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Embrace Your Real

The Science on Why Muscle Doesn’t Make You Look Bulky (and the Lie We’ve All Been Told)

Embrace Your Real

Julie Ledbetter

Health & Fitness, Fitness, Body, Mindset, Movement, Health, Acceptance, Macros, Love, Positivity, Nutrition, Loss, Weight

5 • 965 Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Hey hey, beautiful human! Today we’re calling out one of the biggest lies women have been told about fitness: that building muscle will make you look bulky.

If you’ve ever hesitated to lift heavier or commit to strength training because you were worried about looking “too big” or “too masculine,” this episode is going to shift your entire perspective.

Spoiler: muscle is not the enemy. It’s your secret weapon.

What I discuss:

  • Why muscle is actually what gives your body the shape, definition, and curves you’re after

  • The real science behind muscle growth and why women don’t “bulk up” like men

  • How muscle supports your metabolism, your confidence, and your long-term health

  • Why the fear of getting bulky is rooted in outdated myths—not facts

This episode is your permission slip to train smarter, lift heavier, and finally let go of the fear that strength isn’t feminine. It so is.

If you loved this episode, you’ll also love Episode 237: How to Overcome Your Fear of Building Muscle and How to Start Building Muscle ASAP. I’ll link it in the show notes for you to easily go listen to next.
👉 https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/ep237/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-building-muscle-and-how-to-start-building-muscle-asap

If you want more from me, be sure to check out...



Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter,

0:05.4

a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk

0:11.4

and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving

0:16.6

your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get and let's go.

0:27.2

Hey, hey, beautiful human. You are tuning into another episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie

0:32.7

Love Better. And today we're diving into a topic that is so near and dear to my heart.

0:42.4

And it's because it's a mindset block that I see so many women struggle with. And that is this fear that if you build muscle, you'll look bulky or you'll look masculine.

0:48.1

I cannot tell you how many women I've met who deeply want to feel strong and confident in their bodies,

0:53.8

but they hesitate to really

0:55.0

commit to strain training because they're afraid that it's going to make them look too big or too

0:59.0

manly. I get it. I believe that too for years. We've been told sometimes directly, sometimes subtly,

1:04.9

that muscle isn't feminine and that women should be small, toned, and delicate, but never muscular. But today, we're going to

1:12.5

completely break down that lie. We're going to be talking about the truth, the science, and how

1:17.2

building muscle is actually one of the best things that you can do to feel more feminine, more

1:21.7

competent, and more empowered in your body. We're going to be covering why muscle is essential for a strong,

1:28.1

healthy physique,

1:33.5

how it actually enhances your natural curves, how it supports your metabolism on longevity, and last but not least, why that fear of bulking up is based on outdated myths, not facts.

1:39.4

We're also going to be talking about how strength training helps you carry yourself differently,

1:43.8

build self-trust, and supports a sustainable approach to fitness that will serve you for life. Before we dive in,

1:50.1

though, I want to share this review. It comes from Lava Abe. She gave a five-star review and said,

1:54.4

Just Found You. Wow, I just found this podcast randomly, except not because I don't think anything

1:59.5

is random, but God. Today, it's

...

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