Women bodybuilding
Women's bodybuilding has its origins in the USA in the 1970s , when women were first able to take part in bodybuilding competitions.
history
From today's point of view, the first bodybuilding competitions are more likely to be seen as beauty competitions , so the first real women's bodybuilding competition is probably the US Women's National Physique Championship , which took place in Canton , Ohio , in 1978 , because the jury was the first to decide on the basis of muscle mass would have.
1980s
In 1980 the Ms. Olympia competition was introduced, which is still the most important international competition in professional women's bodybuilding today. Rachel McLish wins the 1st Ms. Olympia competition, which she won again in 1982 after finishing second in 1981 (behind Kike Elomaa). McLish thus became the most successful female bodybuilder of the early 1980s - and a media star, which illustrates her leading role in Ravenhawk . McLish was replaced by Cory Everson , the six-time Ms. Olympia (1984-1989) became a publicly respected bodybuilder and actress ( Hercules ( TV series )). In the German-speaking world, the four-time Miss World Gabriele Sievers caused a sensation and in 1984 founded one of the first bodybuilding studios for women in Kiel.
1990s
In 1990 the IFBB decided to open the Ms. Olympia competition to all women with a Procard . That year Cory Everson did not run again. 1990 was also the beginning of a new era in women's bodybuilding, as the newcomer Lenda Murray took first place. Murray became the new number 1 in bodybuilding and is still unmatched today with her 8 Ms. Olympic successes (1990-1995, 2002 and 2003). Murray's winning streak was interrupted by Kim Chizevsky, who won the title four times in a row from 1996-1999.
today
In contrast to the 1980s and 1990s, professional bodybuilding for women does not have a top star in the new millennium , who is also known by the general public (citizens of the USA, since women bodybuilding is better accepted by society there ). Another proof of the lack of a female athlete who dominates the scene is that with Chepiga, Bergmann, Murray, Kyle and Oriquen there have already been 5 winners of the Ms. Olympia trophy within this decade.
Overall, in today's bodybuilding, a decision is made between several levels. In addition to bodybuilding , there are now also the categories fitness and figure , each of which requires less muscular women. The trend is currently moving away from muscular women to slim, physically defined women who compete in the figure and fitness classes, as they appear to be more feminine.
Discrimination
It has been alleged that while male bodybuilders are rated according to objective standards such as muscle mass and symmetry , women are rated quite arbitrarily at times. However, it is also a fact that the judges who evaluate the contestants often change their guidelines. In the 1980s, women should be significantly more muscular than they are now and are rated according to the barely definable standard of femininity .
Female bodybuilders often have a negative reputation among the masses, as they are accused of wanting to destroy different gender roles of men and women . They often do not correspond to the appearance of a woman expected by the general public and are therefore also considered unattractive and masculine.
financing
Since women's bodybuilding is a marginal sport and there is hardly any high prize money, most women who want to practice bodybuilding professionally have their own website on which they offer a fee-based membership. Primarily personal training, coaching, wrestling sessions as well as erotic pictures and videos are offered there.
Doping problem
Women's bodybuilding, like other sports, suffers from extreme doping abuse . In particular, the use of anabolic steroids is accused of many female bodybuilders. Since the female body produces very little of its own testosterone , the male sex hormone, which plays an important role in the formation of new muscle mass, certain athletes support the muscle building process by taking or injecting anabolic steroids. The use of anabolic steroids by women often has irreversible consequences. In addition to the desired effect of building muscle, there is often a deepening of the voice, growth of the sexual organs, hair loss, acne and psychological changes such as aggressiveness and depression. There are also many other long-term consequences, some of which have not yet been researched, such as infertility , a tendency towards damage to the unborn child in the womb and various types of cancer. Many top female bodybuilders have an extremely deep, masculine voice as well as other external signs of drug abuse, which contributes to a social disapproval in large sections.
Venues and class division in Germany
The first German bodybuilding women's championship was held in Hanover in 1981 . From 1982 to 1989 it took place in Munich, 1990/1991 in Frankfurt, 1992 in Berlin, 1993/1994 in Neustadt / W, 1995/1996 in Duisburg, 1997/1998 in Friedrichshafen, 1999 to 2005 in Munich and from 2006 in Augsburg.
Since 2006 there have only been two weight classes: Class 1 up to 55 kg and Class 2 over 55 kg.
literature
training
- Emmi Wanghofer: bodybuilding for women. Shaping the body through muscle training . Falken, Niedernhausen im Taunus 1994, ISBN 3-8068-1510-0
- Rachel McLish: Flex appeal. Bodybuilding for women (OT: Flex Appeal ). Heyne, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-453-00939-8
- Lisa Lyon, Douglas Kent Hall: Lisa Lyon's Body-Building. Body training for women by the world champion in women's bodybuilding (OT: Lisa Lyon's Body Magic ). (4th edition.) Heyne, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-453-41547-7
- Arnold Schwarzenegger : Bodybuilding for Women. The perfect program for physical fitness and beauty from the most successful bodybuilder in the world (OT: Bodyshaping for Women ). (11th edition.) Heyne, Munich 1994, ISBN 3-453-07014-3
- Anja Langer , Bill Reynolds: Body Flex - Body Magic . Contemporary Books (NTC / Contemporary), Lincolnwood (Chicago) 1999, ISBN 0-8092-3930-2
nutrition
- Sabine Froschauer: Hard as steel. Sabine Froschauer's recipes for fat loss . (3rd edition.) Novagenics, Arnsberg 1997, ISBN 3-929002-14-0
Cultural history, illustrated books
- Bernd Wedemeyer : Strong men, strong women. A cultural history of bodybuilding . CH Beck, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-406-39246-6
- Bill Dobbins: Modern Amazons . Taschen, Cologne 2002, ISBN 3-8228-1291-9
- Charles Gaines, George Butler: Master Class Bodybuilding for Women. "Pumping Iron 2" (OT: Pumping Iron II: The Unprecedented Woman ). Heyne, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-453-41689-9
- Joanna Frueh, Laurie Fierstein, Judith Stein, et al .: Picturing the Modern Amazon . Rizzoli / newmuseumbooks, New York 2000, ISBN 0-8478-2247-8
- Martin Schoeller: Female Bodybuilders , Pond Press 2008, ISBN 978-0-9761955-3-5 CUSA
