Are you looking for a word to describe a powerlifter with overly-developed traps, shoulders, and chest muscles? You could say they look ‘yolked.’ This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The expression ‘yolked’ refers to a man or woman with an overly-developed upper body, particularly around the deltoids, trapezius, chest, and upper back area. Typically, you’ll use the phrase when referring to bodybuilders or powerlifters.
Being ‘yolked’ is different from being ‘jacked.’ If you’re yolked, it refers to the specific muscle groups around the ‘yolk,’ being the traps, delts, and chest. The person usually achieves this look through a combination of weight training and steroid use. However, a person can achieve a ‘yolked’ look without steroid use.
If you’re ‘yolked,’ you look strong and intimidating to other smaller people in the gym. Being yolked refers to men and women, but it's more common in men.
Example Usage
“Look at that guy. He’s yolked. I bet he does all the steroids. There’s no way I would put my health on the line just to look like that guy. He’s a freak.”
“Using steroids is bad for your health. I want to be yolked too, but it’s not worth doing the juice to look big.”
“That guy is jacked. His shoulders and chest are huge. He’s definitely yolked. I wonder how many chickens he must eat daily to maintain that mass?”
“Ronnie Coleman was the biggest bodybuilder ever. The guy was yolked and juiced to the gills. He was a legend on stage.”
“Wow, that last competitor was yolked. He had traps that looked like he had no neck. I don’t know why these guys decide to get so big. It looks silly.”
Origin
The expression “yolked’ comes from the gym and bodybuilding culture in the 2000s. The earliest entry of the phrase in the Urban Dictionary is in 2015. It’s believed bodybuilding adopted the term to describe a lifter with an overly developed upper body around the shoulders, chest, and upper back.
Farmers would ‘yolk’ oxen to a tilling wagon and use them to tend to the fields. These work animals featured overly developed shoulders and backs, leading to the adoption of the phrase in the bodybuilding culture.
Language experts are unsure who coined the phrase or when it entered the modern vocabulary. However, some experts believe it comes from a description of the eight-time Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman. Ronnie is the subject of many bodybuilding internet memes.
Phrases Similar to Yolked
- Jacked.
- Ripped.
- Huge.
- Mass monster.
Phrases Opposite to Yolked
- Weak.
- Slender.
- Lady-like.
- Twink.
What is the Correct Saying?
- Yolked.
- Yoked.
Ways People May Say Yolked Incorrectly
Some people may spell the saying as ‘yoked,’ but ‘yolked’ is the correct version of the expression. While it's more common for men to be ‘yolked,’ it’s possible for women to be yoked. Using the phrase to describe someone that has a good physique but doesn’t appear overly developed would be incorrect.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Yolked
You can use the phrase ‘yolked’ when referring to a guy with an overly-muscular appearance, especially around the upper body. The ‘yolked’ look requires the person to have overly-developed deltoid, pectoral, trapezius, and upper back muscles. People typically use the phrase to describe a bodybuilder or a powerlifter with a huge upper body.
You can use the phrase when referring to men and some women. Typically, women with a ‘yolked’ appearance are extreme athletes or bodybuilders with an overly-developed physique. If someone is ‘yolked,’ they appear strong and have an intimidating look. It’s common for people to refer to athletes on steroids as ‘yolked.’