Wedding Dress

[[old] agnes]

Hello!<br /><br />Hoping to fit into my mother's wedding dress for my own wedding in September...need to loose about 25 pounds or the seamstress will have a lot of extra work. Lots of rowing ahead of me...but I'm also concerned about my shoulders getting bigger and too broad. Perhaps if I set the rower on 1 I'll get the exercise, but not bulk up? Any suggestions appreciated!<br />Agnes<br />

[[old] Canada Goose]

Agnes, congrats on the upcoming wedding! <br /><br />I'm no expert, but I have lost more than 30 pounds using rowing as my main exercise and haven't noticed any problems with bulking up. I'm getting lots of compliments about how much better I look, but my muscles are not bulging !<br />I find that rowing is much harder on my legs than my shoulders/arms. If your legs get bulked up, you won't have to worry since they'll be hiding under your dress. <br /><br />Good luck! Rowing is great fun and these forums make it all the more so!<br /><br />Shannon

[[old] Ducatista]

<!--QuoteBegin-agnes+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(agnes)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hello!<br /><br />Hoping to fit into my mother's wedding dress for my own wedding in September...need to loose about  25 pounds or the seamstress will have a lot of extra work. Lots of rowing ahead of me...but I'm also concerned about my shoulders getting bigger and too broad. Perhaps if I set the rower on 1 I'll get the exercise, but not bulk up? Any suggestions appreciated!<br />Agnes </td></tr></table><br />You would have to <i>haul ass</i> to bulk up your shoulders solely by erging. Unless you're genetically blessed, you won't get Williams-sisters shoulders unless you really, really want them. <br /><br />If you row regularly and drop enough weight, you will increase definition in your upper arms and shoulders. You may not be much bigger than your pre-rowing self, but you'll look more muscular. I suppose there are some who'd consider that a bad thing. Those people, I don't want to know. <br /><br />Congratulations on the wedding. It's great that your planning to wear your mother's dress.

[[old] PaulH]

Apologies for intruding, but as something of a student of the female form I can confirm that this shouldn't be an issue. In general the better rowers at my club have normal, if a little more muscular than average, shoulders and upper backs. On the other hand they do tend to develop somewhat pronounced rear ends. This is, I should point out, a good thing

[[old] John Rupp]

Hi Agnes,<br /><br />Congratulations and all the best for your upcoming wedding. <br /><br />Yes I would keep the damper on 1.

[[old] Godfried]

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulH+Jan 31 2006, 10:25 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulH @ Jan 31 2006, 10:25 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->...  In general the better rowers at my club have normal, if a little more muscular than average, shoulders and upper backs.  On the other hand they do tend to develop somewhat pronounced rear ends. ... </td></tr></table><br />And how is your rear end, Paul? <br />

[[old] MomofJBN]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.<br /><br />My goals (except for the fitting in the wedding dress part) are basically the same: lose some weight, gain fitness, but not bulk up. I've been doing medium length work-outs (in the 30 - 45 min range, may eventually work up to a max of one hour) at an intensity that has me breathing somewhat hard, but is maintainable. <br /><br />I'm staying away from doing lots of short, intense sprints as it seems to me that that sort of work-out is more likely to put on bulk.<br /><br />I don't think you need to have the damper all the way down at 1, as long as it is on the lower end - maybe 4 and below.<br /><br />I'm interested in seeing all the responses to this thread, and I hope someone will correct me if I'm on the wrong track.<br /><br />Schenley

[[old] Ducatista]

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulH+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulH)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->On the other hand they do tend to develop somewhat pronounced rear ends.  This is, I should point out, a good thing </td></tr></table><br />Now I've got "Baby Got Back" stuck in my head. (This is, I should point out, a good thing.)

[[old] rhorva@hotmail.com]

Agnes, congrats on the upcoming nuptuals!! My arms have gotten a LOT more defined, and the muscles each stand out by themselves, even down below my elbows, but I have NOT bulked up... instead, I've gotten nice square shoulders and strong shapely arms. I notice a LOT OF GUYS staring, so that can't be all bad.<br /><br />Have your seamstress cut off the arms, make the dress into a Halter style, and FLAUNT THOSE STRONG BODY PARTS!!<br /><br />Good luck on your weight loss... I am not grooving with the EAT EVERY THREE HOURS diet, it seems to be working for me.<br /><br />RUBBER DUCKY

[[old] kinley]

<br />I have NEVER understood why women don't want to bulk up. Most of us are short, and if you're scrawny too ---- well, you just look wimpy. <br /><br />In my opinion.

[[old] rhorva@hotmail.com]

<!--QuoteBegin-kinley+Jan 31 2006, 10:26 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(kinley @ Jan 31 2006, 10:26 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have NEVER understood why women don't want to bulk up. Most of us are short, and if you're scrawny too ---- well, you just look wimpy. <br /><br />In my opinion. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Yeah, having some bulk can be helpful.. last week I was closed in this room with this psychotic woman at work who is jealous of me and she was trying to intimidate me and began punching holes in a stack of cardboard boxes, but I just sat there and leafed through a magazine thinking, "GIRL, I could kick the crap out of you with my big rower arms," and let her punch more holes. Quack Quack.<br /><br />Rubber Ducky

[[old] Ducatista]

<!--QuoteBegin-rhorva@hotmail.com+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(rhorva@hotmail.com)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->"GIRL, I could kick the crap out of you with my big rower arms," </td></tr></table><br />Meh. Lacks poetry. Try "I could snap you like a twig." See how much better that sounds?<br />

[[old] Janice]

Congratulations! <br /><br />I wouldn't have thought that you would bulk up just erging, but be careful lifting weights. I was doing a 15 minute arm targeted routine (on top of erging and lifting 2x a week) and managed to build so broad a back that I was lucky my dress fit on my wedding day last September.

[[old] grams]

In my case my shoulders look much better than most 60 year old ladies. I think in part it is due to better self esteem, which makes me stand straighter-not hunched over. My arms aren't really bigger around-now its muscle instead of flab though.<br /><br />And-it will do good things for your bustline too. You may lose a cup size-but the underlying muscle development makes up for that.<br /><br />And the waistline is really good. I do long steady workouts. 50-60 minutes usually. Damper on 3-3 1/2. No weights. I did them for a while and a guy told me I would make a good body builder. <br /><br />Your significant other will appreciate your in-shape shape. If the dress turns out to need some alteration, that's ok.<br /><br />grams

[[old] woolsmith]

<!--QuoteBegin-grams+Feb 1 2006, 02:51 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(grams @ Feb 1 2006, 02:51 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->In my case my shoulders look much better than most 60 year old ladies. I think in part it is due to better self esteem, which makes me stand straighter-not hunched over. My arms aren't really bigger around-now its muscle instead of flab though.<br /><br />And-it will do good things for your bustline too. You may lose a cup size-but the underlying muscle development makes up for that.<br /><br />And the waistline is really good.  I do long steady workouts. 50-60 minutes usually. Damper on 3-3 1/2. No weights. I did them for a while and a guy told me I would make a good body builder.  <br /><br />Your significant other will appreciate your in-shape shape. If the dress turns out to need some alteration, that's ok.<br /><br />grams <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Good point, Grams! I think from a self esteem standpoint, many women often tend to think they need to be the ones doing the changing and accommodating most of the time. So I think Agnes should work out all she wants, get in good shape that FEELS good and is healthy, and alter that dress if need be. <br /><br />