Why Strong is the New Skinny
Why a Toned Body Is Better Than Skinny Fat
I don’t know how many times I hear women say, I don’t think I should do that exercise because my back will get bigger, or I might gain too much muscle. What a lot of women do not realize is that women just can’t gain muscle as men can.
It is a physiological fact that women don’t have the physical traits to do so. I know there are numerous photos of women with muscle mass that can be frightening. The truth the only massive women you see with a lot of muscle are those women who take steroids.
Anabolic steroids increase testosterone which will help you gain muscle. Women produce very small amounts of testosterone, the main hormone in women is estrogen.
When women lift weights they can achieve an incredible looking body. Over the last decade being skinny fat is less popular, and that is not a bad thing.
There are women who struggle with trying to be thin, but are still fat, yo yo dieting is unhealthy and there are studies that prove it 1, you are much better off adding muscle to your frame than trying to lose weight.
Lifting weights can give women a toned and firm look that is pleasing to the eyes, plus strength training offers many positive health benefits.
Working out can be fun and you best of all you will feel amazing.
Being skinny fat is not much fun, I’ve been there, and to be honest there are not a lot of things to like about it.
Things I hate about being skinny fat:
- Everything jiggles, like your arms thighs and booty
- Clothes don’t fit right and are baggy in the wrong places
- You wear clothes to cover up certain parts of your body
- You hate wearing shorts and showing off your legs
- You lack self-confidence
Ditching the skinny fat look
Just because you want to get into shape does not mean you have to give up everything you love.
You don’t need to say goodbye to fats or cut carbs completely out of your diet and much less starve yourself to be healthy.
There are great ways to get in shape by weight lifting, circuit training and eating quality foods.
The term “strong” and its many connotations are rapidly gaining popularity among women in the fitness industry — it’s clear that strong is rapidly replacing skinny as the “ideal” among women, all part of a movement to empower women.
Strong is not anti-skinny. Strong doesn’t limit or define a woman’s body to a certain aesthetic — strong is a feeling.
Not everyone has fitness goals to have arms like a Greek goddess, and not everyone wants to deadlift 200lbs, and that’s ok. Strength is more than how much you lift or how smokin’ your legs and booty look. Strength is a feeling of empowerment.
Here are a few reasons you should stop looking at the number on the scale and instead focus on how awesome strong feels.
You get to show off your curvy body
A sculpted body is something that makes people look twice in envy, everyone knows that getting a firm and toned body is more than just looks, it takes commitment and dedication. So, besides looking super sexy people who see a curvy woman know she has worked hard to get a sculpted body.
Sure, there are women who don’t work out at all, some of them have surgery but trust me, you can tell the difference between a woman who has had surgery and one that lifts.
Great progress has been made in portraying what real women look like.
Today, our social media feeds are crowded with strong and sexy fitness models who spend a lot of time in the gym — these are portraits of strong women, totally comfortable about how they look and are unashamed to flaunt it. There is no reason why you can’t do the same. No, you don’t have to spend hours in the gym and most of the fitness models don’t.
All it takes is an hour a day 4–5 times a week and you can achieve a strong and firm body, obviously, a lot depends on diet as well, however, if you eat a little more on certain days you can compensate for those extra calories by working out a little harder or longer.
Building muscle feels great
Losing those flabby arms or fat from your thighs and hips can make any woman feel more self-confident and better about themselves.
Women who build muscle are not only physically stronger, but your strength increases your resilience mentally and emotionally.
Muscle also takes up way less space than fat, which positively impacts your physique and waistline.
Lifting weights can be more effective than cardio
This is not to say you shouldn’t do any kind of cardiovascular exercise because you should, however, this does not mean that you have to spend hours on a treadmill trying to burn off excess calories, remember a lot of cardio not only burns calories it also burns muscle. Muscle not only gives you strength, but it also adds tone and definition to your body. Bonus points, it also helps speed up your metabolism.
Things to love about gaining muscle.
You’ll have the energy to do the things that matter
Transforming your body from skinny fat you can also achieve the new skinny with a lean and toned body, this will give you more energy and it makes eating healthy easier. This is not to say you will never crave pizza or fast foods but when you workout your body seems to crave healthier food choices.
When you eat fresh foods in the right macro ratio for your body, you’ll have supercharged energy. And when you have more energy, you can think, walk, talk, problem solve making it easier to take on all the hard and exciting things life throws at you.
When you don’t have energy, everything in life is harder — you risk losing the confidence and strength you need to be an active participant in the world around you.
As you build strength, both physically and mentally, you’ll be able to accomplish more. The more you do, the more you can enjoy what life has to offer — whether that’s playing with your children, running a marathon or any other daily activity or chose. Being strong is a gift you give to yourself.
