"But I don't want to get bulky!"

Iris Kyle: 2011 Arnold Classic Champion

Aimee has another great post about women's health and fitness.

"But I don't want to get bulky!"  Let's be honest; if you're a woman, either you've said it yourself or heard others say it.  If you are a Crossfitter it's only a matter of time before you hear someone say it to you.  I know I get really sick of hearing it.  It's based on myths about beauty, strength, fitness, and even how the human body works. 

One source of these myths is that women tend to think of body builders when they think about "lifting weights".  Women who whine, "I don't want to get bulky", simply don't understand what female body builders have to do to look the way they do. 

 Like I wrote earlier, every woman with whom I've ever spoken about weightlifting - and that includes Aimee before we got into Crossfit - has whined that lifting weights will make them look like Iris Kyle.

Frankly, I find that insulting.  I do a lot of heavy weightlifting and I don't have muscles like Iris Kyle, yet the average woman seems to think that if she just walks too closely by the free weights at the gym she'll suddenly have shoulders like The Hulk.  It's ridiculous.  They obviously don't understand how much work, time, food deprivation and chemical enhancement goes into building a body like Iris Kyle's; especially for a woman.

Sage Burgener: 63Kg-class Olympic Weightlifter

Aimee included lots of photos of elite female Crossfit athletes to demonstrate that weightlifting doesn't result in the kind of physique most women fear, but I'll include one she didn't.

The lady at left is Sage Burgener; a member of the US Olympic Weightlifting Team in the 63Kg (139lb) weight class, which means that - at her weight - she's one of the strongest women on Earth.

Does she look "bulky" to you?

Seriously, ladies; eat meat and lift heavy things often.  You'll be much healthier, stronger and more confident, and who doesn't want that?  Oh, and as a wise man Aimee quoted once said, "Only weak men are intimidated by strong women".