The sporting discipline of female bodybuilding has been discontinued at the regional level.
According to Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BBFF) President Danny Sumner, with new aspects coming on stream such as swimsuit, and with figure and body fitness picking up, it has been decided to drop female bodybuilding from the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships' agenda.
For the first time in the 42 years, the division will not be featured at the CAC Championships.
"I have recently informed my female athletes, that if they are training for the female bodybuilding division, to cease of it, because it will not be incorporated in this year's championships," said Sumner. "Female bodybuilding has been on the decline for the past few years now, because of the various new fitness categories in female competition. Most female athletes coming into the sport now prefer training for the figure fitness and the swimsuit categories. Because of this, I feel the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) made the move to push female bodybuilding into the background, and I think it is now trickling down to the CAC."
In 2005, the Ms. International Pro Bodybuilding Show received new rules, one stating that women had to reduce their muscularity by 20 percent. This marked the second time since 2000 that the rules had been changed. The reason behind the verdict was that according to spectators and judges that the women appeared to be too big and brawny.
"I am not sure yet if it will be cut off completely at the world level, but I think it might be because you have to win the CAC in order to get to the world championships, so it's a chance that it may be," said Sumner. "Mr. Olympia at one time used to be a big show as well. In these two shows you would have had men and females competing on the same stage but now it is different. The big show prior to the male competitions is female fitness. The female fitness division is now professional level."
The CAC has added a category that has some similarities as female bodybuilding called the female physique category. This category joins the other three categories figure fitness, body fitness and swimsuit and bikini in the female division that have overshadowed female bodybuilding.
"They want the female athletes competing in the bodybuilding category to get the rules that govern the physique division and switch over to it," said Sumner. "The transition may not be as hard as it may appear to be, because of the similarities of the categories."
Women's physique competitions have three rounds - a symmetry round, a mandatory posing round and a routine round.
The major difference in the divisions is the amount of overall muscle needed and levels of lean muscle per category. The women's physique allows the women to maintain a feminine look. In bodybuilding, judges look for symmetrical proportion and overall body tone, but in physique they will be looking for poise, charisma, elegance and moves.
The CAC Championships will take place September 12-14, in St. Martin.

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