I also wonder if that has something to do with some kind of sex drive or let's say kinky drive or don't know how to say in English
Most of the girls start to exercise in order to get fit, and all of a sudden some of them (because of genetics) get results pretty quickly and they are quite surprised about their transition and very curious about getting even more. during that process, some of them stay at a fitness level as this is what they think is the ideal body type for them and some get addicted or see a huge attraction in this and continue to grow.
This is from experience being a woman and keeping myself at a fitness level, and talking to loads of women of all categories.
Very rarely does someone come to the gym for the first time, thinking about building their bodies yp to a bodybuilding level or even more than a fitness level body ))
I would say that there are three types. The first type never had any athletic background. They started going to the gym because their doctor told them to do some exercises because they had an accident or need to strengthen their backs. One leads to another, so they decide to do more. The second type had a athletic background. These girls grew up with sports and going to the gym was the next logical step. Often caused by an friend who also got there. The third type (like I guess it was Joanna Thomas) once saw female athletes/bodybuilders and decided to become like them
Most of the girls start to exercise in order to get fit, and all of a sudden some of them (because of genetics) get results pretty quickly and they are quite surprised about their transition and very curious about getting even more. during that process, some of them stay at a fitness level as this is what they think is the ideal body type for them and some get addicted or see a huge attraction in this and continue to grow.
This is from experience being a woman and keeping myself at a fitness level, and talking to loads of women of all categories.
Very rarely does someone come to the gym for the first time, thinking about building their bodies yp to a bodybuilding level or even more than a fitness level body ))
So my suggestion about a sexually driven motivation is wrong? What do you mean, as a woman?
@sprstrn honestly, I also wondered about that. I personally believe that there are no big personality differences between men and women, so it wouldn't surprise me that some women also get sexually excited by the idea of being strong and having a muscular body in the same way many men do. But of course, who am I to know.
In women who go into bodybuilding, I believe there are two big ways they go on the rare path of getting significant musculature. A) They start off in bikini and switch to a heavier-duty division, often because they're competitive people and believe they could do better in a division like physique. Or B) They're dating a guy who's a bodybuilding and they train together or he starts coaching her. In both A and B, usually we're talking about women who are into some type of sport/fitness thing anyway.
Of course, you also have people who are using muscular hypertrophy to deal with addiction, anorexia, or some other mental health issue. This seems to be true in bodybuilding especially and, unfortunately, it can sometimes become a new hazardous health-wrecking obsession. But it can also be a great thing that lets someone lead a healthy, or at least healthier, lifestyle while making them genuinely happier.
For competitors in non-aesthetic tournaments/hobbies like Crossfit, being muscular is probably secondary to competition. A woman might casually join a Crossfit box to improve her fitness but might enjoy the competition part so they train to get stronger which, of course, often means you get sick bi's and bangin' abs. And, they probably don't dislike the muscular look because, since Crossfit is more social while bodybuilding is more solitary, they're constantly surrounded by similarly strong looking people. It normalizes the look.
Lastly and somewhat related to my previous point, you have aesthetic, non-competitive muscular women. Think a very muscular Instagram model. Here, it might simply be attention or the feeling of being special. Nothing inherently bad with that! I like feeling special myself. Maybe later you make it into a business with your unique physique... anything from starting a non-risque clothing brand to starting a very risque OnlyFans!
All these reasons can overlap, of course. And one simple reason for anybody of any gender to get into building muscle: they like the look and like being strong! Sometimes, it's as simple as that. And perhaps the women who do it are just more likely to be free-thinkers or not care about what most people think is the "right" look for the female body.
I would say that there are three types. The first type never had any athletic background. They started going to the gym because their doctor told them to do some exercises because they had an accident or need to strengthen their backs. One leads to another, so they decide to do more. The second type had a athletic background. These girls grew up with sports and going to the gym was the next logical step. Often caused by an friend who also got there. The third type (like I guess it was Joanna Thomas) once saw female athletes/bodybuilders and decided to become like them
Don't forget the ones that are really skinny and want to gain weight and have a sexier body.
Also those who have low self esteem, etc (we could include those who were hurt by a bad relationship) and start to lift and get hooked to feeling better (the endorphines, getting more confident, strong, etc)
I can somewhat understand the motivation of men since for them it's a societal ideal to be strong and muscular. For women though it is still the exact opposite, even though gender norms are getting more blurred.
So I wonder what the motivation is for women to become so big and muscular? I mean, after all, it's a huge lifestyle choice that completely consumes them and can also be pretty unhealthy as we all know.
What are your thoughts?