Beyond conventional fitness and toned physiques, women have secured a rightful place in bodybuilding.

And Arnold Schwarzenegger once busted myths around women's bodybuilding, while sharing directions that every woman needs to read. Even if you are just trying to stay fit!

During his first appearance at The Tonight Show with Johny Carson, back in 1979, while promoting his book on women's fitness, Arnold noted, “It’s the most common question I get…women are afraid of getting muscular…and they don’t, because women are built differently.”

Arnold indulged further, stating, “Women carry 25% more fat cells than men and 25% less muscle…so there will always be a layer of fat or weight”.

The solution? Resistance training and heavy lifting will not necessarily translate to bulk, but they will tone the body. Arnold thus added, “When women exercise, they firm up the muscles underneath the fat and can reshape their bodies significantly.”

A snippet from the same is making rounds, and Casey Sykes recently weighed in on the same on his Instagram channel, Casey_sykes_fit. He asserts what Arnold states, and even confirms how the only way women can look extremely bulky is by using PEDs.

Science agrees with Arnold. Eric Pham, M.D., a bariatric surgeon and weight loss expert, has noted: “Generally speaking, an average adult male has 18 to 24 percent of total body weight as fat mass, while an average female has 25 to 31 percent. 

Further, fitness journalist and author Frederic Delavier states, "One of the main morphological differences between men and women is the greater amount of fat that women carry." He cites reproduction as one of the primary factors for this, alongside others like climate.

But the conversation is incomplete without discussing the Austrian Oak's guide for women.

Exercise series for women mentioned by Arnold

Arnold's book, titled “Arnold's bodyshaping for women,” with the co-author Douglas Kent Hall, illustrated the correct variations for performing the exercise and its benefits using pictures and diagrams. This book intends to convey how one can reshape their body from calves, thighs, and glutes to a flat stomach.

Arnold designed a workout program that contains exercises like running and jogging to train your legs. He also asked to swim for flexibility and yoga to align mind and body. Arnold also suggested that resistance training would be a complete-body exercise.

That program contained four series of workouts. The first was bodyweight resistance exercise to tone your muscles. The next was focusing on gym work to target a specific muscle group.

The third approach he suggested was a superset specifically for women who are serious about training. And lastly, he suggested exercising anytime and anywhere. This was designed specifically for those who couldn't go to the gym.

What is your takeaway from the whole? And who is your favorite female bodybuilder?

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das