Rock hard abs, round glutes, and biceps that rival a Marvel superhero , these are the features seen on the female bodybuilding athletes . The look generates fascination, a range of opinion, and discussion about sex politics. Certain websites have become a large source of tabloid like sensationalism. The tendency for ostracism are common features . Websites and social media allow other to get expose to different people. The negative side it that users are more comfortable expressing their prejudices or hatreds. Seeing as the female bodybuilder has created a unique look, the more closed minded rather vituperate them. The more reasonable can see that the women have the right and freedom to be active in their sport. Sad and Useless describes itself as “the most depressive humor site on the internet.” Site like this are not really designed for high quality work. Female bodybuilders mentioned on a website like this are subject to vituperation. The shock is that the short text does not espouse a vicious sentiment :
” Some people have really weird ideas about beauty. We’ve previously featured The Weird World of Competitive Dog Grooming, but these ladies featured below have chosen to modify themselves instead of their pets. Well… to each their own. The pictures in this gallery have been taken by German photographer Martin Schoeller and full collection of portraits can be found in his book “Female Bodybuilders“.”
The comment section below has the same negative opinions. The refreshing part is that certain users defend the women. The desire to impose conformity in behavior and thought has become too prevalent. Those who are not part of the female bodybuilding fandom or subculture deem it as “weird.” The general public tends to brand anything different as fringe, bizarre, or deviant. Beyond that an activity could be branded as extreme. Subcultures are looked at with suspicion and sometimes fear. Female bodybuilding gets unfair criticism. Both athletes and fans are labeled as strange. While this is not the worst feeling expressed, it ignores other perspectives. Then again, being too “normal” would not be very interesting. Maybe weird should be given a connotation of captivating. The world of female bodybuilding has many dimensions.
The sport is a lifestyle. Competing, training, dieting, and preparations for contests takes much devotion. A daily schedule has to have meal times and training sessions listed. Keeping motivated requires a network of support. A training partner, coach, friends, and family are essential. Sacrifices might have to be made. Spending time with family or friends might have to be reduced. Maintaining a relationship can become harder under these conditions. Unless a husband, boyfriend, or partner is understanding of athlete’s goals strains can happen. Particular foods have to be removed from the regular diet. The sport does not generate enough income for athletes to live off it alone. Women who compete sometimes working another job , being self-employed, or an alternative form of income generation.
The sport becomes their life. Much of what they do revolves around it. Burn out can happen, which is why keeping motivated is pivotal . The amount of work and effort does not always pay off. An athlete can work hard for a show and then get a low placing. Subjectivity and unclear criteria can cause frustration. Some of this can be avoided by selecting a division that suits a woman’s physique potential. The sport has expanded to include bikini, physique, fitness, figure, and wellness. The sport requires much investment and dedicated drive.
The physiques have evolved incredibly since 1977. As time passed women became more muscular, defined, and stronger than any one could imagine. Some forget that the image is unique. Never in human history did women’s physiques look this way. Muscular women did exist prior to the sport. The female bodybuilder physique did not. The image is not one paradigm either. Multiple versions can be seen across divisions. Figure, physique, fitness, wellness, and bikini show women of different levels of muscularity.
Each athlete presents an individual version of their image. No two women are going to look exactly alike. Some may have more size, others have better definition. Shape and symmetry can vary. The best physiques have the balance of all of the elements. Size, shape, symmetry, conditioning, and definition are keys to winning contests. The standard is changes over time. The women are going to develop new versions of the female athletic form.
Before getting on stage, preparation is required. Certain classes have weigh-ins for athletes. A female bodybuilder can compete as a lightweight, middleweight, or heavyweight. The exact weight classes can vary depending on competition. A lightweight can be 115 lbs and a middleweight can be up to 125 lbs. Another class known as light-heavy can range from 125 lbs to 140 lbs. Heavyweights are 140 lbs and above. Competitors must reduce a certain amount of body fat before going to stage. When getting there they are checked in and go to weigh in. When that is done the women have to prepare their make-up and bikinis. The athletes make their way to the pump room. The athletes will lift to get the blood flowing to their muscles. Doing this allows them to look bigger before they go to stage. Then the contests begins with a series of poses. Group posing happens as well as individual routines.
The pre-judging stage can be intense. The women are out there showing the quality of their physiques. At the end of the process is the final pose down. All the women start flexing on stage trying to get the judges attention. Being on stage is more than just posing and flexing. An athlete has to be creative with their routine. Posing practice has to be done and rehearsed to make a routine suitable for competition. The competitions are another world to itself.
What makes women’s bodybuilding more weird ? The same criticism is not given to men in the sport. The assertion is more so a sexist double standard. When women so the same activities, then it is a violation of appropriate norms. The female bodybuilder is the most muscular woman in existence. Women with that type of physical power are viewed in a negative light. While others are more opened minded, they still find it bizarre. However, if most women looked like them it would not be deemed as odd. It is a matter of opinion and perspective.
What is deemed weird to one person can be normal to another. Women’s bodybuilding has its own subculture. This can be strange to an outside observer. To fans it is just regular activities. Seeing contests and going to fitness expos are a large part of the experience. If we all this sport odd, soccer and football should be added. People come to see athletes kicking balls for hours and then watch commentary by sportscasters. Spectators gather in a stadium or fans go to each others house to watch TV. Such activities could seem strange to non-fans. Women doing sports should not be seen as an oddity. People will judge things they do not understand.
There are elements of the women’s bodybuilding culture that can be bizarre. The female muscle fandom is a part of this. It has aspects of fetish and art. Videos and session wrestling are part of the material culture. Female muscle art can range from painting, CGI, writing, drawing, and webcomics. Even some fans do not talk about this element much. The controversy is that it sexualizes the sport. It is hard to say this aspect does not exist when women a posing on a stage half naked. The sight of women in bikinis will draw male attention. Considering the more egregious aspects of other sports session wrestling and schmoes are mild. Football hooliganism, hazing, and organized crime connections in sports organizations are more serious offenses. Schmoes are the dedicated fans of muscular women. The condemnation they get is unjustified, because it is fans support the keeps women’s bodybuilding alive. Every sport or franchise has a zealous fandom to it. The fact it exists should not be taken as a form of dysfunction or abnormal behavior. The subculture can have weird aspects. One might call it unusual, but no one is getting harmed. Athletes and fans are doing what they love.
Maybe weird should not be taken as a pejorative. Rather, it can be thought of as expressing the unique quality of women’s bodybuilding. At one time video games were deemed a strange subculture. Now, electronic entertainment is a major industry. An activity that was once underground can reach the mainstream. The woman bodybuilder is not just one type of athlete. Some have done CrossFit, powerlifting, and weightlifting. The muscular female physique has multiple versions. Fitness, wellness, figure, physique, and bikini have various versions of a muscular female body. This is a type of body modification, but less extreme than other forms. Humans might in the distant future merge with information technology. What the bodybuilder does is sculpt the body, like an artist using clay. To a degree, the body becomes an art work. Women have created a new aesthetic and it has not been seen before. Just because something is new does not make it abnormal; it is different. Being called weird in this context is more of a victory. It shows that women produced a reaction. Women’s bodybuilding has a fascinating subculture. What others deem as weird, the fans interpret it as a unique sport.
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