How do martial artists wind up looking frail and "girly"?

[tape]

There are many descriptions of martial artists being frail and decrepit, but it only makes sense for the older ones and those with advanced inner power who can afford to let themselves go physically.

For people like Lin Pingzhi, who is often described as frail and girly looking, how is this possible? With his father running an escort agency, and both being martial artists that practice many hours a day, how does one wind up not at least somewhat muscular and large? I do not really know of people that can train physically for hours a day and eat and drink and still wind up looking like a frail girl unless they tried REALLY hard to do so.

[Banh Mi]

Neigong doesn't change your physical appearance, which is why female fighters can be powerhouses without looking butch. The more external forms and exercises can make you more built, but even then people are limited by their build. Small guys can still get that wiry strength and ripped bodies. But when wearing clothes, they'll just look like another small guy.
There's the young master and scholar image of pretty boys carrying around fans as well. They play into the image.

[tape]

Lin Pingzhi should be all external technique and training, since he has no inner power whatsoever it seems, so I'd think he'd train himself to be bigger, faster, and stronger.

[Banh Mi]

Yeah, probably. I like to think of him as the spoilt prince type. The kind that feels they come from a prestigious background and don't have to work as hard. His mother pampers him quite a bit. And he has guard doing most of his handywork for him, he only acts in the interest of protecting his ego.
Atleast that's how I justify his modern metrosexual image.

[hoatran]

Neigong doesn't change your physical appearance, which is why female fighters can be powerhouses without looking butch.

I think that was the basis for this seemingly contradiction to the modern view of the mixed martial arts fighter era. On the other hand, one of the very best mixed martial art fighter is Anderson Silvia, and he was rather wiry than bulked. But it was reputed that his punches are the hardest in his weight class. Roy Nelson is the other very good MMA fighter who has not lost yet, and he's fat and did not show any muscle tone at all. Jon Jones is anther wiry fighter that has the champion potential.

On the other hand, one of the main protagonist, I forgot whom, was told by his master that he has the body type to be a very good fighter. But Jin Yong did not really described what body type it was. Qiao Feng who was one of the best, was supposed to have a big body type. And look at Bruce Lee movie, Return of the Dragon, I think, the best martial artist on the bad guys side (not counting the master) was a very bulked guy. So the frail, and girly looking guy might be just the exception, not the rule, even in Jin Yong novels.

[tape]

It just seems a bit weird to me how any martial artist could look frail and weak back then, when even lazy/weak practitioners probably train every day for a few hours -- the hardcore ones would train all day.

Modern day fighters cut weight for purposes of weight class and such, but back then, especially if you had money to eat, being big and strong seems to be a huge, huge plus for low level external guys.

I think the "cut" and "shredded" look should be relatively modern -- in ancient times it probably was not very desirable, not to mention pretty difficult to attain even by today's standards. It's much easier to generically get broad and overall muscularity.

[Banh Mi]

People with small builds will still find it hard to get broad and muscular, and when wearing clothes, they don't look as impressive.
And it depends on the training method too. Heavy weights and low rep work will build mass. But martial arts tends to favour low rep constant endurance work.