Women’s bodybuilding first started in the late 1970’s. Before that, the world of competitive bodybuilding was handed to men alone. The 1970s was when female bodybuilders started participating in competitions specific to their gender and over the years the sport has gained a lot of respect. The oldest recorded competition between bodybuilders can be found in the 1960s, but back then it was more like bikini competitions rather than bodybuilding competitions. It is now believed that the first legitimate women’s bodybuilding competition took place in 1978 in Canton, Ohio. This competition was promoted by Henry McGee and called the US National Fitness Championship. It was different in the sense that competitors were judged on their muscular strength rather than on how good they looked in a bikini or swimsuit.
In just a year, by 1979, there were more female bodybuilders participating in the growing number of competitions that rated healthy bodies rather than beauty alone. In 1980, bodybuilding competitions got their approval. Named the National Commission on Physical Fitness, the organization was responsible for hosting the first-ever national women’s competition, and also became the largest amateur bodybuilding competition in the United States. 1980 is also a special year because it was the year that Ms. Olympia, the most honored women’s bodybuilding competition, was held for the first time.
As the competition progresses with more and more women participating, the exercise regimens are getting stricter. There are now highly competitive tournament titles out there that have no place for women who are good at heels but don’t have well-defined muscles. Not only are the competitions increasing, but they are also gathering a large fan base.
There are also many films that have been made honoring bodybuilders and their competitions. Major television networks have covered these events and despite some controversy in the past few years, women’s bodybuilding competitions have managed to maintain their popularity. The IFBB also created its Hall of Fame in 1999. This hall of fame includes the names of the best athletes in the sport of bodybuilding. As of this day, 14 women bodybuilders are included in this hall of fame.
Besides women’s bodybuilding, there are also some other main event related categories that are also included during the competition. The fitness class includes a swimsuit event and also an aerobics, gymnastics or dance performance. Another category is the personal competition during which competitors are judged on muscle tone and symmetry.
The only difference between the male and female competitions is that the prize money for the latter is much lower.
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