Society & Muscles

Thoughts on female bodybuilding by Helle Nielsen

I guess what puzzles people the most is how come I as a woman have the desire to build muscles. Have you noticed that little kids always have a fascination with muscles? When I’m around my little nephews or cousins they’re always like: “Aww Auntie let’s armwrestle or let’s see you flex your muscles” and they brag to their friends about their strong auntie. When I’ve made appearances on Tv I’ve experienced that mainly kids has approached me in the street and been in totally awe about how strong I look.

Who is sending out that message?

I wonder where that fascination go when we grow up? I guess in the way we are raised by society we have been taught that women are supposed to be small and fragile little things and the man is supposed to be muscular and strong.But think about it… who is sending out that message?

The commercial media has decided for us that the ideal of female beauty is to be so slim that even the models has to be retouched several pounds lighter. Teenage girls around the world who are trying to live up to the ideal of a beautiful woman are suffering from various eating disorders while the rest of the western world continues to get fatter.

In our modern world few people have physically demanding jobs. The male species are not as lean and muscular as he once was as he is now working a desk job. Scientific studies show that environmental and food chemicals alongside with obesity cause males to having higher concentrations of estrogens in their systems, which can lead to loss of regeneration and serious illness.

Barbie & Ken

How many women and men really apply to the image of Barbie & Ken? Yet, society still has old school “rules” about how a woman and a man should look.

When I was a teenager I thought I had to be skinny to be attractive.

I’ve always been very athletic and more muscular than my peers. As a teenager I fought my body in every possible way to get smaller and skinnier — not eating and over exercising. After joining a gym (to exercise and get skinnier) I really started growing some serious muscle, which I didn’t quite understand since I only ate salad!

I was reading the bodybuilding & fitness magazines in the gym and friends brought me to watch bodybuilding competitions and it occurred to me that I had a structure similar to the girls competing.

I realized that I had been given a great gift. I was never going to be a tall and skinny model but short and buff was perfect for bodybuilding. I felt that I had found a place where I fitted in, and where my body was an advantage and not a disadvantage. Further the finely sculpted & defined physiques on stage impressed & and awe struck me at the same time. I thought they looked stunning! I knew instantly that I wanted that too! That was the start of my competitive career.

Women & men embrace your bodies! Every shape, form or body type is unique. The individuality and uniqueness can’t be praised enough!

Take your freedom to look however you want to look like —