My mom is the ultimate testament as to why women should lift weights. I’ll let her prove it to you…with a few of my comments under some of the photos!

Below is the first post by the Man Bicep Mom!

My hot mama! Using my bowflex dumbbells haha

I read recently that fashion experts recommended that older women select fashions that show off their best feature.

I do that.  I show off my arms and shoulders.

Showing off the man bicep!

During the summer I take great delight in wearing sleeveless outfits so that I can showcase my sculpted shoulders and arms.  And I get compliments, too!

I’m 61 years old and people admire my arms and shoulders! I’m Cori’s mom and I’ve been lifting weights for over 20 years.

I have never bulked up or been accused of looking manly.  I’m thin, very stylish and very feminine looking.  In fact, I probably have weights to thank for that.  I look good in clothes because I still have a firm, sculpted middle and a tight butt.

No muffin tops for me; no baby bump tummy; no sagging butt; and definitely no jiggly arms!

You’re probably thinking I’m deluded and very full of myself.  She has muscles and she still looks good in her clothes, right!

Here are my stories.

I was trying on a linen suit at Talbots.  The suit was unstructured but cinched in at the waist with a tie belt.  I stepped out of the dressing room to look at myself in the three-way mirror.  Another customer looked at me and said, “That suit looks wonderful on you!  You have to buy it!”  When I was paying for the suit, the saleswoman thanked me and said, ” I think you sold another one of these for us.  The woman who admired you is trying it on right now.”  See, muscles and all I look good in clothes.

I have another story.

I was at Anthropologie trying on a slinky, sleeveless dress with horizontal stripes.  Again I came out to look at myself in the three-way mirror and another customer complimented the way I looked in the dress.  She turned to the saleswoman and asked if she could find the dress for her.  This woman was thin with a nice figure, but she didn’t have my muscle definition.  She tried the dress on and said, “It looks good on me but looks better on you.”

The other woman was right...she looks damn fine in the dress!

Now the reason I tell you this is that, either because of my muscles, or maybe in spite of my muscles, I look good in my clothes.  At the very least, my sculpted muscles have not detracted from the way I look in my clothes.  I would venture to say that because of my muscles I look good in my clothes.

And isn’t that what we all want?

I am also going to suggest that I think women like the way muscles look on other women.  Here are my stories.

A long time ago, probably a year or so into my weight workout regimen, I was at a dinner auction for my children’s school.  I was wearing a long dress with thin, little shoulder straps.  After dinner one of the teachers came up to me and said that she had been sitting at a table of teachers and that they had decided that I had the best dress.  “We also love your shoulders.  Do you work out?”

Just last week, I was meeting this woman for the first time.  I was wearing a sleeveless dress.  We were introduced and then she immediately reached out and touched my arms saying, “I love your arms.  They are so sculpted.”

One more story.  I was looking at pictures of female runners with a group of women.  Except for me, none of the women lifted weights.  A couple of the women ran.  I can tell you that the women ooohed and ahhhhed over the pictures of women with defined muscles.  They loved the women with shredded arms and shoulders, abs and legs.  They commented on how beautiful they looked.

And so now I ask the million dollar question – why do women refuse to add weights to their workouts?

The only con I have ever heard is that they are afraid they will bulk up and that just won’t happen.  You have to have testosterone to bulk up.  I have girlfriends who workout and are in great cardiovascular shape.  They know I use weights and love my muscle definition, but still they don’t add weights to their workout.

Why ladies, why?

It is a proven medical fact that weight training helps prevent osteoporosis and osteopenia.  It is also a proven fact that it helps prevent sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass and function.  We start losing muscle in our 40s and continue losing at a more rapid rate in our 50s.  Losing muscle mass causes us to become weak and frail, less stable and surefooted.  Losing muscle mass also causes us to gain weight in our 40s and 50s.  Muscles are active tissue that burn more calories than fat.  So it follows that as you lose muscle, you burn fewer calories and, unless you drastically change your eating habits, begin to gain weight.

So ladies, add weights to your workouts.

There is no downside to lifting weights.  You will help prevent osteoporosis and sarcopenia and will feel strong and active and look beautiful.

Weights will also make your workouts more interesting, adding variety to the same old cardiovascular activities.  I look forward to my weight workout days.

By the way, weight workouts come in a lot of “varieties and sizes”.

Cori enjoys power lifting twice a week mixed with circuit training on the other days while I have spent the last 20 years doing circuit training workouts from The Firm in the comfort of my home.  I have a collection of 3, 5, 8 and 10 pound weights, and I do weight workouts three to four times a week.  I love them!

I will take this opportunity to give kudos to The Firm. Throughout the years they have kept their workouts interesting and have always kept up with the latest advances in exercise physiology.  I have The Firm to thank for the muscles and body that I have today.

But the real reason that I mention The Firm is to show that there are lots of different kinds of weight workouts.  Experiment and find what you enjoy.  Weight workouts are fun!

So, ladies of all ages, I implore you, lift weights!  Stay healthy!  Stay strong!  Stay young!  LOOK BEAUTIFUL!

Just do it! 😉

No grimace even though I made her hold the push up for awhile while I found a good angle!