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I think most medieval men would think it's strange. but there have probably always been shmoes .and most medieval people would probably have more of an issue with the typical fbb life style. and have more respect for powerlifters and crossfitters. medieval and ancient writers were fascinated with female warriors and there were a lot of explorers looking for Amazons . They justified their sexism because most women are just weaker. but if there were strong women they would accept that. the medieval mindset was quite simple stronger = better.
I think most medieval men would think it's strange. but there have probably always been shmoes .and most medieval people would probably have more of an issue with the typical fbb life style. and have more respect for powerlifters and crossfitters.
Yeah I think so too. I mean just a little over a century ago strongwomen went to work at the circus since that's where many of the "weird" members of society went to display their talents or unique looks.
I bet it was/would have been much more easily accepted. If it’s natural, you wouldn’t have mouthbreathers saying “that’s a man” due the existence of steroids
Probably in some eras, yeah. I remember reading that women in the Renaissance were praised for having "masculine" features which back then really meant they were tall and good at horseriding lol. But I think being really strong would also count.
I think that muscularity wouldn't have been unusual to witness in medieval times since women were part of the agricultural workforce, which was well, grueling hard work, it was a normal thing to see. Nevertheless, muscular bodies weren't the beauty ideal of the time since it was an indication that they belonged to the working class. In summary, hard work = low social status.
The depictions of women that could afford paintings for them showed the bourgeoisie 'anti-work' aesthetic: a fragile appearance, high shaved foreheads, narrow shoulders, soft limbs, pale skin, etc., elements that acted as a visual status symbol that represented that they had the means to remain idle and weren't physically strained from manual labor. An example of a painting with this ideal was the Alfolfini Portrait, created or finished in 1934 (which is still medieval times).
I don't think the issue was sexism, it was classism.
The interesting thing about the Reinassance works is that they began to reflect the predilection towards women with fat features as opposed to women with thin features because it reflected a kind of untouchabality against illnesses, which was important because the population had been deeply affected by pandemics/epidemics in the past. If you were fat, you were living in luxury, having access to meat, sugar, wine, etc.. Two examples of paintings that reflected this change were The Three Graces by Rubens and Venus of Urbino by Tiziano.
This is why I think that the reason why muscular women are getting more popular is because they're showing their social status by showing how they have time to exercise for hours, controlling their own routine (which means being their own bosses, basically), get supplements, eat like six meals a day (and have time to prepare that food as well). Also, women are more liberal now, which is why showing independence, financial stability and strength is prized or encouraged. We have to thanks feminism for this.
Basically, being fit now is a sign of status, even if you're poor. The reason for this is that having fit/muscular bodies is one of the few ways to externalize success without having to say a single word for it, almost as if you had an expensive watch or a SUV. You don't even have to have expensive clothes, you just have to sports/gym wear. This isn't always the case but sometimes is a way to cosplay a higher social class or a way to attract them, if they're supertitious enough to believe in the law of attraction. That's why the phrase "Fake it until you make it" is so popular. It's the belief that, with enough persistence, you will be sorrounded with people that will elevate you and take you out of your current position.
Unfortunately, it is not a guaranteed way to escape from your class struggles but it can keep you sane if you have your hopes on it.
But well, on the positive part, it is the best time to be alive if you're a fan of muscular women. There are simply the perfect conditions for the growing of this trend or well, beauty paradigm, if it gets to the mainstream. Who knows?
muscular women are getting more popular is because they're showing their social status by showing how they have time to exercise for hours
Yeah, the costs of maintaining the lifestyle of an elite athlete can quickly ramp up. I personally considered whether it's even worth it to buy a tub of creatine because the price of it seems a little too high for me. But to a person who takes fitness very seriously the cost may subjectively be lower because they place more value on achieving peak form.
women are more liberal now, which is why showing independence, financial stability and strength is prized or encouraged. We have to thanks feminism for this.
Yeah, I noticed over the last 10 years or so it's become more acceptable to express a liking for physically strong women. That may also have to do with the popularization of LGBTQ culture. People got educated about certain political issues involving health and fitness through osmosis and they became less judgmental about some things as a result of that.
it is the best time to be alive if you're a fan of muscular women. There are simply the perfect conditions for the growing of this trend or well, beauty paradigm, if it gets to the mainstream.
This is certainly the best time for guys like us. It's one of many reasons that I am grateful for living in the 21st century haha. You're much more likely to come across a GWM than you were 50 years ago.
I like to read about history and in my readings I sometimes come across stories about women who were distinguished by their physique or strength. And that led me further to wonder how would people from the past perceive modern female powerlifters and bodybuilders. So I made this thread for people like me who would like to discuss this topic from a historical pov.
I'm sure some of us are familiar with the pictures of early 20th century musclewomen like Laverie Vallee and Luisita Leers.
We know for a fact that these women did not use anabolic-androgenic steroids because they lived prior to the synthesis of such compounds. And we have relatively decent photographic evidence of their physiques.
For strongwomen that lived before the invention of photography we have to rely on written descriptions and artistic depictions of their physique and strength.
To start there is this interesting Roman mosaic depicting a group of women working out with balls and tiny dumbbells. I think it's been previously shared here as well.
Another well-known artistic depiction of muscular women that I know of is the work of Michelangelo Buonarroti. A lot of people who have seen Michelangelo's paintings and sculptures of women have remarked that they look incredibly robust.
This is a statue sitting on top of the tomb of Giuliano de Medici. The chest anatomy seems... odd, to say the least. This statue is supposed to represent Night (Nox), a female deity.
And here's the Libyan Sibyl. She's got an impressive back!
Herodotus has an interesting anecdote in his Histories concerning Athenian politics. Pisistratus, the ancient Athenian politician, lost favor with the people and was exiled from the city. He devised a plan for his return. He took a random village girl who was remarkably tall and dressed her up as Athena (wearing armor etc). When he returned to Athens the people were impressed by this sight. They viewed it as an auspicious sign. For more info, there's a Wikipedia article on the girl, her name was Phye.