Mercy University was established in 1950. At first it was associated wit the Catholic Church, but went independent. The private university is located in New York. Since 1970, the school has published a student newspaper. Impact covers news, sports, and entertainment. Laura Medina is a communications major with a goal of working in the entertainment industry. This student focuses on hot topics. Those types of columns tend to discuss trends or gossip. What Laura Medina examines is a fitness trend of the muscle mommy. The term refers to women who are active in fitness and sports. They are not training to lose weight, but build muscular physiques. To some this would seem like a new phenomenon. The truth is muscular women were gaining a following prior to the muscle mommy term. The female muscle fandom and muscle women predate social media.
Without women’s bodybuilding there would not be muscle mommies. The first competition appeared in 1977, followed by the first Ms. Olympia in 1980. During this period the only way to see a muscular woman was to go to a contest, gym, or see them on TV. Visibility was limited for the female athlete. A fandom emerged that collected pictures and videos. Magazines and VHS tapes were the methods of seeing muscular women at home or in a private setting.
There could have been fit women working out without a following. Those women were either doing it for a hobby with no intent of competition. The early harbingers were those who lifted despite the ridicule and lack of resources. The rise of social media gave birth to the muscle mommies. Though this phenomenon can be traced back to women who first competed in bodybuilding competitions.
Social media like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are platforms in which the muscle mommy is seen. A notable generational difference can be seen in use. Older people tend to be less open to technology. Teenagers and adults under 60 are more open to information technology and its use. Young girls are going to use social media more so than older women. Trends to arise on these platforms. Viral videos capture large audiences globally. The rapid spread of information on a daily basis is unlike anything seen before.
A muscle mommy can post a video and develop a large following. The fitness influencer has become prevalent in the past few years. All muscle mommies are not fitness influencers. Some are women who just lift weights as a hobby. The female fitness enthusiast then comes on social media to discuss their perspectives.
A muscle mommy has a specific definition. The muscle mommy is not just a woman who lifts weights. She seeks to build muscle to a significant degree. This goes beyond toning. Laura Medina describes a muscle mommy as a woman with significant muscular development across the body. What Medina also mentions is that these women are not afraid of muscle. They embrace it. A muscle mommy can be an athlete, fitness influencer, or a dedicated to a fitness hobby.
Their images that appear on social media and across the internet are inspiring women. Women on their computers could run across images of the female athletic physique. This becomes inspiration. Weight rooms are not going to be male dominated forever. Women tend to shy away from the free weights area. Yoga, pilates, and cardio may still be popular among women. Weights are being added to those exercise activities. A number of women are building muscle with no intent to compete. Either the motivation is health maintenance or a fun activity. The muscle mommy is now everywhere. This might be a passing trend, but women’s participation in sports and fitness is not.
Male reactions are not monolithic. The negative criticisms and insults can be seen in comment sections on various platforms. Laura Medina mentions the vituperation comes from feelings of insecurity . Sometimes there are more reasons other than that. Certain men only value women for their appearance. Seeing women deviate from what in there perspective is attractive generates negative reaction. The perspective comes from men who are entitled. Women are not here to be acceptable to men. At extremes sexist overtones are also projected. What should be understood is that men are not all in agreement. The muscle mommy has a growing number of fans. A number of men do like muscular women, even if they will not make it known. Based on the large following muscle mommies have, they do have a fan base. Their large number of followers on various social media platforms proves that a group of men like muscular women. Those followers are not just women seeking exercise advice. A portion of men admire fitness women. The term muscle mommy implies an amorous nature. Their are male fans of female muscle who collect images, video, and printed media related to them. Then some men are just neutral about muscular women. The concept neither generates distain or support. Based on social media data there is a sizeable male fanbase.
Laura Medina concludes with an appeal to the readers. Disparaging women’s bodies should not be acceptable. A muscular woman should not be viewed as abnormal. Beauty standards and body image conformity has caused women frustration. Instead women should choose how they want to look like. Policing women’s image and behavior is a demonstration of reducing their personal freedom. Choice and bodily autonomy seem to be out of reach for women. Shaming a women’s appearance is an extension of gender bias. Men are not shielded from this either. Men who are into muscle mommies are subject to criticism. Laura Medina poses a question. If women are allowed to love strong men, why are men forbidden from loving muscular women. Detractors do not only attack female athletes, but their fans also. The self appointed gatekeepers want everyone to conform to their standard. What a boring world it would be if everyone was the same. Those individuals who challenge stereotypes, customs, and long time traditions are going to have a bigger impact on society. Sports and fitness will at some point not be a male dominated domain. Backlash to change can be an obstacle, but will not hinder these developments. Muscle mommies may be more than just some passing fad.
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