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Here are my big factors:
working out is a luxury activity. We have more “free time” as a society than ever and lots of people workout out for whatever reason. The more money you have the more time you can spend training.
you can make money by being fit or working out. Being an influencer can make a living for doing something that you were already doing for free
more people are depressed or admit to it, and use the gym as part of a personal therapy
more girls are getting into sports but if they aren’t top athletes or have injuries pivot to bodybuilding or something adjacent t. The more girls are in and around athletics they will be more inclined to try it out.
Yeah for sure in the past strong women were always mocked. and also while in Europe and north America strong women have been accepted for a long time now. in Asia Africa and south America it's a more recent phenomenon. and with the internet you can see them no matter where you are. I hope it keeps getting more common untill strong women are so common. I can actually meet some in person without going to an event.
Likely not to the extent that you think.
There are certainly more because there's less of a stigma surrounding it, but that tends to be cyclical (ie, it was way more popular in the 80s than the 00s). I think what's really happening is that the women who choose to be muscular are just way more obvious. An 18 year old girl can hop on a stack that turns her into an anime character in a year. That wasn't possible in the past due to a variety of factors.
Essentially, the total number of muscular women is probably slightly higher, but they're way more jacked on average.
Here are my big factors:
working out is a luxury activity. We have more “free time” as a society than ever and lots of people workout out for whatever reason. The more money you have the more time you can spend training.
you can make money by being fit or working out. Being an influencer can make a living for doing something that you were already doing for free
more people are depressed or admit to it, and use the gym as part of a personal therapy
more girls are getting into sports but if they aren’t top athletes or have injuries pivot to bodybuilding or something adjacent t. The more girls are in and around athletics they will be more inclined to try it out.
Being around a lot of them, I don’t think any of those are major reasons.
The main reason is girls find it attractive now.
Whereas in the past (1970s and even ‘80s) they had no idea what a girl with muscles would look like. In the 90s and early 00s, majority of the women thought GWM looked like men.
Now it’s obvious just going to your local gym or even just doomscrolling instagram, what a GWM looks like. Beyond attractive, hence sites like this exist.
Girls that inevitably hop on the GWM bandwagon, not only like the look, they’re obsessed with it.
I think my list is certainly a change in the barrier to entry. I would say married to “looking good” is being comfortable being in the gym at all which requires them to be in the gym.
Back when I was a young teen and MySpace was a thing I used to chat up gymnasts on MySpace when we were all a little more honest and overwhelmingly they hated their muscles, it could appreciate that their build allowed them to be a good gymnast or whatever. Now I think more love the build and don’t immediately ditch it upon quitting their activity. But some of this is getting them into the gym and washing away stigmas, and lowering the barrier to entry gets you there
The main reason is girls find it attractive now.
I remember saying a couple of years ago that all it would take is an attractive, muscular woman to change people's minds. Sure enough, I've seen a few women cite Dana Linn Bailey as the reason they started lifting because she looks good.
I don't think the numbers will skyrocket because bodybuilding in general, whether professionally or recreationally, is still niche. But yeah, the stigma isn't as bad as it was.
I remember saying a couple of years ago that all it would take is an attractive, muscular woman to change people's minds. Sure enough, I've seen a few women cite Dana Linn Bailey as the reason they started lifting because she looks good.
That's been a very slow change, though, since in the beginning of fbb (more or less around the 80s) there were a lot of conventionally attractive women.
I think the internet helped a lot - bodybuilding, even at a very amateur level, has always been somehow a niche activity. The sense of community that the web brought along may have encouraged many to build up their bodies and show'em.
Just take CrossFit for an example. Fairly new sport with thousands of physically fit and muscular girls. This all adds to the mix.
Depending on how you view numbers, generally, the answer is "yes".
I'm arbitrarily selecting 1980 as the nascent point. It's safe to say there has been a dramatic increase over the last 40+ years, but what we're talking about is a several multiples increase from a VERY small number. That is why you'll still see very few on any given street anywhere in the world.
But yeah, these are definitely the best of times for fans of female muscle for all the reasons you guys have identified.
Basically what tre_sayer said.
Yes, there are more women engaging in actual strength training (in other words, lifting actual heavy weights) than ever before, and lifting culture is more open towards women than it was decades ago, but when it comes to women who have musculature to the level of what we see on this site, the number is still very, very small.
Speaking from a U.S. perspective, unfortunately the obesity epidemic keeps getting worse, and while the number of women getting involved in fitness is increasing, that increase is not keeping up with the increase in sedentary and overweight/obese people. I may be strictly in the middle of the pack in terms of physique and fitness level at my gym full of dedicated lifters, but if I were to go to a community pool I would probably be the only person (or one of only a couple,) with a six pack.
And while there are more fit women, the number of women with physiques that would grant them exposure on a site like this are low due to the necessity of PEDs to get to that point. You'll see more women who look like this or like this, where they are muscular naturals, but not women like this. Someone said earlier that it is easier than ever before for an 18 year old to get on roids and get an "anime-character" physique, but women are far more reluctant to use steroids than men are. Furthermore, I am interested in seeing how many of those young women who blow up young keep at it throughout their 20s and into their 30s and beyond. It feels pretty common to see a young talent explode for a few years then completely disappear. Could it be burnout from going too fast too soon, or did using a large quantity of harsh compounds result in them seriously fucking up their health and hormones?
Someone also mentioned that there are more muscular women because they can make money off their physiques. I would argue that that ship has long sailed. The fitness influencer market is completely saturated, and unless you have an insane physique or strength (which WILL require PEDs, you're going to be washed out from visibility. And don't be fooled by social media algorithms that make it seem like there are muscular women everywhere. It's survivorship and confirmation biases by those algorithms identifying that you enjoy looking at buff women and are making sure that's ALL you see.
And it goes without saying that the number of men who are attracted to buff women outnumber the actual number of muscular women out there.
Someone also mentioned that there are more muscular women because they can make money off their physiques. I would argue that that ship has long sailed. The fitness influencer market is completely saturated, and unless you have an insane physique or strength (which WILL require PEDs, you're going to be washed out from visibility. And don't be fooled by social media algorithms that make it seem like there are muscular women everywhere. It's survivorship and confirmation biases by those algorithms identifying that you enjoy looking at buff women and are making sure that's ALL you see.
Nope don't believe it. There's ALWAYS a new star on the scene, it's as true on the fitness scene as with every sport. We see new finds here on this site every week. If the girl is marketable and wants to put in the work there will always be a spot for her to sell a product or herself in someway. Don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm just not sure of the productivity of it. They ALWAYS have to be producing new photos or videos or on cam. Seems like a treadmill to me ( same can be said of a 9-5 job as well I guess).
Nope don't believe it. There's ALWAYS a new star on the scene, it's as true on the fitness scene as with every sport. We see new finds here on this site every week. If the girl is marketable and wants to put in the work there will always be a spot for her to sell a product or herself in someway. Don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm just not sure of the productivity of it. They ALWAYS have to be producing new photos or videos or on cam. Seems like a treadmill to me ( same can be said of a 9-5 job as well I guess).
You it’s have to strike when you hit critical mass. Some girls do it and manage to build a good training business that can then grow organically. Others wait too long and their hot window closed.
I think this whole thing on tiktok with "muscle mommies" is inspiring more women to start lifting.
are there more muscular women than ever? if yes, why? i understand that "why" is a huge question that can have many levels of answer ranging from the most practical surface to politics and the economy to spirituality to various cultural explanations.