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Hi, I love that you have branched out and delt with this topic head on. I used to be stuck in that “light weights and cardio” cycle. My role model (from about 11 or 12 yrs old) was to be like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 ( the scene where she does the chin ups). She was strong and determined. I’ve always hated the way women down-play their strength (physical and mental) to almost make life easier for themselves, quite possibly to feed male pride. But I do think women reinforce this in themselves as it’s the lack of knowledge and education that is to blame too. My partner is a personal trainor and he is well educated into how to build lean mass and lower body fat. So he has given me the knowledge I desperatly needed to achieve my goal. I find women asking how I have done it and men being impressed with my “female” strength. But the downside is, they always have the get-out comment – “good for a girl”!!

I came across this site during my journey and I love seeing Zuzana being this strong female role model, to prove those stereotypes wrong. I totally on that bandwagon. Thankyou

Hi Zuzana et Frederick,

i’m new on your site i must say. i found it on YouTube because i was looking for some workout to get fit before going to south africa.
i never really had a role model before, celebrities are too skinny i think and you don’t see any muscles on them, so it was difficult for me to find that role model.
i have to say that i was a lasy thing. but i started to do the workout about 2 weeks ago, a bit more now and i feel, the whole day long , like i wanna workout. i can really say that Zuzana’s body made me realize that that’s the body i wanna have. i can say that my role model is You Zuzana.

so, really, thank you for that site.

hope you’ll put some more videos soon and that you’ll answer my question about the stretching after the workout.

best, Lisa

I hold to traditional social gender roles such as males should open doors for females, males are the head of marriages, and females should be feminine. Outside of all that, I don’t ever remember running for the dinky pink weights. I simply started lifting what I could then I started lifting heavier. I instinctively knew that there was absolutely no way that, unless I started using steroids, I would start to look manish. Women just don’t make enough T for that.

If the manchildren don’t like that more women are lifting, they know where they can go.

Hi Frederick,
I appreciate your thoughtful article, however, I have never been a female that would hold back as far as lifting weights. Maybe it is because I have been doing sports (track and field, team swimming) ever since I was a very little girl. Despite an every day rigorous team practice, I didn’t grow up bulky or overly muscular, on the other hand, swimming especially shaped my growing body beautifully. Now I’m in my early thirties and have a physique of, let’s say, Jessica Biel – sporty (though I’m a bit taller – I’m 5’9″).
I think that becoming too strong or muscular are thoughts of women that have never been doing sports because I’ve never heard that from any girl in my sports teams. I used to overhear that from newbies in the gym when they were doing their training w/personal trainers. All of my sports female friends are quite fun, outgoing and very energetic, the sport has empowered them and gave them a healthy self-confidence. Though they might have problems in their lives, they tackle them without whining or hiding from them.
I think that lean, muscular body on a female is sexy and apparently so do men; just look how many of them are commenting on Zuzana’s body on YouTube – they either all want to marry her or say that she’s got the best looking body they’ve seen ;-)

Really good theme to discus.

I am lucky because I have a boyfriend who is very supportive.
He loves me to working out, he loves athletic woman bodies…
As a matter of fact I can say that he is a very happy man when he see me working out every day!
He is aware of the fact that I have to care of myself these way, so he will always have a great looking body girl :).
But on the other hand there are some of my friends and mom and even my brother, who think just the opposite. Too much muscles and all that crap. But I am enough confident of what I am doing and of what is the only right thing for me to do to stay fit , good-looking and healthy, so they can not disturb me :). I do not care what they think, and you know what, I think that with time some of them can finally see now, that I am doing the right thing! Because my body is changing every month in more positive way and theirs do the contrary! Fitness make me an me alike look better and better each year, we are becoming more beautiful with years! Like a good wine…or man – as lots of people claim. :). So, I feel sorry for all those woman who did not know that or who do not believe me or even think I am doing wrong….sorry, bad for them :(.

Tina

It is complety absurd, very ancient cultures pay a high tribute to the woman, because they knew that strong woman are strong mothers, and strong mothers can rise and nurture strong citizens.

Yes, this is going on. Example: Right now my husband strained himself and was told by doctor to take it easy on the weights. But he is reluctant to go to the gym w/ me for fear (his excuse: says he needs a break anyway) that I will be one-upping him, being able to max-out on each exercise. He weighs only 20 lbs more than me & insecure whether he’ll admit it or not, he definitely doesn’t want me getting close to lifting the same or more than him & it is a detriment to my workout b/c I only like to do weights with him training w/ me, otherwise I do not feel comfortable surrounded by all men by myself.

I have definitely fallen victim in the past to these gender stereotypes–spending hours on the treadmill or stairmaster in addition to severly restricting my caloric intake. I suffered from an eating disorder for a little over two years, which may seem like nothing compared to those who have been battling anorexia their entire lives, but it was without a doubt the worst two years of my life. I can safely say that I am now fully recovered from such behaviors, and discovering this website was in large part the key to my recovery–prior to seeing Zuzana’s workout videos I had no concept of the amount of good that weight training could do for a woman’s physique. And this is no exaggeration–I bought myself some heavy weights, cut out the steady pace cardio pretty much completely, started using Zuzana’s workout routines, and am finally seeing real, tangible changes in my body. I am now much more focused on the way I FEEL as opposed to the way I look in the mirror, although the positive changes that I see now are much more dramatic than those that I observed in my repeated attempts to become as thin as possible. I even feel GOOD about taking rest days now, which was pretty much unheard of when I was in the grips of my cardio addiction. So, you guys, thank you, thank you, thank you for making this wealth of information available to people like me–I no longer look to dainty celebs as a standard to live up to, because strong women like Zuzana are now my new role models.

I think that this is a great article that addresses an issue that girls face on a daily basis! I myself have faced a lot of of the stereotypes when it comes to women and fitness and sports. I played varsity rugby throughout university which must be accompanied by quite a bit of weight training. I definitely felt that I was pushing boundaries in the gym and on the field when I first started and was labeled as being something that I am not. Over the years I have learned to ignore that and do what I enjoy doing at the gym and in my fitness routines! I am not scared to step away from the cardio machines. In fact I really have to push myself to get on the treadmill or stationary bike and you wont catch me dead on an eliptical, I like to do other cardio like skipping, circuit training, running/sprinting outside or biking.

I was lucky enough to meet a male trainer that encouraged me to push my limits and increase my strength by lifting more weight, and doing exercises that girls tend to shy away from. I remember as he stacked the weights onto the leg press I said “that’s too much weight!” and he said “but if you can lift this with your legs, why wouldn’t you? why would you cheat yourself and lift only half of what your capable of?” He made a good point! and since then I have been increasing my strenghth and fitness level ever since!

I still every now and then think critically about my body and how it has changed in terms of being stronger and having more muscle mass, thinking maybe its not feminine enough, but I quickly realize that my body is healthy, can do so much for me and couldn’t be more feminine! I soon forget and keep going!! So keep doing what your doing and enjoy it!

I grew up with my parents and three older brothers and a grandfather who hunted/fished/etc…so being the only girl (besides mom), and the youngest made me want to be strong. All of my brothers weight lifted, and so I would tag along. And when I was old enough to start sports (I was a competitve figure skater and equestrian) I really appreciated what I picked up from them. I really got a kick out of being the girl who could skate faster, and get more power into my jumps and endure more pain because of my leg muscles. I especially loved my muscles when I was bucked off my horse and landed on a log. The fact that I was in really good shape and strong made it possible for me to walk away from that accident. My boyfriend loves the fact that I lift weights. We lift together, and usually I am the only girl in the weight room (which is sad). I always get a kick out of loading the weights on the leg press and watching the eyes of the other guys in the room. Most don’t think I can leg press over 300 lbs. but I can, and I don’t look like a female body builder, I am just strong. Tiny little Sasha Cohen who probably weighs 90 lbs (she is a figure skater) can leg press 400lbs! and she is not bulky. I admire women like Cory Everson, and you Zuzanna who show that a woman can be strong and sexy at the same time. I personally think that strength is beautiful, and I would much rather see a bunch of strong Xena princess warrior types walking around than a bunch of twiggy looking girls. I don’t enforce the gender norms, but I see it alot at the gym. I see girls pick up the 3 lb. weights and do a few upper body moves and then go straight to the elipticals, stairclimbers, and treadmills and it just seems sad because they are doing themselves a diservice. As you have mentioned in previous articles Frederick…weight lifting has so many benefits! And that’s my 2 cents. :o)

Hello, Frederick and Zuzana!

I’m not a woman but I have to say, good article! I have two comments about it:

1. Whoever thinks Zuzana isn’t sexy is delusional.

2. Only weak men prefer women who are weaker and submissive.

Personally, I love physically and mentally strong women! They challenge me to grow and become a better version of myself!

Amen :)

I’m really happy that this post is getting such great feedback :)

Hi Frederick,

Some article would be stronger if your spouse co-authored them. I was going to reply to your women should lift weights and sexuality articles with pretty much the same statements you make about. Just have been a bit busy lately.

Males who fear strong females are weak in some sense by nature! But, they’re just acting as part of society, just as the mothers who support this nonsense are. And society takes ages to change patterns especially if those who are perceived as an weaker people doesn’t make clear they are stronger than believed. It is clear strong women are normal and should be excepted without question. But, even this “wow” and “goddess” stuff is playing into this women as underclass. because it elevates some women far higher than is reasonable.

Zuzana for example looks really good and is special but, as any women who takes the time and energy to workout would be special.

–Chris

I have done sports for much of my life and yes it has always been something that I think kind of held me back…this idea that if I lift weights-I will bulk up…in fact I never even got “serious” about weights until I found this great website…As corny as this sounds-Zuzana has sort of become my role model for fitness…Thanks bodyrock.tv! :)

Zuzanna:
You kick ass. I’m a woman who is very athletic and works out with weights and I am proud to be strong. Consequently, I’m great at multiple sports because it helps me keep in optimum condition.
I came across your site on you tube by accident. I had to say I was amused by the comments from the guys. But I can honestly say that I have so much respect for you because of your work ethic. You’re smart, beautiful and sweet and I really am surprised that you are not more famous because of your abilities. Please continue to inspire us all with your great workouts.

Hi! I’m a girl who fell into that trap. I used to be really athletic in high school and I did whatever it took to do my best in my sports including very difficult weight-training. When I got out of high school I put on some weight because I didn’t have my coaches to push me. When I decided to work out and get fit my boyfriend at the time told me to do only cardio because if I used weights it would be gross. I barely lost any weight and I was killing myself on the treadmill. When he and I recently broke up I decided to do things my way and I’ve lost 15 lbs already using weights and doing some cardio! I love the results i’m seeing and I feel so much more confident in my own skin! I will never let another guy tell me that being strong and having lean muscle is gross and I advise any girl who has a guy saying that to her to just be your own person and go for it! Don’t let anyone make up your mind for you.. it will save you so much frusteration and stress. trust me! Thanks Zuzana and Frederick, you guys are my inspiration!! :]

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Hi Frederick and Zuzana!

I discovered your site through youtube about a month ago when I was looking for some new physical challenges and workouts to try. Since then I will admit I had been visiting it almost religiously every day. I love the workouts, recipes, social commentaries, and how easy it is for readers to give their thoughts and opinions. This truly is a great resource for information on how to stay fit and healthy. Thank you! :)

As for my personal thoughts and opinions on the subject of women “holding themselves back,” I definitely think the majority of women out there are hesitant when they “work out” (i.e. use the elliptical and lift 3lbs). I think many women work out this way for not only fear of “bulking up” and becoming less physically attractive, but I also think these fears, misconceptions and just poorly organized and implemented work out routines stem from a serious lack of knowledge about lifting weights and how to be healthy. Not only that, but the weight area of gyms are generally dominated by men which can be very intimidating to female beginners. Many women are already self conscious of their bodies and when they enter the weights area I think there’s a lot of fear of being stared at by men or doing something wrong and hurting themselves. Although, I have to admit most of the guys I see in the gym “working hard” are lifting weights improperly anyway. I’m not sure which are worse, lifting weights and hurting yourself or not lifting any at all? Oh, the gym…

Personally, I think a lot of this lack of knowledge and misconception stems from gender expectations and norms; how men and women “should look.” As an athlete, my personal experiences playing sports have enabled me to interact with a lot of strong and confident female role models that I otherwise would not have been exposed to through the media or in my everyday life. Unfortunately, many women do not get involved in sports growing up, particularly during the awkward pubescent years and never learn to make physical activity part of their everyday lives. Weight rooms from high school to the outside world are dominated by men and are an area associated with masculinity and “macho” males. Throughout our lives females are certainly not encouraged as much as males to participate in sports, particularly sports that involve physical contact or collision sports. This is how society has come to be organized and because of this both men and women have a lot of expectations and gender norms. Unfortunately, many think they must live up to these standards.

It really is silly. I can see it, you can see it. All of us who love this site can see through the craziness and hopefully these are small steps that will lead us to change even more conceptions of how men and women “should look”. The knowledge we gain and the presence of our own strength and vitality are very powerful things.

(Really long comment. Sorry about that)

Take care,
Ashley

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Hi again:
I may have deviated from the post, but I should say that any men that I have respected or hung out with, including my husband, love strong women. They love someone that can go out and hike, bike, ski and whatnot, and “hang with the guys” rather than be a wimp. Who cares what other guys think who don’t have this perspective? They are not the type of males that I would be interested in in any shape or form. Be yourself, and be strong, healthy and confident and you will attract like minded individuals…Look at this site as an example. The comments are overwhelmingly positive and appreciative of Zuzana’s strength and physique. You go girl!!

Hi Frederick:
I’m male and I have to say that for years I have prefered the “stronger” women, both phisically and mentally. Why? Well….. to begin with I find it very sexy…. BUT I also like to see that they are healthier and accept no shit.
This kind of things take centuries to change cause people are constantly reinforcing them, specially the families. This problem is part of an even larger problem for me: Women believe and want to keep on doing, that they are less than men, that they are and must be weaker. That they should keep on being more submissive.I mean, that must be the cause of most cases of violence against women. The goverments and most men supported this in the past, but not in the present. In the present it seems as its women (not all but a good part of them) who support machism.
I think and I hope that this will change over the years (fingers crossed).

!!Greetings from Argentina¡¡

Boy, I need to drink my coffee before posting! I mean how many missing or misspelled words can I have in a comment and still have anyone make any sense of it?

Trying to be clear on things…

Strong is sexy in women and society will catchup with this fact someday.

And did I mention this was a great article?

Thanks,
–Chris

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Great article!
Another thing I dont think anyone has mentioned in the comments yet is how some women are afraid to become so fit because they don’t want to lose womenly curves and have to add them through surgery. I know I was one of them. Most very fit women have smaller breasts and that makes them feel less attractive or sexy. Other women are afraid that if they lose too much body fat it will work against pregnancy initiatives (as the possibility to get pregnant decreases with the amount of body fat). I think being fit is one thing but over doing it just to “stick it to the man” is another. We don’t want women to go overboard in the opposite direction, either! A healthy frame of mind is key :) I too have the support of a great man who loves a strong and fit looking woman. He says “as long as youre happy and healthy, I’m happy”.
Hopefully more men will start to see things this way, too :) Cheers to another great article on Bodyrock.tv!

I started weight lifting when I was in my junior year of high school. It was by choice I asked for the class and others thought it was weird. The girls called it the boys class lol i thought it was fun.

I still weight train to this day and I love it. I started a career in the fitness industry, its exciting and I’m learning so much more everyday.

My boyfriend likes the fact that i work out and take care of my body. He’s says that’s one of the things that made him like me even more when we first met.(He doesn’t workout, but I encourage him to)

Zuzana you are my role model. I think you are a very smart and strong woman with a great attitude. I’ve been coming to your site for a while now and I’m always excited to see whats new. Thank you both for all you do.

I was thinking this exact same thing when I was at the gym today. This girl was lifting 2lb weights and made the comment “I don’t want to lift too much, I want my muscles to get smaller, not bigger”…. what? I have lost more fat since I started lifting than ever before. Even though I have more muscle, I’m much slimmer in general. And I think that’s directly related to the fact that I’m weight training. I still do some cardio, but the emphasis is on free weight exercises. I want arms like Michelle Obama, you don’t get those with 2lb weights. Oh and, on the men and sexy thing. My partner is the one who encouraged me to go to the gym and lift with free weights. In fact, most guys in the gym think it’s really hot when a chick comes over and does squats with the olympic bar vs dumb bells. I get so many looks and positive comments when I do deadlifts too. I love that meat and potato trio – squats, deadlifts, and bench.

Hi Frederic and Zuzana!

I discovered your website few months back and I am ‘an addicted’ viewer;)
I am a sporty girl myself but that does not mean that I avoid lifting weights! Since my adventure with competetive swimming I discovered that weights are good for you, althought I have a tendency to have wide chest and strong arms it does not mean I am less of a woman. Strong,confident, goal oriented woman are sexy!
I only wish more men were more of a man to admit they don’t feel threatened by a strong woman by their side!

PS Zuzana I know that may soud trivial but from a workout to workout I admire your fitness suits, I especially love different bras you wea. They seem to comfortable and pretty yet supporting the brests ( which is key if you are serious about your workout).Could you tell me what are the brands you tend to buy?

I am not the only viewer from Argentina I see! Wow its a small world!

Hey. I just wanna ask for some help.. i just wanna work on my belly but i don’t know how… I have no idea what to do. :( Can You help me?

I think you guys are reading way too deeply into the whole “woman oppression” bit. I think what the majority of those men mean is that they do not want a woman who LOOKS like a strong man- which, unfortunately is what many of the female bodybuilding competitors end up looking like. A normal natural woman does not look like arnold, that’s just a fact- not to mention the negative aspects of bodybuilding that occurs for the female body in just a general health aspect.
I am in the medical field, and it’s just a fact of life that men are designed to be stronger than women. Nothing sexist or “wrong” about that- on the same note, there are many women who are naturally stronger than some men. Once again, nothing necessarily wrong with that.

We must also remember many girls just are not interested in sports- something that will be changed by male influence, since females are generally influenced by their counterparts.
It is natural for boys to be more rowdy than girls, girls are generally more cerebral than physical at a younger age than boys anyways. However, as male society changes to prefer fit women, we magically find that women are more interested in being fit. As society deemed it necessary women become more familiar with the sciences, low and behold they are becoming more familiar.

I think we need to get over the boogey-’person’-sexist paranoia and just realize we are all humans, and if a woman wants to be fit she should be able to do so! And if a young woman finds no interest in fitness or science, she should not be harassed or made to feel lesser of a person by the overly vigilant mind police society we appear to have developed today.

Let women be women and men be men!

As a man, I find a woman who’s as strong or stronger than me is hot. Keep it up!

I’m single and early 40s. I’ve been married before. I’m really happy being single partly because I can do anything I want without dealing with stuff like this. I can honestly say that I really don’t care what men think. I live these days doing things that I like. Unfortunately, I don’t like to work out. Beyond that, I hate it. I have been watching Zuzana’s videos and am kind of in awe. She’s beautiful, but I look at the workouts and think why would anyone want to put themselves through that? For me, it just isn’t worth it to do a “brutal” workout. How do you find the desire to do all of that if you’re not wanting to have a “hot” body for the opposite sex? I want to be healthy, but how does someone come to tolerate–even enjoy–exercise enough that they do the grueling work to build the goddess body that Zuzana has? Was there ever a time that she hated to exercise? What changed it?

Thanks for any light you can shed. :)

Hey there!
As a figure competitor I´m not shy from lifting heavy or getting muscle. However, I must say, that unless you are genetically gifted, female hormones won´t get you the over the top muscular look that men can achieve and that´s fine with me. I think that most women on roids look too much for me, but LOVE the natural look of a muscular and fit woman. I am a fashion designer and would only consider fitness models to wear my stuff. To me, they look healthier and sexier than any other skinny models out there. When I look at a fit and healthy female bod I can also see a strong and dedicated mind that consistently sticks to what needs to be done in order to maintain that kind of fitness. I don´t only admire the results of their training, but how much they train their minds on a daily basis to get there!

You know I believe that staying true to yourself is the most important thing. Whether that means yoga everyday, or pilates, running and resistance, weight training, swimming, etc, etc, alone or any combination of all, as long as you do the activity you love and enjoy doing, you are more likly to keep it up long term. I feel that this has been the most important aspect of integrating fitness into my life.

Strong women who take care of their bodies in a healthy way are sexy. A couple who is strong and fit can have lots of fun together…. ;-)

I agree with the poster who said “if you can lift the weight why would you limit yourself?”.

Exactly.

If you are with a strong, self-confident man, you’re not going to challenge his manhood by being a fit, strong self-confident woman.

I’ve actually noticed this phenomenon too. It’s too bad, because I respect women more who have more confidence in “nontraditional” things such as math, science, and fitness. It really is a sticky situation that, I’ve said time and again, holds women back. It holds them back not only in the effort they put forth in the gym, but also in the research that they actually put into nutrition and exercise. It is truly a pervasive and unfortunate problem. I don’t support the image of women being necessarily weaker (proportionately; beyond biological factors, that is) or less educated, and in my opinion women shouldn’t either.

Hi guys! Love the site!

I had a baby over a year ago and just started waking up at 6 to work out. Still, despite my efforts my little belly pooch and saddle bags haven’t budged a bit. Is there any exercise you would recommend to help with these issues or is it just a matter of time?

Thank-you so much!

Hello! I fell on some youtube videos of yours, and I must say I really like the videos and articles I’ve found on the website so far.

I recently looking around for information on why women should work out more, and some of the information I came up with was that women get MORE out of intense exercise than men do, which I think is simply because we DON’T do a whole lot of intense activities. Cooking, cleaning and looking after children, though exhausting, isn’t the intense physical activity that’s needed, and unfortunately many women don’t feel they can go out looking for the help and tools they need to pursue a more active lifestyle – exactly as you’ve said in your article, they are limited by the onslaught of various portrayals of what is ‘right’ for a woman to do – instead of what she should do, which is listen to herself.

Hi Zuzana and Frederick,

Love everything you do!
I have a couple of questions and was wondering if you can help me?
I am 36 yrs old, 5’3 and 200 lbs. Since Sept of 07, I have lost about 40 lbs.
Well that was after giving birth to my 4th daughter, I think the breastfeeding for a yr helped. Since January of 09, I have not been able to lose weight. I was exercising about 5-6 times a week. Cardio and weight training. I was eating clean 5-6 meals a day up until Thanksgiving. So far I have only lost inches. Now I am to the point of giving up. It seems no matter how hard I try. I can seem to do it. I have gone to as far as seeking medical help from a Endocrinologist and Dietitian. You would think more than 10 months and only about 2-3 pounds lost. It is very frustrating. I see people lose about 50-70 pounds in 6-8 months.
Please help/guide me.
Thanks for your time,
Rosie

Hello there!

I Love this article! I am a 20 year old woman trying to get a grip on my physical ability. In high school I played competitive volleyball not only through school athletics but on the side in club organizations. This required 3 to 4 hours of practice a day. I loved my body then. Once I decided that school would be my focus in college and not sports, my amount of exercise dropped signifincantly. I lost a lot of my muscle tone and my flat stomach, then gained about 15 pounds along with that. Unfortunately, I then lost sight of how beautiful and atheletic build truely is. Instead of focusing on reigning in on my muscle fitness, I got distracted by all of the skinny and thin model body types that our media in America portreys to be the perfect body. I then struggled with bulimia for two years and binge eating.
What got me back on track was surrounding myself by the things that used to make me feel sexy: running 4 miles a day along with strength training, and seeing the results. I realized that I was so much better that the frail skeleton look and boys liked my booty that squats gave me! There is nothing wrong with having a toned womanly shape. I feel empowered to show off my strong legs and toned arms now. I am still working towards my weight goal, but the number isn’t the #1 impotance to me anymore. Feeling empowered by my strength and by the ability to say that I did 15 rounds of 30 jump lunges plus push-up/half burpees and made it out alive (even though it may have took longer than Suzana)!
If a man can’t appreciate my strength and my build, then right then and there I know that he isn’t the one for me and he’s the one with the issues.

I wish all the women in the world could read this article and know that they can take pride in being strong and having a tight body.

Thanks~ Abby

Hi Abby,
Thanks for the great comment.

All I can say is that Zuzana is my role model for life. She stands for strength and beauty and it shouldn’t matter what anyone else wants. It’s my life and my body and if I want to be strong, I’ll be strong. Don’t change for someone else just because they want you to. You have a right to be strong and independent. I’ve fallen into traps like this before and in the end, it’s just not worth it. Be strong and beautiful and do it for yourself.

Yes! Whenever I go to the gym, if I even dare wonder over to the weights section there are always all these guys staring at me like “What are you doing here woman?” It is actually very off putting and makes me uncomfortable. I have recently switched to an all ladies gym to avoid this problem. I don’t want any type of negative energy- even if it is just in my head- holding me back from my fitness goals. Thank you for your site, keep up the great work!

I’ve had the amazing good fortune of having spent 9 years in the Canadian Forces…and having worked my ass off (loving every step of it) to be strong, fit, capable and worthy of wearing a military unifrom, carrying very powerful weapons, and having the honor of representing my coutry. Being fit has been part of my being since the age of 16 and I can honestly say I’ve never held back. When I first started lifting weights, at age 18, my Mom would say “one of these days you’re going to look like a man!” lol. On the contarry, my body has become MORE feminine, despite being very athletic. While in the military, I wasn’t there to compete with the guys, only to better myself, but I tell you, it didn’t hurt when I could kick most of the guys’ butts in a two mile run! Ahh, the memories….but to this day, I workout with gusto (most days anyway). I have the body compostion of a woman 15 years younger, and I don’t plan on slowing down. Zuzanna’s workouts remind me to push harder on those days that maybe I would slack off a bit. The human body is an amzing thing, and male or female, we should strive to be the best that we can be. My body is my temple of sorts, it was the “home” where I carried my baby for 10 months, it is strong, and I take care of it. You guys inspire me, you really do, and this is a great forum to talk about our health and fitness. Take care!

i started to workout 6 yrs ago, when i was so hooked on playing soccer. then, i couldn’t stop it because of i care about my flat belly and muscular arms. i like my body shape. i’m proud of myself when i’m walking into free weights room, where 98% are guys, but i noticed i was being watched by many of them when i was doing squat, military pushups, pull-ups and dips. i sometimes post my pics on a Chinese fitness website which is the biggest overseas bbs website, some commented me like, ‘hey, stop working out, girl, you’re almost like a man.’. here is my answer, ‘don’t be jealous if you don’t have 6-pack, and enjoy carrying your big belly to everywhere!’

Hi Zuzana,

I’ve just just discovered this website and I think it is super great :)
I agree whole heartedly that yes, women are holding themselves back…big time.
I know this from the many reactions I receive from people- men AND WOMEN alike.
I’ve been doing Shaolin Kung fu now for 2,5 years and have no intention of stopping. My aim: to reach my black belt (I’m looking forward to at least 9-10 years of training :)

When people ask me what sport I do and I say Kung fu I get strange looks from them and almost every time I hear one or more of the following:
But isn’t that a male sport..
But you’re a girl…
Aren’t you scared that the guys will hurt you? (I’m more scared of the girls than the guys…the guys are more careful with us)
Boyfriends of my girlfriends to my boyfriend, and my boyfriend’s friends to him- How can YOU let her do Kung fu…. (as if I needed his “permission.” BTW- my boyfriend was the one who took me to Kung fu, he’s been training now for 9 years and he loves the fact that I do too.)
Girls can’t/shouldn’t/aren’t allowed to do kung fu – mostly in a very matter of face voice..
Girls should do girly stuff, like aerobic…. (That’s got to be my favorite one…)

My point? It is amazing how many people I know that actually disapprove of a female doing a mainly male dominated sport… I never feel inferior at training. As a matter of fact our trainer (master) pushes “us girls” as hard as possible. He knows our physical limits, for example we only have to do 25 pushups instead of 40, but we are expected to push ourselves forward and develop our skills. ALL the girls at Kung fu are strong well educated independent women, defying stereotypes.

Men: If you can’t take a strong woman – physically, mentally and emotionally- the problem doesn’t lie with them, it lies with you.

I am PROUD that I am an independent woman and I am proud of my female kung fu partners.
To all the women out there, do not let stereotyping define you no matter what sport, work out, training, carrier choose or dreams you have!

Zuzane: I know I will be recommending this site to all of my girlfriends and quite a few of my guy friends as well. I just wish that more people like you could become role models for young girls and boys.

Keep up the great work; I will be visiting this website as much as possible from now on :):):)

Hi K13 – Great comment! Thanks for your support :)

You should be greatful to all the guys that have probably helped you reach your fitness goals, instead of writing an article that indirectly blames men for your failures, men are beautiful and are incredible in countless ways, hope you open your eyes and be humble enough to realize this one day.

Mariah,

that’s so nicely said, I am sure that you feel better as a person now.

Hi Zuzana!

I love your workouts, I get a better workout from you than I do from the gym!… I sit a desk all day and I was wondering if you had any small exercises I could do while sitting in front of the computer?

Thank you!

Hi, Zuzana! I just want to say that you inspire me to get to the next level of happiness in my life. You have such great energy & physique.
I can relate to the frustration that comes with gender roles. I’m 31 and have two daughters who are 9 and 10. I take them to work out with me & take them swimming, skiing, for walks almost anything we can do to stay active. It seems like a good thing to me, but for some reason other people comment & say things like, “You’re teaching them vanity”, and, “It’s not good to have them thinking about working out this young”.
I know they’re wrong & my girls love it! I want them to take care of themselves & be full of life & energy & happiness. I’ve been in very great shape so I know how empowering it is! I have to say though I have lost some motivation, lost a very special person in my life & haven’t worked out much for the last four months until I started watching your videos.
It can be very disheartening for a woman to hear that being strong is a negative or selfish thing, or superficial and too time consuming, like if you’re working out instead of doing the dishes that makes you a bad person! A lot of it is jealousy and even when we know this, it still can hurt, especially when the people who say things are supposed to love you & should be happy & feel inspired.
I know I’m teaching my girls the right thing. They’re not in front of the tv all day like most other American kids, they’re actually out living life, breathing air & feeling strong & happy!

Cheers, keep up the great work! Never feel bad about yourself. You rock!!

Oh, I’d also like to clarify that when my daughters do go to the gym with me, they aren’t lifting heavy weights or anything like that. They just run & do whatever looks fun to them… the bike or elliptical. Then we usually end up swimming after because that’s their favorite of course! :)

Hi Sarah Hagen,

I love your comment and I am glad that you have shared little bit of your story. I will love to reply to this in my post today, because it deserves a special attention.

I am in my early 50s and was loving sports way back when girls weren’t allowed to run in Physical Education because it wasn’t good for them. President Kennedy should be given a lot of credit for creating the President’s gold and silver award in sports. We were challenged to do sit ups, pull ups, softball toss, 50 yard dash and 600 yard “walk/run”. I remember watching a girl run a “fast” mile and beat most of the boys…WOW! That was the first time I recall girls being challenged and rewarded for strength, speed and agility.
I think it’s fabulous what girls are encouraged to do in sports nowadays. It is a different world for them!! Each generation is pushing the limits further with the benefits of proper training and education. There is nothing as wonderful as feeling strong, lean, and healthy! The benefits are countless beyond measure. Being strong and healthy makes you ageless and gives you a strength of spirit to match. My best and most enduring friendships have been fostered through sports. Competing is great, too. It will challenge you to really extend yourself beyond what you thought you could ever do.
I don’t race or compete any more because my work is cut out for me trying to keep up with these younger kids who started serious training when they were practically still in diapers. Plenty of challenge to be found there!
This is a great website and I am telling everyone to follow it! Thank you for your hard work; it is appreciated!

Well, sort of yeah… My body bulks up really fast, and in school they used to tell me that my legs look like those of a soccer player so it was really tough for me to get over it, but now I realized that it’s better to be muscular that unhealthy and skinny, and somehow it dawned on me that muscles are just a sign of a healthy body. But also, I am very tall and was always traumatized that I couldn’t date guys who were shorter than me… I don’t know…
We are full of cliches… But there comes a time in which either you kill yourself trying to look like a stick instead of a woman and being scared even to walk moving your arms “the wrong way” on the street or you just get over it and start thinking for yourself and create your own standards of beauty and else…

Thank you very much for this website, I just found it and I think it’s AWESOME :D

Hi,

my ex-girlfriend had this sort of problem, I believe, being especially sensitive about her legs. But in general, she believed she’s sort-of too big for a girl, always going on about girls with a small, delicate frame and so on.

It took me almost 3 years before she’d hit the gym with me for the first time. Although she really seemed to enjoy it every time we went there, she’d stay reserved to the amount of energy she’d put into the exercise.

I don’t know if the latter was caused by fear of getting too pumped-up or just lack of willpower to keep exercising, but I was sure she could go way further, had she wanted to.

I can’t tell now, as she’d split with me 2 months ago, so all I can do now is be happy about showing her that a gym is not exactly a torturing chamber, but I’d have liked to help her break these blocks, would she have had me.

Anyway. I don’t know how much a 23-year old guy’s opinion matters to you, but there you go:

A) I don’t exercise solely for the purpose of burning fat and getting pumped-up. This is a pleasant side-effect, yes. But alone, it wouldn’t be enough for me to exercise.
I work with my brain, so technically, I don’t need to use my body in any extensive way unless I desire so. But I can ensure you that if I kick my body up in the morning even with a 30min exercise (like the tabata workout that Zuzana shows on this site – my favorite), the brain follows. And so does the spirit.
After the exercise and, mostly, for at least half the remaining day, I just feel like a behemoth, strong enough to trample anything in my way.
Ridiculous as it may sound, this gives me the power to shake off stress and face things with cold logic and self-confidence.
If this state-of-mind appeals to you, then why not just screw the “general truths of the society” and go see what you can truly do with a kicking body and a powerful mindset?

B) If, say, I were going out with a woman and she grew significantly stronger than me, I would, true, consider that a shame. But mine, not hers.
I’d probably hit the gym more often and maybe push a little harder to catch up and reach a balanced state where each of us is better in something.
What I’m trying to point out is that the cliche that “women shouldn’t be stronger than men” is mostly based on guys who are frustrated that women can best them even in that. It pisses them off because it doesn’t fit their fossilized mindset.
Come to think of it, do you really want to act on behalf of the frustration of the macho part of the masculine society?
This goes against evolution! Come on, if you get to best us in these things, too, maybe we’ll finally start to think and try to get better! Worth a shot, I’d say :D
For the “it’s not beautiful” part, it’s a bit exaggerated. Yeah, I don’t find professional female body-builders beautiful. But neither the male ones! The way I see it, there’s a pretty thick line between fitness and professional body building, just about there where the body-building gets unhealthy. So so much for strong women not being beautiful…

C) I can’t stand the sight of a girl who looks like she’ll fall apart when she’s running. I know this is just me typing, but I know other guys who share the very same PoV with me.
Anyway, I think that health is what makes a woman attractive in the general scope. Although we guys are affected a lot by glams, fashion and other “example-girls” we see around on billboards, in magazines and so on, I doubt many would prefer a ‘wallflower’ over a ‘miss-sporty’, given the choice.

Well, enough rambling. Speaking for myself, I love challenge, it’s an important part in feeling attracted to a woman. What I want to say is:
Don’t be afraid to step up or go for something. It makes you attractive. For me, a relationship where challenge doesn’t work dies sooner or later. Emotionally, anyway, if not officially.

It’s not just about being a stick and wearing stuff that’s “in”. It’s about you.

Rad

I think that there are two big things that have helped me overcome those kind of negitve ideas. 1. My mother has always set a really good example for me. When I was little she was one of the top martial artists in canada. and 2. my guy friends and my husband; it’s always nice to hear what real men think of an athletic woman.

I totally think women/girls hold themselves back. Not only do they not want to appear bulky, but girls these days DON’T TRY! They completely do not understand what work goes into truly being “fit” and that that entails keeping a healthy balanced diet as well. most girls I know think that by running on a treadmill for half an hour is sufficient to get into shape, and I know some girls who have gym memberships and ALL they use at the gym is the treadmill. That is completely ridiculous and I love this site for the reason that it is completely true that you can be fit by working out at home, it is all a matter of effort. Most girls don’t want to exert all that energy or complain that it hurst to work out and they don’t want to do it, or they don’t want to get sweaty. Or they don’t understand the concept of toning their muscles and building muscular endurance versus building muscle… That is what I have noticed. This site is everything I have always wanted in a fitness guide I’ll call it. I’ve never been able to go to a website where I could not only get exercises with complete info on the reps and sets, but also pictures and videos for perfect form, and diet and fitness advice! This website is the best!

Somewhat… But it’s MY BODY, MY RULES. I love to lift. I couldn’t top that for anyone or any job. I look great in my clothes, and a little muscle-ish without them. Whatever.

hi Zuzanah luv ur vids and all the info u provide… i have some questions to ask you that would be great if you could amswer :)

1. I do weight training-and im a dance instructor and a model who is venturing away from regular modeling and have been told id do really well down the fitness modeling avenue. Long story short, so im always active, and im 18 % body fat my breast size is a D cup naturally, i want to be around 15-12 % body fat, but i want to know will i lose alot of my breasts fat and go down drastically in size? I just feel that this is not a topic widely discussed by women who are in the fitness industry, or who are fitness models. For us that are striving to look and feel better it would be nice to be able to get some insight and real girl talk going around this topic!

2. what type of breast implants would you recommend for fitness models (not bodybuilders) silicone or saline and why?, and how long have you had yours, and what has been your experience good or bad with them?

3. what is your body fat percentage and how do you maintain it, and still keep that beautiful, feminene and natural look you have?

4.I am vegetarian can you maybe do some more recipes and workout meal related plans that also cater to vegetarians?

I really look forward to your reply and i thank you so much for taking on my ‘millions’ of questions.lol

When I turned 21 in July, I realized I was never going to be a skinny slim model-type. Instead, I started working on building and toning muscles. I have a muscular and curvy physique which I realized… the boys love! haha and of course i love it too because it represents me and all my hard work and dedication to being healthy. I can’t tell you how many times i hear women in the gym say they don’t want to lift weights because they think muscles don’t look good. Women should be anything we want to be.

Hi Zuzana,
Let me start by saying thankyou for providing such useful information. You are a motivation for us that are busy mums and don’t physically have too much time, especially by being able to do these workouts at home, rather than wasting time driving to the gym. I would like to know a bit about your story, |I find little comments here and there, but I think it would really be inspirationaland helpful, how much do you workout (6 days?) only averaging 20 mins per day? How long has your journey taken you from being slim to becoming so toned and muscly. You see, I have a 6 month goal to get somewhere from a couple of kilo’s overweight (maybe 4 or 5 kgs) to looking more athletic, and trimming the fat (and that last bit of mummy belly after 3 kids) I am 35 and I know nothing is holding me back EXCEPT my love for chocolate. Realistically, if I do 4-5 days per week, 20-30 mins a day of cardio and weights, is 6 months very achievable combined with 80% good food?

Sorry, forgot to also ask, your thoughts on protein shakes, and which supplements you recommend, thanks again for your training videos and also, lurve the new outfit !!

If your workouts are intensive and you will make it a challenge each time to avoid plateau, then 6 months is more then enough time to lose 5 kg and tone your body. The key is in consistency. Be honest with yourself when it comes to diet and exercise. Make sure that you are pushing yourself hard enough and you will achieve your goal even faster. It took me quite a long time to get this muscle tone, but only because I was trying to find an effective way to work out. If I started to workout the way I do now for the past few months, I could have been in this shape much earlier.

Hi Zuzanna, I love all your videos and you’re an awesome motivator to me. I don’t know if you have ever mentioned it but I’d like to know if you take any supplements at all or have protein shakes. Thank you for all the videos and diet/fitness tips.

Rad- what a fantastic response!! I agree with everything you’ve said. How wonderful to hear an enlightened male perspective! I haven’t read the rest of the posts in this thread yet- but by golly, this is a great site- I just stumbled upon it today! And regarding muscular women- I go to the gym about 4 times a week and cannot WAIT to get to the resistance exercises! Sure, my arms are quite muscular, but I think this is attractive on anyone- male or female. The strength you develop, the endorphin afterglow, the way menial tasks in daily life are made enjoyable.. It’s just the best.

Hi Zuzana,
I recently came across your site and I love what you’re doing! You obviously are making a huge impact in many people’s lives! I workout quite often and am in great shape but after seeing some of the exercises you do, I will DEFINITELY be incorporating them into my own! To comment on the subject, it’s certainly not just women that hold themselves back, it’s everyone in general, women are just more outspoken about it. I show people how they can be more successful in life and of course one of the first things that has to be tackled is “self image,” their limiting self belief whether they feel that they don’t truly deserve or can achieve their desires! It’s about being able to recognize that voice in your head (the ego) with all its negative comments, that’s holding you back and it can affect your relationships, health, and financial foundations! It can make the difference of giving up or pushing yourself a little harder and breaking your limit barrier.
Here’s a golden nugget I learned from a famous mentor a long time ago.
“The 5 people you spend the most time with will determine your Health, your Philosophy, and your Income.”

“IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT!”

Have a wonderful day Zuzana,

Josh

I am 11 and I think that you all are people to belive in because you’ve proven that you don’t give up and Zuzana you rock I know it’s weird to hear that from an 11 year old but it’s true you’re so inspirational you do workout routines that I think not even some grown men can do your amazing I envy you so much and I just discovered you today well hope you all write back

Me,
Jack

You are all inspirational

oops pressed the wrong button. You may have got a partial message. I meant to say that i am 50 and just came across this site. I was curious since we are close in age if you feel your workouts are either more painful or if you have to balance them out with the rest of your day? I use to go all day long now I feel if I exercise I have to do less other active activity during the day. I am seeing my endurance decrease. My recovery is bad too. Sometimes I want to just take a nap. I know I am doing something wrong after working out. Do you eat certain things before and after for recovery? thanks

Hello, Zuzana!
I’ve been subscribing for a while and have been watching your videos with real interest how human’s muscles can be so developed and so perfect. You are great! :) My question is whether those excercises you show in your videos and talk about in your articles are appropriate to start with? They look so hard to do. I want to start amateur sport, just for a better heath because I haven’t been doing any sports since a long time. Are they good for beginners or I should start with something easier first? :)
Kind regards
Ellie

Damn still no reply???.lol Anways keep strong, fit n healthy.xoxo

Hi, this site has motivated me into putting working out in a totally different perspective for me. I would like to tell you about my high school brother’s girlfriend. Looking at this 5’2 little girl, no one would think much of her, except that she is in on the power lifting team for their school. When my mom asked if my brother could do the same he said not a chance. Which makes me proud of my brother, he is not at all afraid of a girl who could kick his butt! Kudos to the girl’s parents for empowering her to do a sport that could be considered too manly, and that training will help her out more than she’ll ever know!

i’m a 16 year old girl with a passion for working out. but i’ve gained about 30 pounds in the past two years, and since i’ve started working out again.. all i’ve heard from guys that i know is that “nobody likes a girl with muscles” and that i’m fine the way i am, but to be quite honest i know i’m not, and no matter what anybody says, this is something that i need to do for Me. there are millions of guys in the world, so why should women hold themselves back because of the opinions of a few narrow minded individuals? i was watching a documentary about female body builders and one of them said that “if women are allowed to run for president and be doctors, then why aren’t we allowed to be as strong as we want to be?” if we don’t push ourselves, then we’ll never know what we could’ve been, so why not just block them out and go for it. i certainly am , and it’s people like you who keep motivating me to get there.

Just one remark here: Most of you (commenters) are saying things like “narrow minded” or for the opposite: “enlightened”.

To be frank, this is also a very narrow minded perspective. The key word here is: taste. We all have different taste and preferences and generalizing in the opposite direction is still the same and eventually even more stupid.

So here is my opinion and I hope it’s a little more rational:

There is a difference between holding back or even being held back and the taste and opinions of others.

There’s also a difference between training and being fit and extreme bodybuilding.

So why are these points so important? Well, that’s simple. First of all nature shaped us in a certain way, gave us shape and features. We can overcome these natural factors by hard training (in sports e.g.) but don’t expect nature to change along with that. We’re not robots. We can only be programmed and altered to a certain degree.

Secondly you should be a little more imaginative. Being fit doesn’t mean you need to be muscle packed. This is only a personal choice and hardly ever required (even mine workers don’t have the amount of muscles most sport-junkies have).
In the future we will be able to alter physical traits by genetical engineering, in fact we already do it and did it for millions of years (evolution). So yes, women of course have the right to train and alter their bodies but it will eventually be rendered useless.
What we achieve by hard training today can be totally different in the future. Artificial limbs, genetical traits, better training methods etc. will shape the next generation human. And don’t confuse this: we always did the same thing by being selective about who we partner with and thus our offspring gains the treats we have in our genes. It’s natural, it’s evolution.

Humans in general are being held back. And sometimes for the better. How will we solve the world hunger? Well, there would be options but most of these are not ethical. So should we do whatever we like? Well, I’d say we should do whatever we like that does not harm the world or other creatures. So that’d would mean it’s possible for a girl to just ignore the comments on her looks and train up to be the most muscular being in the world. However, it’d be more than naive to expect everyone to like that.

So in the end I’d say: go for it if you like it and like the consequences. For some parts of society to function the human species developed a number of signals and “rules” – basically similar to the rest of nature where mating rituals etc. are actually quite similar – to work. For example we don’t really have to use a fork but we do it because we’re used to it. So sure, go ahead and eventually the majority will see benefits or not in what you’re doing and either tag along or not.

Personally, and to be honest, the strengh that made us what we are is not physical at all. If you want to be strong start with your mind. You can train your whole life if you want to and you can look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his best days but still you’ll lose against an elephant or similar when it comes to sheer strengh. So in the end it’s all up to taste and preferences. Being fit doesn’t equal looking bulky. In fact you can achieve the maximum fitness by a middle ground (since massive training also takes a toll on your joints etc. as well). But you shouldn’t hold yourself back when it’s really your passion. This is not just something that applies to females – it’s a general problem due to our over-regulated and mass-media-influenced systems (at least in the industrialized world).

best wishes

I agree, if they wanna become a tone goddess like you Zuzana let them. If they wanna become the next Miss Olympia let them. Only things I’d probably do is make sure they are aware of the possible changes their bodies will go through but if they still want to do it. I’ll support them. Even if they “buff up” doesn’t necessarily mean they will look like a male. Any men that think that should look at Cory Everson, sure she can lose the fat and be Miss Olympia, but when she stopped competing and let a little of the fat come back, she got the curves, filled in and wow, shes an awsome looking lady

Back in the day when I ran my own small personal training business, I definitely found that women had no idea what they were capable of physically, especially when it came to resistance training. When I trained guys I used to get them to tell me when they felt they were going to fail and then sure enough, withing the next two reps or so they would fail, then we’d do negatives etc. However when I trained women, especially the older women who had probably had decades of believing they just shouldn’t be exerting themselves in this fashion, I/we found that they could often go at least 5-10 reps more than what they thought they could. It was a good demo for them to see that they were capable of much more than what they thought. Women were always my favourite clients because they almost always got more (relatively) out of their training than guys did and were often far more dedicated.

My two cents!

[...] Are women holding themselves back? [...]

Just because I have preference I have self esteem issue? Muscle doesn’t mean you are strong. Look at body builders, they have big muscles that’s what they strive for. In reality having too much muscles makes you slower and weaker. These big guys can barely put on or take off their own t shirts own their own.

Bruce Lee was a very strong person but he wasn’t very big like body builders. He could easily defeat a guy twice his size. There’s a lot of misinformation here.

People need quit blaming society for their problems or what others think or pointing fingers. If you want to workout and get big fine. But if you don’t then don’t! But I just can’t respect anything blaming someone else for their success. Only you can control you not others, if you let others control your life you will never be satisfied.

Same on your women blaming the guys for your own success. If guys did the same thing I would feel the same way.

I cut down on kayak competitions when I was 15, mainly because I was travelling for one year but also because I didn’t want to get a too masculine body, being that I was still growing. I started training and competing in beachvolley instead so I have never stopped doing physical activities. I love the confidence it gives and the way i feel :)

I have also unconsiously always competed against the guys I dated, I wanted to test them on their minds and physical abilities because I wanted a guy who had a strong mind and will! Now I have the best boyfriend and one of the first things he told me was that he liked seeing that I really pulled it to the limit at the gym! :)

Hello ;D
I’m glad I found your youtube channel and this site, thank you very much for what you do, it’s very motivating!

Since early childhood I was rather muscular and I always thought I’m worse that all the slim girls around. I gave up being feminine then and took up martial arts, then a phisical job in the stable. Now I study and I was looking for a way to keep fit, but the best side I found was a bodybuilding site for men. I didn’t put my all to the workouts though being afraid I’ll get too ‘manly’, and I don’t really want to look like a female bodybuilder… Luckily I saw you and it simply blow out my mind. You’re so beautiful AND strong, I didn’t know it’s possible *^__^* I look forward to taking up your workout ideas, now I know what I can aim for ;D

I’m writing it as a reply because I don’t believe your breasts are not natural, am I naive? My breasts got a lot smaller when I begun exercising a lot, but I put it to my naturally heigh level of testosterone… Does exercising really make one’s breasts smaller?

Hello Zuzana & Frederick,

Thank you for your work, topics posts and routines. You have been a major part in my quest for mental and physical health. I am fairly new to your site, and have been reading through many of the topics and posts from your fellow bodyrockers. Though so many of the posts are posative and thankful, I am reading many that are negative and seem not to be focusing on the point of the site. Though I admire your wit and grace in your responses, I do not have patience that you do, so I am wondering… how do you keep positive, and in sight? I seem so easily gloomed.

All the best, and many thanks

I think the key is not to take anything what people tell you personally. Remember that it has never anything to do with you what people say to you or about you. It is always only reflection of themselves. You are the one who can choose how to react. No reaction, just keep going after your dreams and do exactly what do you want and what do you believe is the best.

I’m right their with you. I spent most of my teenage years trying to be on of the skinny girls because that’s what I thought I should be. It never worked. No matter how hard I tried I was simply never one of the skinny girls. One day my boyfriend asked, “Why do you try so hard to be bone thin when you are absolutely stunning when you’re curvy and fit?”
The weekend after that conversation I celebrated my 21st and as I stepped out to the limo my best friend (who is very slim and delicate) said, “I’m so jealous of you. You have and amazing body. I could never pull off a dress like that.” It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. From that day on I stopped trying to mold my body into something it wasn’t and starting molding it into the best it could be.

Thank you :) Keep on being awesome.

This article is interesting because I believe I was doing exactly what it said not to do the other day. I’m in high school and I have gym class everyday; the other day we were in the weight room. I was using a machine for my arm muscles and as I looked at my muscles flexing in the mirror, I said, “Eeww, where did those come from?” It sounds so stupid, but I never really saw my arm muscles flex before, and I think that might be it. Girl’s really don’t want to look like boys, get sweaty and all that. But exercising and gym class are fun for me, and I think getting to know what your body looks like will make you like it more and improving won’t be that big of a problem. The same way that you look at your stomach ladies, you know, to make sure its getting flatter, is the same way you should look at your health and the rest of your body. That’s just a little bit on my opinion. BTW I love your workout vids Zuzanna! My mom makes me watch them and do them sometimes, lol.

I don’t look down on the girls who just want to be thin – if that is what they truly think looks better then they should be allowed to look that way. Then I hope they find a man who also prefers that look in a woman.

I am not really muscular yet, but I would prefer to be, having been the “skinny” girl all through high school and not really feeling too attractive regardless. Being fit, not just skinny, is what makes me feel good. Thankfully, I am with a man who also prefers this look, so my goal helps both of us. I think being compatible is important so that both people in the relationship think you look great and it’s not a constant battle with unnecessary pressure on what you “should” look like whether that opinion is skinny OR muscular.

When people say things like “I think it’s gross that a woman is stronger than a man,” or “why would I want a woman who is stronger than me?” That’s crap any one has a right to be fit and strong there are no limits, but some workouts are so hard for me I have to practice doing the exercise to be stronger and able to do it. I agree with this – Every day and every workout requires mental dedication — our bodies don’t just automatically expend a ton of energy unless we really know how to force them to. When you talk about this – Extend your independence to your body. Being confident and secure as a woman isn’t only a state of mind or an attitude — it’s also manifested in how you think about, treat, and use your own body. You get to make the decisions about how you’ll work out and get fit, and the rest of the world. Well, they’ll catch up eventually. Don’t worry about them, don’t even think about them when starting a workout. I have agree with you about this my workouts are my me time and it show’s you have self respect for yourself. I lift 4kg dumbbells and it has been great, to help my lower back. I don’t see a problem with some women building muscular bodies my own sister was a body builder years ago.

Hello,

I heard that heavy weight lifting can contribute to uterine prolapse in women. Is this true and if so what is considered too much strain?

I’ve been pushing myself harder in weight lifting workouts till where I feel like I can’t really do another rep. But I keep remembering a woman in my family who got a uterine prolapse… she thought moving heavy furniture by herself (like a piano) contributed to it.

Thanks,
Sara

I’m Serbian and recently women got chance to be professional soldiers here, which I think is great. Anw, now I’m applying to be a soldier and I hope that your workouts will help me pass the tests :)

As for being attractive, I’ve been fat, like 30kg overweight, I’ve been skinny, few kilos below ‘model’ weight, and I’ve been muscular (reasonably). There was always more than enough men that wanted to be with me. Different man, though, but still, whatever you look like, it will appeal to someone’s taste. When it comes down to it, I think that charm plays the biggest role.

Sara,
I personally don’t know anything about this particular problem, but it makes sense to me that lifting very heavy weights might be dangerous and might cause problems. You have to be very careful when it comes to strength training. I like intensive workouts, but I use only my own bodyweight which is already heavy enough. If your goal is general conditioning and body sculpting, then you don’t need to be lifting super heavy weights at the gym.

I’m 19 and I do these exercises in my room and students in my building are constantly asking what all the noise is about,hah! When I tell them that it is because I am doing my work outs (the mountain climber for example) they are always surprised. I recall having a conversation one time with my flat mates and the girls said they didn’t exercise because they wanted to be skinny and thought it was cute to be weak. I told them I though the idea of being weak would be like living in a trap. My body should not be some weak toothpick in heels with glitter only to attract the attention of men who prey on weak women- I am genuinely sorry for these girls and the images they aspire to attain. The boys I talk to about my work outs are shocked my arms are not huge b/c I can do more push-ups than they can! One of them told me that my work outs would bulk me up…I showed them this site and asked them what they thought of Zuzana (whether she is too bulky or muscular) and..surely they realizes that being fit is sexy! I have been in good shape for most of my life through cross country and strength training and no ones social norm will stop me, I am so happy for BodyRock’s influence on my life because it sets the CORRECT role model image. Thank you! I tell all my family and friends about this site!

With regards to the whole mothers-influencing daughters thing, I am an incredibly physical person. I work out a ton and actually really enjoy being in better shape than guys. But when I was a kid I begged my mom to let me play soccer and hockey and take dance lessons, and she wouldn’t let me because she’s not a very sporty person and I guess thought that I wouldn’t be either. This bothers me to this day, but I’ve tried really hard to accept that that’s just how my mom is and move on. This got easier when I left home and could play whatever sports I wanted and work out as much as I wanted, and now she grudgingly supports my fitness goals/obsessions. I just wish she would have done that when I was 6 or 7.

Josh, I totally agree =)

I spend a lot of time with “raising stars”, high impact people, “world changers” kind of attitude, and I usually find them to be male… I believe women need more role models in every aspects of their lives: spiritual, body, mind…. Women are contained in a very unelastic mold with a continuously increasing pressure…

Seeing Zuzana is for me a breath of fresh air (even though Im older than her) I want to grow up and be like her… feeling sooooo comfortable in my own skin, enjoying excersice including the muscular part as well.
I see this as an experiment… When I start getting toned, I want to see peoples remarks, and comments… I want to defy the society I grew up in, and break the mold, not only for me, but for all people around me… I believe this is the beginning of something big…, Thanks F & Z!!!,

Laura

I love the part where you say “Start with your mind”… I agree…, for some people (including me), it makes sense to say “I know I can be fit and have muscles by believing I deserve it” (Yeah!, some people believe they dont deserve it)… that’s changing your mind, and the body will follow…

I believe the consequences of Zuzana’s and Frederick’s project go way beyond becoming fit…(that’s only the beginning)

Laura

That I call Spiritual Strength, Love, Laura

People construct these social norms to either be thin or built and what not. However, it is a matter of practicing these norms that will keep them alive… if we all stopped using these terms, they would be nonexistant. So, it is a social construct for women to be essentially “more built” (for instance). In comparison to their male counterparts, women cannot physically alter their bodies to become as built as men. Having said that though, women do have the capabilities to do some form of resistance training that will help their overall shape (and in essence this will help burn calories and more fat), therefore, women should partake in this form of exercise if they want to achieve their weight loss goals or to become more built. Overall, since we know its good for us, don’t be lazy and just do it.

I grew up in the 90s, and my mom always encouraged me to get involved in sports and physical activity. I also love the outdoors, so I spend a fair amount of time walking/hiking/running in the forest and on the beach. I think there are definitely plenty of girls afraid of “bulking up,” thinking that it will make them unattractive or something. But come on, isn’t someone who’s healthy and fit more attractive than someone who’s just skin and bones? Besides which, as far as the “attractive” factor goes, wouldn’t you want a partner with plenty of energy for the bedroom? ;)
I don’t think the gender stereotypes are as prevalent as they were a few decades ago, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone entirely. Guys still strive to be “macho” by going to the gym and doing endless reps of bicep curls and chest presses, I guess to try and impress people. The reality is most people will be more impressed with intelligence and personality rather than what your body looks like.
Role models for girls today… there are lots of good ones out there (e.g. political leaders, sports stars?), and lots of bad ones (e.g. the drug-using celebrities).
As far as mental strength goes, there is a definite disparity in the number of women vs. men in science and math fields. I should know, I’m a geology major constantly surrounded by guys in my classes! Engineering and physics especially seem to be male-dominated. I think more needs to be done to encourage girls to get interested in the sciences and learn about potential careers. Because hey, who would rather sit behind a desk all day when given a choice to be out in the field or working in a laboratory?? (Okay, I’m sure there are people that would choose a desk job… I just don’t understand them :))
Thanks for the article, it really made me think!

Hi Zuzana, I am a model from Canada, and I really understand what you mean with this artical. I use to be super into working out and I was strong and super fit, I was constantly exercizing. It was a passion for me. But over the years it was drilled into my head that I wasn’t sexy, and I was ugly because I was so strong and fit, friends and peers often said I should not show of my strength because it was discusting and a women shouldn’t be like that. I gained weight and lost muscle and just stopped exercising even though I enjoyed it so much. recently I started excerzing again lost 21 pounds since the summer and it pulled me out of a horrable depression. I will never ever go back to my unactive lifestyle, and I am currently working toward getting all my strength back and being a strong confedant women once again. Thankyou so much for this artical, it really helped me realize how much I really have been holding myself back.

-Jenny

As a female with a fairly curvy figure, I’m afraid of “losing” my breasts. At some point I would like to take up martial arts so I find implants to be incompatible with this sort of activity. I honestly wish there was a way for women to have natural full breasts while still being in shape.

I try to fit 30 minutes of workout in my day everyday because it really makes me feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. I used to be fat, pimply and asthmatic as a teenager, but what changed all that was working out. Good things happen to your face, body and mind when you work out, cut down on trans-fats, sugar and salt and watch your portions. Having experienced criticism from someone who didn’t “get it” about wanting to work out and be active, my advice is to ignore them and move on. Stuff like that is only based on envy and/or meanness, and they will only hold you back. Being somewhat curvy myself, I found that wearing a firm sports bra is the only way to maintain breast tissue from sagging when working out.

Coming from a girl in high school, TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN!!!!! In high school it often seems that if you’re not pretty, have a “tight” body, long hair and good skin, no one will accept you. Especially guys. While I know this is a load of bs it’s great to read all these comments and be reassured that muscular, sporty and “Tank” are just other words for beautiful, sexy and “H-O-T”!

Thnx Z for this great subject, love ya!

I’ve struggled with this my whole life. My mom, her sister, and her mother (my grandma), are all very thin boned and were very skinny as kids, teens, and even now when my mom is 45, she is still at a size 7-8 pants..my aunt who is 39 is a size 2..grandma is something like 6-8 probably.. But I went into my dad’s side of the family, which is wider boned and bulkier muscle wise. I played tennis for a really long time when we moved to the states so I built up a big muscle mass. At one point my aunt called me “the rock” because I had these nice and borderline cut biceps and triceps, and a very nice calf and thigh..I never had a flat stomach, always fighting the baby fat (baby fat meaning chubby since childhood..)
I also have wide shoulders and a wide rib cage..My wrist is about 1.5 times of my step sister’s..
I’ve always felt like I’m the big girl that just looks like she can beat anyone up with one punch and that I am this body builder compared to my mom’s side of the family. It just comes to a point where you’ve heard yourself being refered to as “the body builder”, “the rock”, and hearing “hey flex your calf..daaaanngg that’s a big and cut calf!” that you feel awkward about your muscular build. Honestly, sometimes the fact that I have pretty big arms for a girl kind of gets in the way of buying some clothes but honestly when I’m working out, and then I look down at my calf and realize that “hey they could use my legs for a sports shoe commercial”, it makes you feel pretty good..
just don’t flex for your skinny family.. :)
this is mainly why I started doing the workouts on this website..I’m afraid to lift weights but that treadmill a)bores me to death and b)just doesn’t do anything for my body..I feel like I just drag myself to torture on that treadmill and then it gives me no results..hopefully these workouts give me what I need..my “mojo” back.. ;)

It was actually my boyfriend in collage that got me started weight lifting (8-9 years ago). Didn’t do anything major then but he started me off simple and over the years I have found my own passion for it and have learned a lot more. It was VERY sexy to him and I think to most guys I’ve known. I love the intensity of this site’s workouts without weights cause I’ve gotten bored with the weights and this I can take on the road with me when I’m not at home. No more excuses now!! I feel this will give me better results that lifting alone b/c it’s the same strength training but with full body use not just isolated.

Also, I’ve recently been working out a Crossfit (a national franchise). I’ve been very excited that it’s very female friendly and they attract a lot of females. Because of the intensity of their workouts like yours, it could have the potential to be intimidating to women but they make it not which is great.

Hello!
I’m 17 so as you can imagine, most of my friends are on diets and want that *super slim* look due to media images. It’s not their fault, I don’t blame them, about a year ago I was in the same place. The fact is my friends, and many other women of all ages, believe what the media tells us is beautiful, IS beautiful and IS what men find attractive.
When I was 16 I used to get called chubby, and I wanted to slim down into a smaller size, after loosing all the weight, I realised that I tended to gain weight back quickly due to too much cardio and not enough strength training. I hadn’t researched the issue, and went into a horrible cycle of starving myself, binge eating, then MORE cardio!
Until I found out why and gained a furious interest in nutrition and fitness etc, I like most women believed I shouldn’t be toned, and that I should look fragile and delicate.
Most of my friends tend to believe girls who lift weights and do strength training are those huge body-builders, I turn and say to them “Do I look manly? Do I look unattractive?” and they say “NO of course not, you’re lovely and toned!” and they always ask me for advice. I do a small part in trying to educate young women on how to live a healthy lifestyle and exercise correctly. And hell, spare the modestly for a moment, I’ve never found it hard to pull haha!
On a more serious note, it is a huge mental hurdle to overcome. But I believe I have over come it. And once you over come it you can start to work towards a beautiful,strong,healthy body like Zuzana’s!
Lots of love! Aliccee x x x

Thanks Zuzana and Fredrick for reminding me of this, once again. Sometimes I find myself holding back, not because I’m afraid of being strong…I actually love being strong…but more because I want make other people happy. Everybody likes you more when you are like them, and when you are truly dedicated, you remind them everyday of how undedicated they are….you can see it in their faces. Sometimes it’s just easier to be normal. Thanks for giving it your all every day…you two are inspiring!