I think the woman of fitness don't get even half the credit

[needtogetaas]

The woman of the industry drive this industry more then anyone could ever know. Just having you ladies around makes a huge difference to any forum. You ladies are the foundation of a forum and I think more people should understand this.

[Gaoshang Xiongshou]

x2!!

[needtogetaas]

I know a lot of good woman like TSO (if you know who I am talking about) And others who have driven so many people to a better life. I am not a follower like most but a lot of people are (guys too) who follow woman like a bunch of puppies. Now I do not fall for the fallowing woman like a puppy thing but I am not above realizing the woman of the this industry have changed more then a few guys lives just by being nice to them.

I see men by the hundreds follow a single woman to a aboard lol. Its said in a way but still at least some of the woman make sure these guys get the right info.

[billdobbins]

In the 1980s through the early-mid 90's women's bodybuilding was a growing concern. Rachel McLish was the first superstar and then came Cory Everson, Anja Langer, Sharon Bruneau, Lenda Murray and others. But two things happened during the 90s's - Ben Weider decided that female bodybuilding was hurting his chances of getting bodybuilding into the Olympics and Wayne Demilia stopped promoting both the men's and women's Olympias.

Once Ben Weider decided that "the girls" were a detriment to the acceptance of bodybuilding by the IOC (which was most probably not the case) he began issuing various "guidelines" designed to prevent women bodybuilders from developing to their full potential. This was against the nature of sport (you can try hard, but not TOO hard) and constituted a kind of gender discrimination that would itself have disqualified bodybuilding from being an Olympic sport, since the IOC has very strict rules on that subject. But both the IFBB and NPC began following Ben's directives and soon the magazines and the advertisers started to fall in line.

This was made worse by the fact that at one point Wayne Demilia was no longer promoting the Ms. Olympia. Wayne was in charge of the IFBB Pro Division and when he was doing both shows he was able to direct prospective sponsors to whichever event best suited him. But once he was no longer making any money from the Ms. Olympia, but was still in charge of the pros, suddenly there were no sponsors and no money for the women.

This combination of efforts by Ben Weider and Wayne Demilia (which ended up affecting fitness and figure as well as the FBBs) created the myth that there was no audience for female physique, that readers of magazines weren't interested in them and that advertisers could sell products using their images. And of course prize money for the women went down and has stayed down.

In reality, the whole industry is shooting itself in the foot by not taking advantage of the best and most attractive of women bodybuilders, fitness and figure competitors. They train and diet like the readers of the publications and they use the products being sold by the advertisers. They develop fan bases that follow them and will buy magazines in which they are featured. Readers like to look at photos of bikini models but they don't buy physique magazines in order to own those pictures.

Our whole culture has shifted to where the fit body has become fashionable and yet here we have women in the IFBB and NPC who represent the ideals and goals of so many women nowadays and the fantasies of so many who are not being promoted by the federations, the magazines or the sponsors. This is not just short-sightedness. It is BAD BUSINESS.

Go on the Internet and you'll see dozens of sites featuring physique women compared to muscle men. Fans have gone to the Internet in part because that is what is happening nowadays but also because the magazines are not giving them what they want. Since all print publications are struggling nowadays you would think the physique magazines would try to attract as many readers as possible. But they have not taken advantage of potential sales to be gained by featuring at least some physique women on a regular basis.

Joe Weider gained a lot of sales (for both his magazines and his products) in the 1980s by using just the right percentage of physique women in M&F and Flex. Let's hope at least one of the major magazines realizes the money to be made and follows suit - and that the IFBB and NPC stop trying to prevent the natural development of muscle in women competitors, which discourages the athletes and the fans alike.

Bill Dobbins
www.billdobbins.com (http://www.billdobbins.com)

[SallyAnne]

Hey, Bill! Welcome to the forums. :)


Need2 - I don't think anyone on this board knows me as TSO. Need2 and I go WAY back to when I posted as a regular on the Elite Fitness boards. What...5 years ago and counting? Something like that. Need2 is the Big Kahuna now at Elite. His forums are HUGE! Good site - lots of information. Tatyana is a moderator on the ladies forum there.

[FitGems]

You all amazing athletes that deserve to be treated with as much respect as humanly possible, which I think it's sad to see little magazine coverage on all of you.

Thank goodness there are those on the Internet that are trying to meet the needs of the female competitors and its fans. It might not be much, but something's better than nothing, right?!

BTW, welcome aboard, Mr. Dobbins! :)

[Angela123]

Hey, Bill! Welcome to the forums. :)


Need2 - I don't think anyone on this board knows me as TSO. Need2 and I go WAY back to when I posted as a regular on the Elite Fitness boards. What...5 years ago and counting? Something like that. Need2 is the Big Kahuna now at Elite. His forums are HUGE! Good site - lots of information. Tatyana is a moderator on the ladies forum there.

thanks for clearing that up sally. i was wondering who he was referring to when he spoke of TSO.

[needtogetaas]

Hey, Bill! Welcome to the forums. :)


Need2 - I don't think anyone on this board knows me as TSO. Need2 and I go WAY back to when I posted as a regular on the Elite Fitness boards. What...5 years ago and counting? Something like that. Need2 is the Big Kahuna now at Elite. His forums are HUGE! Good site - lots of information. Tatyana is a moderator on the ladies forum there.
Tatyana is mod here? I was not aware of this. She is one of my elite mods on ef. HMMMM I will have to speak with her about this ;)

I was wondering if you dropped the tso name and never used it again. I will have to get used to calling you sally then I guess.

[Gaoshang Xiongshou]

Tatyana is mod here? I was not aware of this. She is one of my elite mods on ef. HMMMM I will have to speak with her about this ;)

I was wondering if you dropped the tso name and never used it again. I will have to get used to calling you sally then I guess.


Tatyana is not a moderator here.

[tight booty]

Tatyana is not a moderator here.
I think she would make a good mod here! Just something to think about...hint, hint. :)

[sassy69]

Tatyana is mod here? I was not aware of this. She is one of my elite mods on ef. HMMMM I will have to speak with her about this ;)

I was wondering if you dropped the tso name and never used it again. I will have to get used to calling you sally then I guess.

No I think sally was saying Tatyana is a mod at EF.

[needtogetaas]

No I think sally was saying Tatyana is a mod at EF.
Hi sassy.. :p Man you ladies get around the internets lololol

Yes I just caught that she sad (mod there) and not here. My mistake.

[sassy69]

Hi sassy.. :p Man you ladies get around the internets lololol

Yes I just caught that she sad (mod there) and not here. My mistake.

I think the women's physique community is very tight :)

[needtogetaas]

I think the women's physique community is very tight :)
I have noticed this.