The Paradoxes of Feminine Muscle | Hacker News Reader

The Paradoxes of Feminine Muscle

newyorker.com

14 pointsMunksgaard11 comments

As a male, I’ve spent about 30 min, 5 days a week doing weights for years. I will never get anything close to a bodybuilder physique. No one should be worried about randomly bulking up overnight.

Worrying that you'll bulk up overnight is like worrying that you'll wake up thin one day. It takes effort and is a very gradual process, one which most people never achieve, as you say.

My issue with lifting weights is the possibility of injury, I've already injured myself a few times even with trainer supervision. However, they're the best way to ensure you're active as you age, so I do them carefully.

My forearms are bulky, and it was not intentional haha

If you want a serious bodybuilder physique you need to almost live in the gym. And most of them take steroids also.

It’s also genetics. 30 minutes is more than I need.

There have been muscular women in track & field for a century

Because women were not allowed to race longer than 800m (eventually 1500m in 1972) they developed extreme fitness at those shorter distances.

If you look at old photos they were very muscular despite not having modern fitness equipment or doping drugs.

If you look at modern 100m-800m elite women, some are even more muscular than bodybuilders.

>If you look at modern 100m-800m elite women, some are even more muscular than bodybuilders.

Can you give an example? Julien Alfred looks like someone you could see any given day at the grocery store. I think I've seen women more muscular than Prudence Sekgodiso at yoga classes I've attended in the past.

NCAA elite women sprinters:

https://lsusports.net/imgproxy/ODHxe4usjQ5c6Fwojf5qcwodl0mMa...

I suppose I mean distances under 400m, pure sprinting.

800m+ tends to be less muscular, at least not visibly when not racing at 100% effort

https://archive.is/SeP3r

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by adding Arnold’s Pump Club to my podcast list. It’s concise but packed with overall health tips, and Arnold is a great narrator.

I’d recommend it to anyone.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com