heavy. Don't look back.

Don't let some asshole get to you.

I'm going to relate a little story from my childhood that might make you feel better, or at least put things in perspective.

When I was growing up, my family owned quite a bit of land out in the country, we had horses, and raised dogs, so there was quite a bit of work to be done to take care of the animals and maintain the land. I was the oldest and had no brothers, so a lot of the chorse fell on me. When my dad became very ill and bed bound when I was 13, EVERYTHING fell on me, as my mom had to work full time, and she was a city girl anyways so she didn't know what the hell she was doing...

Anyways, to make a long story short, by the time I was a senior in high school, I was the most muscular woman that most people in my hometown had ever seen in person because girls didn't do outside chores where I grew up, that was unheard of. I got a lot of shit for it, and I really got a lot of shit about my weight because I weighed 140 at 5'4" (nobody gave a shit that I was only 18% body fat, 140 at my height was "fat").

So, I got sick of it and decided to show everybody that I could be skinny. I nearly killed myself, got down to about 90 lbs in less than 3 months. My body started shutting down, I couldn't get out of bed by myself anymore and my parents had me at the doctor's every day trying to figure out how to get me to eat again. Finally, one of my friends got through to me and got me eating again. When I got my weight back up to 100 lbs. even, something strange started happening.

Men started pulling me aside to tell me that they thought I looked better skinnier. Everybody knew that I was fucking dying, but these guys thought that I should go ahead and continue to kill myself, so that they could have a few more months of enjoyment from looking at my emaciated body before I fucking died...

Don't listen to what any man tells you about your body unless you are absolutely sure that they care about you, there are some sick motherfuckers out there who WANT to see women destroy themselves. Remember that next time some douchebag makes a stupid ass comment about your body, ESPECIALLY when you know damn well that what you're doing is GOOD for your health.

I have seen this kinda crap too often, and when I hear that a guy said to a woman that her arms are too big, I respond "either hes gay or you can kick his ass"

Thanks everyone, I'll go sleeveless w/ pride from now on =)

And to add to my previous post... her arms are 12.5 unflexed and 13.5 flexed.

don't take that from some douche bag!

next time tell him, 'hey don't hate on my sexy female arms! you have emasculated skinny arms and look more like a female than a male, so any arm would look masculine next to you. you pussy! now go eat some food before you break!"

or something to that extent ;)

keep lifting, girl who exercise are hot!

i'm calling douche on that idiot who suggested that you were too muscular. DOUCHE!!!!

oh i just love the middle aged corporate guys who just stepped out of the office to go workout at the gym and decide that they know all about everything in the universe. sorry. i have alot of aggro towards jerks like this!!! i never understand why people think that you are wearing a shirt that says " tell me your stupid advice because i obviously want to here it you glorious pasty ectomorphic jackass!!" at the gym!

i agree as it was said before, lift heavy and don't ever look back. be proud of your guns!!!

There's 2 women in my gym that lift heavy. So much so, that a lot of guys look at them in SHAME, as these two women out curl them, out bench them, out squat them, etc.

They push themselves to the limit.

In fact, when I go to the gym I HOPE they're there, as they're some of my motivation.

As for their arms and their bodies?

All I can saw is WOW.

They don't look "like a guy" (typical argument about women lifting heavy) and in fact, they have nice, and I mean REALLY NICE definition throughout their bodies.

If a guy is telling you (a) you have masculine arms and that you (b) should lift light weights for obscene reps, then it's one of two things (seriously).

Number 1: He's jealous that he doesn't look half as good - yes, I'm serious!

Number 2: He's ignorant and an idiot

I think if I walked up to one of the women I work with in the office and told them "Wow, what did you do today? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? You look like $hit this morning". I'd expect to get a handful of rude comments back, and most likely slapped.

I'd say he's a combination of #1 and #2 above.

Next time ask him what he's doing to get rid of his beer gut (and be serious and look concerned). Ask him "Is that what you're doing to get rid of your beer gut? Do you find it's effective, or?" and see what he says or does.

He'll probably go run and hide in the bathroom for an hour and when nobody is coming in, he'll be lifting up his shirt in the mirror and fondling his Demi Moore prego belly pose.

As for me, you sound like just the type of woman I'm into (just don't tell my wife (snicker)).

:-)

i know it may sound heavy, and it does depending on the muscle she has on her also what kinda chicks you are into, but a 170 5'7" chick can look good. you'd be surprised how much ladies really weigh.