Holy Squats

Brazilian women are known for their great asses! Many in the bodybuilding & fitness world are taking them to a whole new level. Take for example Suelen Bisssolati, a fitness model and motivational speaker from Sao Paulo.

She says, "The before photo is exactly 10 years ago. I was already training, but I was just a girl. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, full of dreams and plans, some frustrated, others went further than my expectations, however, I am proud of the woman I became. I fell a lot, but all the tumbles only served to make me even stronger."

 

Female bodybuilder says Arnold Sports Festival discriminates

Beth Mandyck

The Columbus Dispatch - Beth Mandyck had mostly hung around smaller bodybuilding competitions until she won the Ms. Buffalo Bodybuilding title nine months ago.

That crown vaulted the Rochester, New York, nurse to two national competitions last year. Her trainer told her to set her sights on the Arnold Sports Festival in 2018.

But Ms. Buffalo likely won’t be coming to Columbus.

The Arnold hasn’t offered women’s bodybuilding as a competitive category since 2013. Organizers said the number of women who wanted to compete in bodybuilding competitions had been dropping for years, and the Arnold offers several alternatives.

Mandyck, though, said the annual event discriminates against women by not offering the same competition it has for men. She has lodged complaints with the city.

“The Arnold is like everybody’s dream. When I went to look at it, I was aghast that there was no women’s bodybuilding,” she said. “If there’s a category for men, why can’t there be a category for women?”   Read More >>

Sample565LA0118

Libby Powell.  An Area Orion breast expansion morph.

Asia's Female Bodybuilders Are Smashing Gender Stereotypes About Body Image

Anna Ho (second from left) participating in the World Championships in Ulaanbaatar this October.

Forbes - “Women want to be capable in every way possible. They don’t want to limit themselves to only the household and their children. They want to be assertive outdoors; kick that football, and lift those barbells,” says Anna Christianne Ho, a 50-year-old bodybuilder from Hong Kong.

Ho is a poster girl for the growing number of female bodybuilders in Asia, fighting to eliminate gender stereotypes in a society obsessed with small framed and soft physiques, inspired by the imagery of its ubiquitous pop culture.

“Looking good goes far beyond skin deep,” says Ho. “All that spending on expensive clothing and make-up, means we pay least attention to the most important element: a fit and able body.”

Ho started focusing on her body after giving birth to her two children in Sydney. Being a health and fitness enthusiast carried her through some of the toughest moments of her life. A victim of domestic violence, incorporating a good workout regime helped her become a “stronger person, inside and out.”

Since the rise of female bodybuilding, gender discrimination has been a concerning issue. Female bodybuilders often experience criticism of their bodies, whilst they build an aesthetic commonly conflated with a masculine identity. > READ MORE

Jayne Lo, in her element at the gym.