Why are there more men than women in gyms? Are they lazier?

[Eternal Sunshine]

Having more lean muscle mass burns calories too. So you lose body fat in the long run.

 

I prefer athletic look to skinny, on men and women.

[SmileFace]

Having more lean muscle mass burns calories too. So you lose body fat in the long run.

 

I prefer athletic look to skinny, on men and women.

Because nothing is cool about being skinny fat

[ascendotum]

Too masculine? Really. Any guy Ive EVER shown her picture too, thought she was sexy and would totally give it to her. And Ive shown a lot of guys her photo. Average guys and especially gym guys think shes fine.

 

Dunno what kinda guys you hang around

 

And huh? I know of girls who gained curves from building their ass and leg muscles...as well as making their back more prominent. Fats not the only thing that gives curve. Fat gives squishy curve. Muscle gives sleek curve. I dunno how low your body fat is, but unless you are competition low fat% I cant see how more fat would help you.

 

Some girls just arent curvy, whether they are thin or big.

 

I agree. The women who use weights in my gym all have nicely toned bodies, even the stocky build women with the personal trainers. After time they now have a body like say that of a swimmer and the flabby upper arms + bum are now no longer. For me that fitness girl, has an awesome figure, and I would be rapt to have her as a gf even if she was half as pretty. I have low body fat and work out, so I think it has influenced my appreciation of very toned/slightly muscular women. It would not change my mind in the least if most guys said ewww to women like her. I think the vast majority of guys who do any sort of regular exercise and take pride in their figure would find a woman like Jamie very desirable. For those guys that don't I suspect many would be a bit intimidated by her, less confident in themselves or feel less masculine with her...but the majority of guys would find her sexy imo.

"Muscle gives sleek curve" - It sure does.

[ascendotum]

Because nothing is cool about being skinny fat

Can you post a link to a picture of skinny fat (female) for me pls. I just did a quick google image search and most of the images didn't stand out to me as 'yikes' apart from a couple of extreme guys (skinny upper torso with fat lower torso).

[KungFuJoe]

Exercise does more than increase the size and strength of your muscles. Exercise burns calories. How do you get tone? Loss of body fat. How do you lose body fat? By burning more calories than you take it. What is the "easiest" way for most people to burn more calories? Exercise.

 

Point being that it's better not to intake those excess calories in the first place.

 

Anyways...op asked why more guys are in the gym than women.

 

I gave the answer.

[Andy_K]

Can you post a link to a picture of skinny fat (female) for me pls. I just did a quick google image search and most of the images didn't stand out to me as 'yikes' apart from a couple of extreme guys (skinny upper torso with fat lower torso).

 

This is the kind of thing you're looking for http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m49bolK6FL1rtbaxgo1_400.png

[Els]

What is the "easiest" way for most people to burn more calories? Exercise.

 

No... Tone debate aside, the 'easiest' way for most people is to cut down on the calories put in to begin with. Playing with the stats in calorie calculators will show you the cold hard (and pretty frightening) facts - it takes something like running 5 miles to burn off one ice-cream. I don't know about you, but for most of us it's easier to skip the ice-cream.

[xxoo]

So much depends on body type and lifestyle. Personally, I've always been thin...even at my most out of shape. To get toned, I need to add exercise AND eat more of certain foods. I'm an ectomorph, for sure.

[kaylan]

This is the kind of thing you're looking for http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m49bolK6FL1rtbaxgo1_400.png

Omg...the girl on the left has no booty at all. Doggy style with her must feel uncomfy for the guy lol

Point being that it's better not to intake those excess calories in the first place.

 

Anyways...op asked why more guys are in the gym than women.

 

I gave the answer.

The excess calories are necessary and quite healthy for building muscle, supplying the body with calories burned from cardio, and supporting overall fitness.

 

Seems to me almost like you are promoting a sedentary lifestyle, so long as someones diet is in check. Diet alone does not make one healthy, fit, or the best they can be.

Edited February 17, 2013 by kaylan

[Leigh 87]

Because going for daily runs, in addition to daily pilates on DVD'S, are cheaper and get the desired results for me.

 

I am a student and cannot afford a gym membership.

 

Lifting does not make me appear more attractive.

 

I have an angular face, where if I am too firm with too low body fat, I look very masculine.

 

...I just go for the look that works best for me.

 

When I can afford it after college, with my graduate job, I will save up and buy some basic resistance equipment though, as heavy lifting twice weekly is something I will need fr bone health.

[Emilia]

Personally i think society teaches women the wrong ways to work out...making them think theyll get buff by lifting anything...and having them use those worthless thigh master machines that do nothing. Thats the tip of the iceberg though. Crossfit has been showing women they can be feminine and super fit and strong despite doing really strenuous workouts with heavy weight. Hough Im not a big fan of CF...im hoping it creates a cultural shift that educates women on working out efficiently a%d properly.

 

thoughts?

 

I've never been fat but started exercise in my early 30s when I noticed I was putting more weight on my belly and it looked awful. I started lifting and boxing last year and the main drive behind that was job related (part-time police job) but I was worried that men wouldn't like me that much if I got a bit 'butch'. I didn't think I would get huge, no. I knew I'd notice any sort of size difference before it got out of hand but I had thought men would find broader shoulders or visible tone off-putting but it hasn't been the case at all. Maybe because I also like fit/athletic guys and I think they appreciate the effort I've been putting in. My current interest finds my strength and enjoyment of boxing sexy.

 

So after coming out the other side, I agree with the original post. I'm not a fan of Crossfit either but there is absolutely no encouragement for women to explore their physical side. I love it. Wish I had known about this when I was 15 years younger - though female boxing then was in its infancy.

[Taramere]

Omg...the girl on the left has no booty at all. Doggy style with her must feel uncomfy for the guy lol

 

Those differing shapes are probably more attributable to factors like age and ethnicity than anything else. There's only so much that exercise will achieve in terms of altering a person's basic shape. Also, the second picture is far more of a "posed" shot whereas the first picture looks like an ordinary woman (one who has probably had a child or two) who was snapped unawares. She certainly doesn't look as though she was posing for the shot.

 

The bottom line, excuse the pun, is that "no booty at all" woman is most likely a woman in her middle years who has had children and is doing not too badly in terms of keeping herself in trim. She has the midsection of an older lady who has had children, but her legs are toned and relatively cellulite free. Generally she looks like somebody who does work at trying to keep herself in shape - but she may well be too occupied attending to a family and other matters to spend a lot of time trying to cultivate a smoking hot, more youthful Latina body that's completely different to her natural body shape.

 

I'm all for people following an exercise regime to be the best that they can be, but I do find that particular picture somewhat unrealistic and objectionable in that it's clearly taking two very different body types and making unfavourable comparisons that (most likely very unfairly) suggest the first woman is "just lazy".

Edited February 18, 2013 by Taramere

[AlexDP]

Those differing shapes are probably more attributable to factors like age and ethnicity than anything else. There's only so much that exercise will achieve in terms of altering a person's basic shape. Also, the second picture is far more of a "posed" shot whereas the first picture looks like an ordinary woman (one who has probably had a child or two) who was snapped unawares. She certainly doesn't look as though she was posing for the shot.

 

Squat the right way and you will have a huge booty. It's not genetics, its basic human movement.

 

Shape is indeed somewhat genetic, but you will always develop goodlooking glutes when you squat. It's just that squatting right doesn't come easy to some of us (including myself, it took me ages).

[Radu]

Omg...the girl on the left has no booty at all. Doggy style with her must feel uncomfy for the guy lol

The excess calories are necessary and quite healthy for building muscle, supplying the body with calories burned from cardio, and supporting overall fitness.

 

Seems to me almost like you are promoting a sedentary lifestyle, so long as someones diet is in check. Diet alone does not make one healthy, fit, or the best they can be.

 

What you got there is a type of body that doesn't deposit much fat on the ass.

So that's muscle.

I could be wrong, but that's how it felt.

Felt as in, i was with such a girl and i can assure you, doggy style was awesome.

 

She looks better than many 20yr olds.

The midsection is easily corrected too.

[xxoo]

Squat the right way and you will have a huge booty. It's not genetics, its basic human movement.

 

A huge man's booty. What makes it look like a woman's booty is the fat.

 

You guys might prefer extremely toned women's butts, but we women know that most men don't.

[Taramere]

Squat the right way and you will have a huge booty. It's not genetics, its basic human movement.

 

Squats are a major part of ballet dancers' training (except that they tend to refer to them as the more graceful sounding plies and they're performed with legs apart, toes outwards). No dancer I've ever met has had a huge butt - including the ones who weren't as slim as dancers are meant to be.

 

I think lifting and toning is good, but a huge butt is not something I would thank anybody for teaching me to get. It might look very sexy on some women, but it's not something I'd personally choose to have.

[ascendotum]

Squats are a major part of ballet dancers' training (except that they tend to refer to them as the more graceful sounding plies and they're performed with legs apart, toes outwards). No dancer I've ever met has had a huge butt - including the ones who weren't as slim as dancers are meant to be.

 

I think lifting and toning is good, but a huge butt is not something I would thank anybody for teaching me to get. It might look very sexy on some women, but it's not something I'd personally choose to have.

 

Yep Age, ethnicity and genetic body type account for a lot of the difference between the two women in those 2 pictures and not squats. While that first women could build a firm butt I really could not see her every getting a juicy bubble butt like the 2nd woman. A 'no T&A' girl is going to really struggle squatting her way to a big butt, but she will definitely be boosting her sex appeal by doing squats in the gym. You could possibly post pics of those 2 women in 20 yrs time with the pictures swapped L to R with the another slogan about dieting.

 

Its fairly rare to see the women in my gym use the squat rack or the incline leg press (they prefer the horizontal leg extension machine)

 

Skinny fat is better then fat fat for me.

Taramere, I think ballerina's would definitely have bigger gluteus maximus's if their plies were done with a weighted barbell across their shoulders.

Edited February 18, 2013 by ascendotum

[Taramere]

Skinny fat is better then fat fat for me.

Taramere, I think ballerina's would definitely have bigger gluteus maximus's if their plies were done with a weighted barbell across their shoulders.

 

Yeah you're probably right. The emphasis is on a streamlined body shape in that dance form, so they'd probably avoid that type of exercise for exactly that reason. They have to be strong though.

 

One strength building alternative for women who really don't want to get involved in weight training and bench pressing is Callanetics. It's been around for decades now and involves very small movements that work the muscles intensely. Much harder than it looks. I can do 50 plies (minus the weighted barbell...) without much problem - but 100 of the Callanetics butt exercises, which look like nothing when you watch them being done, are a very tough work-out on that area.

[EasyHeart]

The best exercise program for any woman (or man, for that matter) is the one that you enjoy enough to do on a regular basis.

 

Every woman doesn't need to spend her entire life trying to meet OP's specific standards of female desirability.

[Taramere]

The best exercise program for any woman (or man, for that matter) is the one that you enjoy enough to do on a regular basis.

 

Every woman doesn't need to spend her entire life trying to meet OP's specific standards of female desirability.

 

Agreed. In terms of what people need to do to stay fit and healthy, walking or cycling instead of taking the car for relatively short distances is an excellent start - and for people who just want to be in reasonable shape as opposed to making their bodyshape their number one priority, it might well be enough. The gym isn't an absolute necessity for fitness, but it can be a great tool for increasing fitness. I think ideally it's used in conjunction with a sport or activity you want to be in good shape for.

 

A lot of people really aren't into the gym philosophy, endless bench pressing and other gym based activities that have to be done "by the right method" (ie overseen by a paid instructor). It doesn't mean they're lazy, it just means they have different methods of staying in decent shape.

 

Given the vast numbers of obese people out there, it seems a bit unfair to berate those who prefer to focus on cardio during their gym time. That's the kind of thing that just results in people giving up on the gym altogether because they're nitpicked at for not following other people's advice and preferred routines. I know the advice is generally delivered with the best of intentions, but all the expert advice people are keen to hand out about gym work-outs can sometimes be a bit offputting. If we ask for help then great, but otherwise just let us do our thing. Not all of us want to be publicly heaving weights and doing squats that can easily be done in the privacy of our own homes.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Taramere

[Emilia]

 

I know the advice is generally delivered with the best of intentions, but all the expert advice people are keen to hand out about gym work-outs can sometimes be a bit offputting. If we ask for help then great, but otherwise just let us do our thing. Not all of us want to be publicly heaving weights and doing squats that can easily be done in the privacy of our own homes.

 

I never give advice in gyms unless I'm asked, not even when I see the same girl day in day out not progressing or just getting skinnier instead of fitter looking.

 

I know a lot of girls struggle with their body fat % despite the fact that they are not big at all, ie skinny fat instead of fat fat. I don't say anything but I think half the time they could probably do with some advice because I don't think most people who go to the gym simply want to get skinny. They can do that by not eating much.

[EasyHeart]

Don't get me wrong: I've been lifting weights for 30 years and think it's great. Weight lifting is the closest thing we've found to a fountain of youth and people who think running 30-40 miles a week makes them "in shape" make me shake my head in bewilderment. But I don't think the way to get people to change is to bully and berate them. I'm kind of like Emilia: I let people do their own thing. But if someone looks bewildered or curious, I'll offer to help them get started and they're usually appreciative.

 

To me, though, the important thing about any exercise program is that it improves your health; it's not about appearance. So there is no one single "right" way to exercise because it depends on your age, gender, health, fitness level, goals, etc. I exercise very differently at 50 than I did at 20. It's not that either way is right or wrong, I'm a different person now than I was then, so my exercise program had to change, too.

[AlexDP]

Squats are a major part of ballet dancers' training (except that they tend to refer to them as the more graceful sounding plies and they're performed with legs apart, toes outwards). No dancer I've ever met has had a huge butt - including the ones who weren't as slim as dancers are meant to be.

 

I think lifting and toning is good, but a huge butt is not something I would thank anybody for teaching me to get. It might look very sexy on some women, but it's not something I'd personally choose to have.

 

Squat the right way. Ballet dancers squat on their toes. If you squat the right way, you're going to use your glutes. There's just no other way. Squat right and you will develop a shapely ass.

[AlexDP]

Not all of us want to be publicly heaving weights and doing squats that can easily be done in the privacy of our own homes.

 

I do squats in the privacy of my own home. I also have weights up to 200kg. I'm guessing you don't. Without weights squats become meaningless. Sure, they're still a good mobility exercise, but developing muscles with bodyweight squats is almost impossible. You'd be far better off sprinting.

 

But I get it. You don't want to do heavy squats. Fair enough. But tell it like it is.

[Taramere]

Squat the right way. Ballet dancers squat on their toes. If you squat the right way, you're going to use your glutes. There's just no other way. Squat right and you will develop a shapely ass.

 

I've already got a shapely ass, thanks.