Fluffy Friday: Margo and Myths
Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow, said in her weekly GOOP newsletter that she “had the beginning stages of osteopenia.” Osteopenia is the thinning of bone mass considered by many doctors to be a precursor to osteoporosis. (Thank you Google.) One of the causes is a lack of vitamin D and Dr. Lipman finishes off Gwyneth’s (yes we are on a first name basis) newsletter by detailing the importance of Vitamin D and how to increase Vitamin D levels through healthy sun exposure. (Enjoyed the article and think it’s worth the read.) I’m glad Gwyneth will be getting more vitamin D but I’d also like to see her start lifting some heavier weights as weight bearing exercises help increase bone density as well.
Do a quick google search for Gwyneth Paltrow Strength training and this video of her and her trainer, Tracey Anderson, creator of the “Tracey Anderson Method”, pops up multiple times. You might have seen it before. I know I’ve seen it on like 25 different blogs and message boards but it never ceases to entertain me.
Tracey Anderson, “Only three pound weights. No woman should lift more than 3 pounds weights.”
Really?
Well girls, don’t pick up that gallon of milk because it weighs over 8 pounds. Your child wants to be held? Not if mommy is going to get bulky. Speaking of holding children the video continues….
Gwyneth, “I hold my 30 lb son in my left arm all day so this one (pointing to her right arm) is like…sags lower than this one (the arm with which she holds her 30 lb son) so she makes me do more arms on one side.”
Hmmmm….anyone else see the irony here? Gywneth points out that the arm she doesn’t lift heavy with is saggier than the arm she uses to lift her heavy child. Maybe she should rethink the 3 pound weight rule.
I’m not knocking Gwyneth. I think she’s beautiful and looks good. Not to mention she plays one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite movies of all time, Margo in The Royal Tenenbaums. If those are the workouts she loves then by all means go for it.
As for Tracey Anderson, this video makes it too easy to pick on her. I could say a lot. In fact, I deleted two entire paragraphs after deciding I don’t want to be Miss Critical. Besides, I have smart readers who know that lifting weights heavier than 3 pounds is not going to turn them into the She-Hulk. What bothers me the most was that this aired on Oprah and millions of women, who or may not know that strength training doesn’t automatically make a woman bulky, have seen it. Thus, perpetuating the myth that so many women and men who know better are trying to dispel. I’ll speak from my own experience. Before I started lifting heavy weights my upper arms measured 11″ around. After more than TWO years of heavy lifting they are 10.25″ around and much tighter than before. I’ll repeat what Gwyneth said, “I hold my 30 lb son in my left arm all day so this one (pointing to her right arm) is like…sags lower than this one (the arm with which she holds her 30 lb son) so she makes me do more arms on one side.”
Could The Tracey Anderson “Method” work? Sure and by the looks of her clients, Madonna, Shakira, and Kate Hudson, it does. (Although be certain those women are also eating a SQUEAKY CLEAN diet as well.) Muscles will adapt by growing stronger when a greater than normal stimulus (overload) is placed on them and with enough reps you can get results but it’s going to take A LOT of repetitions, hence, a lot of time. And what is going to happen when 100 reps becomes easy if you shouldn’t pick up weights heavier than 3 pounds? 150 reps? 200? 500? No thanks. I don’t have have the luxury of hours (nor the patience or interest for that matter) to devote to my physical appearance every day. I’ll stick with my short intense workouts with heavy weights like the ones Gwyneth Paltrow’s Iron Man co -star, Scarlett Johansson, did to fit into the Black Widow catsuit.
What about you? Do you like lifting heavy? Have you gotten bulky from lifting heavy? What is your favorite movie with Gwyneth Paltrow? What do you think of the Tracey Anderson Method? Did anyone else feel a twinge of jealously when they showed the outside of that workout studio? 
Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn
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Oooo Tracy makes me want to claw my eyes out. Can’t stand her.
Yes, I lift heavy (like 25 lb db’s on shoulder press) which is heavy for me and if anything, I feel and look so much better when I do. Just tigher with shape–not bulk.
That myth is frustrating and one that I dont think will ever really be debunked with 90 % of women.
No more Tracey Anderson. Your eyes are much to beautiful! 😉 25lb on the shoulder press is heavy for most women, including me. Awesome!
I don’t know much about Tracy Anderson but her philosphy is ridiculous. So many women think that lifting weights will bulk them up so they avoid it and just stick to cardio.Crazy! I admit that I’m not the best at sticking w/ strength training but I do try to do it at least 2 – 3 times a week. I know it will give me definition and make me a stronger runner.
My fave Gwinnie move: Shakespear in Love. Le SIGH.
2-3 times a week is awesome!
I am sort of obsessed with Gwyneth (yup, we’re on a first-name basis, too), so my opinion probably isn’t objective. I think that clearly whatever she is doing is working, but I don’t think her “method” should be taken as gospel, and certainly is not the only OR best way to get fit. It’s just ONE way.
Favorite GP movie = Sliding Doors.
Have a great weekend, Jenn!
Oh I forgot about Sliding Doors. I REALLY liked that movie too! Brings up so much to think about.
I’ve been strength training pretty hard for the past year (2 rounds of P90X and then Chalean Extreme program with some stuff in between) and I’m lifting heavy. I in NO way feel bulky. In fact I’m smaller than I’ve ever been. Women have low levels of testosterone so they’re not going to bulk up like their male counterparts. When are women going to get it?!
Awesome. Absolutely. Yeah the harder I strength train the smaller I get. I’ve tried to put size on my biceps but they just keep getting smaller.
What?!?! That is CRAZY! If I used a 3 lb weight it would take hours to feel the burn! Poor girl sounds like she is working out most of the day everyday. She’s missing out on life!
Oh, and I love the Royal Tenenbaums, too. Dark comedies are my favorite
Maybe we need a dark comedy girl’s night!
My 4yo could use 3# weights! LOL Well, not really but you know what I mean.
I agree with Lisa, don’t care for the lady much at all.
Any fitness-savvy woman knows that lifting heavy makes you leaner, tighter and smaller. Madonna = too low body fat that’s why she looks all veiny and ick. She-ra = definitely steroids.
Best GP movie? I guess Shallow Hal. I haven’t seen many with her in it. Maybe I should watch The Royal Tenenbaums?
You most definitely should watch The Royal Tenenbaums!! It’s so funny. Hope you had a good weekend!
PS – Have a GREAT holiday weekend friend! Love ya!
You know, when all this Tracey Anderson hoopla first started I actually did a one-month Experiment based on her workouts. I gotta say that I was all set to hate it but… it gave a really good burn. Seriously. Those 3-lb’s hurt A LOT. The biggest problem – like you pointed out – is the time factor. It easily took the gym budies and I 1.5-2 hours to finish which was a) boring an b) impossible to maintain. Sure Gwynnie an Madge can work out that much but I have kiddos to take care of and no nanny in sight:) I’m all about the CrossFit these days – bring on the HEAVY. (For the record though, lifting heavy has made me gain an inch on each arm. Yeah it’s muscle. Yeah, I still wish it was smaller. Sigh.)
I checked out your post. As usual it was great and you had me chuckling. You’ve moved beyond the first name basis and use nicknames. Nice! 😀
The three pound weight thing boggles my mind. I’m not a heavy heavy lifter because I’ve never learned how. I lift 10-25 lb dumbells just depending on what I’m doing. But occasionally I pick up a 5 lb. to work a small muscle group and it just feels silly. I feel like I could juggle 3 lb. weights but get a good workout? Heck no.
It’s so sad that the “women get bulky from lifting weights” myth persists. My muscles are anything but bulky from lifting, but I have an employee who insists that she can’t lift *any* weights or she starts looking “like a male bodybuilder.” And I have not been able to convince her otherwise. Sigh.
And my favorite Gwenyth movie is also Tennenbaums. Love it.
I actually fell prey to this workout for awhile (but I did 5 lbs, I know HOLD THE PHONE!! haha) But I didn’t get any cool results. Now I am back to my old standard of heavy weights and I’m loving it!
It’s cool that you gave it a try and glad you are back doing what you love!
This is why I end up lifting with a room full of guys. I have seen 2 girls lift a decent weight in my gym!
Great post! I totally did the 3lbs Tracy Anderson workout and it really did work. Gave me a nice sleek look 😉 I am not sure if I believe I should only lift 3 lbs….I am lifting way more now rocking the P90X!
Great post!
xxoo
Thanks. Lots of people love the P90X. Girl Hero Cheri got some amazing results from it!
I totally agree. I’ve been training as a power lifter for about six months now. I’ve seen a slight increase in the size of my quads, but that’s really it in terms of “bulk”. I have more defined muscles in my shoulders and arms, but it’s not at all masculine. I don’t understand the great fear of bulk at all. I even had one friends make a comment after my first meet. She asked what I had lifted, then proceed to tell me that she could lift that back in high school no problem, but she doesn’t anymore because she gets so HUGE. Really? Huge huh? Body builders spends hours and hours in the gym to try to add bulk…painstaking effort to add an inch here and there. But you get huge after a few reps on the bench press. Uh….I don’t think so. It’s a myth. So pick up some 20’s and get to work!!
I like lifting heavier. 3 pounds is nothing! The heavier I lift, the better shape my arms have.
Amen sista!
GREAT post!!!
I agree, but I cant lift heavy more than 2x a wek. I have a little more testosterone, and I will and HAVE bulked up. good luck fitting biceps into that favorite plaid shirt. XD
I am totally obsessed with Tracy’s workout. I have always worked and and had a nice figure. But after 8wks of doing DVDs faithfully i was SOLD!! I am 37, a Mom and My body totally Rocks! I am so amazed at how my body changed (long, lean defined and tiny). My friends have seen my results and they doing her method too with great results too.
There aren’t many celebrity trainers I wouldn’t like to flip a bulldozer tire onto.
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