Overcoming Obstacles

[musclebeauty]

All the women who compete in bodybuilding, fitness, figure, physique, bikini, or whatever the category, have so much in common they constitute a Sisterhood of Muscle. They often encounter the same obstacles from friends, family and people in general who resist the idea of women “going too far” in terms of muscle development and definition.

They are also often surprised at the degree to which their muscles become the objects of fetish by (mostly) men, which can be off-putting to many.

Any of these women in any category are liable to find themselves facing opposition if their genetics and efforts allow them to create a degree of development that exceeds what is expected. Even fitness or figure competitors are sometimes told they are “too big” or “too muscular” by competition judges. So, they find themselves having to do excessive cardio and starve away their shape in order to conform to standards that the fans don’t necessarily like, but which federation officials have decided are necessary to keep things from “going too far.”

Many models who work out to create fit and fabulous bodies also run into problems when agents and casting people feel that any kind of muscularity — a little bit of biceps, triceps or deltoid definition — disqualifies them from mainstream modeling jobs. Look at the major fitness-oriented magazines, and you’ll see the women featured are usually lean and fit but show little sign of having done any real work muscle building in the gym.