The Severe Danger of The Bulkiness Myth

Another 110lb female with an 20 inch waist is deadlifting nigh 300lbs. Look at how it just bulked her up so much (video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CU96IDXLoFN/)! What a bulky bulking these resistance exercises bulk onto their bulky victims. Such bulked bulk. Beware the bulkabilly blues as you gaze upon the sheer bulkitude of this bulkshow bulkstrosity. It might bulk you right in the bulkers and send a bulking tear streaming bulkwise down your bulkful cheek.


It’s hard to nail down where the bulkiness myths and lies originated. But all they’re doing is reinforcing really dangerous trends for women and some men. There are millions of counter examples, wherein heavy strength training actually makes women much smaller and less bulky. But we wouldn’t want empirical science to get in the way of anecdote and pop culture fairy tales, would we?


Women are THREE TIMES more likely to develop osteopenia and EIGHT TIMES more likely to develop osteoporosis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380170/#R20.


In evidence-based science, resistance training (ie - lifting heavy weights) still has the most profound  impact on improving and maintaining bone health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6279907/


Calcium intake is a poor preventer of osteoporosis: https://sciencenorway.no/food-forskningno-norway/milk-is-a-poor-preventer-of-osteoporosis/1423877. And as we dig into those statistics, we find women often have a higher per kilo intake of calcium than men AND that developed countries with more sedentary behaviors have a higher incidence of bone fracture despite higher average intakes of calcium. Look closely at the map in the lancet summary: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(21)00172-0/fulltext. Red is bad. Blue is good. A western inflammatory diet and lack of physical effort is not winning this battle in the least.


But strength training does win the battle. Getting some exertion wins the battle. Removing the health-robbing omega-6 vegetable oils wins the battle. Eating whole protein wins the battle. No one was ever under threat of magically obtaining a fantasy size gain simply by improving strength fitness.


Or, just stick with the 1950s mythology and keep the dangerous trend going. We wouldn’t want the average American with 100lbs of fat to lose and zero physical strength to BULK UP. That would be a bulking shame of bulktastic proportions.