I posted a photo of my competition heels the other day. It was an interesting experiment. It ellicited responses of all kinds. All of which I can laugh at or relate to.
One of the things I struggled with the most when I started competing is the appearance of how some may think it objectifies women and takes our gender back a few years. On the surface, all you do is diet and squeeze into a sparkly bikini, put on some high heels (depending on the category) and smile for the judges.
In actuality, it’s a sport with so much more that goes into it than people realize. I participated in sports while growing up and I can candidly say, as a woman, none of them made me feel more empowered than doing a fitness competition. If that’s not feminism, I don’t know what it is.
I’m posting this picture of me from the day of the show of my last competition where I won my Pro Card in the Fit Body division for a few reasons.
1) Few times in my life have I felt like a badass. Most days I walk around feeling like that nerdy shy kid in junior high. This moment was one of the few where I felt like a god damn warrior. And NOT because of the way my body looked, but what I had achieved mentally at that point. Now, truthfully, I channel an alter ego during the show, because if you know me, you know I am a VERY modest person. Heels and a bikini ain’t my thing.
2. This woman in this photo did not feel minimized. If anything, one derogatory peep out of anyone, and I would have thrown down.
So, no, I do not feel like these competitions minimize women – I feel like it empowers us to be strong and take the world by the balls and be an inspiration for others to achieve what they put their minds to, regardless of what it is.
One friend compared it to a pageant. I don’t know the world of pageantry so I can’t really speak much to that arena. Pageantry may ellicet the same preconceivd notions that fitness competitions do. I’m sure pageants and the prep for them are grueling, just like training for a fitness competition.
What draws me to do these competitions is my fascination with how impressive a machine the human body is: mentally and physically. Unfortunately, our society raises us in a world to be ashamed of our bodies when it doesn’t “look” a certain way. If you take a moment and sit back and think about how much your body does without you giving it a thought and how much it is a capable of doing, you would have a much greater appreciation for it. That is what doing these competitions helped me do. You only get one body. Why not do some cool stuff with it and put it to the test. “Let’s take this baby for a ride!” goes through my head. So these competitions help me mold and showcase what a badass machine I’m walking around in. Mentally AND physically.
So, for those looking (or even if you’re not and still reading), a little education around the world of fitness competitions. There are actually four categories and all have different judging criteria.
(I am competing in the bodybuilding and fitbody divisions – the bikini division is the category most people think about when you hear about one of these)
1. Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding – (no one wears heels) – Men and women in the Bodybuilding Divisions will be judged through a series of poses that will allow the judges to evaluate not only individual body parts, but also the “whole package.”
Men wear a bodybuilding posing suit; women wear a two-piece bodybuilding suit with or without embellishments.Athletes are judged in two rounds:
Symmetry – Encompasses the overall balance of a physiqueMuscularity – Muscle mass, proportion, conditioning, and definition of the physique.
2. Fit Body – (this is where I dawn those heels) judges are looking for an athletic physique, but without the level of muscle mass of the bodybuilding division.
Scoring is based on two (2) rounds:
Symmetry is judged on balanced proportions; upper and lower body should not overpower the other, and no one body part should overpower the rest of the physique.Muscle Tone will focus on the overall conditioning of the body, not overly muscular, too striated, or hard looking. Competitors should not appear to be at the same overly lean physical level of a Bodybuilding competitor.
3. Figure – This is a class of physique competition judged equally on symmetry, muscle tone, and stage presence.The Figure Division is judged in two (2) rounds:
Symmetry takes into account balance and proportion; physiques should be symmetrically balanced with no one body part overpowering the rest of the body.Muscle Tone focuses on moderate muscle tone; leanness and muscle development is expected, however competitors must not be over conditioned as in the Bodybuilding or Fit Body divisions.
Presentation & Stage Walk are no longer scored. The athletes overall stage presence, hair, make-up, attire, and accessories that compliment and enhance the athlete’s figure are areas judges will focus on when breaking ties.
4. Bikini – this is the one that everyone thinks of when I tell people I’m doing one of these – The Bikini Division is a women’s physique division designed to find athletes with a fit and shapely body that is not heavily muscled or over defined.Competitors are judged in three (2) rounds:
Round 1 – Fitness and balance in the Bikini division is achieved through a lightly muscled and not overly lean or hard appearing physique as compared to Figure, Fit Body, or Bodybuilding.
Round 2 – Physical Appearance refers to the overall appearance of the athlete. Stage presentation, hair, tanning, make up, and suit choice are encompassed in this round.
Athletes hair should be sweeped to the side during the back pose.
If you’re interested in more info on these, check out: www.worldnaturalbb.com
What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid? 