The word “bodybuilder” often conjures up images of a well-oiled man with huge muscles flexing at the gym in front of a mirror. Competitions such as The World’s Strongest Man and Mr Universe are broadcast on TV, and we marvel in awe at the strength and determination of the competitors.
Over the last 40 years, women have become increasingly interested in the sport. Lynn Carmichael recently took part in the National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) competitions. She first became interested in bodybuilding 12 years ago.
Lynn Carmichael, Female Bodybuilder
“I went to a bodybuilding competition with a boyfriend and the women came on in their sparkly bikinis and I thought, I want to look like that,” says Lynn. “The next day I started going to the gym and read up on nutrition and diet, and I did my first competition after three months. I weighed eight stone then, and now I’m 10 and a half!”
Becoming a female bodybuilder takes dedication, motivation and self discipline. Lynn has taken part in 28 competitions since she started training. She stopped for seven years, and in 2006 she returned to the sport and came second in the NABBA British finals. “I stopped because I was away a lot and couldn’t put the time into it,” Lynn says. “I usually do a mixture of weights and cardio four or five days a week, but coming up to a competition I start training every day.”
NABBA and IFBB
Angela Ogg competed in the NABBA competitions last year and she thinks female bodybuilding is a great sport. “You’re in the gym training seven or eight times a week so you’re not in the pub drinking at weekends,” she says. “It’s a lifestyle change so I think it’s a positive thing.”
Female bodybuilding is not as popular and receives a lot less sponsorship and promotion than male bodybuilding. In 1992, the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) tried to feminise the sport and several controversies occurred throughout the early 1990s, leading to the rules being rewritten. The rules changed again in 2000 and in 2005. Ben, a male bodybuilder, says, “A lot of the routines and poses for the females are different to the men’s, and. the judges look for different things with the men and the women.”
Some women also try to take things too far. “The physique side of things is much more manly,” says Angela. “If a female wants to take it up to the physique level then that’s up to them but personally I prefer the fitness side, which is much more feminine.”
Tips for Bodybuilding
Bodybuilder Davy Tait agrees. “Females often use steroids to achieve that muscled look,” he says. “I feel that it does more harm than good. I like someone with nice feminine muscle but not over the top.”
Lynn, on the other hand, doesn’t see it like that at all. “I think it’s good for structure,” she says. “It motivates me and it’s good for self discipline. If you do it for the right reasons and stay away from the darker side of things, which obviously bodybuilding does have a bad reputation for, then it can really benefit your life.”
Additional NABBA Information
*NABBA was founded in 1950 and is the sanctioning body for the sport. NABBA International was formed in 1984 and hosts the annual European, World and Universe Championships, with representatives from 36 countries taking part in last year’s contests*