Many men, athletes, the average Joe, and couch potatoes alike have a fear of being too thin. Obviously, athletes such as marathoners, middleweight and lightweight boxers, cyclists, and those who must be thin to succeed at their sport are a minority for whom being thin is an asset.
Polls have shown, however, that women tend to gravitate towards men who have a BMI towards the upper range of normal or even those who are slightly overweight. This trend, in addition to men being perceived as weak if too thin, has, in my opinion, been exacerbating both the obesity crisis and health problems in this country. We all see those guys at the gym who can lift plenty but they are not athletes. They are obese and would be better served if they had a BMI between 20-25.
Are women, in part, to blame for this trend towards toxic "masculinity?" Is strength or size at the expense of health the new norm for the majority of American men? Has America's understanding about what a man should truly look like become unhealthy?
P.S. I recently took a poll on ******** and showed women a picture of Oscar de la Hoya during his prime. They all said he was too thin. I told them he could whip the tar out of their husbands or boyfriends. They either denied the statement or said it may be so but they did not care. To them, a man should have meat on his bones.
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Thread: Women as Male Health Destroyers?
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09-23-2019, 12:45 PM #1
Women as Male Health Destroyers?
Last edited by Arizona45; 09-23-2019 at 12:58 PM.
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09-23-2019, 01:08 PM #2
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09-23-2019, 01:21 PM #3
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09-23-2019, 02:50 PM #4
BMI is stupid. 20-25? Looks like I'm "overweight" at 13% body fat.
2022 -- Just maintaining and doing the van life
April 2021.................16 week cut.................168 lbs
2020......................375 / 285 / 505..............186 lbs
Pre-COVID..............335 / 295 / 499..............185 lbs
July 1, 2019................9 week cut.................164 lbs
Late April 2019.........285 / 275 / 440.............178 lbs
Oct, 2018..............175x6 / 145x6 / 275x5......163 lbs
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09-23-2019, 03:16 PM #5
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09-23-2019, 03:47 PM #6
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09-23-2019, 03:51 PM #7
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09-23-2019, 04:27 PM #8
Women are not health destroyers (in that regard, anyway; situations are everything and you could even argue that for men...but I digress lmfao), and BMI is not an accurate predictor of health. My BMI is 32, and my health markers are at the best they've ever been. I'm loving this sub-60bpm resting heart rate and blood pressure under 110/80, along with other markers of good cardiovascular health that I have. Stop trying to blame women for this. Personal fitness is purely a choice that an individual makes on their own.
550/385/655, 285 overhead press, 330 push jerk, 250 weighted dip, 190 weighted pull-up, 413.8 max weighted pull-up, 450 front squat, 365 RFESS, 305 x 2 log press, 400 (per arm) farmer's carry, 370 atlas stone, 31 pull-ups at 247.
www.youtube.com/user/JoeyTheMilitant/videos
Next competition date(s): November 9th & 10th, 2019.
Instagram: @hiphopstrongman_reloaded
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09-23-2019, 04:47 PM #9
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09-23-2019, 05:16 PM #10
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09-23-2019, 07:30 PM #11
Cardiovascular performance is a good indicator of conditioning, if one day your cardiovascular performance suffers dramatically on a "normal" attempt (meaning your not sick), then that's a good indicator ones health could be suffering, it would be wise to get checked out.
An example, (true story) a person who eats healthy and trains one day wakes up with a headache and can't do anything stressful without severe pain, he checks himself in and needs a stint, it's all genetics, he stopped taking his meds. after getting in shape, is he considered "healthy", he seems to be, but because of genetics he now must carry Nitroglycerin pills. I worked with the dude, and when he came back to work, that was the first question I asked. I generally think he is "healthier" than me, he can run longer than me, but he can't keep up with the squats with me, unless he uses less depth, and still, it's too much for him. He has a full pretty six pack all year round, I don't, we are only 3 years age difference, this happened to him 2 years ago.
Cardio is cardio no matter how you approach it, high reps squats are great cardio, if you don't "practice" running, then you may get tired quickly, just as if you don't "practice" squats, you'll get tired quickly.
The difference is running only does NOT build strength, high rep squats builds BOTH strength and cardio, therefore is superior.
Living to 100 is no indicator of good health, quality of life is an indicator of good health.
This is just critical thinking, I'm not obsessed with being "healthy", healthy people die everyday.
The moral is you may only be healthy as your last workout. That's why I don't count "deload" or "light/med effort" days, LOL.Last edited by LWW; 09-23-2019 at 07:40 PM.
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09-23-2019, 09:19 PM #12
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Those who lift tend not to be at the center of the bell curve. Polls show, however, that the bulk of responses from preference questions come from people who cluster around that bell curve mean.
So if we are not average men, why should we care what average women prefer? Those polls are meaningless. We are not attracted to average women, and average women are not attracted to us. Big deal.
I found a woman who is very far from average, nowhere near the bell curve center. She happens to like the fact that I'm not there either. So who cares what the average woman thinks? Men can't blame women for their preferences when they are the ones seeking out the women that have those preferences. Men need to take responsibility for their own health, period, and stop looking for someone else to blame.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-23-2019, 11:53 PM #13
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09-23-2019, 11:58 PM #14
The picture shown was of Oscar de la Hoya at his high fighting weight. As another poster has noted, obesity has become the new normal for this Country. Many non-athletes see a man of 5'9" or 5'10" and around 150 pounds as abnormally thin, regardless of athletic ability or physical condition. I am nearly 5'11" and 182 pounds. At 45, I am not interested in becoming a muscle monster. I am seriously considering dropping to 160 while continuing to hit the weights and cardio hard. At 160, I am sure I could accomplish much more. The extra 22 pounds serves as nothing but a hindrance.
Last edited by Arizona45; 09-24-2019 at 12:04 AM.
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09-24-2019, 12:14 AM #15
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I love the "you may only be as healthy as your last workout" part. Yes, physically conditioned people can die of cancer, heart disease, or any number of problems. Many people who are physically conditioned have atherosclerosis and are time bombs. They have no idea. The famous runner Jim Fixx died in the 1980s from sudden cardiac death while on his daily run. He was 52-years-old. You are also right that running builds cardiovascular endurance, not overall body strength. I try to focus on whole body fitness. I recognize that exercise helps improve quality of life but, as ou noted, exercise is no guarantor of a long life. Genetics play a huge role.
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09-24-2019, 12:17 AM #16
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09-24-2019, 07:24 AM #17
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09-24-2019, 09:49 AM #18
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09-24-2019, 11:45 AM #19
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09-29-2019, 11:12 PM #20
in medieval times, not being skinny was seen as being rich, as you could afford to eat all you wanted. today's generation is much more concerned w/ the hook up culture, and marriage is on the decline. in fact, it's far more common now to be on your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or more marriage than to still be on your first.
i mean, the dad bod is a thing now that you don't have to be embarrassed by, and is also sought after....
BMI, strength, that athletic look, those are all still things, but they are less important to the average person, man or woman, then they used to be.my workout blog: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=177584181&p=1588523911#post1588523911
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