Applied Sports Science : Fighting A Female Bodybuilder

Fighting

Women have made significant progression in sports. Certain sports have drastically changed their bodies and appearance. Some of the most muscular women can be seen competing in bodybuilding contests. Male observers are either shocked or curious about this unique type of sportswoman. The fist tendency is to wonder about their physical capabilities. The first thought is how strong they are carrying high amounts of muscle mass. The wonder is mostly out of considerations related to sports science. Some men think they can beat a female athlete without any training. The untrained man compared to a female athlete would either be defeated or evenly matched. Much of this depends on the sport or physical contest involved. Hypothetical fights thought of by fans of sports or fictional works. Those scenarios either have an athlete of the past versus a current one. How would Muhammad Ali fare against Floyd Mayweather? Hypothetical fights extend to comics, cartoons, and film. Could Wonder Woman beat Hulk? Can Goku beat Superman ? The fictional fights are more about how a creator power scales a character. One with actual people can be more predictable. Oddly, there are men with little muscle who think they could overpower a female bodybuilder. The chances of winning a fight are limited in this case.

“Who would win in a fight between a female bodybuilder and I? I’m 155 lbs and 6’1 skinny. Would I have a chance?“

Excluding weapons or other force multipliers direct physical confrontation would not be advised. Depending on a female’s height , weight, somatotype, body size, and anthropometry a man could be overpowered. What should also be noted is the difference between a sporting match and a physical altercation. Boxing, MMA, and wrestling have rules. A random fight does not have any. Using some sport science analysis an specific answer can be given about an outcome.

Somatotype describes the build and composition of the human body. Fat and muscle are a part the components. When it comes to strength certain somatotypes have more of it. Mesomorphs have more muscle. The female bodybuilder would be classified as a mesomorph. The man who is thin would be an ectomorph. That would mean the man’s body would have less muscle and limited fat. The female bodybuilder would have more muscle in comparison. Innate strength of the ectomorphic man would not be enough to compensate.

Whoever has the most type II muscle fibers would have more strength. Female bodybuilders are not training for strength. The objective is to look a certain way. However, lifting for a period of time can result in muscular hypertrophy. Women can be much stronger than they were prior to bodybuilding. Their strength can be greater when competing in powerlifting or weightlifting. A female with a weight lower than 155 lbs might not be able to overpower a man of that size. A female powerlifter and weightlifter could have a chance. The female bodybuilder retains the muscle mass advantage.

Height and weight are factors. The reason sports have weight class is to account for that advantage. Most female bodybuilders can vary in height. Only a few have a height that is above average for women. Lesa Lewis’ height is 5 ft 9 in . She competed at 193 lbs. Maria Wattel has been documented as the tallest female bodybuilder to date. She is 5 ft 11 in and 194 lbs. Those are the biggest women documented in the sport. The male opponent still retains the height advantage at 6 ft 1 in. Height could be useful in a fight. Longer limbs could give a greater reach. A bigger skeletal frame allows for more space on the body for muscle. This would be negated by weight.

If the female bodybuilder has a weight higher than 155 lbs then she can generate more force. A random selection of athletes shows they would have a weight advantage. The question becomes would off season weight or contest weight be part of the consideration. A competition requires low body fat and extreme conditioning. The athlete might not be at their physically strongest then. Taking off season weight a measurement would be better, because the body is not under a certain condition. Vickie Gates was 155 lbs during her off season. Her height is 5 ft 4 in, but Vickie would be equal in terms of weight. Basic physics tells us mass equal force times acceleration. The weight factor does work in the female athlete’s favor.

Body size and anthropometry can give some indicators of possible fighting ability. A larger person can have the ability to produce more force. Biacromial width could tell of how much upper body strength a person has. That attribute favors men more so than women. Thigh circumference might indirectly indicate how much pressure can be generated from a bodyscissor. Biceps circumference could be useful data. A woman with biceps of a certain size could give a more powerful choke hold.

Anthropometric measurements are factors when discussing arms and legs. Arms and legs are the two parts of the body used in fighting. The mouth can be used as another weapon. Biting someone can still hurt. The biting force of a human is estimated to be 162 lbs per square inch. The masseter muscle requires that force for the sake of chewing. Anthropometric measurements reveal nothing about skill. The male opponent most likely does not have large arms or legs. That would hinder two essential abilities in fighting.

Fighting requires a combination of punches and kicks. Blocking and dodging attacks from your opponent. The power and the amount of damage done is essential in attacks. If enough is inflicted a person will either surrender or be incapacitated. A physical confrontation takes much energy. A person who get exhausted will be at risk of losing. Brute force is not the only part of a fight. Skills are needed to be effective. Punching and kicking can be made more efficient. Martial arts allows a person to acquire a set of skills. Judo, karate, and taekwondo have different fighting styles. Throwing can also be done if the person is strong enough to execute the move . Aikido and wrestling utilize this. A combination of grappling and strikes can make a fighter more formidable. A female bodybuilder might not have an background in martial arts. Assuming the male opponent does not either, they both would have limited skill.

What that means is that it comes down to brute strength. Although a woman’s shorter height could be of use. She would have closer range to striking points of the lower extremities. The knees, groin, and stomach are in close range. Striking these areas can do harm. When fighting with fists some solely focus on the face. Other areas can be punched. Kicks could be more effective on the stomach or legs. Getting hit on the side of the body can induce trauma. Assuming the female bodybuilder has high punching power and kicks are powerful she could inflict damage. Female MMA fighters and martial artists would be better at hand to hand combat. If a female bodybuilder learned those fighting techniques she would be more formidable. Although there is not enough information on the male opponent, an outcome of a fight can be determined. A female bodybuilder who is 155 lbs and above would win. If the male opponent does not have fighting skills, then he would be overpowered. A lightweight bodybuilder would need fighting skills to compensate for disparity in size. There is a difference between a random altercation and a sports match. Rules apply to a sports match. A physical altercation has no rules. That means in a fight anything can be used as a weapon. Objects can be thrown or clubs could be used. The male opponent would not have a limited chance in a fight. Considering that the female bodybuilder is stronger than untrained men the result would not be surprising. The only way a the male opponent would win is by building more strength and learning a martial art. Otherwise, the the female bodybuilder would have most of the advantages in a fight.