To: All IFBB Professional Female Athletes

[Pseudonym]

IFBB ADVISORY NOTICE 2004-006

Date: December 6, 2004

From: Office of the Vice Chairman

IFBB Professional Division

To: All IFBB Professional Female Athletes

Re: FEMALE MUSCULARITY

For aesthetics and health reasons, the IFBB Professional Division requests that female athletes in Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure decrease the amount of muscularity by a factor of 20%.

This request for a 20% decrease in the amount of muscularity applies to those female athletes whose physiques require the decrease regardless of whether they compete in Bodybuilding, Fitness or Figure.

All professional judges have been advised of the proper criteria for assessing female physiques.

Sincerely,

Jim Manion

Vice Chairman

IFBB Professional Division

ifbbprodivision@aol.com

http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2004news/decrease20.htm

[Cornfed]

They've been penalizing muscularity for a while now. Doing so would seem to make the whole event a bit of a joke and they should consider throwing in the towel. It seems to me that the whole concept of women's bodybuilding is misbegotten. I mean, women can't really add that much muscle without drugs. If you allow drugs the whole thing becomes a freak show. If you don't allow drugs there's not much basis for competition beyond a certain level. As it is, the whole thing seems to be devolving into a weird sort of beauty contest.

[Cornfed]

It seems to me that the whole concept of women's bodybuilding is misbegotten.

I meant to say the concept of women's bodybuilding as a professional sport is misbegotten. It can obviously have many benefits when pursued on a recreational basis or in training for other sports.

[jono]

They've been penalizing muscularity for a while now. Doing so would seem to make the whole event a bit of a joke and they should consider throwing in the towel. It seems to me that the whole concept of women's bodybuilding is misbegotten. I mean, women can't really add that much muscle without drugs. If you allow drugs the whole thing becomes a freak show. If you don't allow drugs there's not much basis for competition beyond a certain level. As it is, the whole thing seems to be devolving into a weird sort of beauty contest.

wrong. at this yrs Ms. olympia they went away from a more marketable look and went for the freak.

[Pseudonym]

I think things are going to become a bit messy and confused for a while.

Just how do you work out what "a 20% decrease in the amount of muscularity" actually is? And, if you're a competitor, how do you juggle losing enough muscle to satisfy the judges, while still trying to be larger than your opponents? It seems a little ambiguous to say, "We're looking for the biggest competitor - but not too big."

Having said that, I can understand where the IFBB is coming from with this. Ever noticed how whenever TV news bulletins show bodybuilding competitions, they tend to focus on the female competitors? It's because they're the ones who are most controversial with the audience at home. I guess the IFBB is now hoping to encourage more feminine figures.

:think:

[Cornfed]

wrong. at this yrs Ms. olympia they went away from a more marketable look and went for the freak.

Not as freakish as, say, Kim Chizevsky in her prime, I would have thought. With modern technology, I'm sure they could be a lot bigger if that were rewarded.

[JoBaybee]

Hi Just wanting to say the new ruling for woman is great news - not only for myself but woman in general. This rule is in for both the Physique woman and the Fitness woman. The BodyFitness girls stay as they are.

I competed in Spain 2004 representing the NZFBB. I was placed 7th in a class of 16. I had 9 callouts from of the 10 judges which was a huge calling for a little kiwi... I have never worked so damn hard on stage in my whole bodybuilding life.

However, two of the top 5 competitors tested postive at the event. They have since been disqualified. I have to say, that out of the top 5, they certainly were not the two prettiest girls on stage. so the call for the drop of 20% less muscle is a very welcome rule to a totally natural athlete who has stood amongst the unnatura, missing out by a very narrow margin. Spain 2005 is going to be a great year full of challenges and excitement for me . With another year of hard out training, + the 20% drop in muscle, well gollie, I may just get in this year.... Keep you all posted.

[Growth]

Look forward to hearing about it, good luck

[JoBaybee]

Hi Just wanting to say the new ruling for woman is great news - not only for myself but woman in general. This rule is in for both the Physique woman and the Fitness woman. The BodyFitness girls stay as they are.

I competed in Spain 2004 representing the NZFBB. I was placed 7th in a class of 16. I had 9 callouts from of the 10 judges which was a huge calling for a little kiwi... I have never worked so damn hard on stage in my whole bodybuilding life.

However, two of the top 5 competitors tested postive at the event. They have since been disqualified. I have to say, that out of the top 5, they certainly were not the two prettiest girls on stage. so the call for the drop of 20% less muscle is a very welcome rule to a totally natural athlete who has stood amongst the unnatura, missing out by a very narrow margin. Spain 2005 is going to be a great year full of challenges and excitement for me . With another year of hard out training, + the 20% drop in muscle, well gollie, I may just get in this year.... Keep you all posted.

P>S> my website is down at the moment. Orcon has promised to have it back in going order this afternoon. Please bare with me....

[Marcus]

You've got an awesome physique Jo, I'm sure you will be right up there next year.

[Cornfed]

Now here's a freaky woman - Markus Ruhl's wife Simone. (They say that husbands and wives grow to look like each other, but this is ridiculous ). She would probably be too big to compete these days. This is likely to be a major reason for the lack of interest in woman's bodybuilding - the competitors are so mediocre compared to what can be achieved. It would be like cricketers being ordered to bowl 20% slower, rugby players being ordered to tackle 20% softer etc. Who would watch those sports under those circumstances?

[grinder]

[hrdcor]

The call from Jim Manion is a welcom one, but one that will have no bearing on the out come of a show, If you have 12 girls lined up and 6 of them are realy muscled and well balanced and very well presented and in amazing shape, while the other six are considerably smaller but still well balanced and presented, what six do you think will place top six??

Based on the judgeing criteria the judges have to award higher placeings for muscularity, they can not penealise, as it would totaly detract from the essence of the compettition, especialy if the indivdual with superior muscle mass looks the complete beautifull package!!

Example Lenda Murray is considerably more muscular than say Cathy Priest, I would say at least 20% more so!!So does this mean under the new initiative that Lenda would be penelised for this new breach in ruleing, I do not think so, plus the paying audiance would certantly let it be known what they have come to see, muscle!!

Question for you Jo,Do you think the NZFBB will be able to fund your trip to the Worlds, or will you have to pay for it yourself??

[Cornfed]

I just came across this relevent passage on bb.com, which is apparently taken from flex magazine, where Bob Chic gives his opinion on women's bodybuilding:

CHICK ON CHICKS

Be careful what you wish for, or you might get it. You wanted Bob Cicherillo to serve as an athletes representative who speaks out.

Now live with him. Not a month goes by that Bob the bold doesnt look down the barrel of his eyes and pick off another sacred cow with his special brand of cuddly diplomacy: this time, it's womens bodybuilding.

Cicherillo explains, "It has never been viable. Year after year, women's bodybuilding has consistently lost money. One year, the Ms Olympia sold 38 tickets... 38! So the fans have spoken: from a business perspective, it doesnt make sense, because it doesn't survive; nor can it survive.

"Its a niche market, say its advocates. No, mens bodybuilding has its niche market; womens bodybuilding has no market; what little market it has is made up of schmoes and fetishists.

"Womens bodybuilding is an oxymoron. Nothing in the term or the concept matches up. Beautiful, sexy and muscular do not make a harmonious package. Notice the hopeless desperate trend: when womens bodybuilding became bestial and alienated all interest, womens fitness had to be created to fill the gap. When that became too muscular and abandoned its audience, it had to be replaced with figure. Whats next, bikini contests?

"There is something to be said when Ms. Olympia herself, Lenda Murray - a lovely feminine lady - drops out of the sport because it has become ugly. Sure, they train hard, but they should be trying to become better women, not better men. End it, once and for all. Its dragging down the entire sport."