July has been BUSY! Here we are on top of Pike’s Peak over the weekend. (We did not hike this.)
I’m trying to be super careful with the left hip/ham area, so lifting like a hippie is even more important right now. Just getting out of the car and sitting in a hard chair exacerbates this thing.
Monday’s Upper Body Session
4 sets to failure (or near it) of the following:
Pulldowns, rows, dips, dumbbell rear delt flyes, lateral raises, chest press.
Today’s Session:
Ab work and walking
Next time I hit delts, I’m going to try John Meadow’s rear delt destroyer. If you watch his video, notice how straight his elbows are. I’ve gotta try that.
What the Heck is Bulky Anyway?
I saw an article earlier this week that made me a little sad and I’m not sure why. To keep beating the dead “bulky” horse, here it is:
This perspective is a little disappointing and yet I actually somewhat agree with it.
Observations: When I bump the weight, volume, frequency, or intensity up high enough, I often get inflamed and puffy instead of looking lean and strong. This can give the appearance of what I would consider bulky. When I back off a bit and take plenty of Flameout and Curcumin, I can get back to my happy place relatively quickly.
But the problem lies in the vagueness of the word “bulky” because it means different things to different people. And a lot of women want ZERO muscle definition. To them even a hint of definition means bulky. So that perspective exists no matter how many personal trainers argue against it.
There are women who mock CrossFit athletes and female figure pros for their bulkiness, and I find those physiques aspirational.
So maybe it comes down to what you’re used to seeing.
A lot of petite women who’ve never struggled with their weight often never get bitten by the lifting bug. They never felt the need to get under the iron. So women with muscle seem unfeminine to them.
I come from a family of huge people with large joints, height, the capacity to gain fat easily, and a good capacity to build muscle. So I can either be a big woman with extra muscle or a big woman with extra fat. But I will never be the lithe, delicate ballerina type. So out of necessity, I aim for what’s often considered bulky.
I believe the women who are adamantly against it are the ones Paul Carter was thinking of when he wrote this: Get Your Girl To Lift