I would describe my experience with working out as "spotty" to put it lightly. I've always been into the idea of working out. Bodybuilding is a particular special interest of mine and has been for many years (appreciation of the aesthetics and all that). I got into working out properly during my undergrad and got into doing it consistently around 2018/2019. Of course, we all know what happened in 2020 which made going to the gym a bit more dicey, so I fell off hard when that happened. Then between 2021/2022 around the end of my master's program I had some major life events occur which caused me to fall off even harder. So, cut to me- worst shape of my life; can't climb stairs without getting winded and living off of Totino's Party Pizzas (TM). After starting my PhD program in 2023, I decided it had gone far enough. I spent the entirety of 2024 getting my diet back on track, since that was really the root of my issue. Now, in the big 2025 and finally having my eating habits on lock, I decided to get back into the gym and be more serious about it than I've ever been. I've been going to the gym consistently since February (with the exception of September where I fell off the wagon a bit but SHHHHHHHHH) and I feel the best I've ever felt in my life.
NOTE: I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON DIET, EXERCISE, OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. I AM STUDYING FOR A PHD, NOT AN MD. DO NOT TAKE MY WORD AS ANY KIND OF ADVICE AND/OR GUIDANCE ON THESE MATTERS!!!!!!

In general, I am fascianted by how diet and fitness trends have evolved over the last 100 or so years. What have people acorss different decades considered "healthy" or "ideal" in terms of body composition, diet, exercise habits, etc. Though a slightly more modern phenomenon, I would argue that bodybuilding and the culture around it kind of encapsulates how fitnesss culture has evolved over the 20th century. Bodybuilding is a sport that definitely has a certain, let's put it lightly and say "unsavory" connotation in modern pop culture. Fitness culture in general has taken on an undeniably seedy, drug-addled air with the rise of social media. Women's bodybuilding especially is a sport that people sort of turn their noses up at for a variety of reasons: Preconceived ideas about women and their bodies, a general dislike for the aesthetics (which I will get to my thoughts on in a moment), and a bevy of other issues that vary from person to person. For me personally, I can appreciate female bodybuilders of the modern-day for their commitment to their sport, but the modern, super-lean, let's say... rough aesthetic does nothing for me. Where my love and appreciation truly lies is in the aesthetics of the 80s, what is considered part of the "golden age" of bodybuilding.
The 80s was when bodybuilding was at its peak of popularity. Bodybuilders like Arnold Schwartzenegger and Lou Ferrigno were not only top of their field, they were also legit-shit celebrities who were treated as more than mere novelties. Women's bodybuilding, however, was undergoing a bit of a shift.
Pumping Iron II: The Women is a 1985 documentary (a sequel to the famous 1977 "Pumping Iron" film) that follows several prolifics figures in the sport as they prepare for the upcoming Olympia competition. The film is more than just gawking at these women, though. We watch as they pose (no pun intended) the question of what it means to be feminine and whether or not bodybuilding is meant to push the boundary of what that word can encompass. This debate is encapsulated best by the subtle rivalry between the competition darling, Rachel McLish, and the newcomer, Bev Francis.
Francis (left) and McLish (right) on stage at the competition at the end of the film.
McLish is the quintessential "fit woman" of the 80s: big hair, long legs, toned to the moon and back, the works. She's also presented, in my opinion, as the slightly bitchy, high-off-her-own supply type. She's at the top of her game and she absolutely knows it. Bev, by sharp contrast, is a powerlifter first and a bodybuilder second. She comes in as a fish out of water, but she has a physique that continually leaves her fellow competitors at a bit of a loss. Bev was, in some ways, ahead of her time and her aesthetic would go on to become somewhat of the standard for female bodybuilders. She's shorter, has broad shoulders, and is frequently referred to as looking masculine throughout the film.
The movie has several other women it focuses on. Carla Dunlap and Lori Bowen in particular play major roles. I won't spoil who wins the competition at the end, but if any of this sounds remotely interesting to you, I highly recommend you check it out!


Outside of Pumping Iron II, another resource on women's bodybuilding from this time that I love is a book called Pumping Up!: Supershaping the Feminine Physique . That's Rachel McLish on the cover, by the way! This book details a variety of details about getting into women's bodybuilding: diet, exercises, and general fitness advice interspersed with pictures of various female bodybuilders (McLish, Francis, Dunlap, etc.) all doing their thing. This book is such a great time capsule of its period. Surprisingly though, I don't find that it has any elements that have aged poorly. One would expect a fitness guide from days gone by to have some terrible, unsustainable advice with a hearty dose of body-shaming and fatphobia to go along with it. Pumping Up doesn't have that though. It takes a refreshingly objective stance on what is needed to get into bodybuilding, gives resonable advice, and even stresses the importance of resting and not overtraining! I've linked the digital version from the Internet Archive above, and I highly recommend it!

Some of my favorite bodybuilders from this time:

Gladys Portugues

Rachel McLish

Kay Baxter

Lisa Lyon (Not from the 80s but probably my favorite of all time)

Thank you for letting me indulge here! This has always been an interest of mine and I've never really had anywhere to talk about it!!