# Opinions wanted about women body builders and muscles on women **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137 "2003-05-14T04:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/41 "2003-05-15T02:22:54Z")
male. I agree with most here. I think athletic woman are very attractive but not woman bodybuilders. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/42 "2003-05-15T02:57:01Z")
Like **Bibliovore** , I really, really like strong dancers. I think the reason is that they have both strength _and_ grace in their general demeanor. I once knew a female bodybuilder and thought she was attractive as hell, though I couldn’t say the same for most of the pics linked to in this thread. It’s probably a question of style though. Btw, am I the only person who thinks the Williams sisters are kinda hot? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/43 "2003-05-15T02:57:32Z")
Female here-ugh. I would never want to look like that. I don’t even like guys who are really ripped and muscular body-builder types. (I mean Arnold Schwartzengger and beyond). How do they manage to get that look-I’ve heard it’s really hard to obtain that look if you’re female. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/44 "2003-05-15T03:34:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*How do they manage to get that look-I’ve heard it’s really hard to obtain that look if you’re female. \*\* Very heavy drug use. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/45 "2003-05-15T06:24:19Z")
If a woman looks like she can bench press a Mack truck, I’m not interested. ---
**Author:** ![Alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/46 "2003-05-15T15:50:38Z")
Isn’t that first picture Paul Stanley from KISS? ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/47 "2003-05-15T16:13:17Z")
**Rusalka** , the woman in that last picture you linked to was probably at one time a very attractive woman, but now with all of those bulging veins on her arms and weird lumps all over her body she just looks gross, in my opinion. What a waste. ---
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/48 "2003-05-15T22:55:07Z")
Gross? Athletes have veins in their arms too, take a look at Jackie Joyner Kersey at her height - and her legs are at least as muscular as this woman’s, if not more. So do you find sprinters gross too? What weird lumps are you talking about, I just see muscles in that last picture. I’m trying to pin down exactly what it is people object to, and where they draw the line. Would you still be grossed out if you knew that woman came by her muscles without drugs? A lot of you say you like “athletic” but what do you mean by that? Would you mean it for an olympic powerlifter? How about a pole vaulter or other track and field person (javelin, shot put, discus, etc.) Those women can get pretty muscular, I wish I could find a picture. Why aren’t the skinny models with NO muscles in their arms, just skin and bones (one extreme) viewed with the same disdain as those women who have lots of muscles in their arms (the other extreme)?? I mean, it may not be your cup of tea, but why is the term “gross” used so much for muscular women? ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/49 "2003-05-16T00:34:35Z")
I doubt most of us could quantify at exactly what point “attractively muscular” turns into “yuck, too much.” I dislike bodies that have too much muscle, because it looks unnatural to me. Also, if you root around the boards a bit, you’ll find that many of us _do_ have the same disdain for stick-thin women. It’s a matter of balance, of looking healthy without going so far as to be overly developed. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/50 "2003-05-16T00:36:52Z")
I personally don’t like dating anyone that looks like they could beat me to a bloody pulp. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/51 "2003-05-16T00:41:50Z")
Linda Hamilton in T2? Oh, yes, I’d do her, and I’m a hetero female!😃 But body builders? Nope. Don’t like it in men or women. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/52 "2003-05-16T04:56:26Z")
Responding to the OP: I’m a man, and I think muscular women are sexy . . .to a point. Women who are _athletic_ are sexy (although I like 'em broad of beam, as well). Professional bodybuilders are a little different. _Some_ of those women look okay. Corey Everson is one example. Unfortunately, others use various substances that make them lose any semblance of a female figure. They end up having V-shaped, flat-chested torsos that are masculine in appearance. Those women I find highly unnattractive. ---
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/53 "2003-05-16T05:27:28Z")
Look at this picture of Corey Everson. She was also a Ms. Olympia 6x, this photo was taken past her Olympia years I think, but her arms are still pretty big. Does this turn y’all off too? [http://www.altosport.com/cgi-bin/preview.pl?/e/cory-everson/s-000101-im-001098.jpg,0,0,0](http://www.altosport.com/cgi-bin/preview.pl?/e/cory-everson/s-000101-im-001098.jpg,0,0,0) (scroll down to the middle of the page) I think Corey looks like someone who didn’t take drugs. Her face, chin didn’t get enlarged like some of those other women who compete. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/54 "2003-05-16T06:35:12Z")
Moderation is the key. Angela Basset looked beautiful when she played Tina Turner. Her arms and legs were solid and well-defined without looking hypertrophied in a comic book hero sort of way. Past a certain point, muscles stop looking nice and start looking freakin’ scary. The faces of both male and female bodybuilders have a strained appearance to them, one that makes me think of chronic constipation. It also strikes me as ridiculously unnatural to amass tons of muscle at the expense of breast tissue and physiologic levels of body fat. Perhaps it makes sense that many men are not attracted to women bodybuilders because their bodies are not conducive for a lot of baby making. Just an idea. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/55 "2003-05-16T14:55:59Z")
I basically agree with what most here have said already. Almost everyone agrees that being physically fit is attractive. There are plenty of women who fit this description. However, at some point, excessive muscles on a woman start to have a negative affect on her physical appearance, in my opinion. Muscular legs don’t look too bad, but big, bulky muscles on the upper body absolutely disgust me. If you want to see an example of an attractive female athlete, one needs to look no further than Olympic Silver Medalist Michelle Kwan– [http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/8981/photo\_kwan.html](http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/8981/photo_kwan.html) Clearly, a gifted athlete, her intense physical training has not adversely affected her appearance. Or, if you prefer athletic women who are a bit more full-figured, take a look at Leeanne Tweeden- [http://www.sportsgirls.net/fitness/leannetweeden.html](http://www.sportsgirls.net/fitness/leannetweeden.html) Alternatively, if you like women with a bit more muscle, take a look at Kiana Tom- [http://www.sportsgirls.net/fitness/kiana.html](http://www.sportsgirls.net/fitness/kiana.html) Notice that Kiana Tom is pushing the limit of overdoing it, in my opinion. I think she would be more attractive if she cut back on the weight training a little. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/56 "2003-05-16T15:35:54Z")
At what point would a woman who lifts weights begin to look like, say, Kiana? How much weight should a woman be able to lift before she can expect to start getting really bulky? Say, her own weight, or 150 lbs.? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/57 "2003-05-16T16:05:35Z")
It probably depends on the woman’s body type, **a35362**. My calves, for instance, are naturally toned and defined; I don’t have to work out at all to maintain the muscle. It probably wouldn’t take much training to make those bad boys stand out like Popeye’s legs on steroids. Same with my biceps. But this is not universal. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/58 "2003-05-16T16:32:23Z")
Most women will never get big, bulky muscles no matter how much they can lift. Their bodies just don’t produce enough testosterone. Any women you see with big muscles are either genetic freaks or steroid users. ---
**Author:** ![waddamaroon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/41988e/32.png) [@waddamaroon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddamaroon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/59 "2003-05-17T07:46:22Z")
This dumb old guy likes his women soft and curvy. But it’s not just the body builder look that turns me off. Some months ago, there was a picture of Jennifer Capriati in Sports Illustrated that was frightening. Same thing with the Williams sisters. Not attractive. As far as athletic women go, Katarina Witt or (I can’t believe I’m saying this, I’m soooo old)Dorothy Hamill are more to my liking. Oh yeah, and Cynthia Cooper. I love Cymthia Cooper.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137/60 "2003-05-17T09:26:52Z")
But why do you think that upper arm muscles are weird or not attractive? I think it looks silly when a woman has legs almost as big as a man’s but her upper body is WIMPY and bony. (can you say “skinny pear shape”?) Just MO. Why is there such a strong reaction to muscles? There is the other “bony and skinny” extreme and no one says that’s _gross_. I think Kiana Tom looks great - nice balance. And I don’t understand the “curvy” comments. Most of the muscular women do look curvy when they aren’t flexing their muscles. It’s the ones with just skin and bones who don’t look curvy at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-wanted-about-women-body-builders-and-muscles-on-women/175137.md?page=4)