1980's Bodybuilding star Dona Oliveira dies at the age of 58.

Dona Oliveira

It was reported this week that bodybuilder Dona Oliveira died at the age of 58.
Here's the news shared by Lonnie Teper on the Evolution of Bodybuilding site.Dona Oliveira passes away.
No word on cause of death. 
I remember her well from the early days of women's bodybuilding.She could be described as being from the second wave of 80's female bodybuilders.She was riding on the inspiration of the late 70's-to early 80's birth of modern women's bodybuilding.
She was genuinely beautiful.At 5'1 and 120'slbs weight she had amazing quality in a small package.
Fantastic arms,and shoulders.A tiny tight waist and lovely legs.She also had the requisite poofy 80's hair do.
I wouldn't be exaggerating by much if I called her great.She was a very fine bodybuilder.
She competed in several Ms Olympia contests,and placed as high as 6th.
She also won a few big contests including the 85' NPC USA,85' IFBB World Games,and the 88' IFBB Pro World Championships.
She retired in 1990.Then remarkably,she came back in her 50's to compete a few more times in Physique.
She was from Massachusetts,and you could sure hear it in her classic accent.
She had a long career as a hospital nurse as well.

Here's video of several news stories done on her from 1988.
I vividly recall the CNN story.I know I watched it.Hell,I probably taped it too.
It's the third story at about 5:20 in the video.

She featured regularly in the popular bodybuilding magazines as well.
She always seemed to be so bright,full,and robust.And very much like she was enjoying her time in the sport.
She said she retired because the level in women's bodybuilding changed too much.She's right.The muscularity,and conditioning did change a lot quickly.

Here's an early video from a popular American morning show with Dona,and Kris Alexander.
This is a good example of what the mid eighties female bodybuilder looked like.Very fit,yes.But they're similar to the appearance of CrossFit athletes now.Not really bulky,or hard.
(To address the question that always comes up,I wouldn't be surprised if both were natural at this time.Alexander doesn't look like she's taken anabolics.I doubt Oliveira had taken any,or much.I would say she did use PEDS at the height of her career.)
These women look very healthy.And you can see the why there was a growing interest in female bodybuilders at this time.

Here's a mix of images from her career.

An interview with Dave Palumbo of RxMuscle from her 2014 comeback.
Extraordinary condition in a 53 year old woman!

She seemed like a really terrific person.I've heard a lot of people in bodybuilding paying their sincere respects,and saying how much they liked her.
She kept training,and loved the life of a lifter.
You really can't say enough good things about the people who dedicate their lives to nursing either.

Deep condolences to her family,and friends.
She'll be missed.

Alina Popa winning the Rising Phoenix and the current state of Women's open class bodybuilding.

 

Alina Popa in 2008

Alina Popa finally won the top championship in women's bodybuilding, the Rising Phoenix title.
I'm happy for her.She deserves to be a champion.She's one of the best female bodybuilders in the last twenty years.I'm glad she won the money,and prizes.She's worked a long time for them.
Here's a link to coverage of the show with pictures of all competitors.
Rising Phoenix 2018

Alina suffered a couple of injuries a few years ago.In late 2014 she tore her left Achilles tendon during a sprint workout.During her recovery after surgery she fell due to the cast on her leg,and the effects of the drugs she was taking for pain.She tore her right bicep trying to catch herself.
It took about a year to a year and half to recover.She came in second at the 2017 contest.

She has incredible genetics.It's always crucial for a bodybuilder to pick the right parents.
She's been an athlete most her life.I believe it was mostly track,and field in her native Romania.She moved to Switzerland,and then to the USA.
She's worked for many years on her extraordinary physique.I started watching her years ago before she even started competing at the highest level.
It takes many top bodybuilders years to come close to reaching their potential.She's 40,and the recent Mr Olympia champion Shawn Rhoden is 43.

So here's the thing.She should have won years ago.Now...she's past her prime,been injured,and spoiled her exemplary lines with breast implants.Otherwise known as plastic bags of goo.
I don't know why they kept placing her second to women who just simply didn't look as impressive,and exciting as Alina.She was banging her head against the wall of X frames for years.They had the frames,and mass,but not really that extra something to be winning over Alina if you ask me.Is it merely beauty? It's that yes...and more.It's the thrill of seeing a fully realized muscular physique.It's the Oh My God! moment.It's visceral,and instinctual.It makes you feel awe struck.It's like seeing a super hero come to life.Every muscle group developed and brought to round fulfillment.It's why we watch bodybuilding.It's why it hooks us in the first place.
Alina made me feel that way.
There aren't many female bodybuilders at this point that I can say I genuinely envy their physiques.But her..I do.

I wasn't alone in my appreciation.She's very popular.
And she knows it.I never blame any bodybuilder for knowing it.They have to be self aware, self sculptors.
She did a lot of video.Some of it the usual silly soft short of porn.Bills to pay.The female bodybuilders have to make a living and this is the easiest way to do it and have time to train. Easiest in the short term.In the long term it probably stains their reputation as serious athletes.

Her physique strengths and weaknesses.There aren't many weaknesses.
Great shoulders.Great back.
Her calves were never spectacular.But the judges are usually willing to allow for that.They wouldn't have kept her from winning.But the left calf has never looked completely healed after she ruptured her Achilles tendon.That's significant damage.I think I do notice it.It's atrophied.It just doesn't look healed even though she seems to try to hide it.Every time she has a choice she poses with her left leg pushed far back,and cocked to the side.It certainly looks like an attempt to disguise the calf problem. But you really can't hide anything on stage.
Her bicep seems to have healed enough to not be a noticeable weakness.
The upper body has always been her extraordinary gift.Huge shoulders tapering to a pleasing waist.
The quads are no disappointment either.Her calves were...OK.
But it's the way her upper body dominates that really catches your eye.The classic yoked shoulders.
She has a remarkably striking face too.And a playful sparkle to her eyes.

Sigh.So here's the big one.She finally broke down and gave in.She got the damn bags.
She had said she didn't intend to get implants in the past.Silly me thinking people mean what they say.I should have known the pressure to conform never stops.
The smell of money always wins.Don't tell me the damn judges don't get to these women.
I think they always say,or imply,"hey hon,if you just add massive fake jugs...we'd let you win"
Let you.
So they finally let her win..but only when she got the fakes.

The implants she got are pretty awful.Big skin stretching blister bubbles.
What a lovely image.Blammo!
Great job cosmetic surgeons! You've worked your horror movie magic again.All this completely unnecessary surgery on healthy body parts.Great for business lads.
Oh I can just say they knock her physique off balance.Well yes they do.
The clearly unnatural round balloons make a bodybuilder top heavy.
You can't see the damn Pec muscles either.Don't you think that's kind of important judges? huh?
All other forms of implants are barred.
Breast balloons should be too.
So your boobs deflate? Stop taking testosterone,and getting gritty ripped if you can't live with it.
Because that's what going to happen inevitably.
Maybe it's just a failure to accept reality here.People want all the features increased to an extreme.But it doesn't work like that.Muscles swell,fatty breast tissue shrinks.

I then wondered when was the last time a woman with real breasts won the women's top bodybuilding contest,Ms Olympia to Rising Phoenix?
It might be Valentina Chepiga in 2000? I can't be certain.She got large implants later.
During the 80's to 90's at least some of the implants were smaller.I wasn't always sure in a few cases if they were fake or not.Particularly with the higher body fat during the off season.

I stopped following Popa when I saw what she had done.It was so tiresome,and disappointing.You too? Looking just like all the others.

If she had of won years ago I would have been really happy about it.Now I only heard about it after the fact.Yesterday's news.That's what women's bodybuilding has become.
The attention has shifted to the healthier looking more streamlined physique,and fitness competitors.
In a way The IFBB has shot itself in the foot by it's actions.

International Federation of Bodybuilders....bodybuilders...unless that's hard to sell then we'll redefine the bodies into whatever we can market.
So they dumped women's bodybuilding onto the off ramp.
It's becoming clear to me that it is probably a dying category unless they address the fundamental issues.
Females,drugs,and marketability.It's a hard question.
They need to open up a discussion about where bodybuilding is going,and they don't want to do it.
The athletes have little to no power with the sports owners.
It's the owners/sponsors who unilaterally decide the judging standards by all accounts.

(To go off on the hinky feeling about the judging a bit.
The problem with this niche judged sport.Even if they're trying to be fair,you don't feel like you can completely trust the process.
And the larger question is are the judges being controlled by the owners of the shows?
How could they not be? At the least by tightly stating the judging criteria for it to be inevitable for suspicions to arise.That's bad enough.
I think there's good evidence they did manipulate the placings during the time the Weiders were running the sport.There's a strong story they made sure Bev Francis wouldn't be allowed to win the Ms Olympia.
The strange combination of tacit approval of drug use while downplaying it in the public eye,and implants is a continually weird element in bodybuilding.
I wish they would at least try to get their stuff together and be less hypocritical about it.
There are a lot of issues to unpack about all this.But I was writing off the top of my head.
So we'll see if I want to organize my thoughts more about it in the future.)

Some notes on the rest of the field.
One of the most noticeable aspects about the field is the increasing age of the competitors.Female bodybuilders are an aging lot.Muscle maturity does take time.And it can be a long process to bring up lagging body parts,and create a fully developed physique.But there is a natural law of diminishing returns as aging progresses.The bodies start looking rather slack.The skin has gone through many rounds of weight gain,and loss.And it bears the appearance of it.You start seeing the signs of looser skin around the abdomen etc..and it's harder to bring out sharpness in the low back,and glutes.
I looked through images of the field,and saw this with many of the older competitors.
It's one of the reasons why I think women's bodybuilding is declining.Even with drugs it's hard for women to put on the muscle mass to bring on stage looking huge,and striated.The genetically gifted have a massive advantage.The question is would they go into the bodybuilding category now?
The competitors in women's bodybuilding in the past tended to be younger.
Mainly because they were judging for shape,and attractiveness rather than size.The size and conditioning increase has been marching along,and has left the more conventionally aesthetic considerations in the lighter categories.

Margie Martin came in second after missing last years contest.She's a two time past champion and  still has the development and frame.She did look fully prepared to make a run for another title.
I think her implants are a problem.Too large,round,and hard looking.The absolute opposite of breasts is hard looking.So in bodybuilding...hard everything.
She also has the problem of a noticeable c-section scar,and tattooing on her lower abdomen.
She might try wearing a custom made suit to cover her lower abdomen.I think that should be allowed.I don't know how much judges take scaring into account.
She's an impressive bodybuilder.We'll see if she keeps competing.

Sheila Bleck came in third.I would have awarded her the top prize.There's nothing missing with her.She is lighter than the two top placers.They may want to see more mass on her.But she's a classic well proportioned bodybuilder.No implants.No massive tats,or scars.Great poser.It would be nice to see her win some day.

Helle Trevino,last year's champion,came in 5th.It's surprising they dropped her down this low.She still has the mass.Did they think her conditioning was off? It's probably what cost her.She looked a little flat,and wasn't showing the striations that pop out to the judges.

Virginia Sanchez placed 7th,and carries very dense muscle in her upper body.In comparison her legs don't look as impressive.It's not that they're bad.Her upper body just visually over powers her legs.She's 47 so she's probably reached her level.
She also shows some of the serious issues with women's bodybuilding.
Of course she's been taking Androgenic Anabolic Steroids for years.She's probably also taken estrogen suppressors.So in fact her breast tissue has deflated.She has such low body fat that there's not much to pad her body at all.Her look is maximum hardness.
She shaves her head,and wears a wig.Possibly suffering hair loss due to the androgens she's taking.
And the years of high drug usage,and dieting show on her face.
This is the situation with the older women bodybuilders and what the judges have to work with.
There you have it.

At the end of the view on this.It took me awhile to write it.It's hard to look at now.I remember the old days when there were so many attractive,and compelling athletes.It was a real competition,and people could improve and have something to look forward too. I remember looking forward to getting the magazines.Reading articles about the competitions,And interviews with the athletes.
It's sad it's ground down to this point.And the corporate fools at the IFBB don't seem to know how to rescue it.
They'd have to make some hard changes.They'd have to behave like intelligent mature rational individuals and set some parameters of harm reduction and judging standards that would be very controversial.
There is a real and notable division between what sells to the hard core ( and often fetishistic so-called shmoe ) fan of women's bodybuilding and even a general bodybuilding physique fan base.
At this point it looks like they've sent women's bodybuilding out to pasture to die.

To address my repeated references to breast implants.
It would almost seem like I have a bug up my butt about them.
I do.
They look fake as hell.
Creepy plastic bags straining under the skin...and they're too damn big now.They're gross.
I didn't grow up seeing this much fake hardness when I was a kid.There was a lot more emphasis on  looking healthy,and somewhat relatable.
Most of the bodybuilders still looked beautiful,and graceful.They allowed them to keep a little subcutaneous fat,and they weren't forced to become the size of farm animals to have a chance to win.
I know I'm not alone in wanting to see more classic beauty in bodybuilding.It's a growing movement.

At the end of the day,as they say...
Female Bodybuilders can do what they want.
The organizations can do what they want.
The sponsors can do what they want.
The fans can watch it,or care,or not.

I'm just kind of shaking my head,and shrugging is all.I'm not trying to sound as angry as I do.I am bothered by it.But that's the way it goes.There's nothing I can do about it.We all have faded passions.I can move on.I have many interests.
As sorry as I am to lose former favorites...that's the breaks.
I love muscle...but this is about too much else now.
I'll keep lifting.I still love the fundamental iron culture.
But the onstage version of the ripped circus? I take a look at it when I feel like it now.
It's past it's prime,and entered it's decadent phase now.
Oh well.

The Olympia 2018

Shawn Rhoden

Well I never write anything in a timely manner.So this is the week after,give or take, the 2018 Olympia weekend.The yearly grandiose thumping flesh on parade show.
I didn't sit glued to the stream.Which I understand is just as well since it was on a site I've never heard of, ( iherb ), and it was down much of the first day.That's the IFBB isn't it?
I suppose they make money....somehow.
The big story;The same guy didn't win again! Dear sweet jumpin' Jebus!
The same guy always wins in the open class year,after year,until the average gymbro fan is crying into his protein shake about how bloody boring it is.Well...it kinda is.It's not really much of an actual contest if it turns into a yearly coronation.
So last year Phil Heath wins his seventh title in a row.2011-2017 all his.And last year he was battling a gut injury that required surgery soon after the show.He still managed to take the title.But there was grumbling about his gut.There's quite a lot of grumbling about distended turtle bellies in bodybuilding in general in the last few years.It's a real problem.
Phil's belly was reasonable this year.But he was not as big,and tight as in the past.He's a mass of round on round.H shaped,and packed with beef every inch.Lacking nothing.He's a damn impressive bodybuilder.He does deserve to be a champion.
But he's not loved by all.He can come off as prideful,touchy,and defensive.He glowers on stage,and pulls his mean muggin' face.
Bad impressions? Maybe a little.Are people being unfair to him? Probably they are.
He's not a villain.Some fans just got tired of him.That's the way it goes.He has a right to be proud of his run.He's one of the elites.We'll see if he comes back next year.His wife blew off some steam after the show,and said he was going to quit.An emotional over reaction in the heat of the moment.He'll probably be back.
The bigger deal is the man who won,Shawn Rhoden.
He's been climbing the Olympia mountain for years.He has a lot of fans.His physique is a modern mass version of a real X frame.It just flat out looks like an Olympia champion should.
He paid his dues,and deserves it.His win produced some genuine happiness in the bodybuilding world.It felt like a breath of fresh air.It felt a little like coming home to something close to the classic lines that so many fans yearn for.I wonder if the IFBB executives,and judges are getting the message? I'm starting to believe it's possible.The general public doesn't like the mega bulk freak look.But that's the average Joe.When there's a feeling that the real gym Joe is turned off, they start listening.The bulk freak beast still has fans.But it's unmarketable to many.It makes bodybuilding look like the circus sideshow rather than the beautiful muscular ideal most who fall in love with bodybuilding dream of.I don't think most people prefer the mass over the class.It's possible the constant exposure on social media has an effect on this.So many people look at so many muscular bodies.Most people are drawn to beauty.It has to be reflected in the sport.That's why they added so many divisions.They're basically aesthetic weight classes.
Gym members following physique heroes on Instagram,and YouTube buy supplements.They may buy tickets,and t-shirts,and support the future of bodybuilding too.
But whatever the long term on this...I'm glad he won.

Flex Lewis

Flex Lewis won his seventh 212 division title,and retired after wards.
Damn look at that back!
He's a great bodybuilder.I don't think we'll see a short man winning the open class but he would at least have a shot.I don't know if he's given any indication of wanting to step up to open.So this is probably it for him.
He's soldiered on and got it done for years.I always liked him winning more than Heath in open every year.
So next year the 212 will be a new winner.Maybe Derek Lunsford? We'll see.

I paid a little attention to the other divisions.
Breon Ansley won his second Classic title.He looks great, and healthy.Nothing bad to say about that.
Chris Bumstead may be the future winner.He's very impressive.His stomach vacuum could scare a Hoover.
(But I wish he'd get that arm obliterating tattoo removed.It's a giant glop wiping out his forearm)
There are rumors that they may allow them to change from the black boxers next year.Here's hoping.

The Women's Physique winner, Shanique Grant...is pretty.And she has a nice physique.Good for her.
I prefer Natalia Abraham Coelho.Very sharp,and statuesque.Great lines.
And no implants...yet.I'll like her as long as she doesn't install the bags of goo.
It looks like they're reining in the women's muscle mass too.They look more stream lined,and lighter this year.This has been going on for some time.The athletes get bigger,they get pulled back.
Of course.

Natalia Abraham Coelho

The rest of the events...congrats to the winners.
See I'm trying to be nice and not mention the dumb board shorts in Men's physique,or the fact that all the Bikini girls look the same (implants) and stick their butts in the air.

Well it was an eventful show.We'll see how things play out from here as we continue to pretend that bodybuilding is an actual sport that matters.
Thanks for playing kids.

I'll bet Las Vegas was cleared out of doughnuts after the show too.😄🍩

Iron Info September 7, 2018 - Stefansson's all meat diet,Doctors ignoring breast surgery patients,Dr Georgia Ede's on the Lancet's low carb scare,William Murray - first champ,Beef Jerky with Brad Leone.

I'm always finding interesting articles,and videos.Usually items posted to Twitter.I do re tweet them.But I thought I'd make the effort to share them in a more permanent manner here.
If I find something of particular interest I'll list it,and provide a brief description.

We all need to get better edumacated,or edumeatcated for us meat head lifters.(I'm kidding.Don't get your singlet in a wad.)

➲
Here's a fascinating article from Atlas Obscura about the Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson,and his experiment proving the safety of an all meat diet.
He had lived with the Inuit long enough to realize their diet was adequate,and healthy.
There is an aggressive modern pro plant based diet agenda that claims you can't get enough nutrients from meat.Factually that's not the case.Yes including vitamin C.
The Inuit,and Plains Indians didn't get scurvy.

The Arctic Explorer Who Pushed an All Meat Diet.


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This is a excruciating story about surgeons refusing to respect the wishes of women undergoing mastectomy to not have breast implants,or reconstruction.
They are often being arrogantly ignored because the surgeons think they know better.
They are causing some horrendous outcomes.It's also obvious that many surgeons performing plastic surgery on breasts are dangerously incompetent.
It's appalling that the boob butchering bastards seem to get away with it too.
American medical patients need a strong,and enforceable standard of legal rights.
The story from Cosmopolitan.Includes graphic images.

These Cancer Patients Wanted to Get Rid of Their Breasts for Good. Their Doctors Had Other Ideas. 


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Excellent take down of the recent Lancet report claiming that low carb diets are dangerous.
Many people don't understand how bias can be built into these reviews.
Dr. Georgia Edes of Diagnosis Diet explains it at Psychology Today.

Latest Low-Carb Study: All Politics, No Science

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Conor Heffernan of Physical Culture Study on the first winner of a bodybuilding contest; William Murray ,Champion of Eugene Sandow's 1901 Great Competition held in London.

Bodybuilding’s First Champion: William Murray

William Murray

⇶
The entertaining goofball chef, Brad Leone showing how to make homemade beef jerky.
You'll need a dehydrator.Yeah,I know you're not going to do it.But if you wanted to, you can.
(and hopefully not add as much sugar as commercial brands)
Bon Appetit on YouTube.

I'll be back at ya soon.Always Lifting and Learning.

NPC USA Women's Bodybuilding 2017,and the case of the freak implants.

Yvette Bova

I happened to be follow a link from Muscle Insider to their contest photo coverage of  the NPC USA bodybuilding contest.I looked up the Women's Bodybuilding division..I was looking at the field of competitors,and found this picture.I can honestly say I have no idea why this women was in a bodybuilding contest.
This isn't what a bodybuilder looks like by any definition I knew of.
I got nuthin'
There were only five women in the whole bodybuilding division.Four in the heavy weight.One in the light heavy.She was the light heavy.So she won the division.Sigh.
I looked her up.She's a USAF veteran.Well,I thank her for her service.
She's also a porn actress.How unsurprising.
These implants are so utterly ( or should I say udderly ) grotesque as to defy belief.
Of course I've seen similar cartoon balloons on strippers.That's exactly the problem.This woman doesn't look like an athlete.She looks like a sex worker.
I have to wonder why they even allow these buffoonery boobs to be produced as medical devices?
I would think that implanted medical devices have to be approved by the FDA.
Yep.I looked it up.So at what point do they say enough?
Something short of the Hindenburg?
Breast reconstruction with implants after mastectomy?
Replacing a lost body part with a prothesis is common practice.
Abnormal formation of the breasts leading to plastic surgery?
Understandable.
But this? This isn't really an issue of augmentation as such.It's a radical form of sexual fetishization surgery. Have we gone beyond personal liberty into self harm here?
Women with abnormally large natural breasts will sometimes have them reduced due to severe back pain.And if these massive implants were damaged,or ruptured,it could cause a severe problem.
I don't like the idea of protecting people from themselves in general.There are considerations of informed consent,and harm reduction that reduce bad consequences.
But I wouldn't have any part in approving this by a medical board,hospital,doctors,insurance companies...or the FDA.
Common sense got up and rolled off.

I could put up other pictures of her.But what's the point.
She has trained with weights.But the entire front of her body is dominated by these basketballs straining under her skin.
I could say she has a short torso,bad abs,and she's at the age she should be in the master's division.But it's all beside the point.
I don't intend this as a mere attack on one individual either.The problem is general.She just got caught up in this mentality.But that's a bigger issue.
( the woman who won had implants,tattoos on her breasts,heavy make-up,and BBQ tan )

I've tried to find the NPC ( National Physique Committe) and IFBB ( International Federation of Bodybuilders ) rules online.
The NPC has many different divisions,and a plethora of rules.
Here are the NPC Bodybuilding Rules.
I can't find anything about implants,and site injections.

Here's the IFBB rule on implants,and site injections for Men's Bodybuilding for 2017.The Women's Bodybuilding division was discontinued a few years ago

IFBB rule on implants,and extras.

 This should be the standard for ALL Physique,and Bodybuilding.
 They should ban ALL implants.

They won't.
And because they won't the competitors will keep getting implants.About an estimated 80% of the women in all divisions.Ponder that one for a moment.Organizations claiming to be representing physique,and fitness effectively demand that women mutilate their breasts.

At the least they could impose some sane limits on size.
But at this point I don't think they care much about the Women's Bodybuilding division.It's hanging on by a thread.Why even have standards?
They act like they're giving the hens some chicken feed before consigning them to the fryer.A small courtesy.
The NPC,and IFBB ( which are not genuinely separate organizations ) are run strictly as businesses.
The more mainstream 'fitness' has become,the more money they make.And it's concentrated in a few companies,and individuals.Bikini girls pay entrance fees.They're anxious for approval,and success.Mainstream mutts want to see bikini girls.So ka-ching.
Good bye actual Bodybuilding.

Yes I know it's not much of an actual sport to begin with.It's a kind of beauty pageant for people who torture themselves with weights.But it used to be fun to watch.
Now it's too often dull,cringey,and sad.

Rich Piana dead at 46.

It has not been a good week in the world of bodybuilding.It's been pretty brutal actually.
The fact that Rich Piana succumbed to the head injury he suffered a few weeks ago isn't really a shock.If you hear someone has been placed in a medically induced coma,it's often unrecoverable.
It's brain damage,or death.
I'm not going to pretend I was a fan of the man.I had watched a few of his videos.But he wasn't my cup of tea.I'm not into the hardcore biker/rock star/tat freak look.
But I believe that he loved the weightlifting life.He really wanted to be a bodybuilder.
When he didn't become a champion,he just decided to do it his way.
That did involve the heavy use of drugs.Unfortunately he had dependency issues with a number of substances.That would be the diplomatic way to put it.
He was a grown man.He owned his own life.He made his choices.
If what some neuroscientists say about the human brain is true,we will tend to follow our deepest course.In effect we posses less real free will than we like to believe.I admit I don't like to believe we don't make real choices.
I'll try to see people as what they work to be.At least try to give them credit for the will they activate in their lives.Piana poured himself into getting huge,and pumped up,and popular.He had a big personality,and attitude,and a temper.
He excited a lot of people.If that got some young people excited about bodybuilding,then good.
I hope they find the reward in it.
Piana was an extremist.He used too much,pushed too hard,lived bigger than life.There will be people who burn bright,and too short.They do find what they love,and they do let it kill them.
So I hope the guy enjoyed his wild ride.

I'll leave with an old poem by a lady who may have understood the feeling.

                                       "My candle burns at both ends
                                         It will not last the night;
                                         But ah,my foes,and oh,my friends -
                                         It gives a lovely light.

                               
                                                                           Edna St.Vincent Millay

Cedric McMillan winning the Arnold Classic - Arnold believes popularity matters.

The video is from the channel MAKAVELI*MOTIVATION.It celebrates Cedric McMillan's victory,and hard work.

Last month Cedric McMillan won the Arnold Classic Open Bodybuilding division.Most bodybuilding media was predicting he would.They called it.He won,and looked great doing it.It's a well received victory from a competitor who's paid his dues.
It's a popular victory with most fans,and certainly with Arnold Schwarzenegger.He's been pushing the point that awkward looking, bloat gutted bulk freaks are hurting the sport.Almost nobody enjoys looking at them.The general public flips out over the extremity.That's one thing.They dump on bodybuilders anyway.But most people who actually love muscle are weary of the meatball parade.
If you love bodybuilding you want to see the muscle displayed with graceful lines.Presence,and compelling posing.The look of a classic Herculean hero.
We can all get a kick out of the super freaks.But it's a cheap thrill.
The dream physique produces awe.

Arnold owes his famous life to bodybuilding.He may have become the mayor of Graz,but he wouldn't have become a star without his unique physique.It seems he's putting most of his energy back into bodybuilding now.He's still acting.But it looks like he's returned to his first love with enthusiasm,and concern.He's promoting his tour of shows now.It's becoming a kind of rival to the singular importance of the Olympia.
The business,and politics of the sport are complicated.But I think the big issue is the lasting legacy of the Weiders,and the fact that AMI bought a major interest in the sport.It feels like it can't grow independently.It's constrained by the business,and marketability concerns of the IFBB.You would think they'd want nothing more than to have bodybuilding,and fitness being more popular.And I can see that's a part of their approach.Particularly with the division expansions introduced in the last decade,or so.But what about the real fans? Are we being listened to?
Not much.They torpedoed the women's open class because they couldn't ( wouldn't ) address the judging issues,and gave up.How many new male potential champions are coming up too?
The bikini,and men's physique is earning entrant money.It's unthreatening to the mass market.But it clogs up a bodybuilding stage with fitness classes.
Not good for the heart of the pursuit.Real bodybuilding.

I wonder if Arnold is having an influence on the judging at his shows? I think he is.He was making noise about the bulging bellies in the past few years.
Cedric winning.The smiling Ahmad Ashkanani winning the 212's ( yes.his belly is too thick )
Oksana Grishina winning the fitness.
There could be a shift going on with the judging to reward the people who make a more positive impression on viewers.Outgoing,energetic people are what Arnold wants representing the sport.
The fact is it's getting stale at the top.
Why even bother to watch the Olympia anymore if Phil Heath just shows up to collect his yearly trophy?
I hope Arnold can pump in some enthusiasm,and excitement into the scene.I can't help but wonder what would happen if he could get even more power in the sport?
He brings far more to the whole picture than Eric Weider ever could.

Notes;
Just damn,Cedric! Dragging a chain,and weights down the road in the rain.That has to be some of the more bad ass cardio I've seen.A human dray horse.That's what I love about bodybuilders.

I'll admit I didn't sit down,and watch the whole Arnold show.Sigh.My attention span isn't what it was when I was a young fan.I don't ever watch the bikini,figure,fitness events.I can't even pretend to care.

It's very hard to get an actual sport out of bodybuilding isn't it?
It's just an excuse to show off hard work.
That's another article.

Breaking PRs vs breaking your face.Strength and older people.

Recently I came across news about two older people and what had been going on in their lives.
I'm not at their age yet.But I'm far enough past youth to respect the challenges they're facing.
The first article was by athletic trainer Charles Staley called "How I got in my best shape at age 55."
The second piece of information I saw was about Dr Harriet Hall.She had suffered a serious fall.

 Charles Staley is a long time athlete who has participated in martial arts,track events,and weight lifting.He admits he was never a gifted athlete.He felt like he came up short compared to many others.He also admitted that he could have worked harder,and smarter.
But the exciting part about his story is that he never gave up on his love for improving himself,and decided to increase his commitment.He was eating a lousy diet,and said he didn't look the part of a fitness trainer.Basically a flabby old guy who people listened to because they respected his reputation as an intelligent coach.He could have coasted along and settled for things as they were.
He decided to make the effort to improve his diet,and lost 23 pounds.He also managed to break weightlifting personal records.
That's a person who's not giving up on what he can do.He can't stop the years passing.But he doesn't have to slip dearly near senility.

Harriet Hall is known as the SkepDoc.She's a Medical Doctor,and a retired United States Air Force Colonel.She's dedicated to exposing quackery,and nonsense in the medical field.
This is a very intelligent,and well informed individual.
I've read her work for years,and respected her insight on skeptical issues regarding medicine.
She's a regular contributor to the website Science Based Medicine.
I stopped by the site,and found that she had suffered an accident while on vacation in Australia with her husband.Here's what she posted about a month ago.

Harriet_Hall Moderator • 25 days ago

More info:
I was on a bus tour from Alice Springs to Uluru. We had stopped to walk up into a canyon in 103 degree heat and on the way back I lost my footing on treacherous uneven rocky terrain, kept going faster and couldn't stop, fell on outstretched arms, hitting face and head. List of injuries: broken right wrist, small brain bleed, jaw broken on both sides, maxillary fractures involving both maxillary sinuses and one orbital floor, two broken teeth, lacerations to temple, lower lip and chin, multiple bruises and nicks. It took 3 1/2 hours for the maxillofacial surgeons in Adelaide to put Humpty Dumpty together again with multiple plates and screws as well as braces and rubber bands to coax my teeth back into alignment. And they repaired my lip by cutting out a small wedge. I got excellent care and two rides with Royal Australian Flying Doctors. Recovering well, but still considerable pain and can only eat puréed food. Just got out of hospital after a week, am in motel. Will fly to Sydney in two days, then Eran Segev has kindly offered to drive us to Newcastle where we will stay with a friend of Kirk's he hasn't seen since college. Then, hopefully back to USA a couple of days later.
Thanks to everyone for the good wishes.

That's a hell of a scary fall for a 71 year old woman.It's the kind of accident that can have life changing consequences.It could have been the nasty end of a meaningful life.It could have killed her.
It's accidents like this that people fear for their parents,or someday,themselves.

It reminded me of the accident tennis writer Bud Collins suffered in 2012.

Bud Collins website entry

He had had serious health problems before.But this was the event that pushed him into a state that he never really recovered from.He spent so long in bed after the fall that it exacerbated his heart problems.
He died in 2016 at the age of 86.That's about ten years better than the average age of death for an American man.
He had been a tennis player himself.He remained active,and traveled into his later years.But if he could have avoided that fall,his final years would surely have been easier.
I really liked this wonderful funny old guy.It made me sad to see him go through this.

I don't blame Harriet Hall,or Bud Collins.I don't know if their accidents could have been avoided.
But I think it's possible that a stronger person could have avoided it.Maybe you'd have a chance to stop yourself from going ass over teakettle.I do believe having more muscle,especially in your legs,could make a difference.There's also the effect of training on the Central Nervous System,and reflexes.

The conclusion is simple.No matter how difficult,and intimidating it may seem to older people they should engage in resistance training.
Older people should be concerned about becoming feeble,and do the only thing that can actively prevent it.
It's the difference between an independent life,and a hospital bed,a rehabilitation facility,an old folks home.It's the difference between active life,and death.

I have to believe that weight training could only help.Even a few dumbbells sitting around.Dumbbell squats,presses,rows.Whatever can be done.So even if your Mom thinks it's crazy,give her some of those colorful dumbbells.
And if someone has enough guts;join a gym.Learn to lift.What do you have to lose but your weakness?

Take responsibility for yourself before it's too late,and out of your hands.

And don't trip over a dumbbell like a pathetic klutz,and smash into the rack.
Re-rack your weights meatheads!

T-Nation and Biotest;Macho bottles of blueberry powder.

T-Nation is a bodybuilding,and strength training site that's run by a supplement company called Biotest.
To give the best example of the kind of supplements they sell,let's talk about indigo 3G.It contains a substance called Cyanidin 3-Glucoside.This substance is being looked at for it's possible effects on health,and body composition.Yes,it's interesting.
But what is it really? It's a dark pigment in fruit.Blueberries,raspberries,blackberries etc..
And you can buy a bottle of it for 65 bucks from Biotest.
If you're thinking that sounds like bullshit,I agree.They were even marketing it in their pretty little blue bottles in fancy plastic boxes for a time.
They always claim to be on the cutting edge of supplementation,and nutrition.They come off like a bunch of snake oil salesmen.
I don't think all supplements are crap.But some of them are.Over hyped,overpriced,and under supported by evidence.Biotest is a perfect case.Don't be fooled.
The best way to take supplements is to know about the actual substance you're taking.Not proprietary blends with hidden amounts of ingredients.There can be sensible combinations of ingredients.There can be issues of absorption.But you should always be able to tell exactly what you're taking,and how much.
You can take blueberry extract itself for a fraction of the cost of their bottles of cool blue.
Just run a search on Amazon and you can find a bottle of capsules from Life Extension for about fifteen dollars.

Now the issues with the site.It's bad ass jet black with yellow print.Eye stabbing annoyance.Simple lists of articles,and not in order of date.They rerun a lot of old material.Constant hawking of their products by placing links to the store in the articles themselves.How does that not bias articles? It has to.
And the bully swagger macho.Testosterone Magazine.He-Man Woman Haters.( Our Gang reference to little boys who rejected girls joining their club ).
Tuff Guys!
Gosh it's so impressive.
Here's a very manly article from Chris Shugart asking if you're tough enough,or just a big sissy?
That's right,the big strong man is disappointed in you for not being tough enough.And he'll call you a sissy,or say you're leading to the pussification of America.
Oh.Here we go again.It's the Chris and Dani Shugart show.Dumb runs in the family.
These kinds of people are NOT good for bodybuilding.They're off putting to the vast majority of people in society.They're like a bad stereotype of the obnoxious lunkhead.Why do that?
Do you think people will come to you for fitness advice when you act like that?

I think T-Nation works like this.Pander to the insecure boy,or boy man,who looks for muscle building advice.Tell him you've got the secrets of no nonsense manliness right here in a bottle for him.Tell him how to be a real tough guy.Sneer at the girls, sissies,and the fat people.
Sell him your shit.

The sad thing is they're driving smarter people away from some damn fine articles written by real experienced bodybuilders,and power lifters.First class strength coaches.
Those articles are worth wading through the childishness to read.They pay the real experts to provide some valuable content.You just have to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I can't attest to the value of every article by every coach.But worth consideration.Most of these guys have their own sites too.So once you find someone's information interesting you can check them out.TC Luoma's articles,often about nutrition,can be informative too.He smears on the vulgar jokes,but he's trying to keep up with the latest food news.
T-Nation also has a YouTube channel that runs lifting,and exercise demonstrations.Sound material.

The site is playing hard to the manly point of view.There goes much of the fitness audience.
But they clearly don't have the intention,or the ability to compete with the mainstream big leagues of the industry.
But on the other hand,the truly "dangerously hardcore' to use their tired slogan are probably mostly elsewhere.On some steroid board discussing stacks.
I've got to warn them this crap isn't going to play for long.Not in a world where a Texas college football coach might actually lose his job because his players go on rape sprees.Sweet Jesus where ever could they have gotten such unacceptable attitudes towards women?
It's seeping in from somewhere somehow.

I was following T-Nations twitter,But it's click bait and the stupid sissy,pussy references wore on me.It's not worth following.Too much ick.
I will look in on the site on occasion.But I'm finding better sources.
I've never bought anything from Biotest,and I never will.I don't know who owns it.But it wouldn't surprise me if it goes belly up.Unless of course they can keep their insecure boys blowing money on their magic manly potions.

Book Review:The Weider Book of Bodybuilding for Women by Betty and Joe Weider.

Cover with model Shelly Gruwell

The cover of 'The Weider Book of Bodybuilding for Women' from 1981 by Betty and Joe Weider.
This is one of the early books I got when I was a teen starting out in weight training.
Bodybuilding for women was just becoming popular,or even known,for that matter in the late seventies-early eighties period.This book was published by the Weider company that also put out a number of popular magazines like Muscle & Fitness.They were the company in bodybuilding and fitness at the time.Betty Brosmer Weider was the wife of the head of the company Joe Weider.
She was a pinup girl,and model.She was actually an early pioneer in the modern women's fitness movement.So she may have actually written some of the material.But I'll bet Joe,and some copy people wrote it too.
It's very basic.It's written for the new audience of young women who were just starting out in weight training.It's trying to be reassuring to the 'ladies' that weights won't make you masculine,or intimidating.
It features black and white pictures of women in leotards using a lot of Nautilus equipment.Nautilus made all kinds of exercise machines that just look unnecessarily complicated.Rube Goldberg contraptions for exercise that are basically huge expensive machines to do what you can easily do with barbells,and dumbbells.Fashionably constructed out of shiny chrome,and fake tan leather.They went out of business as a gym manufacturer years ago.But they still own a number of home brands like Bowflex,and Schwinn Fitness.
I think most things were made out of chrome in the seventies.

I think the first time I became aware of the existence of bodybuilding was probably seeing the movie 'Pumping Iron'.I must have seen it on HBO.Because I'm certain I didn't see it in a theater.
I was inherently intrigued by the act of humans forcing their muscles to grow.I was really amazed,and pleased to see that other girls,and women felt the same way.So I bought a number of the early women's bodybuilding books.
I would have to say this is one of the poorer books on the subject.There's no sense of the revolutionary spirit of women lifting weights,and becoming strong.It's very safe,and corporate.I doubt I got that much out of it.The fact is lifting weights is lifting weights.Form is form.So while I can appreciate the fact they were trying to give women something to relate to you don't need cutesy little fitness girls to learn how to lift.I read the articles in Muscle and Fitness and they had good picture spreads of male bodybuilders.They did start including real female bodybuilders too.
I did belong to a gym when I was teen(My mother joined and took me along ).But they didn't have that much equipment.Certainly not all those crazy Nautilus contraptions.But it was all a bunch of chrome!
So maybe this book was a little encouragement.But it's very dated and would only be of interest to a collector of early women's bodybuilding books.Or if you're a leotard fetishist.

Multi station weight machine

Women working out on a multi station weight machine.Running shorts,and running shoes.This looks like the kind of set up they'd have in a YWCA gym.
I hope somebody let that poor girl down.

Barbell lunge

Ladies in leotards doing lunges with light weights.

Nautilus glute machine

Goofy Nautilus back,and butt machine.Looks rather....questionable!
"Help! Let me out.I promise I'll be a good girl."
I wonder if one of these is gathering dust somewhere?

Wrist curls anyone?

Here we have a buxom model performing wrist curls.Enjoy.

There's also a chapter at the end of the book on competitive women's bodybuilding which was in it's infancy.Mainly pictures of the current star of the scene Rachel McLish.A very safe,and soft image indeed.

So this book is a minor note in the history of women's weight training.But an interesting glimpse into the mood of the time.
And so much chrome.

The value of Vitamin D and Creatine in surpressing Myostatin.

I came across a link to this article on Muscular Development about Clenbuterol.Which is a Beta2-adrenergic agonist used to treat asthma.It's also used in bodybuilding to spare muscle,and burn fat.
See the MD article for more details.Benefits of Clenbuterol.
You can learn more about the use of Clenbuterol in bodybuilding from this article on Anabolic.org
Clenbuterol is effective,but it also has risks.Personally,I wouldn't want to use it.

There's also some very interesting information about the regulation of Myostatin during exercise and how Clenbuterol affects it.Take Clenbuterol long enough and it raises myostatin.Not a good thing.
The Myostatin issue brings up a fascinating point.Myostatin works like a brake on gaining muscle.
One of the most amazing conditions that exists in the world of muscle is Myostatin-related Muscle Hypertrophy.The animals that have this gene knocking out myostatin are pretty damn freaky looking.

 

A Myostatin deficient Bull

So in the simplest terms;turn down the myostatin and turn up the muscle.This condition has happened to rare humans as well.It may very well be one of the reasons some humans have a major natural advantage in gaining muscle mass.Of course I'm sure that all gets very complicated,and speculative.But lowering the impact of myostatin on your muscles is an exciting idea as a bodybuilder.Now the question is can it be done? There are a number of products that have claimed they can lower myostatin dramatically.So far they look like a bunch of cow manure.You can't take a magic pill.
It has been done experimentally to lab mice by gene editing.That's not something you can put in a supplement.But you may be able to improve the situation by taking Creatine and Vitamin D.
From the MD article;

Certain nutritional supplements are known to inhibit myostatin. Therefore, consuming them should negate myostatin’s hold on muscle growth directly induced by clenbuterol. Creatine is a well-characterized compound that has been unmistakably shown to enhance muscle size and strength. In addition to creatine’s obvious function as a primary energy storage molecule used to regenerate muscle ATP, thus prolonging muscle function, creatine has also been shown to stimulate muscle growth.⁴ More recently, however, a study by Saremi et al.⁵ demonstrated that creatine consumption causes a decrease in myostatin levels in muscle cells, leading to significant muscle growth. In this study, two groups of men performed resistance training with or without creatine for a total of eight weeks. Both groups showed decreased levels of myostatin, but the group that performed resistance training and consumed creatine had a considerably larger decrease in myostatin levels along with greater gains in muscle mass and strength— clearly demonstrating the ability of creatine to reduce myostatin levels, improving muscle growth and strength.
Another potent myostatin inhibitor is vitamin D. As shown in a recent study by Garcia et al.⁶, vitamin D exposure decreased the amount of myostatin found in isolated muscle cells, generating greater muscle growth. In addition to the decrease in myostatin, this study also showed that vitamin D triggers an increase in the powerful inhibitor of myostatin known as follistatin, which increases muscle mass by inhibiting myostatin.⁷ Ultimately, this study indicates that the decrease in myostatin level and activity caused by vitamin D significantly increased muscle fiber size.

Creatine Monohydrate and Vitamin D are easy safe additions to any lifters supplements.I'm sure most amateur bodybuilders take creatine sometimes.But vitamin D levels may not be considered.That's a mistake because vitamin D is important for over all health.
Dr Rhonda Patrick has a great video about the target range for vitamin D and it's benefits.

Vitamin D 
is actually a secosteroid and usually taken as a supplement in the form of D3.
You can of course get it foods,and from sunlight as well.
If you are going to take it as a supplement it might be best to take it with a meal containing green vegetables rich in Vitamin K,and K2.That will help the vitamin D take calcium into your bones rather than depositing it in your soft tissues where it may damage your arteries.
But do please research this for yourself when making any decisions about what supplements to take.After all I'm just some nobody on the internet :)

Keeping your myostatin levels down could have a positive impact on muscle growth over time.If you're trying to build muscle without taking AAS,and other drugs,that could be a real plus.

I'll leave you with a talk from a real hardcore lifter, Stan Efferding, who does believe in the benefits of Vitamin D.

 

2016 Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix

I wish I had a lot to say about this.But it's like a shadow passing through the Bodybuilding world.
Did they even hold it?
Yes they did.Here are the results.
Margie Martin won it again for the second time.
The only video I've seen from the event was taken by a spectator in the audience during the prejudging.It was adequate.I could get some idea of the condition of the competitors.But it was also an amateurish failure on the part of the promoters.I would have watched a live steam if one had been available.Maybe their was one.I don't know?I do try to follow what's left of women's bodybuilding.I may not be doing a very good job of keeping up.But There's not much out there.
Why don't they try to get Amazon to stream it next year like they're doing with the Olympia competition.
And yes,it's disgusting that they basically decapitated Women's Bodybuilding out of the Olympia.They could easily have it before the rest of the contest.On the prior weekend,or on the Thursday before the weekend.But AMI is a business.They don't actually value bodybuilding for it's own sake.Honestly some of the women now on the Olympia stage look like they could be working in Las Vegas,and not as personal trainers.That's what sells to the masses.But the amount of respect I tend to have for common tastes might fill a thimble.I really don't think the object of bodybuilding is to be conventional,and unthreatening to ordinary people.It's for people to push their personal limits,and achieve something awesome.But that's a complicated subject which I may return to in the future.( If I can find time to sit down and klutz at the keyboard )

Now my feelings about the results.And this will be mostly about feelings.I've discovered I don't really watch bodybuilding like a usual sporting competition.It does seem more like a display,performance,or pageant.I don't want to see them run like beauty pageants because that wouldn't be the intent of the sport.It does have to keep the ideal of development.Actual muscle building.Though having different divisions,and weight classes is legitimate.
But I don't enjoy looking at people I don't find attractive.Who does? That's the problem.I try to be a good sport about it though,and not degenerate into cheap meanness.
I'll be honest.I never watched the years of the Ms Olympia that Iris Kyle ( or Kim Chizevsky ) won except for maybe 2013/14.I didn't pay very much attention to Kyle.I may have run a Google image search once,or twice.
Alina Popa is the one I like.I follow her media,and look for pictures of her.She is beautiful,and inspiring.
She came in second a few times to Kyle.Then she got injured in 2014.That was the year the contest was dropped so she couldn't have competed anyway.Terrible luck because she probably would have won.She deserved it.
So Margie Martin ( a woman I had never even heard of ) won in 2015.I thought Popa would have a good chance at it this year.She came in third behind Martin,and Sheila Bleck.
Well expletive deleted that,and the horse it rode in on.
I think they made the wrong decision.She has a polish,and beauty that women's bodybuilding is desperately in need of.I sometimes think women's bodybuilding is trying to commit suicide.Maybe it's just shortsightedness.They see a woman with bulk,and an X frame and give her the trophy.But she doesn't make you gasp,and say Wow!She isn't beautiful,or very interesting.But big.
That's were women's bodybuilding has gone off the track.Cory Everson,Lenda Murray.Anja Langer and others were amazing looking women.Larger than life,and heroic looking.But also truly beautiful to look at.Exciting.Inspiring.

You have to respect Margie Martin .She's a USMC vet,and the mother of four children.She does have the desired X frame.Wide shoulders,and well developed quads.She's not unattractive either.She seems like a nice lady.If you're a fan,fine.Good.She's impressive.

Margie Martin

Now here's why I can't put her in first place.Right to left symmetry is unacceptable.To be blunt,I hate breast implants.They never look better than real breasts.But hers are just wonky.The right goo bag is lower than the left one.I don't know what boob of a surgeon did this work,but he's a hack.But she's responsible for them.She paid for them.That should be a huge deduction.
I think the above picture(pink suit ) is from 2015,or earlier 2016.
I found a few from the contest.(there aren't many online ).So here she is this year.

Margie Martin Rising Phoenix 2016.

Margie Martin.

You can clearly see she still has the problem with the fouled up implants.If bodybuilding has any self respect left,you don't overlook something this glaring.
Now we move on to her lower abdomen.What is going on there? A tattoo? Scars?
It's a mess.
Scars are not someones fault,but...This is bodybuilding.A lot of flaws may not be somebodies fault but they don't get overlooked.I notice that in an instant.Again it should be a deduction.
If it's a tattoo, then 100% the fault of the contestant.And yes I think it matters.Tattoos are a distraction from the muscles,and skin.If they're large,or poorly placed it should count against the person.
We should have higher standards than this.Too many noticeable problems.

Sheila Bleck placed second.A very fine bodybuilder who has had a long career.Great muscle density,and nice symmetry.

Sheila Bleck at the 2016 Rising Phoenix.

She has the kind of high quality physique that should earn top placings in women's bodybuilding.
Some people may find the facial signs of Androgen usage,and low voice bothersome to their sensibilities.That's kind of par for the course in bodybuilding though.
I do think she's a worthy high level competitor.

Alina Popa.No apologies I think she's the best.She's the perfect package of muscle maturity,polished lines,and genuine beauty.She really does embody my ideal for a female bodybuilder.I've seen others I can put in that top tier.But she's the pinnacle.If I have to choose one female bodybuilder I would most want to have the physique of,it's her.

Alina Popa at the 2016 Rising Phoenix.

Alina Popa at the 2016 Rising Phoenix.

Her back was looking spectacular.Great shoulders.Great skin tone,and hair.Her conditioning is very good though the judges may have preferred a more ripped look.I personally feel that can go too far with women.I don't like the skinned chicken look.
The criticism I could make is the left calve.I may be seeing the effects of the left Achilles tendon tear ( And right bicep tendon tear she suffered when she fell on the stairs after her Achilles tear surgery.Painkillers and stairs are not a good combination. )
Her calves have never been her best body parts.They look adequate,but not extraordinary.But honestly it seems to be common to give great bodybuilders some mercy on the calves.I love deep diamond calves.It's a notoriously hard body part to force into growth.
Anyway;I do hope that women's bodybuilding isn't foolish enough to fail to award this amazing women the top trophy soon.

I am going to leave the review here at the top three.If I feel like it I might make a post on the lower finishers.

Book Review:Strong and Hard Women by Tanya Bunsell.

Rene Campbell on the cover of Strong and Hard Women

This book was written by an ethnographer about the female bodybuilding scene in the UK.
I've read a number of academic oriented history books.So I do know the approach to the content to expect.There has to be a consideration of weather or not a book is being written for an insider or general readership.This book is very much written for the ethnographic academia department.It has very little appeal to a general reader.
It's written in academicese.Insider language.It's the kind of book where you know you're going to find the word liminal.I hit it on page 133.I'm surprised she held out that long.
You could make a drinking game out of how many time she uses the word hegemonic,but I'm afraid you'd knock yourself out..The problem with this approach is that it's all in group communication on in group mutually agreed upon concepts.Which could be a bucket of self satisfied academic hogwash for all the average reader would know.I do suspect a certain amount of twaddle emerges from the ivory towers.I had a little groaning,and eye rolling workout trudging through some of it.And no,I'm not an inarticulate idiot who just doesn't 'get it'.I just take it with a grain of salt.
But we'll grant this writer,Tanya Bunsell, means well.

The first problem is she's not a good writer.It's very awkward.Does anyone actually use the word 'Whilst' anymore?It's pretentious,and slogging.Filled with constant references,and quotes from other ethnographers.Most of the beginning of the book is little more than a defense,and apologia of her attempt to study the subject.You could scan through the first 50 pages,and you wouldn't miss much.If you can't affirm it's valuable to study something,and get on with it why waste so much paper?
She doesn't seem to quite know how to position herself in the writing.She admits she has weight trained.And injured herself doing so.She's faced some negative comments from others.She became a personal trainer before she pursued her career in academics.Dated some guys who lift.She's laying out her gym rat cred.But it also feels like she sees herself above it.
Then it's on to the issue of how the ethnographer treats the  subjects.Yes it's a genuine ethical issue of how people should be treated during research,and journalism.Stay detached,or go native?
How do you understand people without becoming immersed?Can you?
And how do you treat them with concern,and protect their privacy.Make sure they don't experience negative consequences by participating in a study of their lives.I do think she's trying to be considerate.She does seem to be using pseudonyms in most cases.Though you may be able to figure out who the women are if you tried.

Bunsell is looking at Women's Bodybuilding from a Feminist philosophical,and political viewpoint.
Do I have to say it doesn't pass their sniff test.Quelle suprise as the French would say.
Of course many feminists have decided that it's a beauty contest  pandering to the male gaze,and compromised by commercial concerns.Many things are.
She also presents the question of whether bodybuilding is a deviant subculture.I don't think that's a fair way of describing it.I'm not saying the author thinks that.But the word subculture gets tiresome.
Bunsell does try to point out the way women are using bodybuilding to achieve a greater sense of self determination.To control,and create their own bodies.We all know the business of bodybuilding is hard on women.But that doesn't mean that most female weight trainers aren't committed lifters who genuinely enjoy the process.Including bodybuilders who have to go through all the difficulties of diet,and stage presentation.I do think that voice is allowed to get across.
There is the real strong point in the book.The voices of the female bodybuilders themselves.Yes,there are statements from the same old braying boys bashing female muscle.And some of the male fans too.But the women are speaking about standing up for themselves,and pursuing their ambitions to gain a muscular body.Their information is worth hearing.It's good material.There's just not enough of it.The two main informants are 'Sarah' and 'Michelle'.They,and others, talk about their attraction to bodybuilding,and the repercussions to their lives.The process and gym work,and the environment It follows 'Michelle' through a contest with the accompanying miseries.
She does go into the dreaded dark side,spooky steroids! And into the private wrestling sessions that some female bodybuilders make income from.(Which is spookier)
Of course she was going to cover these subjects.It's the usual.Maybe a little better informed than most.She was nervous when someone came into her flat,and deposited her growth hormone in her refrigerator.Luckily the fuzz didn't bust down the door.There is also discussion of the brutal labor of the gym.The risk of injury.The sacrifice of dieting.The general scene of macho body violence.
I don't think she's giving in to much sensationalism on these subjects to give her credit.
There's the issue of this being written in England.It feels much more insular,and behind the times in the bodybuilding world.I think that impression is accurate.It's sure not California.Maybe Brits are more shocked by these women.There aren't that many high level competitors from the UK.
Bodybuilding is more limited there.So is the whole fitness scene.Many of the basic life issues are the same of course,but I did notice the difference.

The book isn't very long.166 pages including the notes.Unlike bodybuilders,it doesn't have much meat on it's bones.There's it's main weakness.It's simply light in content.Not much that's fresh,unique,or especially insightful.It could be considered valuable to have an ethnographic study of women's bodybuilding.I'm sure it would be to ethnographers.So thanks for that.I don't happen to be one.But at least that angle has been covered now.
( Let me take a moment to compare it to the work done in the book "Caught in the Pulpit" by Daniel Dennett,and Linda LaScola. Dennett is a professor of Philosophy,and cognitive studies.LaScola is a qualitative researcher.That's not the same thing as an ethnographer.But they are approaching a similar set of issues of research into the life processes,thoughts,and feelings of their subjects.Which happen to be ministers leaving their vocation.There's not as much political analysis.But they do a fine job of bringing the voices of the people through to the reader.It's a more engaging human study.)
There aren't too many visuals.A striking photo of Rene Campbell is on the cover.But there are only a few black,and white photos inside.I have to admit one of the subjects is difficult to recognize as female.I think she's since gone into strongman/woman competitions.So there's the aesthetics conundrum again.

Recommendation:Don't bother buying it unless you're really intrigued by the ethnographic approach.
Most of this material has been better covered in other works.You could get it from a library,and read the sections quoting the women themselves to get the best out of it.
But I'm not saying it's without value.It's an addition to the limited number of serious works on women's bodybuilding.