What would be considered the golden age of women’s bodybuilding?

I’d say the 90s since we got superstars like Lenda Murray, Kim Chizevsky, Laura Creavalle and a bunch of other powerhouse women.

90's

Beautiful women with consistently more bigger bodies than what came the decade before. Very few bodies covered in tats. Implants were far more the outlier than the norm. More of an appreciation of the positive admiration.

We’re in a renaissance era today, but the 90’s were the golden age.

It's all good after 1980. i think things are better now since there are just more fbbs now. And a lot of them try to be different. i do miss some of the style from the 90s .

and maybe this is just me having the wrong impression. but it seems like session wrestling was more popular and accepted in the early 2000s. And a lot of fbbs signed up for mixed wrestling video. so that was a big advantage .but i was too young for that stuff at the time .and i still haven't done it. so maybe i am wrong and its actually more popular now.

As for the Age/Epoch/Era, I will wait about 200 years before making such a judgement call. But then, that's just me.

Hopefully the Future will become the golden age, as there are More an More powerful women. And the Limits reach a new Level 🤩

Late 80's and early 90's were truly golden! Nikki Fuller, Zuzana Korinkova, Debbi Muggli... all sharing the same stage.

Late 80's and early 90's were truly golden! Nikki Fuller, Zuzana Korinkova, Debbi Muggli... all sharing the same stage.

Mid 80s through the 90s. ESPN was all over FBBing in those years. I remember being on a date, in a bar and ESPN was televising a contest. My date saw those women and said ewwww, how disgusting. I immediately took her home and never called her again. Those women were so beautiful, sexy and hot. Hearing my date call what I considered the sexiest women alive... disgusting, pissed me off! 😡😡

80s. Come to think about it, they covered every size & shape: from barely-beyond athletic physiques to massive women like Bev Francis, all of them showcasing female muscle.

There is no comparison whatsoever. Now is the best time for women's bodybuilding.

Most people mention the 90s but you are wrong. Your judgement is totally biased because you remember a couple of steroid monsters that competed for less than 5 years.

Up until Kim Chizewski (spelling) women weren't even that big. Lenda Murray in her early years would not be able to win a major pro physique show of today.

After Lenda Murray retired, the steroid monsters barely competed for a couple of seasons before IFBB pulling the plug.

Every season only a handful of shows where held for FBBs, I would estimate less than 30 active pros and very short cariers.

Contrast that to thousands of women competing in multiple categories, with dozens of shows running each month, huge international FBB community, better training, huge media exposure in relation to 3 magazines per month. You even get your steroid monster every couple of seasons.

Yes there were some incredible physiques in the 90s. But I think it's odd to say that's the golden era when you look at the sheer volume of muscular women today! Female Bodybuilding has never been bigger.

Every year now, thanks to social media trends, take for eg the recent 'muscle mommy' obsession and just fitness influencing in general, there's more women than ever wanting to gain some muscle and by default, more women getting into bodybuilding. There's even somewhat of a social pressure for girls to get at the very least toned. That's not to mention the influx of CrossFit women and other sports where women seem to be getting more muscular (in athletics, swimming, rugby, bouldering, kayaking). And it's not only that women in these sports are getting more muscular - there are also more women participating across these sports alogether! What a great time to be alive lol

There is no comparison whatsoever. Now is the best time for women's bodybuilding.

Most people mention the 90s but you are wrong. Your judgement is totally biased because you remember a couple of steroid monsters that competed for less than 5 years.

Up until Kim Chizewski (spelling) women weren't even that big. Lenda Murray in her early years would not be able to win a major pro physique show of today.

After Lenda Murray retired, the steroid monsters barely competed for a couple of seasons before IFBB pulling the plug.

Every season only a handful of shows where held for FBBs, I would estimate less than 30 active pros and very short cariers.

Contrast that to thousands of women competing in multiple categories, with dozens of shows running each month, huge international FBB community, better training, huge media exposure in relation to 3 magazines per month. You even get your steroid monster every couple of seasons.

I agree. Back then, a fan would know by name almost all the competive woman. Now, at least here in Brazil, if you go the right places you can find muscled woman in any medium to large cities.

Yeah I just don’t see how any prior era of human history can compare to the explosive trendiness of contemporary fbb culture. It’s insane to me how mainstream it’s become since I was a kid

I think it depends on the definition of "golden." Comics (Marvel and DC) define their golden age beginning in the 1930's. It's certainly the first era, but does that also automatically make it the best era?

This is best defined by people who were adults from the beginning of female bodybuilding. I'd say it began with Rachel McLish's first Olympia win (1980?) and ended with the first Olympia win of Lenda Murray (1989?). Starting with Lenda, judging and contestants took a turn for the bigger (not necessarily better).

Yeah I just don’t see how any prior era of human history can compare to the explosive trendiness of contemporary fbb culture. It’s insane to me how mainstream it’s become since I was a kid

I am in agreement. And it's only going to get more and more popular.

In 1995 Demi Moore was considered very muscular when she appeared on the David Letterman show:

Letterman was television and she was an actress. This wasn't considered muscular in the bodybuilding community. Demi Moore is a poor example.

There is no comparison whatsoever. Now is the best time for women's bodybuilding.

Most people mention the 90s but you are wrong. Your judgement is totally biased because you remember a couple of steroid monsters that competed for less than 5 years.

Up until Kim Chizewski (spelling) women weren't even that big. Lenda Murray in her early years would not be able to win a major pro physique show of today.

After Lenda Murray retired, the steroid monsters barely competed for a couple of seasons before IFBB pulling the plug.

Every season only a handful of shows where held for FBBs, I would estimate less than 30 active pros and very short cariers.

Contrast that to thousands of women competing in multiple categories, with dozens of shows running each month, huge international FBB community, better training, huge media exposure in relation to 3 magazines per month. You even get your steroid monster every couple of seasons.

Quality over quantity.

Late 80s to early 90s amateur scene is my favorite. Lots of fine looking women, without signs of ped abuse. Both on the fitness and bodybuilding category. I'm not interested in raw size, just nice definition.

Today's scene is crap, good looking women only compete in the lame figure and bikini categories with no flexing and muscle posing. And the physique and bodybuilng category is always made up by the same 10-20 women, who look worse for wear at each competition due to the extreme amount of drugs pumped through them, with wigs and receding hairlines, it looks awful to me.

Yes M76 I totally agree. FBB division WAS my favourite in the 80's & early 90's, then physique, but now its figure, because there are virtually no attractive women in FBB or physique any more. I've even started to appreciate bikini competitors now, as they up the muscle quota. But like you, the figure category really frustrates me with the lack of any proper posing. The IFBB should have followed NABBA's example, and let the girls flex. Also in the 80's & 90's we didn't have to put up with a million godawful tattoos!

can we get a 95-05' options those were the best!