this is a ramble. pls donât critique me. just some thoughts bouncing around in my head.
sometimes itâs hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that muscular girls are appreciated and found attractive now. Maybe itâs because Iâve just surrounded myself with a very inclusive group of athletic women, but still.Â
Iâm not sure how to put these thoughts into words.
but for me, being a pre-teen/teenage girl, who was athletic. I was bullied. I was constantly called a man or a boy. At 14 years old, I often beat boys in swimming (which is common, because girls at that age have usually gone through puberty, and boys typically have not). It wasnât cool to be that girl. It wasnât cool when I beat my crush in the 200 butterfly at 15 years old, and I overheard his group of friends say âwho cares if she beat you? she looks like a man anyway.â
or when I was at nationals for swimming at 16 years old and I watched a girl break a national record and heard a group of girls near me say âyeah sheâs fast, but would you want to look like that? Iâd rather be slow.â And they giggled as she walked past them.
When I was in college I listened to two of my teammates brutally make fun of girls with defined abs and how âthey look like dudes, and itâs so nasty.â In the weightroom, Iâd hear girls on my team say âIt says to add weight this week, but Iâm not going to, because my legs are already big enough.â I understand not all girls are into lifting, and thatâs fine. But it struck me as somewhat sad that weâve be taught to inhibit our own athletic success in fear of gaining muscle. Why commit 25+ hours a week to your sport? Why be a collegiate athlete? Why put in the work, only to cut yourself short over something so superficial? Our goal was to swim as fast as possible at the end of the season. I can guarantee the menâs team wasnât secretly ignoring their weight programming for fear of getting stronger?
I remember trying on dresses and breaking down in fitting rooms because nothing fit my shoulders. I remember seeing a photo of me in skinny jeans when I was 16/17 and just crying because I never realized how huge my quads were and I wanted to be a little waif of an urban outfitters model.
So sometimes I feel like Iâm contributing to something problematic by maintaining my fitblr and reblogging photos of muscular girls. But learning to love my naturally athletic build, my broad shoulders, and thick legs. Learning to accept that this is my body, and will always be my body. If I do any amount of exercise to be healthy, I will look âmasculine.â I canât help it. Seeing my blobby broad body in photos when Iâm not flexing, and feeling totally fine with it. (muscular girls know what I mean, when youâre in a candid picture not flexing, in loose fitting clothes, you look overweight, or at least I do!!!). Idk man. Being able to feel empowered as an athletic female, has been one of the most incredible things that has ever occurred to me.
This isnât me trying to be defensive. I know that me being muscular doesnât affect my chances of getting a job. People donât look at me and think Iâm lazy. Iâm not trying to claim body shaming, or compare it to any other situation of varying body types/weights.
I just think, specifically being a muscular/athletic 10-18 year old girl, is a really really challenging thing to overcome. Boys make fun of you. Other girls make fun of you. Being too competitive gets you made fun of. Being better than a boy gets you ostracized from friend groups.Â
I understand that at 20+ years old suddenly muscular woman are sexy; thereâs a privilege to it⊠eventually. I understand that now, I do experience that privilege now (Itâs also somewhat creepy at times, but thatâs for another post). But, can we please appreciate our little girl athletes and let them know that what their bodies can accomplish is way more important than impressing some dweeb of a 12 year old boy??? Youâre beautiful, but more importantly youâre strong-willed, dedicated, and capable of so many incredible things physically and mentally.Â
idk. thatâs why I maintain my fitblr. thatâs why Iâm inspired by photos of strong muscular women. itâs not that I think muscular woman are the best, or that everyone should strive for that, not at all. itâs just that, some women are naturally muscular and they shouldnât hate themselves for it. I like that thereâs this community that applauds strong women. there was a time when I hated being an athlete; I didnât want to be muscular. I want to remind myself of the power and strength of women (regardless of body type), and that that in itself is what is beautiful.
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