I hear women talk all the time how they want to have the butt of this pop star or the shape of this movie star. Just diet and genetics are not going to do it for you. If you want a big butt (or strangely if you also want to get rid of your big butt), you HAVE to squat and deadlift. That is going to build those butt muscles more than hours on the treadmill.
We are told all the time how men like women with curves. No one wants to cuddle with a stick at night. And “boys like a little more booty to hold at night.” Speaking for myself as a representative of Man Nation, I can tell you that this is true.
In February 2015, it was national news when Ashley Graham – a “plus size” model made it into the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. (For the record, she didn’t make it in the issue. She was the spokesmodel for an ad for Swimsuits For All which ran in the issue.) In an article I was reading, she was labeled as a “size-16 beauty.” She was quoted as saying: “Jennifer Lawrence is the media's poster girl for curves — she's tiny. There needs to be more education in schools, because that's where eating disorders start. It's not just about being healthy; it's also about loving who you are."
And Ms. Graham is right. Earlier that year, Jennifer Lawrence was labeled as “curvy” and did a picture shoot with a boa constrictor. I think it is the new socially acceptable way of calling a girl “fat” much the same way that “thug” has now replaced describing someone without using the N-word. But if you think Jennifer Lawrence is fat, you have a seriously skewed view.
And then lo and behold, last week, guess who is featured on the cover of the 2016 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yep, Ashley Graham. And you better believe she looks amazing!
Yes, I will go on record that Ashley Graham is an amazingly beautiful woman. She is billed as a size 16 but she can wear a bikini and make it look good. To paraphrase Walder Frey, I bet when she takes that dress off everything stays right where it is.
So let’s be real honest here. Curves are sexy. Fat is not. Cellulite is not attractive. When things begin to fold and hang over other things, it is not attractive. I am sorry, ladies. It is the truth. But I am talking for both men and women here. This is why you see more pictures of Channing Tatum without his shirt than Jonah Hill.
I think that people just get too darn caught up in the numbers. I am 5’11” and (as of this writing) I weigh 249 pounds. Conversely, WWE wrestler John Cena is billed as 6’1” and weighs 249 pounds. I have a very distinct feeling that his 249 and my 249 are way, way different.
But what if told you that it swings the other way too? Just because you can fit into a size 4 dress does not mean you are going to immediately be more attractive than someone who is a size 10. That woman wearing a size 10 might have a rear end that looks like an upside-down heart that country music guys write songs about. If it is big and shapely and swallows up a g-string, yes, most men are going to find that more attractive than a stick figure.
We are told all the time how men like women with curves. No one wants to cuddle with a stick at night. And “boys like a little more booty to hold at night.” Speaking for myself as a representative of Man Nation, I can tell you that this is true.
In February 2015, it was national news when Ashley Graham – a “plus size” model made it into the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. (For the record, she didn’t make it in the issue. She was the spokesmodel for an ad for Swimsuits For All which ran in the issue.) In an article I was reading, she was labeled as a “size-16 beauty.” She was quoted as saying: “Jennifer Lawrence is the media's poster girl for curves — she's tiny. There needs to be more education in schools, because that's where eating disorders start. It's not just about being healthy; it's also about loving who you are."
And Ms. Graham is right. Earlier that year, Jennifer Lawrence was labeled as “curvy” and did a picture shoot with a boa constrictor. I think it is the new socially acceptable way of calling a girl “fat” much the same way that “thug” has now replaced describing someone without using the N-word. But if you think Jennifer Lawrence is fat, you have a seriously skewed view.
Yes, I will go on record that Ashley Graham is an amazingly beautiful woman. She is billed as a size 16 but she can wear a bikini and make it look good. To paraphrase Walder Frey, I bet when she takes that dress off everything stays right where it is.
So let’s be real honest here. Curves are sexy. Fat is not. Cellulite is not attractive. When things begin to fold and hang over other things, it is not attractive. I am sorry, ladies. It is the truth. But I am talking for both men and women here. This is why you see more pictures of Channing Tatum without his shirt than Jonah Hill.
I think that people just get too darn caught up in the numbers. I am 5’11” and (as of this writing) I weigh 249 pounds. Conversely, WWE wrestler John Cena is billed as 6’1” and weighs 249 pounds. I have a very distinct feeling that his 249 and my 249 are way, way different.
But what if told you that it swings the other way too? Just because you can fit into a size 4 dress does not mean you are going to immediately be more attractive than someone who is a size 10. That woman wearing a size 10 might have a rear end that looks like an upside-down heart that country music guys write songs about. If it is big and shapely and swallows up a g-string, yes, most men are going to find that more attractive than a stick figure.
This is where I think women need to quit obsessing strictly over their dress sizes. Do you really think Gina Carano or Ronda Rousey are worried about the diameter of their thighs? I seriously doubt it. Because of their work ethic, if they gain an inch diameter on their thighs, it is going to be because they are packing on muscle. No dude ever in the history of dues is going to complain about that.
So if you are a woman picking up the weight for the first time, I would judge your progress not by your body weight and/or dress size but by the amount of iron you are pushing. Yes, you might gain pounds on the scale but what if you elevate from bench pressing 45 pounds to 75 pounds? To me, those are numbers to be proud of.
But I think women are afraid to pick up weights because they have a stereotypical image in their mind of a female bodybuilder. We think of those Eastern European “women” who you are convinced might be taking horse steroids. “Eww, I don’t want to get all big and bulky.” To which I want to reply, “I have been doing this for a year trying to get big and bulky and I cannot accomplish it!!!” If you are looking at women in bodybuilding competition photos, these are the 1% that train like machines.
I guarantee you that every woman in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue does some sort of weight training. I am not saying they are slapping on four of the 45 lb. plates and squatting 225 pounds but they are doing some sort of weight training.
If you are afraid that you are going to get all veiny and have stuff start bulging out in places… don’t. Again, doing one Google Image Search is going to represent the top 1% of these female bodybuilders. And like all photo shoots, they are getting oiled up and working out beforehand. It is not a representation of real life.
And if it makes you feel any better, guys have the same kind of “body envy” as women do. Or at least I do. I see guys like John Cena, Chris Evans, and Hugh Jackman and I want to look like them. But Hugh doesn’t look like the Wolverine 24/7. And Chris Pratt likes beer way too much to be in Star Lord shape all the time.
What I am saying is don’t let your dress size determine your success. I think if you ask 100 men, they would tell you that they prefer a size 10 that is filled out and shapely over a woman that is a size 4, never visits the gym, and is rail thin simply through diet and genetics.
So, seriously ladies, don’t be afraid to get clanging and banging.
So if you are a woman picking up the weight for the first time, I would judge your progress not by your body weight and/or dress size but by the amount of iron you are pushing. Yes, you might gain pounds on the scale but what if you elevate from bench pressing 45 pounds to 75 pounds? To me, those are numbers to be proud of.
But I think women are afraid to pick up weights because they have a stereotypical image in their mind of a female bodybuilder. We think of those Eastern European “women” who you are convinced might be taking horse steroids. “Eww, I don’t want to get all big and bulky.” To which I want to reply, “I have been doing this for a year trying to get big and bulky and I cannot accomplish it!!!” If you are looking at women in bodybuilding competition photos, these are the 1% that train like machines.
I guarantee you that every woman in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue does some sort of weight training. I am not saying they are slapping on four of the 45 lb. plates and squatting 225 pounds but they are doing some sort of weight training.
If you are afraid that you are going to get all veiny and have stuff start bulging out in places… don’t. Again, doing one Google Image Search is going to represent the top 1% of these female bodybuilders. And like all photo shoots, they are getting oiled up and working out beforehand. It is not a representation of real life.
And if it makes you feel any better, guys have the same kind of “body envy” as women do. Or at least I do. I see guys like John Cena, Chris Evans, and Hugh Jackman and I want to look like them. But Hugh doesn’t look like the Wolverine 24/7. And Chris Pratt likes beer way too much to be in Star Lord shape all the time.
What I am saying is don’t let your dress size determine your success. I think if you ask 100 men, they would tell you that they prefer a size 10 that is filled out and shapely over a woman that is a size 4, never visits the gym, and is rail thin simply through diet and genetics.
So, seriously ladies, don’t be afraid to get clanging and banging.
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