Originally posted by: Redfraggle
Hmm....you guys seem to have the wrong idea about me. In order to make this easier for all of us, let me give you some background. I am not uncomfortable with my body, I am not a stick woman -- nor do I aspire to be one. I am athletic in build, and quite strong compared to most women. I am not afraid to have muscles (in fact I like them). However, I know I already have broad shoulders for my frame, and try not to emphasize that more than is already natural. I take a rather aggressive form of martial arts, and am not afraid to knock them down, throw them, or have the same done to me. I am the only woman in the program right now, this isn't uncommon. I rock climb, hike, kayak, run distance, do yoga and pilates, kickbox, do small circle Hapkido (it's not like traditional HKD at all really), and do other exercises as I find them and am interested in them. I play recreational sports randomly. I am flexible, fit, healthy, and not a twig.
The problem is that I injured my hip and can't do a lot of my normal stuff while I heal. I am already healthy, and just don't want to lose too much while I heal. Sorry if I sound pissed and aggressive, I think we are all fighting a similar demon here -- the ultra thin female image presented in the media. Again, I do not aspire to be that at all. I am about to turn 30, and am quite comfortable with my body and mind. I eat what I like to eat, and I don't feel bad about it. I am confident and driven, and not sorry about it.
The circuit suggestion was helpful, thank you. Other suggestions for substitution until I can get back to my normal activities still welcomed. 🙂
It's great to hear that you keep healthy & active, but if you're not already "huge" from all the activities you do, I doubt that weight training would make you bulky either. With your diet in check (ie, not eating a massive calorie surplus to pack on the weight), it really is tough for most women to bulk up. Of course, if you've already tried it and found that you do swell up like a balloon, then there's not much you can do about those genetics and should try something else. However, if you've never tried it seriously, give it a shot, as it sounds right up your alley.
You may want to check out
crossfit. It's the workout routine of many military, police, firefighters, mixed martial artists, etc and is designed to develop general physical preparedness (ie, overall fitness). Rather than improving just strength or just endurance, Crossfit is designed to improve "each of 10 fitness domains: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy." It does involve weight lifting, but also gymnastics, running, plyometrics, climbing and a whole lot more. A ton of women do CF and while some do get pretty bulky - especially the elite competitors - the overwhelming majority do not and definitely look better for their efforts. For example, check out
Jodi deadlifting ~310lbs at a bodyweight of 105lbs and
Nicole doing 15 OH squats with her bodyweight - two crazy strong women who don't look bulky at all.
A different workout of the day (WoD) is posted on the CF site daily, most of them are relatively short (<20 minutes) but incredibly intense and effective. With the hip injury, you may have to avoid certain workouts or substitute exercises, but with the enormous variety of CF, you could do pretty well. For example, yesterday's WoD (called "Barbara") included pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and air squats. Squats will probably be painful with a hip injury, but you could either skip them or sub in something like box jumps, lunges or any other lower body exercise that doesn't hurt and still get a fantastic workout.
