Seems like all Women's divisions are transitioning to a harder look

[Ibarramedia]

I like the harder look and I noticed a lot more competitors are sporting this.

[baby muscle]

Yes, I agree. I like the harder look, to a degree, but not when women's faces become distorted. I'm more ok with face distortion in FBB though, a whatever floats your boat type of deal.

[Ibarramedia]

Everyone looks great but the most impressive ones are Nicole Wilkins and Juliana Malacarne.

[Maniacal]

Juliana Malacarne gives my cock a harder look.

[FitSprite]

Def a fan of the harder look!

[Sunnyday]

Harder look FTW!

[Ibarramedia]

If they did not lessen the FBB contests, do you think all divisions will still look like this?

[Sandpig]

If they did not lessen the FBB contests, do you think all divisions will still look like this?

Yes I do.
Happens all the time.

Even with MPD looking more and more like BBers.

[bigmikecox]

Nicole Wilkens has REALLY changed her physique. Her "protocols" look like they increased

[sassy69]

That's a slippery slope going to the "harder" look. To a degree it has regional dependence - east coast seems to like the less hard vs the west coat. But the general trend is bigger & harder. Looking at the words used by Dave in the PBP of the recent Atlantic City Pro WPD were all the words that were originally what was NOT supposed to describe WPD. From the WPD rules of NPC News Online:

The following are examples of common terms used in the bodybuilding industry. These words can be helpful to assess what should not be descriptive to the physiques being judged in women’s physique:
Ripped, shredded, peeled, striated, dry, diced, hard, vascular, grainy, massive, thick, dense, etc.
While all types of physiques will be considered when it comes to height, weight, structure, etc. Excessive muscularity should be scored down accordingly.
Women’s physique competitors should have the overall aesthetics and look that is found in figure with a little more overall muscularity.

IMO the trend is already towards those words. I will continue to hope the judging holds control on keeping in the original intention, but it is also the nature of competition to be "more" than "less".

I'll also add in the big growth in "competition teams" and "gurus' who are all using the tools of bodybuilding to apply to any category, from bikini on up, to compete. Including the extreme diets and da joose. Unless all the federations institute formal drug testing (blood, not lie detector), that ain't gonna change.

FWIW it is the nature of this type of competition, but also battles w/ the perpetual issue of 'what is feminine'. I'm well past getting frustrated by it, but it will always be a topic of discussion. The most recent was at what point someone like new IFBB Pro Shanique Grant starts to push the lines between Figure & WPD. Mega props to her, but it begs the question.

[baby muscle]

That's a slippery slope going to the "harder" look. To a degree it has regional dependence - east coast seems to like the less hard vs the west coat. But the general trend is bigger & harder. Looking at the words used by Dave in the PBP of the recent Atlantic City Pro WPD were all the words that were originally what was NOT supposed to describe WPD. From the WPD rules of NPC News Online:

The following are examples of common terms used in the bodybuilding industry. These words can be helpful to assess what should not be descriptive to the physiques being judged in women’s physique:
Ripped, shredded, peeled, striated, dry, diced, hard, vascular, grainy, massive, thick, dense, etc.
While all types of physiques will be considered when it comes to height, weight, structure, etc. Excessive muscularity should be scored down accordingly.
Women’s physique competitors should have the overall aesthetics and look that is found in figure with a little more overall muscularity.

IMO the trend is already towards those words. I will continue to hope the judging holds control on keeping in the original intention, but it is also the nature of competition to be "more" than "less".

I'll also add in the big growth in "competition teams" and "gurus' who are all using the tools of bodybuilding to apply to any category, from bikini on up, to compete. Including the extreme diets and da joose. Unless all the federations institute formal drug testing (blood, not lie detector), that ain't gonna change.

FWIW it is the nature of this type of competition, but also battles w/ the perpetual issue of 'what is feminine'. I'm well past getting frustrated by it, but it will always be a topic of discussion. The most recent was at what point someone like new IFBB Pro Shanique Grant starts to push the lines between Figure & WPD. Mega props to her, but it begs the question.

This is what I have been thinking about too, the original judging criteria vs. what we are seeing rewarded. When I talk about facial distortion, I'm probably talking about a slippery slope of my personal preference regarding beauty standards, something that verges on the topic of "what is feminine?" That question will be answered very differently by this sites forum members versus the readers of Jezebel, MSN and fitness rx. I work with guys who look at DLB and consider her look "too much" but look at Juliana and consider her "hot", just from casually observing over my shoulder at different ladies instagrams while we are eating lunch. (And no, I don't mind)

[Puma]

I believe it's hard for judges to not want to reward who they believe "came the most prepared", "did the most work" or "suffered most for the win" as that has been the judging criteria for decades. This mentality eclipsed development and proportion even in bodybuilding to some degree. I imagine running through hundreds of competitors in an amatuer show these days, judges might default to conditioning (especially those not fully qualified to judge).

[BigZero]

The original standard (set by DLB in Physique) looks too washed-out on most stages. The harder look is required for the conditions of BBing stages with poor lighting and annoyingly bright backdrops.

[carrie ann simmons]

I for one am not a fan - hence my 12th place finish at my last show.

[Ibarramedia]

I keep feeling that as time goes on, year by year WPD will eventually be like FBB but labelled differently. There have been discussions before as to what might happen and we are seeing it right now in all divisions. Even bikini girls are getting harder.