Who are the most muscular women in the world?
Bodybuilders rely on resistance training to build muscle through hypertrophy (1). However, not all bodybuilders earn the title of “Mass Monster.” This term refers to those who have pushed muscle and weight gain to extraordinary levels, achieving a physique that redefines the limits of bodybuilding.
Mass Monsters represent the pinnacle of extreme bodybuilding. These athletes combine intense resistance training with genetics and exceptionally high-calorie diets, prioritizing muscle size and mass above everything else.
And Mass Monsters aren’t exclusive to men — many women have also risen to prominence in this category, showcasing incredible physiques that dominate the bodybuilding world. In this post, we spotlight the most muscular women in the world, starting with the one widely regarded as the original trailblazer.
Overview — Who Are Mass Monsters?
Not all bodybuilders are Mass Monsters, but all Mass Monsters are bodybuilders. Bodybuilders focus on building muscle through proper dieting and weight training. Mass Monsters take building muscle to another level. They prioritize building extreme muscle mass and size over every other thing. These monsters use extremely high-calorie diets and intense resistance training to get as much muscle mass as possible.
To a Mass Monster, bigger is always better, and they believe size always comes first over everything. They belong to the superheavyweight class in bodybuilding. Throughout the years, people have debated the identity of the first Mass Monster, but most agree that Dorian Yates was the original mass monster.
Yates dominated in the late 80s to early 90s and redefined how bodybuilders should look with his exceptionally massive, muscular physique. With this, he went on to win six consecutive Olympia titles and dominated the bodybuilding scene in his time.
The female equivalent, although sometimes debated, would be Corrina Everson. She won the Ms. Olympia six consecutive times from 1984 to 1989. Everson popularized the more muscular and powerful look for female bodybuilders and retired undefeated.
Lenda Murray is another popular name when it comes to female Mass Monsters. She won the Ms. Olympia eight times, dominating from 1990 to 1995, and then staged a comeback to win the title again in 2002 and 2003.
Below are the top five most muscular women in the world and on Instagram.
Most Muscular Women
Nataliya Kuznetsova
| Full Name: Nataliya Kuznetsova | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 205 lb (93 kg) | 5’7” (170 cm) | 07/01/1991 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder | 2019 – Till Date | Russian |
Nataliya Kuznetsova, also known as “She-Hulk” or “Amazonka” is a professional bodybuilder and powerlifter. At the age of 14, she began her powerlifting journey to gain muscle mass. She used to be timid, but bodybuilding was a way for her to build her confidence. Since then, she has been obsessed with lifting as much weight as possible.
Her experience in powerlifting puts her on the edge as one of the strongest women in the world. Apart from her intense training, she prioritizes eating at least six meals daily, which contain high-quality protein. Nataliya Kuznetsova holds records in raw bench press, benching about 176.3 lbs. She also holds records in raw squats and raw deadlifts, which are 308 lbs and 352 lbs, respectively, making her one of the top female Mass Monsters in the world.
Kuznetsova is one of the featured individuals in the motion picture titled Bigorexia streaming on Prime. In Bigorexia, Amazonka is seen preparing for a pro competition and gives an inside look into her lifestyle, training, and diet routine. Kuznetsova details how she discovered bodybuilding and went from a skinny teen into the heaviest female bodybuilder in the world.
Anastasia Leonova
| Full Name: Anastasia Leonova | ||
| Weight | Height | Age |
| (72 kg) 114.6 lbs | (157.5 cm) 5’2″ | 31 Years |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder/ Trainer | 2018 – Till Date | Russian |
Anastasia Leonova is another of the most muscular women in the world, and on Instagram from Russia. She is known for her hard work and love of continually improving her physique. It took years of dedication and training for Anastasia Leonova to transform her physique. She is an IFBB Pro who has competed in several bodybuilding shows, consistently ranking in the top. Leonova serves as an inspiration to other women looking to build monster muscles just like her.
Andrea Shaw
| Full Name: Andrea Shaw | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| (77-78 kg) 180-190 lbs | (165.1 cm) 5’5” | 12/18/1983 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder/Personal Trainer | 2010 – Till Date | American |
Andrea Shaw started from humble beginnings, working her way to the top of female bodybuilding. Putting this into perspective, in Women’s Bodybuilding, she has had five consecutive Ms. Olympia titles and is running unopposed.
Shaw isn’t just a female Mass Monster and a five-time winner; she also has a BA in exercise and sports science. Boasting massive biceps exceeding 18 inches, she bench presses 250 lbs effortlessly. She has not just a Mass Monster physique but also is well-proportioned in all the right places.
Colette Guimond
| Full Name: Colette Guimond | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| (66.2-68 kg) 146-150 lbs | (155 cm) 5’1” | 12/18/1983 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder | 1988 – 2015 | (155 cm) 5 1” |
Colette Guimond is a French Canadian IFBB Pro bodybuilder known for her impressive monster-like shape. She started training to be a bodybuilder at 26, and after just two years, she won the Montreal Championship in 1989.
After a serious car accident, she took a long break from bodybuilding to recover and get her mind right. She returned in 2005 and won the Canadian Women’s Bodybuilding Nationals Heavyweight, earning her Pro card.
Anastasia Korableva
| Full Name: Anastasia Korableva | ||
| Weight | Height | Age |
| (75 kg) 165 lbs | (170 cm) 5’6” | 28 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder/Personal Trainer | 2020s | Russian |
Anastasia Korableva is another Mass Monster and one of the biggest female bodybuilders in the game. She is one of the most muscular females in bodybuilding, thanks to her intense training and dedication.
Korableva picked up bodybuilding at the age of 17 because she was being bullied for being too skinny. Now she is a force to be reckoned with in bodybuilding, with not just her massive muscles but also her ability to move her body seamlessly.
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Reference
- Hackett, D. A., Johnson, N. A., & Chow, C. M. (2013). Training practices and ergogenic aids used by male bodybuilders. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 27(6), 1609–1617. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318271272a
