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Women’s bodybuilding should be about beauty.
But some who are serious competitors are starting to look like
a beast. How did we get here?
To be clear, I’m using the word “beauty” in a gender-neutral sense here.
We can all agree that sunken-in eyes, “horse-face,” and a body riddled with
popping veins isn’t exactly attractive. On a man or woman. And when
you lose touch with the basic affinity for beauty, you get the
bizarre aesthetics we are accustomed to seeing.
These days, women can compete in bikini, figure, fitness,
physique, and bodybuilding categories. The posing and
related requirements are different for each, but the primary difference is
muscular size.
I’ll get back to that point in a minute.
I’m writing this, in part, to respond to an article posted on
T-Nation “The Death of Women’s Bodybuilding.”
T-Nation has solid articles on bodybuilding, and frankly, these guys know
what they’re talking about. That said, they didn’t bring up how bodybuilding, especially bodybuilding for women, has a broader
inclusion of demographic.
Traditionally, bodybuilding only referred to those who
trained in the gym day and night in pursuit of huge muscles.
“The term ‘women’s bodybuilding’ is a little
outdated perhaps. I think women would respond better to the term ‘women’s body sculpting.’ That basically
covers all women in all the different competitive categories.” –Debbie
Baigrie, Owner, Natural Muscle Magazine
Guys like me who train hard (recreationally bodybuild), and don’t necessarily care to
look like Arnold can justifiably call themselves bodybuilders.
Likewise, women who are going after it in the gym pursuing a toned physique
can also justifiably call themselves bodybuilders. Technically, we are “building
our bodies” by adding lean muscle, we are just not as
extreme about it.
So what’s going on here, and why is bodybuilding/fitness becoming so widespread
(specifically with women)?
Simply stated, bodybuilding expressed in a healthy and balanced
fashion is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Other reasons:
The new trimmed down physique look is simply a less
extreme version of strictly mass-building bodybuilding. It tends not to
promote the use of anabolics and drugs the same way the older version does. For
obvious health and aesthetic reasons, this is more appealing to a larger number
of women.
Camaraderie: many women who are in their 30s and 40s want to feel sexy again
and reinvent themselves after having children or going through a divorce, for
example, so they are entering bikini competitions with their friends.
Confidence in the ability to handle problems and life in general. Little
things don’t seem to matter as much.
Added sex appeal.
Increased focus and discipline.
Besides meditation, working out is one of the most effective ways
to relieve stress.
Since we are discussing women’s bodybuilding,
I would like to bring your attention to two of the most misunderstood topics on
the subject…
1. Women Who Lift Heavy Do Not Get Bulky
I feel compelled to address the #1 myth in women’s bodybuilding, that weight training makes you bulky and
masculine. This is generally a lazy-person’s excuse not to get in the gym and
get in shape.
Every woman I’ve ever trained in gym, I trained like I would a man:
intense sessions with heavy weight.
The result? A sexy-toned physique. Each and every time.
Not once did they get bulky.
Women do not naturally produce as much testosterone as males do.
It is scientifically impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of
muscle mass by training hard in the gym.
Yes, it seems some of the female bodybuilders showcased in magazines
suggest differently.
The reality is they are naturally more built like a man (genetics) and/or
they had a little help (anabolics) to achieve their results.
Regardless my hat goes off to their insane work ethic because you don’t
look that jacked without spending countless hours in the gym. Again,
extraordinarily spectacular genetics doesn’t hurt, either.
Don’t take my word for it. Go to your gym and find a handful of
women who have the kind of physique you want and ask them how they got it.
I’m willing to bet that nine out of 10 times they train hard with weights.
2. Women Who Don’t Lift Heavy Rarely Get Toned
Another pervasive myth in women’s fitness is that women should lift
light weights and/or only do cardio to lose fat, and get lean and toned.
The bottom line here is if you only do cardio, both your muscle and fat would be burned for fuel.
Genetically gifted women aside, those who only concentrate on cardio will have
a very hard time achieving the sexy-toned look they want.
Lifting very light weights at high repetitions to burn fat and get toned? Not
going to happen.
Muscle responds to progressively harder resistance, and if the
resistance is too light, then it won’t activate the body’s inclination to
change in any real way.
Why do you think women’s bodybuilding
is becoming so popular?
Please contact us here so we can share your ideas with the rest of the
tribe.
Reem from Canada writes:
I thought I’d respond to this because I had no choice but pursuing this
path of body-toning, body-building to be able to make it through the day and
the week (literally).
Each case is unique but here is mine:
– I’m 43, single parent, with mentally demanding job in high tech. I look
after my elderly parents who live down the street and I drive an hour and half
daily.
– I’m vegetarian who succumbed to eating beef for a year and now back to
being vegetarian. I got too sick from meat after 15 years of being vegetarian.
– I had an awful accident three years ago. I could not take any pain
killers or anti-inflammatories due to conflict with my HBP medication.
– I’ve always been a little chubby and tried all kind of natural diets.
My goals: physical strength, energy, pain control, and stress
relief.
My solution: Bodybuilding and strength training. My accident pain
control relies completely on stretching, muscle building, and limited cardio. I
go to my trainer sleepy, weak, and in pain – I come out energetic, strong, and
pain free.
Ironically, all my life I tried trimming down by losing weight. I
managed to drop a couple of sizes when I gained 15 lbs. of lean muscle, LOL.
Because of bodybuilding and strength training, I owe many smiles with my
child and ability to have a relatively active life with her to my kinesiologist/bodybuilding
trainer. I now also have the physical strength to help my dad get up when he
needs it.
For many busy women, bodybuilding might save our lives.
Thank for the opportunity to comment on this. I’m sharing my story to
help out others out there who are seeking answers to fatigue.
For topics related to female bodybuilding trends, watch these 2
videos below
Ripped: Inside Women’s Bodybuilding
IS IT WORTH IT ? - Documented journey about a female
bodybuilder
Author
Bio:
Chris
Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.
V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System
is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users
with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and
vegetarians only.
A
lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of
professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising
its progressiveness and efficiency.
The
program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your
potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this
system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any
carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in
your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of
proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead
of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and
bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a
plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to
prove it.”
To
find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – Female Bodybuilding Trends and Myths
