Female Bodybuilding
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Basics of Bodybuilding for Women
Female bodybuilding keeps changing just like male bodybuilding does, but the hard work and extreme dedication that it takes to get results is something that they will always have in common. Females have been called the weaker sex but that only means hormones and nothing more or less than that.
Bodybuilding can seem daunting for women because their lower testosterone levels put them at a disadvantage to men. Testosterone is a hormone critical in muscle building. Higher estrogen levels also mean that women have a tendency to store fat more easily, which can be a major hindrance to a female bodybuilder.
Female bodybuilding is the division that created history with female physiques like Rachel Mclish, Lenda Murray and Cory Everson. Their looks were full, with solid muscle. However, over time the division has changed and female bodybuilders are coming in much larger, and harder.
Female bodybuilders perform barefoot on stage, and wear a solid color suit for prejudging. At the night show female bodybuilders can wear an adorned suit and jewelry. Often the female competitors use a lot more creativity an expression like dance.
Men have much higher levels of testosterone, a muscle building hormone, whereas women have higher levels of estrogen, which can lead to excess fat. This alone may be enough to discourage women from weight training; they may come under the impression that muscle building is much more difficult.
But this has changed when women see the enormous benefit that they get from the ‘shaping’ effect that weight training can have on their bodies. Another reason some women do not employ resistance training is because they want to have fit, toned physiques, but not bulky with large muscles.
These women fear that by building muscle their appearance will actually look worse. Adding muscle will actually help support your metabolism and allow you to lose fat in those trouble areas. Women bodybuilding has come a long way in the last thirty years.
The first contest that judged the women by bodybuilding standards was not until 1978. 1980 was the year that the first Nationals were held by the National Physique Committee (NPC). This was also the same year that the first Ms. Olympia was held.
Today, women combine great physiques with the perfect amount of muscle. These are females, so the focus on pure muscle mass is somewhat less noticeable than in male competitions. The abilities of many women are simply incredible, as well as inspirational.
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