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As the cult of thinness becomes more attainable via the rise of GLP-1 drugs, a particular physique is emerging as more of a status symbol in certain circles than just being runway model size. Toned, sculpted arms that suggest an ability to lift heavy weights with a personal trainer, rather than just the latest It bag, carry considerable social cachet.
Defined biceps and triceps aren’t exactly a new cultural phenomenon — Grace Jones and Madonna were flexing their muscles long before protein became a buzzword, while Cindy Crawford encouraged women to pick up dumbbells in her early-’90s workout tapes. Now, however, a defined, muscular form — something trainer Jasmine Lagudi calls “fit girl physique” — is back as a goal for those keen to project an interest in health and wellness rather than just skinniness. The look is strong as well as lean.
But it also implies the ability to spend time and money training at the gym, on Pilates classes, and on a diet involving $20 protein shakes. It shows that you have stamina, disposable income and — perhaps most importantly — agency over your schedule. From Victoria Beckham, who has switched her daily two-hour cardio workouts for targeted weightlifting, to the perimenopausal narrator of Miranda July’s novel All Fours, weight training is in the zeitgeist.
On a Tuesday lunch hour, in the slick basement of Studio Fix on Kensington High Street in London, Lagudi is coaching a room of women (and also a couple of men) in an upper-body weightlifting workout. Male-dominated gyms can be an intimidating space, she says, hence the rise of workout classes like this one, introducing women to lifting. The focus here is on arms, back and abs, something Lagudi says women have been traditionally afraid of embracing for fear of “bulking up”. She identifies a stigma around heavy lifting among women in the gym, but adds that “lifting weights is going to tone your arms, rather than make them bigger”. She believes that “there has been a shift in the last couple of years, snowballing after the pandemic, because more women are learning about fitness and realising that they have been doing the same workout for years, and not seeing the results they want.”
In an age of endless self-optimisation, building muscle mass is a healthy ageing strategy, linked to improved nervous system and bone density, and a slowdown in cognitive decline. Protein consumption, necessary for building and repairing muscle, has become the topic du jour. Beauty entrepreneur Hailey Bieber’s pink two-scoop Erewhon protein smoothies are a hit, acting as a symbol of female-targeted fitness culture.
Historically, building visible muscle mass could be an issue for women. Many in the public eye have faced criticism for a more “masculine” appearance, especially when that criticism is compounded by race or sexuality. Tennis champion Serena Williams has spoken about the body shaming she received throughout her career. “People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I’m strong,” she once said.
Last year, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif became the subject of controversy when she was accused of being born male after winning the Olympic gold medal, her muscular appearance being weaponised against her. In her new book The Look, Michelle Obama writes about the “uproar” around her own toned arms while she was first lady, and how the public “fascination” with her bare arms was used as a tool to “otherize” her.
However, fashion has recently been embracing athletes — American tennis player Coco Gauff has worked with Miu Miu, while Khelif was invited to Matthieu Blazy’s debut show for Chanel, dressed by the house. Body positivity and the celebration of a broader range of shapes and sizes increasingly feels like a passing trend — see the army of ultra-thin models back on the catwalk last season. But to some brands, working with these women offers an alternative to the ultra-thin status quo in fashion and Hollywood that has been fuelled by the Ozempic age.
This year has seen magazines featuring women flexing their biceps — singer Dua Lipa on the cover of British Vogue; food writer Padma Lakshmi in New York Magazine’s The Cut. Tight-fit “muscle tanks” were present across the spring 2026 runways: double-layered at The Row; ribbed at Acne Studios; worn with corsets at Dolce & Gabbana. Last year, Dutch designer Duran Lantink sent model Mica Argañaraz out wearing a silicone rendition of a sculpted male torso.
As the head of editorial at Vogue France, Claire Thomson-Jonville has a reputation for squeezing in workouts between fashion shows, and health and wellness have become a cornerstone of her Vogue. “The woman I love to represent is athletic and sporty, and very in tune with health, rather than just aesthetics,” she explains.
Of her own experience, she says: “I was doing all the HIIT classes and boot camps to maintain my fitness, and then a couple of years ago I started getting into weights and saw a huge difference, not just in my body, but in how I’m able to function throughout the day.” Training with Roy Chan in LA and Akim in Paris, she uses a minimum of 8kg weights in her daily routine, the result of which is a toned, muscular physique that frames her signature uniform of vintage Levi’s jeans and tank tops.
“I’m of the generation of women who were taught that ‘muscular’ is a negative word, and now we’re undoing all of that and seeing the health benefits,” she says. “There’s been a huge shift from women wanting to be smaller to women embracing weightlifting for health reasons as they reach mid-life, to taking supplements for muscle mass, introducing more creatine and protein into their diets — it’s about fuelling your body, rather than restricting it.”
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