Fit Geek

You know, I expected today to be uneventful for the most part.

I was planning to blog about not being able to get to 40 lbs with dumbbells (80 lbs total) on the incline press, when I can easily knock out 3 sets of 10 with the 35 lb dumbbells. (I couldn’t even get the 40s up once.)

The 40s pwned me.

But aside from me totally failing to get the 40s up in the air, something noteworthy actually happened at the gym.

So, I was on the last exercise for chest day. I decided to end easy on the incline press machine. Then a guy approached me. The conversation went like this:

Guy: Hi, do you mind if I pick your brains for a minute?
Me: Sure.
Guy: Why do you do so many chest exercises?
Me: I don’t only do chest exercises. I work every part of my body because I want to be balanced.
Guy: Well I’ve seen you doing a lot of chest stuff. I saw you doing flyes over there. And I’m not sure if you know, but working your chest too much can reduce your breasts.

*Oh. Hell. No.*

Me: I’m not really worried about that.
Guy: Oh, I wasn’t sure if you knew, ’cause that happens. I’ve seen women whose breasts have gone down from working their chest too much.
Me: I’m not trying to get to a bodybuilder level. And personally, I don’t think working my chest is going to reduce my breasts.
Guy: Well you know with men, they don’t have much fat on their chest. It’s more muscle. But women do have fat there, and it can go away if you work it too hard.
Me: Yeah, exactly. Breasts are mostly fat tissue. And for me, the only way I’m losing breast tissue is if I’m losing fat. And right now I’m not really doing any cardio and I’m not reducing my calories so I’m not worried about it.
Guy: Ok, I wasn’t sure if you knew. I run the PT department here and I put together all the programs, so I just thought you should know.
Me: Thanks, but I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m not worried about it.
Guy: Yes, I can tell. Well, sorry to interrupt your workout.

WTF. Dude. Am I overreacting or was that super inappropriate? In my mind, I don’t care if you’re a trainer or not, you don’t go up to a stranger and tell them that their tits at are risk for deflation. He doesn’t know what my goals are. It’s one thing to help someone with their form, but another thing entirely to comment on their physique.

And as you can tell by my response to him, I don’t think what he said is true either. Granted, everyone is different, but from my experience simply lifting weights for your chest isn’t going to reduce your breasts. Will you build muscle under the breast? Yes, but that alone is not enough to shrink your boobs. There has to be fat loss involved, and I am certainly not losing any fat right now. In fact, when I first lost weight I did lose a cup size or two. But when I started lifting seriously, and consequently gaining muscle and fat, my breast sized increased again. I think there is a stronger correlation between body fat level and breast size than there is between muscularity and breast size. BUT THAT’S JUST ME.

I was so offended it ruined my post-workout Mexican salad. Instead of guacamole, all I could taste was HATE! Well, hate is a strong word. I was pissed, but it would sound weird if I said all I could taste was …piss….yeah.

Have you had any offensive experiences with ignorant and rude trainers at the gym?

Ps. I posed the question on Twitter, but since I only have like, 30 followers, I didn’t get any responses, lol. That being said, add me on the Twitters at MsFitGeek!

Sometimes I think there should be a sitcom called “Gym Rats” because of all the characters that find their way there. And I think this morning would qualify as an episode.

So I arrive at the gym around 7:15 a.m., and as I step into the free weight area I see a couple working out together. The girl is doing walking lunges with a 30 lb barbell.

Enter character #1–A very loud, large Bulgarian trainer with a penchant for cursing. I’m not exaggerating when I say that he bellows out things like, “What the fuck are you doing sitting on your ass? Get the fuck up!” in a Schwarzenegger-esque accent. Last week I heard him talking about his sex life to his clients, saying that one time he got so drunk he passed out and when he woke up some girl was on top of him, if you know what I mean.

So anyway, this Bulgarian trainer walks up to the couple and says to the guy, “What are you trying to do to this girl? She shouldn’t be lifting anything that weighs more than 10 lbs. Women get muscles in their legs like that *snaps*. She should do body weight or very light weight and 30 to 50 reps. If not, she’s going to put on a lot of muscle and not lose the fat and look bigger.”

Now, I generally try to not be judgmental, but I could not keep my cool in this situation. In fact, I was fuming. I couldn’t believe that a trainer of all people was saying this. And the sad thing was that the couple ate it up. For those of you who are not familiar with muscle building protocol, THIS IS FALSE. Women do not bulk up just like that. Doing lunges with a 30 lb barbell is not enough to make your legs huge. And if anything, having more muscle helps you burn fat.

As he was talking to that couple, I wondered what he would think of my workout and my HUGE, BULKING muscles. (At the time I was doing cable lat pulldowns with 85 lbs for 3 sets of 10.) I did feel a strong urge to speak up, but I didn’t. As much as it bothered me, I didn’t want to get involved.

This trainer has also come up to me and told me not to deadlift because I was going to mess up my back. I asked him if my form was bad and he said that it was fine, it’s just the exercise that’s bad. This is something I strongly disagree with. I think it’s easy to hurt yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing, but I am very confident that I was executing it correctly. Ever since then I haven’t put much stock into his opinions about fitness.

Moving along…just as I had finally managed to get over being upset/annoyed about that incident, character #2 came up to me. He’s probably in his late forties or early fifties. I’ve talked to him before, so I didn’t think much about him approaching me. He asked me how my writing was going, and what I was writing lately. I thought he was just being friendly, so I told him where I work. I usually do not volunteer this information to people unless they press me, and he was asking a lot of questions but seemed harmless enough.

This is my saving grace when I need to block people out at the gym. Why didn't I use it today?

He got way too excited about it. He kept telling me how cool it was, and that could “give [me] some ideas, because [he’s] a total freak.” Umm. No thanks. I keep working out. He’s babbling about how he likes to write and how awesome my job is. I shrug and tell him I’m over it. Finally, I’m done with my workout and say bye to him. The following conversation ensues:

Self-proclaimed freak: So do you want to get coffee sometime?
Me: Um…I don’t know…
Self-proclaimed freak: Well, how about I get your number?
Me: I have a boyfriend.
Self-proclaimed freak: Oh. Well, why don’t we get coffee anyway?
Me: No.

Give me a break, dude. You don’t want to just get coffee. It really bothers me when guys pull the whole “Oh, you have a boyfriend? We can still be friends” thing. I don’t think that’s ever their intention, but whatever.

So yeah, that was my morning at the gym. That’s a lot more excitement than I’m used to before 8:30 a.m. If you’re curious about my workout, it was a back/biceps day. Here’s what I did:

Bent-Over Barbell Row: 3 sets of 10 at 85 lbs
Machine Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 10 at 135 lbs (I had a plate on each arm lever thingie)
Wide Grip Cable Pulldown: 3 sets of 10 at 85 lbs
Seated Cable Row: 3 sets of 10 at 85 lbs
Back Extension: 3 sets of 10 at bodyweight
Barbel Curl: 3 sets of 10 at 30 lbs
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 10 at 12 lbs
Alternating Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10 at 15 lbs

And in more non-weirdo news, I heard this song on the radio on the way to the gym and dug it.

Ah, arms. They have so many uses! You can wrap them around people, you can carry stuff with them. You can cover them with tattoos. They lift you up, they push you off the ground. Just don’t flex them if you’re a girl and you have anything more than an ounce of muscle. You wouldn’t want to gross people out.

Okay, so I’m exaggerating. But in my opinion, attractive arms have always been something that men owned the rights to. If they had muscular, defined arms, they were considered all the more sexy. But women’s arms weren’t really to be considered. As long as they weren’t flapping in the wind or giving a bodybuilder competition, they were fine. Just another unsexy part of the body, like knees or armpits. Two dangling, formless green beans which should be used primarily to carry babies and laundry.

Men are usually expected to have at least slightly muscular arms, but not women. However, I actually like it when women have some muscle and shape in their arms. To me, a woman with sculpted arms and shoulders stands out from the rest. She’s probably either athletic or works out hard, and I can respect that. I think it’s awesome when a girl can point you to the gun show. I also realize that I’m a minority in feeling that way.

So now, let’s look at some pictures.

Fitness model Jamie Eason. Probably considered bulky by most. Her arms don’t bother me though.

I think just about everyone has seen this photo of Madonna. I don’t really consider her arms bulky. She is just extremely lean and in very unflattering light.

Michelle Obama. Recently lauded in the media for her strong, toned arms. I think she’s a pretty good example of someone who walks the line between “toned” and “too manly”, depending on who you ask. If you ask me, I think her arms look good.

Typical girl arms, and what I assume is desirable for most of the population.

For my own PERSONAL aesthetic, I’m going for something that’s perhaps a step up from Michelle Obama and a step down from Jamie Eason. I hear a lot of “eww, no!” when I tell people that, but whatever. I’m not trying to get huge arms, just enhance what I currently have.

I mean, I understand why people aren’t into girls with defined arms. It comes from the long-standing notion that strong is not for women. Women are soft and delicate, and if the slightest bit of bicep or tricep pops out they’re probably secretly hiding a penis in their undies. Also, women have weaker upper bodies compared to men. We’re not muscular on top, so I suppose it’s a natural thing to be indifferent or even opposed to. Still, I can’t help but mentally roll my eyes whenever a girl says she doesn’t want to lift too much because she’ll get bulky, manly arms. And then I wonder what exactly her definition of “bulky, man arms” is. Michelle? Jamie? Madonna?

Either way, those girls have it easy. As long as they stick to cardio, maybe a bit of light resistance training and eating healthy, the soft yet petite look they’re after is certainly within reach.

Check out those...pecs?

But if you appreciate a lady with a little definition in her arms, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Here are some tips to turn your peanut biceps into nicely arched potato biceps.

• If you’re a beginner, try just doing compound exercises (push-ups, bench press, rows, etc.) to build your foundation strength and muscle before moving on to isolation work. Master chin-ups and bar dips before curls and tricep extensions. Not that it’s wrong to do curls and tricep extensions if you’re a beginner. But you should try putting the most effort into compound exercises.
• If you’re at an advanced level of working out, and you have naturally thin arms (like me), and you feel like your arms are one of your lagging body parts, set up a day to work JUST your arms.
• With biceps, full range of motion is important. (And why is this buff chick so mad?)
• Make sure you work both heads of your bicep and all three heads of the triceps for even muscular development. That means using different grips and angles when you work your arms. (1) (2)
• If you’re a woman, don’t worry. It’s going to take a LOT for you to get bulky arms, unless you’re genetically predisposed to it.

Usually, mornings are full of promise for me.

But this morning wasn’t. It was full of loathing and grumpiness. Yet somehow I managed to drag myself to the gym. I used to workout first thing in morning, but dropped the habit a while ago. Hence me feeling like one of Lovecraft’s monsters, only less cool.

6:45 a.m.: half-dead.

But as crappy as I felt, I was really glad to get it out of the way.

And I was also able to avoid the usual annoying morning characters. (Mainly the guy who, for months, tried to hook me up with his son and constantly referred to me as his “granddaughter.”)

While I was there I noticed, as I usually do, the lack of women in the weight room. There was one bunch working with steps and stability balls along with a trainer, but no ladies pushing any iron. Except for me. I have to say that about 80% of the time, I am the only girl lifting weights in the gym, especially anything that weighs more than 20 lbs.

If you’re at all curious about my routine, here’s what I did today:

Split squat – 4 sets of 12 – 90 lbs.
Barbell bench press – 2 sets of 7, 2 sets of 6 – 90 lbs
Seated row – 2×9, 2×8 – 95 lbs
Leaning lateral raise – 1×12 – 8 lbs, 1×12 – 10 lbs
Standing lateral raise – 2×8 – 15 lbs
Glute-ham raise – 3×8, 1×7 (body weight)

8:10 a.m.: Much better!

(Yes, I record every lift that I do.) I don’t know if you’d consider that heavy, but I consider it decent for a small girl like myself. And guess what? I’M NOT BULKY!

That’s what I’m trying to get at. Ladies, lifting weights is not going to make you bulky. Women do not have the hormones to grow “big, bulky, manly” muscles. I feel like I need to dispel this notion because I still hear it all the damn time.

If you exercise in a gym, but don’t want to lift weights just because you don’t like it, that’s fine (although you really should.) But if it’s because you think you’re going to turn into a bodybuilder, I promise you that’s not going to happen. Even if you did have the body type to put on muscle easier than most women, getting bulky doesn’t happen by accident and it doesn’t happen overnight. Serious bodybuilder women look the way they do because of years of hard training and steroids. If you’re just an average woman who cares about being healthy, you shouldn’t let these baseless fears stop you from weight training.

There are so many benefits that come with lifting weights. It makes you stronger and helps to prevent osteoporosis. The more muscle you have the more you can eat, and generally the easier it is to stay lean. It helps to prevent injury and diseases like diabetes. It can even help to alleviate lower-back pain. And maybe I’m just speaking for myself, but I feel like a badass moving something that’s as heavy as I am. (I’m not going to site this stuff because it is literally all over the Internets.)

So why is it that women have such an aversion to lifting weights? I figure because it’s traditionally a manly thing to do. Some men even think that women shouldn’t lift too heavy. But why not? Because women shouldn’t be physically strong? That’s some sexist BS if I ever heard it.

Personally, I find strong, athletic-looking women attractive, but I know a lot of people are turned-off by the idea of a woman with muscle. But I think that a lot of women (and perhaps men) don’t realize how large a role muscle–even a small amount–plays in defining and re-shaping your body. I think it’s pretty common to hear a woman say that she wants to look “toned.” First of all, all toned means is losing fat so that the muscle underneath can show. You can lose all the fat you want, but cuts and definition in your triceps and hamstrings aren’t going to show unless you have a little muscle going on.

I also realize that bulky is relative. What I find to be the optimum level of muscle in a woman might seem bulky to someone else. So let’s say you prefer a softer look for yourself. You can still maintain that by doing strength training (albeit a load that’s a bit lighter), and by doing so you would achieve your goals faster than by doing cardio alone. You don’t have to be bench pressing and squatting loaded barbells to improve your strength and trim your waistline either. You can get good results just from doing intense body-weight workouts (push-ups, chin-ups, etc.) But if you really want to take it to the next level I’d still recommend lifting weights.

In my opinion, the payoff of lifting weights far exceeds cardio. Don’t get me wrong, cardio is great. But still, weights > cardio in my book. I’d rather lift weights all day than run for 30 minutes. Doing weight training is almost like a form of meditation for me. I don’t mean to get all Rollins on everyone, but the man had a point when he said, “The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.”

It’s not just about lifting weights. It’s about being strong, inside and out. Mentally and physically. It’s about pushing yourself to be better than you were the day before. That’s why I like to lift. The empowerment.

And for women who do make an effort to lift weights, congratulations. Just don’t be scared to move up. The next time you’re in the gym, go for a slightly heavier weight, even if it means you won’t be able to knock out as many reps. That’s how you make progress.

So now what I want to know is who out there lift weights? Why or why not?

Chocolate milk makes it all worthwhile.