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{{short description|Component of competitive bodybuilding}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox sport
| name = Female bodybuilding
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption = [[Iris Kyle]] doing a front right bicep pose at the 2011 [[Ms. International]] finals.
| union = [[IFBB Professional League]]
| nickname = FB, FBB, WB, and WBB
| first = 1977, [[Canton, Ohio]], US
| firstlabel = First contest
| registered = 70 + (2005)
| clubs =
| contact = [[Contact sport#Non-contact|No]]
| team = No teams
| mgender = No
| type = Indoor
| equipment = [[Bikinis]]
| venue = [[Auditorium]]
| glossary =
| region = Worldwide
| olympic = No
| world = [[List of World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships medalists|1983 – 2013]]
| paralympic = No
| obsolete =
| IWGA = [[1981 World Games|1981]], [[1985 World Games|1985]], [[1989 World Games|1989]], [[1993 World Games|1993]], [[2001 World Games|2001]], [[2005 World Games|2005]] & [[2009 World Games|2009]]
}}
'''Female bodybuilding''' is the female component of competitive [[bodybuilding]]. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.<ref name="The History & Evolution of Women's Bodybuilding">[http://muscle-insider.com/features/history-evolution-womens-bodybuilding The History & Evolution of Women's Bodybuilding] Muscle Insider</ref>
The most prestigious titles in female professional bodybuilding include the [[Ms. Olympia]], [[Ms. Rising Phoenix]] and Masters Olympia.
==History==
===Origins===
Female bodybuilding originally developed as an outgrowth of not only the late nineteenth-century European [[vaudeville]] and circus [[strongwomen]] acts, [[Bernarr Macfadden]]'s turn of the century women's physique competitions, and the [[Powerlifting|weightlifting]] of [[Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton]], but also as an outgrowth of the men's [[bodybuilding]]. The contest formats of men's events during the 1950s to the mid-1970s had often been supplemented with either a women's beauty contest or bikini show. These shows "had little to do with women's bodybuilding as we know it today, but they did serve as beginning or, perhaps more properly, as a doormat for the development of future bodybuilding shows."<ref name="Strong and Hard Women" /><ref name="Women of Steel">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X-80e42RtW0C&pg=PA55|title=Women of Steel: Female Bodybuilders and the Struggle for Self-definition|first=Maria R.|last=Lowe|date=26 August 1998|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=9780814750940|access-date=26 August 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> Physique contests for women date back to at least the 1960s with contests like Miss Physique, [[Miss Body Beautiful U.S.A., W.B.B.G.]] and [[Miss Americana, I.F.B.B.]] [[Maria Elena Alberici]], as listed in the Almanac of Women's Bodybuilding, won two national titles in one year: Miss Body Beautiful U.S.A. in 1972, promoted by Dan Lurie and Miss Americana in 1972, promoted by [[Joe Weider]]. [[Mr. Olympia]], [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] was a judge at the [[Brooklyn Academy of Music]] in New York when Maria Elena Alberici (aka) Maria Lauren won Miss Americana.<ref>Strength and Health magazine, August, 1972, page 43 by Ralph Pepino</ref><ref>Muscle Builder, Vol 14, Num 2, Page 24, May 1973 by Ben Weider</ref> It was not until the late 1970s, after the advent of the [[feminist movement]] and female [[powerlifting]] events that women were seen as capable of competing in their own bodybuilding competitions.<ref name="Strong and Hard Women" /><ref name="Women of Steel" />
[[File:Kellie Everts, Esquire, July 1975.jpg|thumb|Kellie Everts, Esquire Magazine, July 1975]]
[[File:"Humping Iron", Kellie Everts, May 1977.jpg|thumb|"Humping Iron", Kellie Everts, Playboy Magazine, May 1977]]
===1977–1979===
Prior to 1977, bodybuilding had been considered strictly a male-oriented sport. [[Henry McGhee]], described as the "primary architect of competitive female bodybuilding", was an employee of the Downtown [[Canton, Ohio|Canton]] [[YMCA]], carried a strong belief that women should share the opportunity to display their physiques and the results of their weight training the way men had done for years. The first official female bodybuilding competition was held in Canton, Ohio, in November 1977 and was called the Ohio Regional Women's Physique Championship. It was judged strictly as a bodybuilding contest and was the first event of its kind for women. Gina LaSpina, the champion, is considered the first recognized winner of a woman's bodybuilding contest. The event organizer, McGhee, told the competitors that they would be judged "like the men," with emphasis on muscular density, full muscle bellies, clear muscle separation, symmetry between the upper and lower body, and physique presentation.<ref name="Women's Bodybuilding Physique Rules">{{cite web |title=Official NPC Division Rules |url=https://npcnewsonline.com/official-npc-womens-physique-division/ |website=npcnewsonline |access-date=24 November 2024}}</ref> In 1978, McGhee organized the first National Women's Physique Championship, along with the short-lived United States Women's Physique Association (USWPA), which he formed to help organize women interested in competing in bodybuilding. The USWPA became defunct in 1980.<ref name="The History & Evolution of Women's Bodybuilding" /><ref name="Women of Steel" />
On August 18, 1979, promoter [[George Snyder]] organized a "female bodybuilding" contest known as The Best in the World contest, which was the first IFBB-sanctioned event for women that awarded prize money to the top finishers, with the winner receiving $2,500. It was considered the forerunner for the [[Ms. Olympia]] competition. Although sanctioned as a bodybuilding contest, women were required to appear on stage in high heels. Doris Barrilleaux found the Superior Physique Association (SPA) in 1978, the first women's bodybuilding organization run for women and by women. She also began publishing the SPA News, a newsletter dedicated exclusively to female bodybuilding. SPA disseminated information to women about contests and proper training and dieting. On April 29, 1979, SPA held Florida's first official women's contest in which thirteen women competed. The contest was held in Brandon Florida and promoted by Megas Gym and Doris Barrilleaux. The winner of the show was [[Laura Combes]]. Also in 1979, the IFBB formed the IFBB Women's Committee; Christine Zane was appointed the first chairperson to serve as head of the newly formed committee. One of the significant differences between the SPA and the IFBB was that while the IFBB was organized and run by men, the SPA was run by women and for women.<ref name="Women of Steel" />
More contests started to appear in 1979. Some of these were the following:
*The second U.S. Women's National Physique Championship, won by [[Kay Baxter]], with [[Marilyn Schriner]] second and [[Cammie Lusko]] third.
*The first [[International Federation of BodyBuilders|IFBB]] Women's World Body Building Championship, held on June 16, won by [[Lisa Lyon]], followed by [[Claudia Wilbourn]], [[Stella Martinez]], [[Stacey Bentley]], and [[Bette Brown]].
*The Best In The World contest, held at [[Warminster Township, Pennsylvania|Warminster, Pennsylvania]] on August 18, featuring a $5,000 prize fund, with $2,500 awarded for first place. [[Patsy Chapman (bodybuilder)|Patsy Chapman]] was the winner, followed by [[April Nicotra]], Bentley, Brown, and [[Carla Dunlap]]. (Levin, 1980)
*The [[Robby Robinson (bodybuilder)|Robby Robinson]] Classic, held at the Embassy Auditorium in [[Los Angeles]] on August 25. Bentley finished first, also winning best legs and best poser, followed by Brown, Lusko, and [[Georgia Fudge|Georgia Miller]]. (Roark, 2005)
Although these early events were regarded as bodybuilding contests, the women wore [[high-heeled shoe]]s, and did not clench their fists while posing. Additionally, they were not allowed to use the three so-called "men's poses" — the double biceps, crab, and lat spread. The contests were generally held by promoters acting independently; the sport still lacked a governing body. That would change in 1980.
In 1979 [[Maria Shriver]], the future wife of [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], produced a nine minute documentary on [[Kellie Everts]] (see "Origins" section above), which featured her praying in a Church, training in a gym, and preaching/strip teasing at a Club. It was the most popular presentation of that month at the station in [[Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://embodimentofgod.com/college-of-the-gender-war/maria-shriver-and-kellie-everts/ |title="Maria Shriver and Kellie Everts", Embodiment of God|publisher=University of Mother God Church |date= August 3, 2025|accessdate=August 3, 2025}}</ref>
Of Kellie’s many books, there are three (all available on LULU and Amazon) that cover her body building days. They are:
1) “The Man Whisperer” (2024 page 110 with rare photos) – which gives a Time Table of all she did in the sport:
2) “I Strip for God” part 9 – The Life in my Men (2022 page 124)
Documents the relationships of Kellie Everts which were Mr Universe, Mr Americas: [[Mickey Hargitay]], [[Vern Weaver]], [[Harold Poole]], [[Franco Columbu]], [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Dennis Tinerino]], [[Boyer Coe]], [[Chris Dickerson (bodybuilder)|Chris Dickerson]] and [[Reg Lewis (bodybuilder)|Reg Lewis]].
3) The Origin and Decline of Female Body Building (2009)
Explains how the genre of female bodybuilding, at that time did not exist, how it got started, flourished, and began to decline after the year 2000, when men got frightened by [[Kim Chizevsky]] and changed the rules. Then when Weider sold out to [[AMI]] in 2003 it was relegated down to a [[subculture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://embodimentofgod.com/college-of-the-gender-war/maria-shriver-and-kellie-everts/ |title="Maria Shriver and Kellie Everts", Embodiment of God|publisher=University of Mother God Church |date= August 3, 2025|accessdate=August 3, 2025}}</ref>
===1980–1989===
The 1980s is when female bodybuilding first took off. The early 1980s signified a transition from the fashionably thin "twiggy" body to one carrying slightly more muscle mass.<ref name="Strong and Hard Women">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Csck0Sst-QkC&pg=PA29|title=Strong and Hard Women: An ethnography of female bodybuilding|first=Tanya|last=Bunsell|date=12 April 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136250866|access-date=26 August 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> The [[National Physique Committee]] (NPC) held the first women's Nationals in 1980. Since its inception, this has been the top amateur level competition for women in the US. [[Laura Combes]] won the inaugural contest. The first World Couples Championship was held in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]] on April 8. The winning couple was [[Stacey Bentley]] and [[Chris Dickerson (bodybuilder)|Chris Dickerson]], with April Nicotra and Robby Robinson in second. Bentley picked up her third consecutive victory in the [[Frank Zane]] Invitational on June 28, ahead of [[Rachel McLish]], [[Lynn Conkwright]], [[Suzy Green]], [[Patsy Chapman]], and [[Georgia Fudge|Georgia Miller Fudge]].
In 1980, the first [[Ms. Olympia]] (initially known as the "Miss" Olympia), the most prestigious contest for professional female bodybuilders, was held. Initially, the contest was promoted by George Snyder. The contestants had to send in resumes and pictures and were hand-picked by Snyder based on their potential to be fitness role models for the average American woman. The first winner was [[Rachel McLish]], who had also won the NPC's USA Championship earlier in the year. The contest was a major turning point for the sport of women's bodybuilding. McLish turned out to be very promotable and inspired many future competitors to start training and competing. Stacey Bentley finished in fifth place, in what turned out to be her final competition. Also in 1980, the [[American Federation of Women Bodybuilders]] was also founded, representing a growing awareness of women bodybuilders in America. Winning competitors such as [[Laurie Stark]] (Ms. Southern States, 1988) helped to popularize the federation.<ref name="Strong and Hard Women" /><ref name="Women of Steel" />
Rachel McLish became the most successful competitor of the early 1980s. She lost her Ms. Olympia crown by finishing second to [[Kike Elomaa]] in 1981, but regained the title in 1982. A new major pro contest, the Women's Pro World Championship, was held for the first time in 1981 (won by Lynn Conkwright). Held annually through 1989, this was the second most prestigious contest of the time. McLish added this title to her collection in 1982. George Snyder lost the rights to the Ms. Olympia in 1982, and after this the contestants were no longer hand-picked, but instead qualified for the Ms. Olympia through placings in lesser contests. Women's bodybuilding was officially recognized as a sport discipline by the 1982 IFBB Congress in [[Bruges]], Belgium.<ref name="IFBBrulebook">{{cite web|url=http://www.ifbb.com/pdf/IFBBrulebook.pdf|title=IFBBrulebook|website=Ifbb.com|access-date=February 11, 2013|archive-date=August 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813235557/http://www.ifbb.com/pdf/IFBBrulebook.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
As the sport grew, the competitors' level of training gradually increased as did the use of anabolic steroids (most of the competitors in the earliest shows had very little weight training experience or steroid usage), and the sport slowly evolved towards more muscular physiques. This trend started to emerge in 1983. With McLish not competing in the big shows, [[Carla Dunlap]] took both the Pro World and Ms. Olympia titles. Dunlap possessed a more muscular physique than either McLish or Elomaa, and though she never repeated her successes of 1983, she would remain competitive for the rest of the decade.
In 1984, a new force emerged in women's bodybuilding. [[Cory Everson]] won the NPC Nationals, then defeated McLish to win the Ms. Olympia. At 5'9" and 150 pounds, Everson's physique set a new standard. She would go on to win six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles from 1984 to 1989 before retiring undefeated as a professional, the only female bodybuilder ever to accomplish this.
During this period, women's bodybuilding was starting to achieve some serious mainstream exposure. [[Lori Bowen]], winner of the 1984 Pro World Championship, appeared in a widely broadcast commercial for [[Miller Lite]] beer with [[Rodney Dangerfield]]. Additionally, competitors Lynn Conkwright (1982) and Carla Dunlap (1984) were included in [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Superstars (American TV program)|Superstars]]'' competition.
In 1985, a movie called ''[[Pumping Iron II: The Women]]'' was released. This film documented the preparation of several women for the 1983 [[Caesars Palace]] World Cup Championship. Competitors prominently featured in the film were [[Kris Alexander]], [[Lori Bowen]], [[Lydia Cheng]], [[Carla Dunlap]], [[Bev Francis]], and [[Rachel McLish]]. At the time, Francis was actually a [[powerlifting|powerlifter]], though she soon made a successful transition to bodybuilding, becoming one of the leading competitors of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The main theme of the movie pitted the sultry and curvaceous Rachel McLish, the current champion, against the super-muscular Bev Francis. This "rivalry" brought to light the true dilemma of Women's Bodybuilding and exposed the root of all the controversy (aesthetics vs size) which was the focal point at that time, and which still continues today. In 1985, the National Women's and Mixed Pairs Bodybuilding Championships were held in Detroit, Michigan by promoter/bodybuilder Gema Wheeler (Long). It was the first amateur bodybuilding event televised internationally by ESPN Sports.
For several years in the mid-1980s, [[NBC]] broadcast coverage of the Ms. Olympia contest on their [[Sportsworld (American TV series)|''Sportsworld'']] program. The taped footage was telecast months after the contest and was usually used as secondary material to fill out programs featuring events such as boxing. Typically, the broadcasts included only the top several women. Nevertheless, Rachel McLish and some of her leading competitors were receiving national TV coverage. McLish authored two New York Times best-selling books - "Flex Appeal" (1984) and "Perfect Parts" (1987) – and was also starring in action films. The popularity was growing, and women were being empowered and inspired to train. In 1983, the top prize money for the women bodybuilding was $50,000, equal to that of male bodybuilding.
[[File:Kathy Segal AAU Bodybuilding Champion.jpg|thumb|right|[[Kathy Segal]] posing on 14 June 1987.]]
The [[Ms. International]] contest was introduced in 1986, first won by [[Erika Geisen]]. In 1987, the [[Amateur Athletic Union]] (AAU), who were sanctioning amateur bodybuilding at the time, positioned the International as a premiere amateur event. It was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The AAU brought [[Serge Nubret]] (a former Mr. World, Mr. Universe and Mr. Europe) from France to be the featured guest poser. Since 1988, the competition has been sanctioned by the IFBB. Since the demise of the Pro World Championship after 1989, the Ms. International has been second in prestige only to the Ms. Olympia. The 1989 Ms. International was noteworthy for the fact that the original winner, [[Tonya Knight]], was later disqualified for using a surrogate for her drug test at the 1988 Ms. Olympia contest. Consequently, runner-up [[Jackie Paisley]] received the 1989 title. Knight was suspended from [[International Federation of BodyBuilders|IFBB]] competition through the end of 1990 and was forced to return her prize money from the 1988 Ms. Olympia and 1989 Ms. International, a total of $12,000 (Merritt, 2006).
===1990–1999===
[[File:Nikki Fuller.jpg|thumb|right|[[Nikki Fuller]] doing a side chest pose]]
[[File:Sharon Bruneau.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sharon Bruneau]] doing a front double biceps at a bodybuilding contest.]]
Normally, competitors must qualify for the Ms. Olympia by achieving certain placings in lesser pro contests. However, the cancellation of the Women's Pro World contest in 1990 left only the Ms. International as a Ms. Olympia qualifier. Consequently, the IFBB decided to open the Ms. Olympia to all women with pro cards, and a field of thirty competitors entered. [[Lenda Murray]], a new pro from Michigan, earned a decisive victory and emerged as the successor to Cory Everson. Murray became the next dominant figure in the sport.
A new professional contest, the Jan Tana Classic, was introduced in 1991. The contest was named for its promoter, a marketer of tanning products, and ran annually until 2003 with the departure of [[Wayne Demilia]] (it was later briefly revived in 2007). The inaugural event was won by [[Sue Gafner]]. The Jan Tana filled the void left by the Women's Pro World contest and occupied the number three slot on the pro circuit throughout its lifetime. 1991 also saw Tonya Knight return to competition, winning the Ms. International.
The 1991 Ms. Olympia contest was the first to be televised live. Lenda Murray faced a serious challenge from the 1990 runner-up, Bev Francis. Francis had started bodybuilding in the mid-1980s, converting over from powerlifting. Over the years, she had gradually refined her physique to be more in line with judging standards. However, she came to the 1991 contest noticeably larger than in previous years. Francis was leading going into the night show, with Murray needing all of the first-place votes to retain her title. Murray managed to do just that, winning a somewhat controversial decision by one point.
In 1992, there was more controversy, this time at the 1992 Ms. International contest. In response to the increased size displayed by Murray and Francis at the previous Ms. Olympia, along with increasing drug abuse and androgenic side effects, the IFBB made an attempt to "feminize" the sport. The IFBB, led by [[Ben Weider]], had created a series of "femininity" rules; one line in the judging rules said that competitors should not be "too big." Since extreme size generally requires extreme AAS usage, with more women gaining more androgenic (masculine) side effects, this was clearly an attempt to retain a higher level of female aesthetics and maintain the standard. The judges' guide to the competitors stated that they were looking for a highly feminine and optimally developed, but not emaciated physique. The contest winner was Germany's [[Anja Schreiner]], a blue-eyed blonde with a symmetrical physique who weighed 130 pounds at 5'7". The announcement of her victory met with so much booing from those who prefer size over aesthetics that [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] had to step on stage to address the audience, saying "the hell with the judges". Many observers felt that the IFBB had instructed the judges to select the most marketable aesthetic physique, not the most muscular.
The 1992 Ms. International is also famous for an incident involving British competitor [[Paula Bircumshaw]]. Bircumshaw was the same height as Schreiner and possessed a similar level of symmetry and definition, but carried significantly more muscle, weighing in at 162 pounds. She was the clear audience favorite, but was relegated to eighth place. Normally, the top ten contestants are called out at the end of the show when the winners are announced, but the judges only called back the top six, hoping to keep Bircumshaw backstage. This resulted in an uproar from the crowd. With the audience chanting her name, Bircumshaw returned to the stage along with the top six competitors.
Advertising in [[Muscle & Fitness]] for the 1992 Ms. Olympia featured Schreiner prominently, relegating two-time defending champion Murray to a small "also competing" notice. Nevertheless, Murray also apparently met the "femininity" requirements, and managed to retain her title; Schreiner finished sixth, and promptly retired from competition.
Following the 1992 debacles, the judging rules were rewritten. The new rules retained provisions for aesthetics, but allowed the contests to be judged as physique contests. Lenda Murray continued to dominate the sport from 1990 to 1995, matching Cory Everson's record of six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles. Murray's closest rival was probably [[Laura Creavalle]], who won the Ms. International title three times, and twice was runner-up to Murray at the Olympia. During this time, some additional professional shows were held, in addition to the three mainstays. The 1994 schedule included the Canada Pro Cup, won by [[Laura Binetti]], and the first of three annual Grand Prix events in [[Prague]], won by [[Drorit Kernes]]. In 1996, the Grand Prix in [[Slovakia]] was added. Besides providing the competitors with extra opportunities to win prize money, these contests also served as additional Ms. Olympia qualifiers.
The mid-1990s of bodybuilding was known as the "[[Dorian Yates|Dorian]] Era", AKA the "drug years". In 1996, [[Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls]] would win the Ms. Intentional and dethroned the Ms. International champion, [[Laura Creavalle]]. Also in 1996, she would unseat six-time defending champion, [[Lenda Murray]]. This was the first time that a pro female bodybuilder would win both the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia in the same year. She would retain her Ms. Olympia title in 1997 against Lenda Murray, who retired afterwards. At the 1997 Ms. Olympia, she competed at {{convert|157|lb}}. In 1998, she again won the Ms. Olympia title. The 1998 contest was held in [[Prague, Czech Republic]], the first time the competition had been held outside the [[United States]].
After the deaths of [[Mohammed Benaziza]], whose [[autopsy]] blamed the abuse of [[diuretics]], and [[Andreas Münzer]], who his doctors blamed his death on years of abusing [[steroids]], [[growth hormones]] and diuretics, from 1998 to 2001, [[International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness]] (IFBB) Pro Division contests, such as the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia, tested for [[diuretics]] only. The reason for this was twofold: diuretics are more deadly than steroids, [[performance-enhancing substance]]s and growth hormones, along with the IFBB being granted provisional recognition by the [[International Olympic Committee]] from 1998 to 2001. Those who tested positive for diuretics would be disqualified from the contest they attended and have to hand over whatever prize money they earned. At the 1998 Ms. International, [[Lesa Lewis]], [[Gayle Moher]] and [[Denise Masino]] were disqualified after their diuretic tests found that they tested positive. At the 2000 Ms. International, [[Iris Kyle]] and [[Tazzie Colomb]] were both disqualified after positive diuretic tests. By the 2002 Ms. Olympia, the diuretic test was quietly dropped.<ref>[https://www.musculardevelopment.com/news/the-mcgough-report/15042-2002-olympia-ronnie-coleman-wins-but-gunter-s-the-star.html 2002 OLYMPIA - RONNIE COLEMAN WINS, BUT GUNTER IS THE STAR!]</ref><ref>[https://www.ironmanmagazine.com/jay-cutler-opens-up/ Jay Cutler Opens Up]</ref><ref>[https://www.sfgate.com/health/article/The-muscle-marketplace-Schwarzenegger-raps-2728579.php The muscle marketplace / Schwarzenegger raps steroid use, but the Arnold Classic remains a showcase for drug-enhanced 'freak' physiques]</ref><ref>[http://getbig.com/results/womens/msinternational.htm Getbig.com Ms. International results]</ref><ref>[http://www.billdobbins.com/PUBLIC/pages/contests/2000_contests/Arnold/msinrpt.html The "Don't Try Too Hard" Bodybuilding Contest]</ref>
At the 1998 EFBB British Championships, [[Joanna Thomas]] won the lightweight and overall title, becoming the youngest woman in the world to ever to win an IFBB pro card at the age of 21.<ref name="Destiny's Child">{{cite web|url=http://joannathomas.com/about.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030206203941/http://joannathomas.com/about.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 February 2003|title=Joanna Thomas - 2001 Jan Tana Winner|date=6 February 2003|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>
The 1999 Ms. Olympia was originally scheduled to be held on October 9 in [[Santa Monica, California]]. However, one month before the scheduled date, the IFBB announced that the contest had been cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billdobbins.com/PUBLIC/art/freecoolart/Olyfax02.jpg|title=International Federation of Body-builders|website=Billdobbins.com|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref> The main cause was the withdrawal of promoter [[Jarka Kastnerova]] (who promoted the 1998 contest in Prague) for financial reasons, including a low number of advance ticket sales for the 1999 event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billdobbins.com/PUBLIC/art/freecoolart/Olyfax01.jpg|format=JPG|title=Photographic image of letter|website=Billdobbins.com|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref> The backlash following the announcement led to a flurry of activity, with the contest being rescheduled as part of the Women's Extravaganza (promoted by Kenny Kassel and Bob Bonham) in [[Secaucus, New Jersey]] on October 2. Last minute sponsorship came from several sources, most significantly in the form of $50,000 from ''[[Flex (magazine)|Flex]]'' magazine. Amid all the turmoil, Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls won her fourth consecutive title. Chizevsky-Nicholls decided to retire from bodybuilding after winning the 1999 Ms. Olympia. According to [[Bill Dobbins]], she retired due to gender discrimination guidelines set up by the IFBB that advocated for more "femininity" and less "muscularity" in the sport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billdobbins.com/PUBLIC/pages/coolfree/Kimbest.html=info |title=KIM CHIZEVSKY: THE BEST FEMALE BODYBUILDER OF ALL TIME? |publisher=Bill Dobbins Photography }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
===2000–2009===
In 2000, the [[International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness]] (IFBB) introduced three major changes to the professional female bodybuilding division. The first change was the introduction of weight classes (lightweight and heavyweight). The second was the [[Ms. Olympia]] would no longer be held a separate contest, instead becoming part of the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend and held the day before the [[Mr. Olympia]]. The third change was the new judging guidelines for presentations were introduced. A letter to the competitors from Jim Manion (chairman of the Professional Judges Committee) stated that women would be judged on healthy appearance, face, makeup, and skin tone. The criteria given in Manion's letter included the statement "symmetry, presentation, separations, and muscularity BUT NOT TO THE EXTREME!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billdobbins.com/PUBLIC/art/miscart/criteria.jpg|title=Photographic image of letter|website=Billdobbins.com|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>
At the 2000 [[Ms. International]], [[Ondrea Gates|Ondrea "Vickie" Gates]] won the heavyweight and overall Ms. International title, while [[Brenda Raganot]] won the lightweight Ms. International title. This was Vickie's 2nd overall and consecutive Ms. International title. Of the three IFBB professional contests held in 2000, only the Ms. International had an overall title. It was later announced afterwards that [[Iris Kyle]], who placed 3rd in the heavyweight category, and [[Tazzie Colomb]], who placed 5th in the heavyweight category, were disqualified for [[diuretic]] use. At the [[2000 Ms. Olympia]], with [[Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls]] retired, [[Valentina Chepiga]] won the heavyweight Ms. Olympia title, while [[Andrulla Blanchette]] won the lightweight Ms. Olympia title.
[[Image:2001 Extravaganza Strength Contest.jpg|250px|right|thumb|[[Betty Pariso]] posing at the 2001 Extravaganza Strength Contest]]
At the 2001 [[Ms. International]], Vickie won the heavyweight and overall Ms. International title, while [[Dayana Cadeau]] won the lightweight Ms. International title. This was Vickie's 3rd overall and consecutive Ms. International title. At the [[2001 Ms. Olympia]], both Valentina and Andrulla were dethroned of their titles. [[Juliette Bergmann]], who returned to professional bodybuilding after a 12-year absence and had been an IFBB professional judge for the last 10 years, won the lightweight and overall Ms. Olympia title, while Iris won the heavyweight Ms. Olympia title.
At the 2002 [[Ms. International]], [[Yaxeni Oriquen]] won the heavyweight and overall Ms. International title, while Valentina won the lightweight Ms. International title. At the [[2002 Ms. Olympia]], both Juliette and Iris were dethroned of their title by [[Lenda Murray]]. Lenda, who returned to professional bodybuilding after a 5-year absence, won the heavyweight and overall Ms. Olympia title, while Juliette won the lightweight Ms. Olympia title.
At the 2002 [[International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness]] (IFBB) [[General Nutrition Centers]] (GNC) Show of Strength Pro Women's Bodybuilding contest, which was held as part of the 2002 GNC Show of Strength & World Expo, Yaxeni won the heavyweight and overall titles, which qualified her for the 2003 IFBB Ms. Olympia, while Valentina won the lightweight title. According to [[Bill Dobbins]], it "was planned to be a new version of the Arnold Weekend". It was invitational only like the IFBB [[Ms. International]]. Some of the most seasoned professional female bodybuilders, such as [[Valentina Chepiga]], [[Iris Kyle]], [[Vickie Gates]] (who did not finish the contest due to an injury), [[Yaxeni Oriquen]], [[Gayle Moher]], [[Fannie Barrios]], Beth Roberts, etc., attended. The contest had a low audience attendance due to it being held 3 weeks after the [[2003 Ms. Olympia|2003 IFBB Ms. Olympia]] and 2 weeks before the NPC Nationals Women's Bodybuilding, along with limited advertising. [[Cathy LeFrancois Priest]], who placed 2nd in the lightweight category, also qualified for the 2003 IFBB Ms. Olympia. This was the last contest Iris Kyle attended that was not the IFBB Ms. Olympia or IFBB Ms. International.<ref name="2002 GNC SHOW OF STRENGTH WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING REPORT">[http://www.billdobbins.com/PUBLIC/pages/contests/2002_contests/GNC/GNC_bb-report.htm GNC SHOW OF STRENGTH WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING REPORT]</ref><ref>[https://tour.ftvideo.com/old/showgal.php?g=content/genex/contests/2002/gnc/_/3740/7_1&s=6 2002 GNC Contest Report: 2002 GNC Show of Strength]</ref>
At the 2003 Ms. International, Yaxeni won the heavyweight and overall Ms. International title, while Valentina was dethroned by [[Cathy Priest]], who won the lightweight Ms. International title. This was Yaxeni's 2nd overall and consecutive Ms. International title. At the [[2003 Ms. Olympia]], Lenda won the heavyweight and overall Ms. Olympia title, while Juliette won the lightweight Ms. Olympia title. There was massive booing during the award ceremony of the third place and runner-up spots of the heavyweight and lightweight divisions due to the placings.
[[File:Christine Roth by Martin Schoeller.jpg|thumb|right|Portrait of Christine Roth at the 2004 IFBB Ms. International.]]
On 8 October 2004, the 2004 IFBB GNC Show of Strength Pro Women's Bodybuilding contest was held as part of the 2004 GNC Show of Strength & World Expo. Unlike in 2002, in 2004 it was the last IFBB professional qualifier for the [[2004 Ms. Olympia|2004 IFBB Ms. Olympia]]. It was moved from the [[New Orleans Morial Convention Center|Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center]] to the [[Cobb Galleria Centre]]. It was featured in the 2005 documentary [[Supersize She]]. [[Helle Trevino|Helle Nielsen]] and [[Heather Foster]] both had to withdraw from the contest due to injuries. Yaxeni Oriquen won the heavyweight and overall titles, while [[Nancy Lewis]] won the lightweight title, which qualified her for the 2004 IFBB Ms. Olympia. [[Lisa Aukland]], who placed 3rd in the heavyweight category, and [[Joanna Thomas]], who placed 2nd in the lightweight category, also qualified for the 2004 IFBB Ms. Olympia. This was the last IFBB GNC Show of Strength Pro held.<ref name="2002 GNC SHOW OF STRENGTH WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING REPORT" /><ref>[https://tour.ftvideo.com/old/showgal.php?g=content/genex/contests/2004/GNC/1899/7_1&s=6 2004 GNC Show of Strength Contest Report]</ref><ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2004/10/04/newscolumn6.html?page=all GHTA will dissolve, split into two new groups]</ref><ref>[http://getbig.com/results/womens/showofstrength.htm 2004 Show of Strength Pro Bodybuilding]</ref>
Murray was unseated as Ms. Olympia for the second time in 2004. Iris Kyle, a top pro competitor since 1999, defeated Murray in a close battle in the heavyweight class, and bested lightweight winner [[Dayana Cadeau]] for the overall title. Kyle became only the second woman to win both the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia titles in the same year, matching Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls's feat of 1996.
On 6 December 2004, IFBB Professional Division Vice Chairman Jim Manion issued a memo introducing the so-called '20 percent rule' to all IFBB professional female athletes. It read, "For aesthetics and health reasons, the IFBB Professional Division requests that female athletes in Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure decrease the amount of muscularity by a factor of 20%. This request for a 20% decrease in the amount of muscularity applies to those female athletes whose physiques require the decrease regardless of whether they compete in Bodybuilding, Fitness or Figure. All professional judges have been advised of the proper criteria for assessing female physiques." Needless to say the directive created quite a stir, and left many women wondering if they were one of "those female athletes whose physiques require the decrease".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2004news/decrease20.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041207105730/http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2004news/decrease20.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 December 2004|title=IFBB Advisory Notice|date=7 December 2004|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref> On April 20, 2005, the IFBB adopted, by a 9 for, 1 against, and 3 no votes for Resolution 2005–0001, which announced that starting with the 2005 Ms. Olympia that the IFBB was abolishing the weight class system adopted in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2005news/resolution2005-001.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050524070205/http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2005news/resolution2005-001.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 May 2005|title=IFBB Advisory Notice 2005-003|date=24 May 2005|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>
The 2005 contest season saw another double winner, as [[Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia]] won her third Ms. International title, then edged out defending champion Iris Kyle to win the Ms. Olympia. Also notable in 2005 was the return of [[Jitka Harazimova]], who had last competed in 1999. Harazimova won the Charlotte Pro contest in her return to competition, qualifying her for the Ms. Olympia where she finished fourth. Also, in 2005, the documentary ''[[Supersize She]]'' was released. The documentary focused on focused on [[British people|British]] professional female bodybuilder [[Joanna Thomas]] and her competing at the 2004 GNC Show of Strength and the [[2004 Ms. Olympia]].
[[File:BodyBuilderGirl.jpg|250px|right|thumb|[[Dayana Cadeau]] posing at the 2007 Olympia Press Conference.]]
In 2006, Iris Kyle won both the Ms. International and the Ms. Olympia, repeating her accomplishment of 2004. Iris won the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia for a third time in 2007. Also, 2007 saw the brief revival of the Jan Tana Classic, which featured two weight classes for the female competitors. The class titles were won by [[Stephanie Kessler]] (heavyweight) and [[Sarah Dunlap]] (lightweight), with Dunlap named the overall winner.
[[File:EM DSC 2302 (2893816589).jpg|thumb|right|[[Iris Kyle]] doing an abdominals and thighs pose on September 26, 2008, during the [[2008 Ms. Olympia]] finals]]
In 2008, the book ''Female Bodybuilders'' by [[Martin Schoeller]] was published. The book featured a [[monograph]] of close up [[portraits]] of 63 professional female bodybuilders that was taken at various bodybuilding contests from the [[2003 Ms. Olympia]] to 2008 IFBB New York Pro.
There was controversy at the 2008 Ms. International due to placing Iris Kyle in a tie with [[Betty Viana-Adkins]] for 7th place. This was Iris' worst placing since her professional debut at the 1999 Ms. International where she placed 15th place. This put Iris outside the top 6 [[posedown]] and any prize money. According to the scorecard, in rounds 1 & 2 she obtained 44 points, which would place her above [[Betty Pariso]] for 4th place, but by round 3 she garnered 65 points for a combined total of 109 points. Only herself and [[Dayana Cadeau]] increased their points in round 3 compared to rounds 1 & 2. After the 2008 Ms. International, in an interview on an episode of the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Radio [[Talk show|talk]] [[radio program|program]], when asked about why there was bumps on Iris' [[shoulders]] and [[glutes]], which she later admitted where "noticeable site injections", she said that "when you in the sport and you decide to take it to the league level you know those things take place". She also stated that the bumps won't even have been an issue if she had been a male and thought she should have been placed 1st. Later in that same episode, according to head IFBB judge, Sandy Ranalli, she stated that Iris was placed 7th due to "distortions" in her shoulders and glutes that the other competitors didn't have. However, she had previously had bumps on her glutes in previous Ms. International's and Ms. Olympia's and either outright won them or placed higher than 7th place.<ref name="rxmuscle2012interview">{{cite web|url=https://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/female-bodybuilding/4986-an-exclusive-interview-with-the-ms-olympia-champion-iris-kyle.html|title=An Exclusive Interview With the Ms. Olympia Champion Iris Kyle |publisher=RX Muscle|date=February 5, 2012|access-date=March 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thinksteroids.com/news/iris-kyle-discusses-ms-international-results-with-pro-bodybuilding-weekly/ |title=Iris Kyle Discusses Ms International Results with Pro Bodybuilding Weekly |publisher=MESO-Rx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108094607/http://thinksteroids.com/news/iris-kyle-discusses-ms-international-results-with-pro-bodybuilding-weekly/ |archive-date=January 8, 2014 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150921123545/https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/audio/pbw/2008/pbw031008.mp3 PBW march 10 2008]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120614220918/http://www.ifbbpro.com/results/2008-ms-fitness-figure-international/ 2008 Ms, Fitness, Figure International]</ref> Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia went on to win the 2008 Ms. International. Iris rebounded at the 2008 Ms. Olympia by winning the show. She went on to win both 2009 Ms. International and 2009 Ms. Olympia titles in the same year.
===2010–2019===
[[File:Debbie Bramwell.jpg|thumb|right|[[Debbie Bramwell]] doing a front lat spread pose before the 2010 IFBB New York Pro on 8 May 2010.]]
Iris Kyle continued her success by winning both the Ms. International and the Ms. Olympia in the same year in [[2010 Ms. Olympia|2010]] and [[2011 Ms. Olympia|2011]]. In 2012, Iris suffered an injury to her leg and thus could not attend the 2012 Ms. International, which allowed Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia to win the 2012 Ms. International.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rxmuscle.com/articles/muscle-gossip/5059-muscle-gossip-49-iris-kyle-injured.html|title=Muscle Gossip #49- Iris Kyle Injured|year=2012|publisher=RX Muscle|access-date=June 11, 2012}}</ref> Iris went on to win the [[2012 Ms. Olympia]]. She won her eight overall Olympia title. Along with her two heavyweight titles, she surpassed the records of both [[Lee Haney]]'s and [[Ronnie Coleman]]'s eight overall Olympia titles, along with tying her record with [[Lenda Murray]]'s eight overall and two heavyweight Olympia titles. She also won her seventh consecutive Olympia win and surpassed the records of both [[Corinna Everson]]'s and Lenda Murray's six consecutive Olympia wins.
At the 2013 Ms. International, Iris Kyle would reclaim her title. This was her seventh overall Ms. International title. On 7 June 2013, event promoter of the Arnold Sports Festival, Jim Lorimer, announced that in 2014, the Arnold Classic 212 professional men's bodybuilding division would replace the Ms. International women's bodybuilding competition at the 2014 Arnold Sports Festival. Lorimer, in a statement, said "The Arnold Sports Festival was proud to support women's bodybuilding through the Ms. International for the past quarter century, but in keeping with demands of our fans, the time has come to introduce the Arnold Classic 212 beginning in 2014. We are excited to create a professional competitive platform for some of the IFBB Pro League's most popular competitors."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardbodynews.com/2013/06/07/ms-international-dropped-from-2014-arnold-sports-festival/#sthash.IxIPPWAR.dpbs|title=Ms. International Dropped from 2014 Arnold Sports Festival|date=June 7, 2013|publisher=Hard Body News|access-date=December 4, 2013}}</ref>
At the [[2013 Ms. Olympia]], Iris Kyle won her ninth overall Olympia win, thus giving her more overall Olympia titles than any other bodybuilder, male or female. She also won her eight consecutive Olympia win and tied her record with the records of both Lee Haney's and Ronnie Coleman's eight consecutive Olympia wins. At the 2014 Ms. Olympia, she won her tenth overall Olympia win, beating her own previous record of nine overall Olympia wins. She also won her ninth consecutive Olympia title in a row, beating the records of both [[Lee Haney]]'s and [[Ronnie Coleman]]'s record eight consecutive Olympia titles, thus giving her more overall and consecutive Olympia wins than any other bodybuilder, male or female, of all time. After winning, she announced that she will be retiring from bodybuilding. Later it was announced that there would be no Ms. Olympia held at the 2015 Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend.
[[File:Female bodybuilder Aleesha Young flexing on stage.jpg|thumb|right|[[Aleesha Young]] doing a front double bicep pose at the [[2015 Rising Phoenix World Championships]] on 22 August 2015]]
On 8 March 2015, Wings of Strength announced the creation of the Wings of Strength [[Rising Phoenix World Championships]]. Regarded as the successor to the [[Ms. Olympia]], Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix World Championships adopted the point qualification system that the Ms. Olympia had.<ref>[http://timgardnerproductions.com/?page_id=186 Tim Gardner Productions ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208121649/http://timgardnerproductions.com/?page_id=186 |date=December 8, 2015 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.wingsofstrength.net/assets/Site_18/files/Press%20Releases/RisingPhoenixPressRelease.pdf ANNOUNCING THE ‘2015 IFBB WINGS OF STRENGTH RISING PHOENIX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS’ ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905093005/http://www.wingsofstrength.net/assets/Site_18/files/Press%20Releases/RisingPhoenixPressRelease.pdf |date=2015-09-05 }}</ref> With Iris Kyle retired and [[Alina Popa]], regarded as Iris' natural successor and came in runner-up in the 2013 and 2014 Ms. Olympia's, not competing in 2015 due to injuries, it was up in the air who would win the [[2015 Rising Phoenix World Championships]]. At the 2015 Rising Phoenix World Championships, [[Margaret V. Martin|Margaret "Margie" Martin]], who was a [[dark horse]] contestant who placed 10th at the 2014 Ms. Olympia, won the first Ms. Rising Phoenix title and best poser award. She beat much more seasoned professionals, such as [[Helle Trevino]], [[Debi Laszewski]] and [[Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musculardevelopment.com/contests/ifbb-texas-pro/14544-margie-martin-wins-women-s-bodybuilding-ifbb-texas-pro-2015.html#.Vdo5hJe84WE|title=Margie Martin Wins Women's Bodybuilding - IFBB Texas Pro 2015|first=Muscular|last=Development|website=www.musculardevelopment.com|access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>
At the [[2016 Rising Phoenix World Championships]], Margie won her 2nd Ms. Rising Phoenix title. She would not attend the [[2017 Rising Phoenix World Championships]], which was won by Helle Trevino. At the [[2018 Rising Phoenix World Championships]], Alina Popa dethroned Helle Trevino, along with beating Margie Martin and win her first Ms. Rising Phoenix title. Afterwards, Alina retired from bodybuilding. At the [[2019 Rising Phoenix World Championships]], Helle beat Margie to win her 2nd Ms. Rising Phoenix World Championships.
===2020–present===
[[File:2022 IFBB New York Pro Women's Bodybuilding Finals Posedown.jpg|right|thumb|On 21 May 2022, the 2022 IFBB New York Pro Women's Bodybuilding finals posedown, featuring in order the following: Keisha Oliver, Mchelle Jin, Donna Salib, Stephanie Flesher and Saqweta Barrino, was held in Teaneck [[Marriott Hotels & Resorts|Marriott]] at Glenpointe, [[Teaneck, New Jersey]], [[United States of America]].]]
In 2020, [[Andrea Shaw]], a [[dark horse]] contestant who placed 7th at the [[2019 Rising Phoenix World Championships]], went on to dethrone the current Ms. Rising Phoenix [[Helle Trevino]] at the [[2020 Rising Phoenix World Championships]] and win her 1st Ms. Rising Phoenix title. She continued her victory streak and won the [[2020 Ms. Olympia]]. Also in 2020, the American bodybuilder Jen Pasky Jaquin received the first IFBB pro card for female wheelchair bodybuilding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://barbend.com/jen-pasky-jaquin-wheelchair-bodybuilding-pro-card/|title=Jen Pasky Jaquin Receives First Ever Female Wheelchair Bodybuilder IFBB Pro Card|date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wheelchairbodybuilding.com/athletes/jen-pasky-jaquin/|title=Jen Pasky Jaquin}}</ref> Andrea would continue her success by winning both the Rising Phoenix World Championships and the Ms. Olympia in the same year in 2021 and 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fitnessvolt.com/ms-olympia-2020/|title=BREAKING: The Ms. Olympia Competition Coming Back In 2020|date=15 September 2019 |publisher=FitnessVolt|access-date=2020-04-03|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://barbend.com/bodybuilder-andrea-shaw-wins-2020-ms-olympia/|title=Andrea Shaw Crowned 2020 Ms. Olympia Champion|date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>[https://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/interviews/jake-wood-was-a-bodybuilding-fan-long-before-becoming-olympia-owner/ JAKE WOOD WAS A BODYBUILDING FAN LONG BEFORE BECOMING OLYMPIA OWNER], [[Muscle & Fitness]], Roger Lockridge</ref><ref>[https://www.evolutionofbodybuilding.net/jake-wood-from-aerospace-to-owning-the-olympia-brand/ Jake Wood: From Aerospace to owning the Olympia brand], Evolution of Bodybuilding, August 18, 2020, Kevin Grech</ref><ref>[https://fitnessvolt.com/masters-olympia-return/ Olympia President Jake Wood Confirms Masters Olympia Coming Next Year: ‘Definitely by 2023’], Fitness Volt, February 14th 2022, Doug Murray</ref><ref>[https://www.thebarbell.com/olympia-muscle-fitness-sold-to-jake-wood/ OLYMPIA Sold to Jake Wood], The Barbell, February 14, 2020, Greg Merritt</ref><ref>[https://www.southernmuscleguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-SMG-Feature.pdf Jake Wood: His Vision For Make Bodybuilding for Every Body], Southern Muscle Guide, Rachel Payne</ref><ref>[https://www.digitalmuscle.com/bodybuilding/monday-night-muscle-special-guest-jake-wood/ Monday Night Muscle Special Guest: Jake Wood], Digital Muscle, August 17, 2020, by [[Shawn Ray]]</ref><ref>[https://www.weikfitness.com/if-i-were-jake-wood-what-changes-would-i-make-to-the-olympia/ If I Were Jake Wood What Changes Would I Make to the Olympia?], Strong Fitness, Matt Weik</ref>
==IFBB Hall of Fame==
The IFBB established a [[IFBB Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] in 1999. The following women have been inducted:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifbbpro.com/hall-of-fame-welcome-message/ |title=IFBB Pro Hall of Fame |website=Ifbbpro.com |access-date=2012-10-03 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006151942/http://www.ifbbpro.com/hall-of-fame-welcome-message/ |archive-date=2012-10-06 }}</ref>
* 1999 – [[Carla Dunlap]], [[Cory Everson]], and [[Rachel McLish]]
* 2000 – [[Bev Francis]], [[Lisa Lyon]], and [[Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton|Abbye Stockton]]
* 2001 – [[Kay Baxter]], [[Diana Dennis]], and [[Kike Elomaa]]
* 2002 – [[Laura Combes]]
* 2003 – [[Lynn Conkwright]]
* 2004 – [[Ellen van Maris]]
* 2005 – [[Stacey Bentley]]
* 2006 – [[Claudia Wilbourn]]
* 2007 – [[Laura Creavalle]]
* 2008 – [[Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls]]
* 2009 – [[Juliette Bergmann]]
* 2010 – [[Lenda Murray]] and [[Ondrea Gates|Vickie Gates]]
* 2011 – [[Tonya Knight]] and [[Anja Langer]]
==Competitions==
===Professional competitions===
{{See also|International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness|List of professional bodybuilding competitions|Professional bodybuilding}}
====2024 IFBB Pro League Schedule====
Last update: 27 February 2024<ref>[https://www.ifbbpro.com/schedule/ 2024 IFBB Pro League Schedule]</ref>
{| class="wikitable centered"
|-
! Competition
! Date
! Place
! Promoter
|-
| 2024 Triple O Dynasty Pro<br/>
Open + Masters 40
| 6 April 2024
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Mesa, Arizona.svg}} [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]], {{flagicon|Arizona}} [[Arizona]]
| [[Cydney Gillon]], [[Andrea Shaw]], Whitney Jones
|-
| 2024 Vancouver Island Showdown Pro
| 20 April 2024
| {{flagicon image|}} [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]
| Corey Swiergosz
|-
| 2024 New York Pro
| 18 May 2024
| {{flagicon image|}} [[Teaneck, New Jersey|Teaneck]], {{flagicon|New Jersey}} [[New Jersey]]
| Steve Weinberger
|-
| 2024 Toronto Pro Supeprshow<br/>Open + Masters 35
| 9 June 2024
| {{flagicon|Toronto}} [[Toronto]], {{flagicon|Canada}} Canada
| Ron Hache
|-
| 2024 Empro Classic Spain Pro
| 16 June 2024
| {{flagicon|Alicante}} [[Alicante]], {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Spain]]
| Emilio Martinez
|-
| 2024 Mr. Big Evolution Pro
| 7 July 2024
| {{flagicon image|CSC-estoril.png}} [[Estoril]], {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Portugal]]
| Joao Henriques, Mr. Big Evolution
|-
| 2024 [[Lenda Murray]] Atlanta Pro<br/>Open + Masters 40
| 13–14 July 2024
| [[Duluth, Georgia|Duluth]], {{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)}} [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
| Alex Sacasa, Wings of Strength
|-
| 2024 Chicago Pro<br/>Open + Masters 40/50/55/60
| 18–20 July 2024
| {{flagicon|Chicago}} [[Chicago]], {{flagicon|Illinois}} [[Illinois]]
| rowspan=2 colspan=1 | Tim Gardner
|-
| 2024 Titan Tampa Pro<br/>Open + Masters 40/50/55/60
| 1–3 August 2024
| {{flagicon|Tampa}} [[Tampa]], {{flagicon|Florida}} [[Florida]]
|-
| 2024 Pro Masters World Championships<br/>Masters 40/50/60/70
| 1 September 2024
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.svg}} [[Pittsburgh]], {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} [[Pennsylvania]]
| Gary Udit
|-
| 2024 [[Alina Popa]] Classic Pro
| 1 September 2024
| {{flagicon|Cluj-Napoca}} [[Cluj-Napoca]], {{flagicon|Romania}} [[Romania]]
| Wings of Strength
|-
| [[2024 Rising Phoenix World Championships|2024 Rising Phoenix]]<br/>Invitational
| 14 September 2024
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Phoenix, Arizona.svg}} [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], {{flagicon|Arizona}} Arizona
| Alex Sacasa
|-
| 2024 Titans Grand Prix Pro
| 21 September 2024
| {{flagicon|Anaheim}} [[Anaheim, California]]
| Tamer El Guindy
|-
| [[2024 Ms. Olympia]]
| 11 October 2024
| {{flagicon|Las Vegas}} [[Las Vegas]], {{flagicon|Nevada}} [[Nevada]]
| Dan Solomon
|-
| 2024 Romania Muscle Fest Pro
| 19–10 November 2024
| {{flagicon image|ROU Bucharest Flag.svg}} [[Bucharest]], {{flagicon|Romania}} Romania
| Wings of Strength
|-
|}
====Qualifications for IFBB professional card====
In order to become an "IFBB Pro" you must first earn your IFBB Pro Card. In order to win a bodybuilder looking to do this must first win a regional contest weight class. When a bodybuilder wins or places highly, they earn an invite to compete at their country's National Championships contest for that year. The winners of each weight class at the National Championships will then go head-to-head in a separate contest to see who is the overall Champion for the year. Depending on the federation, the overall Champion will be offered a pro card. Some federations offer Pro Cards to winners of individual weight class champions. This can mean that each year more than one bodybuilder may earn a Pro Card.
In the United States, the NPC (National Physique Committee) is affiliated with the IFBB and awards IFBB Pro Cards. The following competitions award IFBB Pro Cards:
*NPC Women's National Championships has three weight classes: Lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight. All three class winners in the contest are eligible for professional status.
*NPC USA Championships has three weight classes. The overall winner is eligible for professional status.
*IFBB World Championships, each weight class winner is eligible for pro status.
*IFBB North American Championships, the overall winners is eligible for professional status.
===Amateur competitions===
====2022 Pro Card Winners====
{{See also|List of female professional bodybuilders}}
{| class="wikitable centered"
|-
! Competition
! Place
! Date
! Name
! Country
|-
| Caribbean (Bermuda) Pro Qualifier
| {{flagicon|Bermuda}} [[Hamilton, Bermuda]]
| March 31, 2022
| Luciana Dasilveira
| {{flagicon|Bermuda}} [[Bermuda]]
|-
| rowspan=7 colspan=1 | NPC Teen Collegiate & Masters National Championships
| rowspan=7 colspan=1 | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], United States
| rowspan=7 colspan=1 | July 20, 2022
| Rebecca Woody
| rowspan=8 colspan=1 | {{flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|-
| Linda Perry
|-
| Eunice Martinez-Kitchen
|-
| Lori Conley
|-
| Erin Hawkins
|-
| Lena Betka
|-
| Marika Jones
|-
| NPC USA Championships
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]], United States
| July 29, 2022
| Gessica Campbell
|-
| Olympia Amateur Eastern Europe
| {{flagicon|Romania}} [[Bucharest]], Romania
| August 22, 2022
| Soos Alexandra
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungary]]
|-
| rowspan=4 colspan=1 | NPC North American Championships Pro Qualifier
| rowspan=4 colspan=1 | {{flagicon|USA}} Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| rowspan=4 colspan=1 | August 31, 2022
| Ava Melillo
| rowspan=3 colspan=1 | {{flagicon|USA}} United States
|-
| Lea Geiger
|-
| Lea Geiger
|-
| Sarah Boes
| {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]
|-
| Romania Muscle Fest Pro Qualifier
| {{flagicon|Romania}} Bucharest, Romania
| November 12, 2022
| Emilia Balkova
| {{flagicon|Bulgaria}} [[Bulgaria]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ifbbpro.com/2022-pro-card-winners/ |title=2022 Pro Card Winners |access-date=November 19, 2022 |archive-date=November 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119074407/https://www.ifbbpro.com/2022-pro-card-winners/ }}</ref>
|-
|}
====National Physique Committee (NPC) competitions====
{{Main|National Physique Committee}}
=====National level competitions=====
=====Qualifications for national level competitions=====
In order to qualify for national level competitions a competitor must place in one of the following:
*Rank in the top three in their weight class of the Women's open division in a contest that has been sanctioned as a national qualifier.
*First overall in an area championship of the open division.
*Top two in a weight class from an area level national qualifier
*Overall winner in a district level competition designated as a national qualifier.
*Winner of the weight class in a regional competition designated as a national qualifier.
*Weight class winners from the Armed Forces.
;Qualifications for Junior USA, Teen and Masters Nationals
To qualify for Junior USA, Teen or Masters Nationals a competitor must place in one of the following:
*Top five in a weight class from a national level competition
*Top three in a weight class in the Teen or Masters Nationals
*Class winner in the Armed Forces
*Top three in a weight class from an Area national qualifier
*Top two from a district level national qualifier
;Qualifications for USA and Junior Nationals
In order to qualify for USA and Junior Nationals a competitor must place in one of the following:
*Top five in a weight class from the Nationals, USA, Team Universe or Junior Nationals
*Top three in a weight class from the Teen, Collegiate Masters Nationals
*Class winner in the Armed Forces
*First overall in an area level national qualifier
*Top two in an area level national qualifier
*Weight class winner from a district level competition designated as a national qualifier
;Qualifications for Nationals and North American Championships
In order to qualify for Nationals or North American Championships a competitor must place in one of the following:
*Top five in a weight class from the Nationals, NPC USA or North American Championships
*Top five in a weight class from the Team Universe, Junior Nationals or Junior USA
*Top five in a weight class from Teen Collegiate Masters Nationals
*Top two in a weight class in the Armed Forces
*Top two in a weight class in an area level national qualifier
*Overall winner in a district level competition designated as a national qualifier
*Class winners at the US and Nationals will be given five years of eligibility.
====National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA) competitions====
{{Main|National Amateur Bodybuilders Association}}
*[[National Amateur Bodybuilders Association|NABBA]] European Championships
*NABBA Universe
===World Fitness Federation competitions===
{{Main|World Fitness Federation}}
===Natural bodybuilding competitions===
{{Main|Natural bodybuilding}}
====National Gym Association competitions====
{{Main|National Gym Association}}
==Fitness and figure competition==
{{Main|Fitness and figure competition}}
[[File:Balancing act (7452184340).jpg|thumb|A female competitor during a bodybuilding show in Asia]]
There are two other categories of competition that are closely related to bodybuilding and are frequently held as part of the same event. Fitness competition has a swimsuit round, and a round that is judged on the performance of a routine including [[aerobics]], dance, or [[gymnastics]]. Figure competition is a newer format, which combines female bodybuilding and gymnastics altogether, is judged solely on symmetry and muscle tone, with much less emphasis on muscle size than in bodybuilding.
In a competition, each woman poses in a bikini. She must strike different poses, while facing forward, to the side, and to the rear. During her poses, she must emphasize her arms, shoulders, chest, stomach, buttocks, and legs by flexing them. The judges carefully observe, evaluate, then numerically grade the firmness and shapeliness of the woman's physique.
In the figure division the same judging criteria is applied, but without a fitness routine.
==Disparities and discrimination==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Mr. Olympia <br> prize money
! Ms. Olympia <br> prize money
! Ms. Olympia prize <br> money disparity
|-
|1980
|rowspan=2|$25,000
|$10,000
| data-sort-value="-15,000" | -$15,000
|-
|1981
|$25,000
| data-sort-value="0" | $0
|-
|1986
|$55,000
|$50,000
| data-sort-value="-5,000" | -$5,000
|-
|1989
|$170,000
|$71,000
| data-sort-value="-99,000" | -$99,000
|-
|1991
|rowspan=4|$100,000
|$93,500
| data-sort-value="-6,500" | -$6,500
|-
|1992
|$108,500
| data-sort-value="8,500" | +$8,500
|-
|1993
|$95,000
| data-sort-value="-5,500" | -$5,500
|-
|1994
|$90,000
| data-sort-value="-10,500" | -$10,500
|-
|1995
|rowspan=7|$110,000
|$115,000
| data-sort-value="5,000" | +$5,000
|-
|1996
|$104,500
| data-sort-value="-5,500" | -$5,500
|-
|1997
|$101,000
| data-sort-value="-9,000" | -$9,000
|-
|1998
|rowspan=5|$50,000
|data-sort-value="-60,000" rowspan=4 | -$60,000
|-
|1999
|-
|2001
|-
|2003
|-
|2004
|$120,000
|data-sort-value="-70,000" | -$70,000
|-
|2005
|$150,000
|rowspan=4| $71,000
|data-sort-value="-79,000" | -$79,000
|-
|2006
|rowspan=3|$155,000
|data-sort-value="-84,000" rowspan=3|-$84,000
|-
|2007
|-
|2008
|-
|2009
|rowspan=3|$200,000
|$61,000
|data-sort-value="-139,000" | -$139,000
|-
|2010
|rowspan=4|$60,000
|data-sort-value="-140,000" rowspan=2| -$140,000
|-
|2011
|-
|2012
|rowspan=2|$250,000
|data-sort-value="-190,000" rowspan=2| -$190,000
|-
|2013
|-
|2014
|$275,000
|$50,000
|data-sort-value="-225,000" | -$225,000
|-
|2020
|rowspan=4|$400,000
|$95,000
|data-sort-value="-305,000" | -$305,000
|-
|2021
|$89,000
|data-sort-value="-311,000" | -$311,000
|-
|2022
|rowspan=2| $95,000
|data-sort-value="-305,000" rowspan=2| -$305,000
|-
|2023
|-
|}
Negative attitudes towards female bodybuilding have existed ever since the creation of the sport, as the body type female bodybuilders possess is highly different from the [[beauty standard]] of a skinny and delicate woman.<ref>Forbes, Gordan B., Rade Brooke, and Adams-Curtis Leah. "Body Dissatisfaction in Women and Men: The Role of Gender-Typing and Self-Esteem." Sex Roles 44.7 (2001): 461-84. Print.</ref> In ''Studies in Popular Culture'' A.J. Randall et al. describe this as the result of a [[patriarchal]] society which emphasizes that femininity is created by altering one's body to cater to society's gendered expectations<ref>Randall A., Hall S.,& Rogers, M. "Masculinity on stage: Competitive male bodybuilders." Studies in Popular Culture 14 (1992): 57-69.</ref> When women venture away from gender expectations, society's view of their femininity begins to diminish. [[Female]] Bodybuilders experience this criticism of their body, as they build bodies which are commonly associated with the [[masculine]] identity.<ref>Jennifer, Wesely. "Negotiating Gender, Bodybuilding, and the Natural/Unnatural Continuum." Sociology of Sport Journal 18.2 (2001): 162-80. Print.</ref> Despite this there is a very dedicated female bodybuilding fan base.
The [[International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness]] has made several rules changes on the sport of female bodybuilding that relate to expected feminine identity. In 1992, the IFBB, attempted to "feminize" the sport by making the judges deduct points from competitors who were "too big," meaning too muscular.<ref>Jennifer, Hargreaves. Sporting Females: Critical Issues in the History and Sociology of Women's Sports. London: Routledge, 1994. Print</ref> The IFBB then made a rule change in 2000 that emphasized a need for the women to decrease muscularity once again.<ref name="rxmuscle">Racanelli, Tony. [http://rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/female-bodybuilding/4958-the-evolution-from-women-s-bodybuilding-to-women-s-physique.html "The Evolution: From Women's Bodybuilding to Women's Physique"], RX Muscle, 3 February 2012.</ref> Before [[Ms. International]] in 2005 the IFBB created another rule that required the women competing to decrease their own muscle mass by 20 percent to compete.<ref name="rxmuscle" /> Yet the men's [[bodybuilding]] rules have not changed in the same time period. In ''Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise'' Chris Shilling and Tanya Bunsell state that all of these rule changes reflect the IFBB's attempts to make women more closely fit gender expectations, as they all emphasize the need for the female bodybuilders to become less massive.<ref>Shilling, Chris, and Tanya Bunsell. "The Female Bodybuilder as a Gender Outlaw." Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise 1.2 (2009): 141-59. Print</ref> Bunsell and Shilling further state that male bodybuilding hasn't changed because their bodies are seen as masculine in identity, while female bodybuilding rules inhibit females from reaching the same muscularity.
In the [[documentary film]] ''[[Generation Iron 2]]'', [[Iris Kyle]], who stated she wanted to compete at the [[2016 Rising Phoenix World Championships|2016 Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix World Championships]], received an email from a show promoter that she had to requalify to attend. Under the Ms. Olympia rules, former Ms. Olympia champions were qualified for life. She stated she had been to do some work with them that she doesn't "agree with", but declined the offer. When asked to clarify, she stated that "sex sells" and that female bodybuilders sometimes sell [[muscle worship]]. While she was later allowed a special invite to the 2016 Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix World Championships, she declined to attend, instead focusing on training her boyfriend, [[Hidetada Yamagishi]], for the 2017 Arnold Classic Men's Physique and focusing on their business venture.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6263642/?ref_=nm_knf_t1 Generation Iron 2]</ref><ref>[https://barbend.com/2022-mr-olympia-qualification-system/ Here’s How The 2022 Mr. Olympia Qualification System Works]</ref>
===Government bans===
* [[Afghanistan]] – Women's bodybuilding is forbidden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tasvirafghanistan.com/sports-media/627-afghan-womens-strength-on-display-in-gyms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203191808/http://www.tasvirafghanistan.com/sports-media/627-afghan-womens-strength-on-display-in-gyms |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-03 |title=Afghan Women's Strength on Display in Gyms |work=Washington Times |access-date=2012-11-12 }}</ref>
* [[Iran]] – On January 18, 2017, an Iranian female bodybuilder was arrested for "nudity" after she posted selfies of her flexing sleeveless on social media. "Nude", in this context refers to women not wearing a headscarf or revealing body parts like arms and legs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/iran-female-bodybuilder-jailed-for-un-islamic-photos-of-her-biceps-and-fitness-workouts-269852.html|title=Iran Female Bodybuilder Jailed For 'Un-Islamic Photos' Of Her Biceps And Fitness Workouts|website=Indiatimes.com|date=19 January 2017 |access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>
==Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)==
In a 2016 article for IronMag Blog, Mike Arnold, anabolic researcher and consultant, endorsed [[anabolic-androgenic steroids]], specifically [[Oxandrolone]], [[Primobolan]] and [[Methasterone]], as the most effective choice for female bodybuilders who need more muscle than what [[peptides]] and [[Selective androgen receptor modulator]] drugs can provide.<ref>[https://www.ironmagazine.com/2016/low-risk-ped-use-for-women/ Low-Risk PED Use for Women]</ref>
In an interview with prosecrets.ru, [[Nataliya Kuznetsova]] admitted to taking {{convert|150|-|200|mg}} of [[Primobolan]] or {{convert|150|-|200|mg}} [[testosterone propionate]] to prepare for contests, along with 2 tablets ({{convert|20|mg}}) of [[oxandrolone]] tablets on training days.<ref>[https://sportwiki.to/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F_%D0%A2%D1%80%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0 Nataliya Trukhina Sportwiki]</ref><ref>[https://www.odditycentral.com/pics/russian-powerlifter-will-make-you-reconsider-condescending-terms-like-weaker-sex.html Russian Powerlifter Will Make You Reconsider Condescending Terms Like “Weaker Sex”]</ref> In a 2016 article for BroScience, James C., M.S.(C) claims Nataliya uses a "cocktail" of [[oestrogen blockers]].<ref>[https://broscience.com/check-update-huge-russian-female-powerlifter-nataliya-trukhina/ See the Huge Russian Female Powerlifter, Nataliya Trukhina, Lift Heavy Weights In the Gym]</ref>
In a 2010 article for IronMag Blog, Anthony Roberts, fitness journalist, talking about a female bodybuilder's drug program, noted that on season drug intake for female bodybuilders include [[oxandrolone]], around 10 mgs, [[stanozolol]], around 10 mgs, [[clenbuterol]], [[growth hormone]], with usually about 2IU's a day, [[thyroid hormone]] (precontest phase), [[mesterolone]], a 25-50mgs a day dosage and [[metenolone acetate]]. He stated that female bodybuilders differ from figure and fitness contestants in their off season drug intake in that typically their doses are only slightly higher, but much more experimental with what they use. He noted that [[testosterone propionate]], [[trenbolone acetate]], [[chlorodehydromethyltestosterone]], [[nandrolone]], and occasionally [[boldenone undecylenate]] are used by female bodybuilders in off season.<ref>[https://www.ironmagazine.com/2010/d-cups-and-d-bol-women-and-anabolic-steroids/ D-Cups and D-Bol – Women and Anabolic Steroids]</ref>
According to an ''[[Iron Man (magazine)|Iron Man]]'' article, published on 1 May 2003 by Greg Zulak, who cites [[Dan Duchaine]], author of the book ''Underground Steroid Handbook'' and worked with countless world-class female bodybuilders, listed the following performance-enhancing drugs that female bodybuilders may use:
*[[Oxymetholone]] (Anadrol)
*[[Oxandrolone]] (Anavar)
*[[Clenbuterol]]
*[[Nandrolone decanoate]] (Deca-Durabolin)
*[[Metandienone]] (Dianabol)
*[[Boldenone]] (Equipose)
*[[Fluoxymesterone]] (Halotestin)
*[[Human growth hormone]]
*[[Ethylestrenol]] (Maxibolan)
*[[Tamoxifen]] (Novaldex)
*[[Metenolone]] (Primabolan)
*[[Trenbolone]]
*[[Stanozolol]] (Winstrol)
*[[Testosterone]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ironmanmagazine.com/unchained-safe-steroid-stack/ |title=Unchained: Safe Steroid Stack? |website=Ironmanmagazine.com |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref>
===Policies===
In 2001, Katie Arnoldi, a former bodybuilder who wrote the book ''Chemical Pink'' about her bodybuilding career, said industry insiders know what goes on, but the sport is reluctant to test bodybuilders more strictly for steroids because big physiques draw big profits.<ref name="Secret World of Women's Bodybuilding">[https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=132677&page=1 Secret World of Women's Bodybuilding]</ref> In the 2005 [[television documentary]] ''[[Supersize She]]'', when [[Joanna Thomas]] was asked about steroid usage she said sarcastically "Yeah it's all about the steroids, you know. We just take steroids and look like this. Try this at home everyone, for a few weeks, and see how you look." She also said "Take what you like. A lot of people would not look like me. It's all of my life since I was 15 years old, dedication to this sport. It's not just about what people take. It's this.", as she pointed to her brain.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXTa5buxXoo Supersize She Joanna Thomas Female Bodybuilding Documentary]</ref> In 2020, after Joanna died, her mother, Mary, in a statement said that when Joanna was 20 years old she moved to Manchester and began taking steroids. Her [[GP surgery]] said she had used steroids and anabolic steroids in her bodybuilding career, as well as illegal drugs and prescribed medications.<ref name="Joanna Thomas Death The Mirror">{{Cite web |last=Irving |first=Nick |date=2020-11-09 |title=Brit bodybuilding porn star died from drug cocktail taken to ease pain of career |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-bodybuilding-porn-star-died-22984218 |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=mirror |language=en}}</ref>
In 2022, in an interview on ''Physical World'' with Ahn Si-hyeon, [[Iris Kyle]] admitted that after her first two amateur bodybuilding contests she competed in, she began taking [[performance-enhancing substances]] (PEDs). She said she was motivated to do so because she was {{convert|130|lb|abbr=on}} as an amateur bodybuilding and felt tiny compared to other amateur female bodybuilders on stage. She stating that there was "no way for a woman to develop the type of muscle density that we (female bodybuilders) carry today without it (PEDs)" and that "it's part of the sport (female bodybuilding)". She advised women that "there wasn't a whole lot a women could take (PEDs)" as "the majority of things (PEDs) were for men". She also advised women to do research and be careful with dosages because the female bodybuilder physique takes time to develop.<ref name="Truth of Women Bodybuilding">{{cite web
| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbseAVCPEW0&t=306s&ab_channel=%ED%97%AC%EC%B0%BDTVKoreaFitnessHellchangTV
| title = Truth of Women Bodybuilding 10x Ms Olympia Iris Kyl
| last =
| first =
| date = Jul 29, 2022
| website = [[YouTube]]
| publisher =
| access-date = November 18, 2022
| quote =
}}</ref>
====Policies of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional League (IFBB Pro League)====
{{Main|International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional League}}
According to the 2008 [[MSNBC Documentaries|MSNBC documentary]] ''[[Hooked: Muscle Women]]'', the IFBB Pro League does not routinely drug test athletes who compete in the federation. Also in the documentary, [[Kristy Hawkins]] said she thought steroids were "prevalent in every sport, but with us it's just more obvious."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0dLH0Iwlss&t=1236s&ab_channel=WorldPowerNutrition Hooked Muscle Women bodybuilding]</ref>
====Policies of the IFBB Pro League and the National Physique Committee (NPC)====
{{Main|National Physique Committee}}
In 2001, Sandy Ranalli of the NPC said drug testing can just be too expensive. "To be honest with you, we're such a small sport, it's just not financially feasible," says Ranalli of drug testing the athletes. She said, however, they try to do random testing occasionally. Ranalli also said that: "There's steroids in every sport … But to say you're not going to get to the competitive level … without steroids, that itself is false."<ref name="BUILT&BROKEN What bodybuilders do to their bodies — and brains">[https://web.archive.org/web/20221208221356/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2022/bodybuilding-health-risks/ BUILT&BROKEN What bodybuilders do to their bodies — and brains]</ref><ref name="Secret World of Women's Bodybuilding" />
====Mitigation efforts====
Bodybuilding causes increased [[lean body mass]] and decreased [[Adipose tissue|body fat]], which causes breast tissue reduction in female athletes<ref>[http://www.implantinfo.com/faqs/1.10.aspx FAQs: Bodybuilding After Breast Augmentation With Breast Implants], ''ImplantInfo.com''</ref> whereas the current trend regarding the judges' search for "feminine" physique at competitions makes compensative [[breast augmentation]] with [[breast implant]]s an increasingly popular procedure among female bodybuilders.<ref>[http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/articles/archive/an~83/ They Need Bosoms, too - Women Weight Lifters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022170805/http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/articles/archive/an~83/ |date=2016-10-22 }}, ''Cosmeticsurgery.com''</ref> It is estimated that 80% of professional female bodybuilders get breast implants so they can maintain upper to lower body symmetry.<ref name="Women of Steel" />
====Surveys and studies on side effects====
*A 1985 interview of ten weight-trained women athletes who consistently used anabolic steroids were interviewed about their patterns of drug use and the perceived effects. Anabolic steroids were used in a cyclical manner, often with several drugs taken simultaneously. All participants believed that muscle size and strength were increased in association with anabolic steroid use. Most also noted a deepening of the voice, increased facial hair, increased aggressiveness, clitoral enlargement, and menstrual irregularities. The participants were willing to tolerate these side effects but thought that such changes might be unacceptable to many women.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Anabolic steroid use and perceived effects in ten weight-trained women athletes |year=1985 |pmid=3989963 | volume=253 |journal=JAMA |pages=2871–3 | last1 = Strauss | first1 = RH | last2 = Liggett | first2 = MT | last3 = Lanese | first3 = RR |issue=19 | doi=10.1001/jama.1985.03350430083032}}</ref>
*A 1989 study of competitive female bodybuilders from Kansas and Missouri found that 10% use steroids on a regular basis. The female bodybuilders reported that they had used an average of two different steroids including nandrolone, oxandrolone, testosterone, metandienone, boldenone, and stanozolol.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The incidence of anabolic steroid use among competitive bodybuilders |year=1989 |pmid=2621538 | volume=19 |journal=J Drug Educ |pages=313–25 | last1 = Tricker | first1 = R | last2 = O'Neill | first2 = MR | last3 = Cook | first3 = D |issue=4 | doi=10.2190/egt5-4ywd-qx15-flkk|s2cid=39716787 }}</ref>
*A 1991 study of nine female weightlifters using steroids and seven not using these agents has found that it appears that the self-administration of testosterone and anabolic steroids is increasingly practiced by women in sports where strength and endurance are important. Of the nine anabolic steroid users, seven took multiple anabolic steroids simultaneously. Thirty-fold elevations of serum testosterone were noted in the women injecting testosterone. In three of these women serum testosterone levels exceeded the upper limits for normal male testosterone concentrations. A significant compensatory decrease in sex hormone-binding globulin and a decrease in thyroid-binding proteins were noted in the women steroid users. Also, a 39% decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was noted in the steroid-using weightlifters. Most of the subjects in this study used anabolic steroids continuously, which raises concern about premature atherosclerosis and other disease processes developing in these women.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The incidence of anabolic steroid use among competitive bodybuilders |year=1991 |pmid=1835565 | volume=165 |journal=Am J Obstet Gynecol |pages=1385–90 | last1 = Malarkey | first1 = WB | last2 = Strauss | first2 = RH | last3 = Leizman | first3 = DJ | last4 = Liggett | first4 = M | last5 = Demers | first5 = LM|issue=5 Pt 1 |doi=10.1016/0002-9378(91)90374-z }}</ref>
*A 2000 survey found that one-third of the female bodybuilders reported past or current steroid use and almost half of those who were non-steroid users admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs such as [[ephedrine]]. The study investigators found that women who used steroids were more muscular than their non-steroid-using counterparts and were also more likely to use other performance-enhancing substances.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mclean.harvard.edu/news/press/archived/20000126_roidstudy.php |title=McLean Hospital | News & Information : Press Releases |website=Mclean.harvard.edu |date=2000-01-26 |access-date=2012-10-03 |archive-date=2013-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609080240/http://www.mclean.harvard.edu/news/press/archived/20000126_roidstudy.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite its popularity among female bodybuilding, usage of steroids among female bodybuilders, unlike male bodybuilding, is a taboo subject and rarely admitted use among female bodybuilders. Although the IFBB officially bans the usage of performance-enhancing drugs, it does not test athletes rigorously.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/551995-female-bodybuilding-without-steroids/ |title=Female Bodybuilding Without Steroids |website=Livestrong.com |access-date=2012-10-03}}</ref>
*A 2009 survey of both men and women found that while men overall use anabolic–androgenic steroids, more women than men who use anabolic–androgenic steroids were competitive bodybuilders or weightlifters, with only 33.3% describing themselves as "recreational lifters" with no interest in competition. The survey found that 75% of the women experienced clitoral enlargement, half had irregular periods and showed changes in their voices. Despite this 90% said they would continue to use steroids.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/women-and-steroids/ |title=Women and Steroids |website=Ironmanmagazine.com |date=7 October 2011 |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref>
==Records==
===Age===
* Youngest heavyweight winner of an [[International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness Professional League]] (IFBB Pro League) bodybuilding contest - [[Iris Kyle]] (27 years old; [[2001 Ms. Olympia]])
* Youngest IFBB Pro Card won - Deanna Panting (19 years old; 1984 IFBB North American Championships)
* Youngest lightweight winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - [[Joanna Thomas]] (24 years, 7 months, 3 weeks and 2 days old; 2001 Jan Tana Classic)
* Youngest middleweight winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - Angela Debatin (29 years old; 2002 Southwest Pro)
* Youngest overall winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - [[Kim Chizevsky]] (24 years, 10 months, 1 week and 5 days old; 1993 Ms. International)
* Oldest heavyweight winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - [[Lisa Aukland]] (48 years old; 2007 Atlantic City Pro)
* Oldest lightweight winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - [[Juliette Bergmann]] (44 years old; [[2003 Ms. Olympia]])
* Oldest middleweight winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - [[Nancy Lewis]] (41 years old; 2002 Jan Tana Pro Classic)
* Oldest overall winner of an IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contest - [[Betty Pariso]] (53 years old; 2009 Tampa Pro)
===Measurements===
====Amateur====
* Largest [[biceps]] - [[Renné Toney]] ({{convert|20.25|in|cm}} (left bicep) and {{convert|20|in|cm}} (right bicep))
* Largest [[Quadriceps|quads]] - Renné Toney ({{convert|35|in|cm}})
* Largest [[shoulder]] [[width]] ([[Deltoid muscle|deltoid]] span) - Renné Toney ({{convert|20|-|24|in|cm}})
* Largest [[thighs]] - Renné Toney ({{convert|35|in|cm}})
* Largest [[waist]] - Renné Toney ({{convert|30|-|34|in|cm}})
====Professional====
* Heaviest on season [[weight]] - [[Nataliya Kuznetsova]] ({{convert|225|-|235|lb|abbr=on}})
* Largest [[biceps]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|19.5|in|cm}})
* Largest [[Calf (leg)|calves]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|20|in|cm}})
* Largest [[Thorax|chest]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|51|in|cm}})
* Largest [[forearms]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|15|-|16|in|cm}})
* Largest [[glute]]-to-[[waist]] [[ratio]] - [[Alina Popa]] ({{fraction|40-41 in (102-104 cm) glutes|26-27 in (66-69 cm) waist}} = 1.48 to 1.58)
* Largest glutes - Aleesha Young ({{convert|42|-|43|in|cm}})
* Largest [[Latissimus dorsi muscle|lat]] spread width - [[Iris Kyle]] ({{convert|16|-|18|in|cm}})
* Largest [[neck]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|16|-|17|in|cm}})
* Largest [[Quadriceps|quads]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|30|in|cm}})
* Largest [[shoulder]] [[width]] ([[Deltoid muscle|deltoid]] span) - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|18|-|22|in|cm}})
* Largest [[thighs]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|30|in|cm}})
* Largest [[waist]] - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|28|-|32|in|cm}})
* Largest [[wrist]] size - Nataliya Kuznetsova ({{convert|7|-|7.5|in|cm}})
* Most extreme v-taper (shoulder-to-waist ratio) - Iris Kyle ({{fraction|48-50 in (120-130 cm) shoulders|24 in (61 cm) waist}} = 2:1)
* Smallest [[body fat percentage]] - [[Joanna Thomas]] (2.6%)
* Smallest waist - [[Sharon Bruneau]] ({{convert|22|-|23|in|cm}})
* Smallest wrist size - Sharon Bruneau ({{convert|5.5|-|6|in|cm}})
* Tallest [[height]] - [[Nicole Bass]] ({{height|ft=6|in=2|out=cm}})
==Cultural references==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Release date
! Media title
! Episode title
! Media type
|-
| 3 May 1985
| ''[[Pumping Iron II: The Women]]''
|
| American documentary film
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Geraldo (TV series)|Geraldo]]''
|
| American daytime television tabloid talk show
|-
| 2000
| ''On the Inside''
| ''[[Bodybuilders (On the Inside)|Bodybuilders]]''
| American television documentary show
|-
| 18 August 2000
| ''[[The Cell (film)|The Cell]]''
|
| American-German film
|-
| 16 October 2000
| ''[[Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends]]''
| ''Body Building''
| British television documentary show
|-
| 2001
| ''The Greatest Bodies''
|
| American television documentary
|-
| 3 May 2002
| ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]''
| ''Driving Mr. Goodman''
| American television sitcom
|-
| 2 February 2003
| ''[[The Simpsons]]''
| ''[[The Strong Arms of the Ma]]''
| American animated sitcom
|-
| 18 October 2004
| ''[[Taboo (2002 TV series)|Taboo]]''
| ''Gender Benders''
| American documentary television show
|-
| 12 December 2004
| ''[[Totally Spies!]]''
| ''The Incredible Bulk''
| French-Canadian children and teenagers' animated action comedy sitcom
|-
| April 2005
| ''[[Supersize She]]''
|
| British television documentary
|-
| 19 January 2008
| ''[[Bigger, Stronger, Faster*]]''
|
| American documentary film
|-
| 27 April 2008
| ''[[Hooked: Muscle Women]]''
|
| American television documentary
|-
| ?
| ''The [[Oliver Geissen]] Show''
|
| German talk show
|-
| 9 September 2008
| ''[[Wipeout (2008 U.S. game show)|Wipeout]]''
| ''The Special Episode''
| American television game show
|-
| 9 May 2010
| ''Twisted Sisters''
|
| American documentary film
|-
| 12 May 2017
| ''[[Generation Iron 2]]''
|
| American documentary film
|-
| 7 June 2017
| ''Swole''
| ''The Last of the Iron Sisters''
| American-Canadian documentary webisode series
|-
| 11 February 2019
| ''[[American Dad!]]''
| ''One-Woman Swole''
| American adult animated sitcom
|-
| 8 March 2024
| ''[[Love Lies Bleeding (2024 film)|Love Lies Bleeding]]''
|
| American romantic crime drama film
|}
==Notable places==
* [[Powerhouse Gym]], [[Highland Park, Michigan]] - The gym [[Andrea Shaw]] trains at and the gym [[Lenda Murray]] trained at.
* [[Gold's Gym]], [[Venice, Los Angeles]], [[California]] - A gym that numerous professional female bodybuilders have trained at, such as [[Michaela Aycock]], [[Nicole Bass]], [[Sheila Bleck]], [[Juliette Bergmann]], [[Dayana Cadeau]], [[Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls]], [[Laura Creavalle]], [[Cory Everson]], [[Iris Kyle]], [[Rachel McLish]], [[Lenda Murray]], [[Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia]], [[Alina Popa]], [[Joanna Thomas]] and [[Helle Trevino]].
* [[Las Vegas Convention Center]] - The venue for the [[Ms. Olympia]] prejudging from 2006–2014 & 2024.
* [[Trinity Auditorium]] - The venue for 1979 Robby Robinson Classic. It is the oldest standing known venue for a female bodybuilding contest that has not been demolished.
* [[Greater Columbus Convention Center]], Exhibit Hall D - The venue for the [[Ms. International]] prejudging from 2000–2013.
* Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay - The venue for the Chicago Pro women's bodybuilding from 2008-present.
==See also==
{{cmn|
* [[Jake Wood (bodybuilding)]]
* [[Bill Dobbins (photographer)|Bill Dobbins]]
* [[List of professional female bodybuilders]]
* [[List of professional bodybuilding competitions]]
* [[List of female fitness & figure competitors]]
* [[Pumping Iron II: The Women]]
* [[Sthenolagnia]]
* [[Strongwoman]]
* [[Supersize She]]
* [[Women's Physique World]]
}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
*"Rewind: review of February issues from five, 10 and 15 years ago", ''[[Flex (magazine)|Flex]]'', February 2003
*Levin, Dan, "Here She Is, Miss, Well, What?", ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', March 17, 1980
*Merritt, Greg, "15 Biggest Controversies and Shocking Moments in Bodybuilding History", ''[[Flex (magazine)|Flex]]'', February 2006
*Roark, Joe, "Featuring 2005 Hall of Fame Inductee: Stacey Bentley", ''Flex'', August 2005
*Todd, Jan, "Bodybuilding", ''St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture'', Gale Group, 1999
*''Women's Physique Publication'', published from December 1976 through 1991 (also appeared under the names ''WASP'' and ''WSP'')
*''[[Women's Physique World]]'', published two to six times per year since 1984
{{Refend}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.ifbbpro.com OIFBB Professional League]
*[http://www.cbbf.ca/ Canadian Bodybuilding Federation]
*[http://www.alympianinan.com AlympiaNinan.com]
{{Women's sports}}
{{Authority control}}
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