Where does female bodybuilding stand within pro bodybuilding as a whole?
Bodybuilding surely has it’s share of controversy. Besides the topic of steroids, there’s always been some kind of negative scandal going on within the community at one point or another. Because of the nature of the support there’s always going to be some kind of issue that causes some major questions to be asked. These days the shift in focus has gone to females and the fact that open weight bodybuilding is in danger.
Its a question that has arisen over the past year. Is female bodybuilding a thing of the past? And even more pressing is should it stay gone? There’s no doubt that everyone is going to have their own opinion on the subject. Many have stated that female bodybuilders don’t meet the aesthetic standards of how a woman should look. It’s a constant that has remain true since the early days of female bodybuilding until now. Even if visually female bodybuilding isn’t your thing that doesn’t change the fact that they put in the same hard work as the men competing in the sport.
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So what is it about female bodybuilding that garners so much hatred while categories like the bikini pro, fitness, and physique are looked on with much more reverence? The only answer that makes sense is that the other categories have women the still adhere to a form that is physically feminine especially in contrast to the women of the open weight class. Iris Kyle has the most Olympia wins under her belt at ten, more than any man whose competed in the sport. Should her wins be discredited simply because she is a woman? If there was a male bodybuilder with as many wins there’s no doubt that he’d be lauded as the best bodybuilder of all time. And if you start bringing in the huge discrepancy in prize money – the conversation gets even more complicated.
Female bodybuilding in the IFBB is fading into obscurity and isn’t looking likely to make a triumphant return. But where do the women of the open weight class go from here? They’ve put in the weeks, months, and years of dedication to make their bodies grow. Now, seemingly over night, their place on the totem pole has been removed. Their options are limited and some have a notion to remain at their current sizes. Just take a look at the trailer below for an upcoming documentary on female bodybuilding. The film offers a glimpse into just how devastating all this is for the female competitors.
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