{"id":76632,"date":"2012-08-06T09:48:47","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T14:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/?p=76632"},"modified":"2012-08-06T09:52:01","modified_gmt":"2012-08-06T14:52:01","slug":"competitive-bodybuilding-for-women-isnt-what-you-think-learn-how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/08\/competitive-bodybuilding-for-women-isnt-what-you-think-learn-how-it-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Competitive Bodybuilding For Women isn’t What You Think. Learn How it Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Currently, I’m a full time student\u00a0in my last year of college working here at DIR, as well as in the marketing department for a local health club. Also on my schedule is\u00a0studying for my personal training certification<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0When people ask me what I do in the little spare time I have, I tell them I compete in bodybuilding competitions. They look at my 5’4″, 115-pound, lack-of-size body and either laugh because they think I’m being sarcastic, or they get a dumbfounded look across their face because they’re confused and don’t know what to say.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When I said bodybuilding, they were more than likely thinking about the\u00a0ridiculously\u00a0large and vasculin women who are rather androgenous. What people don’t realize is there are several different divisions in a bodybuilding competition for women. These include bikini, fitness, figure, and bodybuilding. For all divisions other than bodybuilding, each class is divided by height. Bodybuilding<\/a><\/strong> is divided by weight.\u00a0The number of classes\u00a0depends on the number of participants.<\/p>\n

Bodybuilding shows are held year round all over the world. Anyone can sign\u00a0up for one at anytime, anywhere.\u00a0Listed below are the different body types<\/a><\/strong> that go into each different category, what takes place at a show, and what the\u00a0judges\u00a0look for.<\/p>\n

Bikini<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Did you know there’s a bikini competition within a bodybuilding show? It’s actually the division I compete in myself.\u00a0It’s not the average spring break bikini competition found on\u00a0MTV, and it’s not something you can\u00a0just\u00a0decide to enter last minute (unless you contain incredibly blessed genes). This category is about the overall look and presentation of a woman.<\/p>\n

Judges don’t look for the skinniest girl on stage, and they don’t look for the most muscular either. What they look for in this body type is leanness and the appearance of being fit. The girls are to walk on stage in front of hundreds of people, if not thousands, in nothing but a skimpy two-piece and high heels where they will perform model turns both individually and in groups next to the other competitors in order for the\u00a0judges\u00a0to closely compare each body. Some bodybuilding shows\/organizations will also hold something like a model round, where the girls are required to answer questions from the\u00a0judges and the winner will receive a free\u00a0photo shoot\u00a0and spread in a fitness magazine.<\/p>\n

Body fat for bikini contestants is usually between 12-15%. Are there politics involved when it comes to scores? Maybe somewhat…let’s\u00a0just\u00a0say you don’t see many flat-chested girls walking away with the winning trophy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/a>Figure<\/strong><\/p>\n

This category is slightly more muscular\u00a0than the bikini division and emphasizes muscle tone rather than muscle size. Figure\u00a0preparation\u00a0takes serious\u00a0knowledge and dedication toward weight lifting.<\/p>\n

When it comes to\u00a0judging, this category can be\u00a0subjective\u00a0because there’s no set guidelines for what the\u00a0judges\u00a0are looking for. Each organization may have different criteria for what they expect from figure competitors. These girls will also wear a two-piece suit and heels, and stand on stage in the same format as the bikini division.<\/p>\n

In bikini, there very well may be\u00a0contestants\u00a0who spend little time prepping, but with figure, I doubt there’s hardly anyone on the planet who’s able to enter last minute and walk away taking first place. These women take anywhere from months to years developing this muscle tone, depending on what their goals are.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/a>Fitness<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>This division is for the women with the stage personality and the\u00a0athleticism. In this category, contestants will actually perform stunts on stage to show off their fitness capabilities. The types of things they perform could be gymnastics, dance, or even obstacle courses.<\/p>\n

They are\u00a0judged\u00a0on showmanship, athletic ability, and ease of execution for the routine as well as a stopwatch time for any obstacle course. They do not wear a bikini for the fitness round but a showy outfit that matches the genre of their chosen routine. Women competing in the fitness category will also partake in a physique round where they will wear a two-piece suit and heels and are\u00a0judged like those in the figure category.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/a>Bodybuilding<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last on this list is the women’s bodybuilding division. This is the group that people mistake me for. Here’s why they get that stunned look on their face when I speak of my hobby… These women are\u00a0judged\u00a0on muscularity,\u00a0symmetry, definition, and leanness. In order to do well, 10% or less body fat is required. They do where a two-piece like the other categories, however, heals are not required. What is required of them is to perform their own posing routine, like the men do, where they flex and show their muscles. The women are lined\u00a0up side-by-side with the other competitors in their weight class so that the\u00a0judges\u00a0may choose a winner.<\/p>\n

The hardest part about being a competitive bodybuilder isn’t lifting weights or gym time, it’s actually the diet, no matter what division you compete in. There’s a very limited amount of foods that are allowed during a competition prep, and most diets last anywhere from 8-15 weeks, depending on where you’re starting. When people ask me why I participate in something like this and deprive myself from what people call “normal” eating habits, I say, “Why do runners run 50 miles at one time? That sounds pretty crazy to me.”<\/p>\n

Some people like to add a fitness competition to their bucket list<\/a><\/strong>; a one time great accomplishment. That’s\u00a0originally\u00a0why I decided to do one (and because I needed some extra motivation that would force me to shed a few extra pounds of fat). When I first began I really had no intentions of competing a second time around, but I surprised myself and found a new passion that I love working hard at to be the best I can be. As weird as it may sound,\u00a0I can say I’m literally excited for the next time I start my competition prep diet<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jamie Eason Delivers Beauty in Bodybuilding<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Weight Lifting Techniques Defined<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Refeed Diet: I’ll Have a Stack of Pancakes with Extra Syrup<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n


\nPhotos from bodybuilding, muscleandfitness, rxmuscle<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Currently, I’m a full time student\u00a0in my last year of college working here at DIR, as well as in the marketing department for a local health club. Also on my schedule is\u00a0studying for my personal training certification.\u00a0When people ask me … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,58],"tags":[7005],"class_list":["post-76632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness","category-womens-health","tag-bodybuilders"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76632"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77014,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76632\/revisions\/77014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}