hope for women’s bodybuilding?
Glory be–could women’s bodybuilding come back from near extinction?
On Dec. 6 the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness) released an advisory memo as follows:
"For aesthetics and health reasons, the IFBB Professional Division requests that female athletes in Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure decrease the amount of muscularity by a factor of 20 percent.
"This request for a 20 percent decrease in the amount of muscularity applies to those female athletes whose physiques require the decrease regardless of whether they compete in Bodybuilding, Fitness, or Figure.
"All professional judges have been advised of the proper criteria for assessing female physiques."
For women taking steroids, this is a mixed blessing. If a female competitor would really prefer to compete au naturel, the change–if enforced by judges (and that’s a very big if)–provides hope that such physiques could once again win contests. For those competitors who want to be as big and gnarly as possible and aren’t perturbed by the fact that male hormones are necessary, it’s a big problem.
Well, we’ll see what the judges do.
I’ve been following women’s bodybuilding since 1983 and competed in a very small way in the mid-’80s. That was a pivotal time. In the early ’80s, natural competitors could–and did–win contests. By the late ’80s, everything had changed. I still have most of my old copies of Muscle & Fitness, Women’s Physique World, and some of the short-lived women’s muscle titles. Someday I should put together a slide presentation and show images of certain prominent competitors over, say, a three-year span. In some cases the changes were sudden and dramatic.
Of course, women can add muscle without drugs, and how much depends on their genetic makeup, workouts, and nutrition. I used to say that I thought women should push their limits and get as big as possible–but I meant as big as possible without ‘roids or–gak–human growth hormone. (Is there anything less aesthetically pleasing than a bodybuilder, male or female, whose facial bones have grown or who has developed a huge, sloppy abdomen from drug use?)
It’s always seemed ridiculous to me that a woman who’s developing her muscularity and strength should stoop to using male hormones in the process. Not a very liberated move, in my view.
I’m not disparaging the hard work or dedication of steroid-enhanced athletes–but I do deplore the aethetic result and the incongruity of combining bodybuilding (a pursuit that’s supposed to enhance health) and drugs.
Okay, enough ranting on my part.
I’ll be watching future contests to see what happens.
