Femininity and Body Building
Now that my muscular development is visible to others I am getting comments such as “don’t lose too much” while these morons glance at my chest and butt. What’s that about? I remember an early email on this site from a male that seemed to equate attractiveness and femininity to roundedness. This person along with some others seems to think that lean & angular are masculine attributes. When I was younger I wanted to be like Pam Greer (Foxy Brown) and Tamara Dobson (Cleopatra Jones). These were strong Black women who could kick butt and “rock your world” all in the same film. They also had “brick house” figures (36, 24, 36) and they wore great outfits.
Clearly the media and culture shape our definition of femininity. Some cultures view lean figures and the ideal. Other cultures view “phat” figures as sex goddess symbols. Many in the body building community consider muscles sexy for both men and women. Additionally, various women on this site have raised the standard for those of us who are 40+. These women are lean, muscular, and sexy. Caroline Bryant writes, “To be big and freaky. Or not to be.” (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/other44.htm). She discusses the double standards and some of the gender equity issues in the body building profession. Do such standards affect your judgment about femininity? Secondly, is a woman’s femininity affected when she achieves a figure that has less than 5% body fat (for example)?
March 24, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I think a healthy woman with confidence and humor is a bout the sexiest thing on earth…if she happens to be built like a brick sh_t house then so be it…is muscular more sexy than soft and round?….for me yes..are there sexy soft and round girls yes…its all in the person I think…how do they feel about themselves…is fat sexy..no
March 24, 2008 at 5:46 pm
This is such an interesting topic and one that has also come to the forefront for me. I was never going to have that beautifully, full, curvy body that Thelma from Good Times had and I used to feel bad about that. I remember waiting and waiting to ‘fill out’ and it never happened.
And since adopting a healthier lifestyle, some seem to believe that I have chosen to ditch my feminitity for something ‘manly’ and unattrative and that I have ‘lost’ something. Hmm, I’ve gained confidence, better health, increased stamina and conditioning, my husband things I’m the bomb and my daughter thinks I’m a superhero. I feel more feminine now that I hae in years!
March 24, 2008 at 5:55 pm
But I guess what you are asking is if a softer rounder woman more attractive tan a lean muscular woman.
While I appreciate the figure of a lean hard musclar woman, it does not turn on that primal urge. So I guess prefer round and soft. And I love me some Thelma.