Female Bodybuilders DENIED!

"Don't Hate The Playa, Hate The Game"

To be big and freaky. Or not to be. That is the question that haunts women's bodybuilding. Some say yes. Others say not. Although this is hardly a new issue, the controversy has now reached a point where the line has been drawn in the sand amongst the competitors.

In one corner you have a group of women who say they are being denied an opportunity to achieve their best in bodybuilding because they refuse to give in to how society, the IFBB or the NPC says they should look. They have taken their fight to a gender discrimination level claiming that the rules for the women are unfairly biased. In another corner you have a group of women who say the sport needs to change. In short, they are tired of the negativity and confusion.

Prior to the Ms. International, the first pro bodybuilding show of 2005, a new rule was legislated for the women saying they must reduce their muscularity by 20 percent, while no changes on aesthetics were adopted for the men. This marked the second time since 2000 that new rules were set forth for women. Both times the federation suggested that the women were too big and too muscular.

Can the two sides come together and challenge the man in the middle? That's the next question to be answered. Apparently, the IFBB sides with no one. Just image and money.

Some fans were hoping the IFBB would have backed up its mandate and chosen Niederhauser as the overall winner. Her physique took the sport back to the Cory Everson days. Instead, the judges passed and crowned Yaxeni Oriquen, the same women who had won twice before. Not saying she didn't deserve to win. But this show was expected to set the standard for the rest of the year. Guess the time has not yet come for such drastic change.

If Not Now, Then When?

If money is truly at the heart of the matter, then what measures will the IFBB take to promote the women in a way that the shows will make more money and the athletes will make more money? Perhaps there is something else going on. Inquiring minds would like to know.

Female bodybuilders are being exploited in the worst way; everything from poor promotion, to being poorly paid. They have been given mixed signals about the how they should look for far too long.

At one point they were convinced there was no money for the sport, yet somehow prize money was dug up for a new sport called Figure. They complain about these issues but not loud enough to be heard.