Although competitive bodybuilding began as a men’s sport, women gradually edged their way in. The first true female bodybuilding competition in which women were judged solely on muscularity was held in Canton, Ohio in 1978. Women who are drawn to the bodybuilding division focus their energies on building maximum muscle mass while keeping body fat percentages very low, goals which echo those found in male bodybuilding. In other words, women’s bodybuilding is the female analogue to men’s bodybuilding.

Women’s bodybuilding increased in popularity over the years, but several other women’s divisions have been established which embrace different ideals in terms of the female physique. You can see from the image at the top of this post how different degrees of muscularity come into play within different divisions.

I will go into more detail about the other divisions in separate posts, but here is a brief synopsis:

Fitness: This division is characterized by an athletic, well-muscled but not overly muscular body. In this division, women perform routines in which they show their strength, agility and flexibility.

Figure: This division is similar to fitness, but there is no choreographed routine performed onstage. Athletic frames with appreciable shoulder and back development with slender hips are the ideal.

Bikini: This division, established in 2009, rewards a very lean but much softer look than what is seen in other divisions. Muscle striations are a big no-no in this division.

Women’s Physique: This is the newest division added to the NPC and IFBB, established in 2011. Competitors in this division are more muscular than figure or fitness competitors, but do not possess the same degree of muscularity or conditioning seen in women’s bodybuilding.