Sunday, July 27, 2014
1. “I don’t want to build muscle, I just want to look toned.”
The Face/ Sky / Via sassygifs.tumblr.com
Seriously? What is “toned”? Where do you think “toned” comes from? The magical “toned” tree?
2. “Don’t you worry about getting big muscles?”
si.edu / Via en.wikipedia.org
Frankly, if I’m going to spend an hour a day lifting my own bodyweight, I’d worry if I didn’t. Bigger muscles are kind of, um, the point.
4. “If you stop lifting, your muscles will turn into fat.”
Let me say this once. Sandwiches do not “turn into” unicorns. Rocks do not “turn into” amphibious landing vehicles. And muscle does not “turn into” fat.
5. “Girls shouldn’t lift more than 3 pounds or they’ll get bulky.”
ellentv.com / Via pandawhale.com
Should probably put that sack-sized handbag down then, girlfriend. Yes, I’m looking at you, Tracy Anderson.
7. “Don’t get too muscly!”
FOX/ Glee / Via endlessforest.org
Don’t get too entitled to comment on what another woman does with her body!
8. “So I guess you live on chicken and protein shakes.”
Not gonna lie, there’s a lot of chicken and protein shakes. And steaks. And sweet potato chips. And burgers. And ice cream. And cheesecake. And all the foods. We do it for the gains.
9. “You’ll end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Given that, as women, we lack the requisite testosterone to bulk like Arnie, we’re aiming for Rihanna.
10. “What about a thigh gap?”
Keep your gap obsession. We’re going for man-killing thighs of steel.
11. “Lifting weights makes women bulky.”
Nope. Lifting weights makes women strong, healthy, confident, and curvaceous. Oh, and hard as nails.
12. “‘Real’ women aren’t muscly.”
Real women are muscly and skinny and fat and black and white and brown and short and tall and hairy and three-limbed and blonde and ginger and bespectacled and whatever the hell we want to be.
13. “Women who lift are all on steroids.”
Paris Is Burning / Via dispatchmag.com
Yup, a small minority of female bodybuilders are on the juice. Just like a small minority of journalists turned out to be phone hackers. Don’t tar us all with the same brush, please.
14. “Do you need help with that?”
Things that guys say to girls in the gym is worthy of its own list, but this one is The Worst. Usually said when we go to rack up our plates, or at the peak of every. single. bicep curl. I’m in the weights room; I’m here to pick up heavy objects.
