Swan Arms question

[Tugger31]

I tried this workout before and felt like a total idiot doing it, but I'm giving it another go in my quest for thinner/leaner arms and getting away from Cathe/traditional workouts just to mix things up and try something new.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has had the opposite effect from this workout? I have large/muscular shoulders and this workout seemed to just basically be isometric type of shoulder work for the most part with some wrist movements. I know I have to work on my form, but wondering if this is going to give me the results I'm looking for. (I know I have to experiment. I love Suzanne Bowen too, but her arms to me seem disproportionately larger in the shoulders upper arms and I'm wondering if that's due to the same focus on the shoulders with barre training).

I would describe myself as a meso-endo if that matters.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Sandrine]

Bumping, because it's a great question!

(Sorry I can't help, Tugger.)

[killoffsonny]

Would love to know also.

[monterey vidiot]

I hope someone knows the answer.
As to Suzanne Bowen, others have commented on the overdeveloped shoulders.

[luvcritters]

When I was 15 years old my aunt told me I had linebacker shoulders. Just what a girl wants to hear, right? I've been paranoid about my shoulders ever since.

Swan Arms gives me a nice rounded look but not like it's overly developed. It's about the only thing I do that doesn't make me feel like a linebacker.

I'm not afraid of building muscle but I don't want to be called a linebacker. If the shoulders get a little bigger it's a good thing. It makes the waist/hips look smaller.

You won't know until you try.

[hch]

I realized that I've never especially noticed Suzanne Bowen's shoulders. I just looked at some images, and I honestly admit that I don't see what others apparently see. What is wrong with my vision?

[violingal3]

I did Essentrics for a month and my arms never looked better. They were lean and had lots of definition. It's hard to dedicate yourself to one thing at a time, but I wouldn't be afraid of your shoulders bulking up if you're not using any weights. Sorry, I can't really speak to the differences between swan arms and Suzanne's arm work, but the weightless Essentrics arm work did wonders for me.

[mandie123]

What about tracy Andersons unweighted workout portion from her Mat dvd?

[wendug]

Originally Posted by luvcritters

When I was 15 years old my aunt told me I had linebacker shoulders. Just what a girl wants to hear, right? I've been paranoid about my shoulders ever since.

Isn't it crazy that comments we hear as teenager stick with us? I'm sure you don't look like a linebacker! My MIL was commenting to my teenage niece that she was starting to get a big butt and should cut back on sweets. My husband really let her have it about not making comments like that. I was so proud of him that he said something!

[hch]

Originally Posted by wendug

Isn't it crazy that comments we hear as teenager stick with us? I'm sure you don't look like a linebacker! My MIL was commenting to my teenage niece that she was starting to get a big butt and should cut back on sweets. My husband really let her have it about not making comments like that. I was so proud of him that he said something!

Good for him!

Every piece of expert advice that I've seen about this subject recommmends avoiding such talk around young people, even if the comments aren't directed at the young person's body but at one's own (like "I'm starting to get a big butt and should cut back on sweets") or at someone else's (like "she's starting to get big thighs and should cut back on weights").

For example, https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/...childs-weight/

A parent’s comments on a daughter’s weight can have repercussions for years afterward, contributing to a young woman’s chronic dissatisfaction with her body – even if she is not overweight.

[snip]

The impact on girls may be especially destructive, she said, because “girls are exposed to so many messages about thinness and body weight, and oftentimes women’s value is closely linked to their appearance. If parents don’t challenge those messages, they can be internalized.”

If these comments can harm young people that much, I doubt that these comments are very healthful for older people.

I also looked yesterday and found multiple examples of young female linebackers. O tempora, o mores!