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Ever since I found our photos from The Survival Race on Facebook, I've been in a funk. Well, not a funk, but a bit freaked out. Freaked out because...good gosh, I've got muscled up arms. Why that was a shock to me, I don't know. I do live with them every day and see them in the mirror. But something about seeing them in pictures brought it to a higher plane of consciousness, or something.
I was back and forth as to whether to even post those photos, and have to admit that there was one I withheld because...I thought it looked too crazy.
The day I found all the pictures Zach had a late meeting, and by the time he got home I had worked myself into a serious tizzy.
"I'm quitting the 50 pull ups challenge, and I don't need to be doing as much arms," I told him. "I think I'm starting to look a little freaky."
He told me he thought that I was overreacting a bit, but that if I wanted to change things up that was fine -- I need to get what I want out of the workouts.
I lay in bed fretting about how much to dial it down, and wondering if I even know how to dial it down. I've been working out with Zach for a long time now, and we are competitive about it. If I do 30 push ups, he does 32 -- we push each other. Plus, I want to be able to do P90X2 when it comes out later this year. If I lay off the arms, will I still be strong enough to do it? And what about all those girls who I've told, "Oh, don't worry, you're not going to bulk up with P90X!" I look like a pretty big liar, now, right?
A day or two went by and I calmed down a little. First of all, my arms have always been more muscular than my legs. Being more strict on my diet means that there isn't much fat on my arms to cover the muscle. (Less fat on my legs, too -- I was surprised a few months ago to spot an actual leg muscle! And I wasn't just imagining it...Zach confirmed its presence.)
And second of all, do I think I look freaky, or am I concerned that other people will think I look freaky? I've worked hard to get these arms. I put in the time and effort, and this the result. Caring what other people think is just asking for trouble, right?
On the flip side, though, I'm not currently competing in any She-ra strength competitions. Do I really need to be able to do 50 pull ups? Or even 20?
All this upheaval boils down to one question:
Is it unfeminine to have muscle-y arms?
I remember that TIME Magazine a few years back with swimmer Dara Torres on the cover. She was 41 when she competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, and looked like she could rip someone in two. I remember people freaking out about that photo.
I'm not sure if the fuss was due to her muscles, or the fact that a 41-year-old female had those muscles. Maybe it was both. When I saw that photo I thought, "Wow. Good for her."
Time for you to weigh in:
What do you think about strong girls with muscled-up arms?
As for me, I'm still figuring out what to do, arms-wise. I have taken a few days off from the pull up challenge, and am thinking about taking the summer to concentrate on my legs. Maybe I can mentor that leg muscle I spotted and see if I can grow it a bit.
And since I've already acknowledged my self-consciousness, I guess it won't hurt to post that last picture from the race that I withheld last week. Let me know if you need some assistance with that road rage altercation.
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Workout of the Day
RevAbs: Power Intervals
I think muscles on ladies looks bad ass!! I think it shows your hard work and dedication. It's hard as hell to get arms that look ripped like yours. I have muscled up my arms and I get a ton of compliments. It makes me feel good, because I know how hard I have worked to get where I am at. I think if you are feeling a bit self conscious about your muscled up arms, you should just take it down a notch. I think you working more on your legs is a great idea. I think you should do enough to maintain what you have. I know the feeling though, when you are able to do 1 or 2 more pull ups than the week before. Man, it's a great feeling. I think you arms are awesome! You clearly have worked your butt off and I think you should be proud. I noticed how ripped you looked in your pictures and I thought it was awesome! You keep me motivated to keep doing more!! I love your blog as well. I think you should be proud of your work out and eating ethics... it's a great thing. :) Shawna
ReplyDeleteI think muscle is a good thing to have iam 19 and i work out everyday but i can only do 30 pull ups ..i started working out a year ago i had bony arms but now they have thickened out and i feel more confident and my friends treat me with more respect then they did before..keep up the good work !! chantelle :)
ReplyDeleteWhy are you so concerned about what others think of you? Does it really matter if they think you look freaky or whatsoever? To be honest, what they said shouldn't matter. If you want to stop working out then stop. But, if you want to keep your body this way then don't stop. Love your body. Love yourself. Ignore the negative opinions because what matters is your OWN opinion.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think muscles look great. The point where it starts to look bad is when a woman gets into body building (not physique) competition mode and start to use testosterone/steroids. Unless you use steroids or testosterone, it is very unlikely(if not impossible) to look too muscular. When it looks bad, it is the thickness not the muscles or definition itself. Two things that can look bad without enhancement drugs are chest and trapezius.
ReplyDelete