Lenda Murray, 8 times Ms. Olympia

Female bodybuilding began in the 1970s when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (542x800, 136 KB) Summary Published here with permission by the photographer, Bill Dobbins, www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (542x800, 136 KB) Summary Published here with permission by the photographer, Bill Dobbins, www. ... Lenda Murray Lenda Murray (born February 22, 1962 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American bodybuilder. ... Ms. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Swedish bodybuilder Anders Graneheim. ...

History

Beginnings

Physique contests for women date back to at least the 1960s, with contests like the Miss Physique and Miss Americana. However, these early "bodybuilding" contests were really not much more than bikini contests. The first U.S. Women's National Physique Championship was held in Canton, Ohio in 1978, and is generally regarded as the first true female bodybuilding contest - that is, the first contest where the entrants were judged solely on muscularity. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... The Universe Championships is an annual bodybuilding event organised by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (NABBA). ... Contest Photo A bikini contest is a competition where women compete against each other in bikinis. ... Canton is a city located in Stark County, Ohio. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

More contests started to appear in 1979. Some of these were the following: This page refers to the year 1979. ...

• The second U.S. Women's National Physique Championship, won by Kay Baxter, with Marilyn Schriner second and Cammie Lusko third.
• The first IFBB Women's World Body Building Championship, held on June 16, won by Lisa Lyon, with Claudia Wilbourn second.
• The Best In The World contest, held at Warminster, PA in August, featuring a $5,000 prize fund, with $2,500 awarded for first place. Patsy Chapman was the winner, followed by April Nicotra, Stacey Bentley, Bette Brown, and Carla Dunlap.

Although these early events were regarded as bodybuilding contests, the women wore high heeled shoes, and did not clench their fists while posing. Additionally, they were not allowed to use the three so-called "“men’s poses" - the” double biceps, crab, and lat spread. The contests were generally held by promoters acting independently; the sport still lacked a governing body. That would change in 1980. IFBB Logo The International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) is a bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by Ben and Joe Weider. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... Lisa Lyon is a female bodybuilder from the United States. ... Warminster Township is a township located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. ... Carla Dunlap is a professional female bodybuilder from the United States. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

1980 - the start of the modern era

The National Physique Committee (NPC) held the first women's Nationals in 1980. Since its inception, this has been the top amateur level competition for women in the US. Laura Combes won the inaugural contest. The National Physique Committee (NPC) is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States. ... Laura Combes was a professional female bodybuilder from the United States. ...

1980 was also the year of the first Ms. Olympia, the most prestigious contest for professionals. Initially, the contest was promoted by George Snyder. The contestants had to send in resumes and pictures, and were hand-picked by Snyder based on their potential to be fitness role models for the average American woman. The first winner was Rachel McLish who had also won the NPC's USA Championship earlier in the year. The contest was a major turning point for the sport of women's bodybuilding. McLish turned out to be very promotable, and inspired many future competitors to start training and competing. Ms. ... Rachel McLish (born Rachel Elizondo on June 21, 1958 in Harlingen, Texas) is an American bodybuilder. ...

The 1980s

Rachel McLish became the most successful competitor of the early 1980s. She lost her Ms. Olympia crown by finishing second to Kike Elomaa in 1981, but regained the title in 1982. A new major pro contest, the Women's Pro World Championship, was held for the first time in 1981 (won by Lynn Conkright). Held annually through 1989, this was the second most prestigious contest of the time. McLish added this title to her collection in 1982. George Snyder lost the rights to the Ms. Olympia in 1982, and after this the contestants were no longer hand-picked, but instead qualified for the Ms. Olympia through placings in lesser contests. Kike Elomaa was a professional female bodybuilder from Finland in the early 1980s. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lynn Conkright is a professional female bodybuilder from the United States. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As the sport grew, the competitors' level of training gradually increased (most of the competitors in the earliest shows had very little weight training experience), and the sport slowly evolved towards more muscular physiques. This trend started to emerge in 1983. With McLish not competing in the big shows, Carla Dunlap took both the Pro World and Ms. Olympia titles. Dunlap possessed a much more muscular physique than either McLish or Elomaa, and though she never repeated her successes of 1983, she would remain competitive for the rest of the decade. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Carla Dunlap is a professional female bodybuilder from the United States. ...

In 1984, a new force emerged in women's bodybuilding. Cory Everson won the NPC Nationals, then defeated McLish to win the Ms. Olympia. At 5'9" and 150 pounds, Everson's physique set a new standard. She would go on to win six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles before retiring undefeated as a professional, the only woman ever to accomplish this. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cory Everson (born January 4, 1959) is an American female bodybuilder and actress. ...

The Ms. International contest was introduced in 1986, first won by Erika Geisen. The contest was not held in 1987, but it returned for good in 1988. Since the demise of the Pro World Championship after 1989, the Ms. International has been second in prestige only to the Ms. Olympia. The 1989 Ms. International was noteworthy for the fact that the original winner, Tonya Knight, was later disqualified for using a surrogate for her drug test at the 1988 Ms. Olympia contest. Consequently, runner-up Jackie Paisley received the 1989 title. Knight was suspended from IFBB competition through the end of 1990, and was forced to return her prize money from the 1988 Ms. Olympia and 1989 Ms. International. Ms. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Erika Geisen was a professional female bodybuilder from Australia. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tonya Knight was a professional female bodybuilder from the United States. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jackie Paisley was a professional female bodybuilder from the United States. ... IFBB Logo The International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) is a bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by Ben and Joe Weider. ...

Mainstream exposure in the 1980s

During this period, women's bodybuilding was starting to achieve some mainstream exposure. Pro competitor Anita Gandol created a stir by posing for Playboy in the mid-1980s, earning a one year suspension from the IFBB. Erika Mes, a Dutch competitor, followed suit. On a more positive note, Lori Bowen, winner of the 1984 Pro World Championship, appeared in a widely broadcast commercial for Miller Lite beer with Rodney Dangerfield. Additionally, competitors Lynn Conkright (1982) and Carla Dunlap (1984) were included in ABC's Superstars competition. Classic Playboy logo. ... IFBB Logo The International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) is a bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by Ben and Joe Weider. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miller Lite is the name of a popular pilsner beer sold by Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... For the UK TV series, see Dangerfield (TV program) Rodney Dangerfield in 1997 Rodney Dangerfield (November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), born Jacob Cohen, was an American comedian and actor, best known for the line I dont get no respect and his monologues on that theme. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... Superstars is an all-around sportsman and sportswoman competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic challenges resembling a decathlon. ...

In 1985, a movie called Pumping Iron II: The Women was released. This film documented the preparation of several women for the 1983 Caesars Palace World Cup Championship. Competitors prominently featured in the film were Kris Alexander, Lori Bowen, Lydia Cheng, Carla Dunlap, Bev Francis, and Rachel McLish. At the time, Francis was actually a powerlifter, though she soon made a successful transition to bodybuilding, becoming one of the leading competitors of the late 1980s and early 1990s. This article is about the year. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bev Francis was born February 15, 1955 in Geelong, Australia. ... The bench press is one of the three events of powerlifting. ...

For several years in the mid-1980s, NBC broadcast coverage of the Ms. Olympia contest on their Sportsworld program. The taped footage was telecast months after the contest, and was usually used as secondary material to fill out programs featuring events such as boxing. Typically, the broadcasts included only the top several women. Nevertheless, Cory Everson and some of her leading competitors were receiving national TV coverage. NBC, formerly called the National Broadcasting Company, is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ...

1990 - a fresh start in the new decade

Normally, competitors must qualify for the Ms. Olympia by achieving certain placings in lesser pro contests. However, the cancellation of the Women's Pro World contest in 1990 left only the Ms. International as a Ms. Olympia qualifier. Consequently, the IFBB decided to open the Ms. Olympia to all women with pro cards, and a field of thirty competitors entered. Lenda Murray, a new pro from Michigan, earned a decisive victory and emerged as the successor to Cory Everson. Murray became the next dominant figure in the sport. This article is about the year. ... Lenda Murray Lenda Murray (born February 22, 1962 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American bodybuilder. ...

A new professional contest, the Jan Tana Classic, was introduced in 1991. The contest was named for its promoter, a marketer of tanning products, and ran annually through 2003. The inaugural event was won by Sue Gafner. The Jan Tana filled the void left by the Women's Pro World contest, and occupied the number three slot on the pro circuit throughout its lifetime. 1991 also saw Tonya Knight return to competition, winning the Ms. International. The Jan Tana Classic was a female bodybuilding contest organized by the International Federation of BodyBuilders. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early 1990s controversies

The 1991 Ms. Olympia contest was the first to be televised live. Lenda Murray faced a serious challenge from the 1990 runner-up, Bev Francis. Francis had started bodybuilding in the mid-80s, converting over from powerlifting. Over the years, she had gradually refined her physique to be more in line with judging standards. However, she came to the 1991 contest noticeably larger than in previous years. Francis was leading going into the night show, with Murray needing all of the first place votes to retain her title. Murray managed to do just that, winning a somewhat controversial decision by one point. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

1992 saw more controversy, this time at the Ms. International contest. In response to the increased size displayed by Murray and Francis at the previous Ms. Olympia, the IFBB made an attempt to "feminize" the sport. The IFBB, led by Ben Weider, had created a series of "feminity" rules; one line in the judging rules said that competitors should not be "too big". The judges’ guide to the competitors stated that they were looking for a “feminine, but not emaciated physique. ” The contest winner was Germany's Anja Schreiner, a blue-eyed blonde with a symmetrical physique, but who weighed only 130 pounds at 5'7". The announcement of her victory met with so much booing that Arnold Schwarzenegger had to step on stage to address the audience, saying "the hell with the judges". Many observers felt that the IFBB had instructed the judges to select the most marketable contestant, not the best physique. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Ben Weider (born February 1, Canadian businessman from sports and Napoleonic history. ... Anja Schreiner is a professional female bodybuilder from Germany. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, Golden Globe award winning actor, and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ...

The 1992 Ms. International is also famous for an incident involving British competitor Paula Bircumshaw. Bircumshaw was the same height as Schreiner and possessed a similar level of symmetry and definition, but carried significantly more muscle, weighing in at 162 pounds. She was the clear audience favorite, but was relegated to eighth place. Normally, the top ten contestants are called out at the end of the show when the winners are announced, but the judges only called back the top six, hoping to keep Bircumshaw back stage. This resulted in an uproar from the crowd. With the audience chanting her name, Bircumshaw returned to the stage along with the top six competitors and gave the judges the finger. As a result, she was slapped with a one year suspension.

Advertising in Muscle & Fitness for the 1992 Ms. Olympia featured Schreiner prominently, relegating two-time defending champion Murray to a small "also competing" notice. Nevertheless, Murray apparently met the "feminity" requirements, and managed to retain her title; Schreiner finished sixth, and promptly retired from competition.

Lenda's reign continues

Following the 1992 debacles, the judging rules were rewritten. The new rules retained provisions for aesthetics, but allowed the contests to be judged as physique contests. Lenda Murray continued to dominate the sport through 1995, matching Cory Everson's record of six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles. Murray's closest rival was probably Laura Creavalle, who won the Ms. International title three times, and twice was runner-up to Murray at the Olympia. During this time, some additional professional shows were held, in addition to the three mainstays. The 1994 schedule included the Canada Pro Cup, won by Laura Binetti, and the first of three annual Grand Prix events in Prague, won by Drorit Kernes. 1996 saw an additional Grand Prix in Slovakia. Besides providing the competitors with extra opportunities to win prize money, these contests also served as additional Ms. Olympia qualifiers. 1995 (MCMXCV in Roman) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Laura Creavalle is a professional female bodybuilder from Guyana. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Prague (Czech: Praha, see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

A new Ms. Olympia

1996 was notable for another reason - after six consecutive victories, Lenda Murray was dethroned as Ms. Olympia by Kim Chizevsky. Chizevsky had been the runner-up in 1995 and had two Ms. International titles (1993 and 1996) to her credit, but her victory came as something of a surprise, since many had regarded Murray as virtually unbeatable. After an unsuccessful attempt to wrest the title from Chizevsky in 1997, Murray retired from competition. Categories: Possible copyright violations ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Fitness and figure competition

Main article: Fitness and figure competition

There are two other categories of competition that are closely related to bodybuilding, and are frequently held as part of the same event. Figure competition is judged solely on symmetry and muscle tone, with much less emphasis on muscle size than in bodybuilding. Fitness competition has a swimsuit round, and a round that is judged on the performance of a routine including aerobics, dance, or gymnastics. Fitness and figure competition are physique events for women that bear a close resemblance to female bodybuilding, but with significantly less emphasis on muscle size. ... Aerobics is an effective physical exercise which is often done to music. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings and handstands. ...

Standards and sex discrimination

It is argued by some that the way female body builders are often treated is a form of sexism. Male bodybuilders are typically judged by relatively objective standards, such as muscularity and symmetry, but female bodybuilders tend to be judged in part on more nebulous criteria such as "femininity". The standards of judging are constantly changed and set mainly by men. The sign of the headquarters of the National Association Opposed To Woman Suffrage Sexism is commonly considered to be discrimination against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits, but can also refer to any and all differentiations based on sex. ...

Female bodybuilders are often mocked and viewed negatively for not conforming to ideas of feminine beauty and gender roles. The word feminine can refer to: the property of being biologically female femininity, a traditionally female gender role the feminine grammatical gender This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A nymph with morning glory flowers by Lefebvre. ... A bagpiper in Scottish military clan-uniform. ...

The money needed to fund this sport is very limited for women. Female bodybuilders are given prize money that is often a quarter or less of what is given to male bodybuilders. Male bodybuilders also have somewhat higher paying sponsorships available. An example of Money. ...

Many female bodybuilders have their own website. Some of these web sites include membership fees to view nude or adult content. This is one of the few ways that female bodybuilders can raise money to support themselves and train adequately. The front page of the English Wikipedia Website. ...

See also

• List of female bodybuilders
• List of female fitness & figure competitors
• Female muscle growth
• Amazon feminism

Noted female bodybuilders include: Erika Andersch Rebekka Armstrong Lisa Aukland Fanny Barrios Nicole Bass Christa Bauch Kay Baxter Shelley Beattie Juliette Bergmann Laura Binetti Kim Birtch Andrulla Blanchette Pavla Brantalova Marissa Brown Sharon Bruneau Dayana Cadeau Valentina Chepiga Kim Chizevsky Melissa Coates Laura Combes Lynn Conkright Laura Creavalle Ann Marie... Noted female fitness & figure competitors include: Mandy Blank Monica Brant Elaine Goodlad Gea Johnson Debbie Kruck Timea Majorova Laura Mak Mindi OBrien DJ Wallis See also: Category:Female bodybuilders Categories: Female bodybuilders | Lists of sportspersons ... Female muscle growth (FMG) is a fantasy genre involving muscular growth of a woman. ... Amazon feminism is dedicated to the image of the female hero in fiction and in fact, as it is expressed in art and literature in the physiques and feats of female athletes, martial artists, and other powerfully built women, and in gender-related and sexual orientations. ...

External links

• Fbb_fan site
• Female Bodybuilders Only
• Female Bodybuilders
• Andy's Muscle Goddesses Lite
• Muscles of Dee Kay
• GeneX Magazine