Week 7 - Female Ecorche Body

Week 7 - Female Ecorche Body

This week's task was to gather reference material on the musculature anatomy and proportions of the female human body, and to find out what the differences are in relation the the male body. 

This week's prac exercise also involved sculpting the male ecorche body into a female ecorche body. I have completed my goals for this week and the results can be seen below:



Differences between the Male and Female Body


Bone Structure

In regards to the differences between male and female genders, the most noticeable difference is the way in which our bodies are designed; Men are designed to do physical labour whilst women are designed to give birth and nurture.

This can be seen in the bone structure. A females hips are usually the same breadth, if not wider than the shoulders, whereas a man's hips are usually smaller than his shoulders. 
This is because the female pelvis is designed to give birth, and the male pelvis is not. 
See image below:

Hughes, T. (2013). Female Pelvis [Online image]. Retrieved August 14, 2013 from: http://tarynhughes.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/the-mysterious-female-pelvis-in-yoga.html

Due to the enlarged pelvis, the hips are wider, and the thighs are larger in proportion to the rest of the body.

Musculature Structure

Women have lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of estrogen, which equates to a number of physical outcomes; the most notable being smaller muscle mass in relation to men. Smaller muscle mass equates to a number of distinctive traits.

1.) The neck is thinner.
2.) The trapezius is less prominent (more of a horizontal angle)
3.) The pectoralis is much smaller.
4.) The waist is thinner.
5.) The lats are much thinner.
6.) Muscles on the face have less mass, thus giving softer features.
7.) The arms are much thinner
8.) The shoulders have less mass, thus giving a sharper appearance (whereas male shoulders are more rounded)
9.) The sternomastoid and collarbones are more visible.


Fat Storage

The common areas of fat storage in females are around the thighs, and in the breasts. 
After a certain weight (or should I say, overweight), fat tends to be stored around the stomach as well. As stated previously, these fat storage locations are caused by the hormone estrogen.

Women also tend to have a higher body fat percentage than men. This can be attributed to the fact that they have breasts made of adipose tissue (fat), and also that they have more fat producing hormones than men. (Testosterone is known to reduce fat, and women have less testosterone)
See image below for example:

Frank, E. (2013). Body Fat Picture Descriptions of Women [Online image]. Retrieved August 14, 2013 from:

http://www.vitalitypower4u.com/ericfrank/nutrition-and-dieting/body-fat-percentage-pictures-of-men-women/