The Sportster is a website that covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. It has more of a tabloid like format and writes a portion of rumors. Gossip might not be of interest to a sports fan. However, articles written by passionate supporters are appreciated. The Sportster does mention bodybuilding despite its emphasis on combat sports. The connection between bodybuilding and pro wrestling has been present for decades. Wrestlers either started as bodybuilders or wrestlers compete as well. Bhav Patel devoted a list to fifteen female bodybuilders with incredible bench press statistics. Patel cites that bodybuilding gets a horrible reputation. The assertion is the subculture prevents mainstream status. The sport does not need it. The internet and social media have given the sport wider exposure. This keeps female bodybuilding growing. Patel notes women are subject to vituperation and unfair criticism. Such objections matter little when accomplishments are numerous. Bhav Patel’s list is less of a personal favorites compilation, rather a comparison of athletes. The list is somewhat out of order, because it does not list the strongest first.
The strongest woman on the list is Becca Swanson. Becca can bench up to 600 lbs. The strength feat was achieved in 2005. Becca Swanson competed first as a bodybuilder and then went into powerlifting. Iris Kyle holds the record for most Ms. Olympia competitions won. What some do not know is the strength her body contains. Iris can bench up to 375 lbs. She does not even have a powerlifting background. Not as strong as Becca, Iris is matched with Natalia Kuznestova and Debi Laszewski . Both can bench 375 lbs. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia can also bench 375 lbs.
The number 375 appears to be recurring. Kristy Hawkins bench press at the time of this article was 319 lbs. This was before she competed in powerlifting. Now it is 341.7 lbs. Powerlifting made Kristy even stronger. The problem with the comparison list is that women are benching the same 375 lbs weight. Dayana Cadeau is stronger than Dena Westerfield. Dayana can bench 352 lbs compared to 315 bench. To fix the tie, squats and deadlift weight can be added to a total. The challenge with this is that the data might not be available. Using bodyweight could predict strength. Yaxeni and Iris can both bench 375 lbs. There is a difference in weight. Iris Kyle competed at 170 . Yaxeni Oriquen Garcia fell between a range of 160 lbs to 180 lbs. Based on weight class, it is possible Yaxeni would have slightly more strength.
Getting precise strength metrics can be complicated. Although this is a small sample it reveals much. Female bodybuilders have a maximum degree of strength. Based on bench press records there is a high range of performance. Strength level can vary among female bodybuilders. The goal is about developing a certain type of physique. It would be incorrect to say female bodybuilders do not have strength. The most powerful ones can bench press over 300 lbs. The strongest like Becca Swanson can overlap with elite men. The strongest female bodybuilders can bench press between a range of 300 lbs to 600 lbs.
Some female bodybuilders are so strong they can fit on to men’s strength standards charts. Alina Popa can bench 242 lbs. That means she reach an elite male range in a 114 lbs weight class. On some charts Alina has intermediate male levels of strength. A female athlete can be stronger than an average man. The most powerful female athletes can reach intermediate male levels and sometime reach the lower weight of the male elite level.
Alina Popa now does more promotion of contests than competing. Winning the Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix solidified her place as a capable bodybuilder. Erica Cordie only competed once, but was not interested in being dedicated to contests. Instead she provides fitness advice and does personal training. Erica Cordie caught the attention of women’s bodybuilding fans as early as 2011. If it were not for the internet or social media, many might have overlooked her. Cordie can bench press up to 150 lbs. That means she would be stronger than most untrained males under 275 lbs. She overlaps with males in the 114 lbs to 132 lbs weight class.
Julia Vins surpasses that with 264 lbs. Vins competes as a powerlifter and does some bodybuilding competitions. Her main focus is on powerlifting. Julia falls into the elite and advanced male classification of strength standard. When placing her lifts on a female strength standard chart she goes off it. The highest range is between 217 lbs to 225 lbs. There are other female bodybuilders who were very strong absent from the list. Paula Suzuki bench pressed 325 lbs. Christi Wolf was not only a bodybuilder, but a WCW pro wrestler. It was strange that Christi was absent from this comparison list. The Sportster covers pro wrestling extensively, omitting her was an error. Her bench press record was 158 lbs. Although the focus is on bench press her squats 235 lbs. That means Christi Wolf’s body was capable of moving 393 lbs in total. The mid range of strength for female bodybuilders is around 150 to 280 lbs.
The majority of female bodybuilders are training for a certain aesthetic. Being the strongest is not the goal. Certain bodybuilders fall into a lower range of strength. Pauline Nordin can bench 110 lbs. Pauline is 125 lbs and based on her size she would not be in the highest range or middle range of female bodybuilder strength. Despite this Pauline Nordin could still bench press more than untrained men under 148 lbs. Her bench press on a female strength standard would be designated as advanced. Other charts would place her as a novice. Based on these numbers the lowest strength range for a female bodybuilder 110 to 125 lbs.
The women of the figure, fitness, and physique class can be strong. Their muscularity is lower, but their muscles can generate much force. Tina Nguyen and Oskana Grishina can bench press 200 lbs. Lenda Murray’s bench press was 185 lbs. That means a fitness and figure competitor can be stronger than an open class bodybuilder. The other divisions should not be underestimated. Tina Nguyen competed from 2014 to 2019. Now she is going into business pursuits. Dana Lin Bailey was the first IFBB Ms. Olympia physique winner in 2013. Dana is currently focused more on her business related to health and fitness. Bahav Patel incorrectly listed her as a figure competitor. Dana would be too big for figure or fitness. This brings into question Patel being a truly knowledgeable female bodybuilding fan.
The articles on fan sites like these are not always fact checked. Then with athlete comparison lists, there will always be bias. The fan will highlight the ones they like the most. Then there are omissions of certain athletes. Lenda Murray belongs on the list. Lenda was one of the greatest athletes in the sport during the 1990s to early 2000s. There is an excuse for not having Andrea Shaw on the list. This was written in 2018. Andrea Shaw would not compete in the open bodybuilding class until 2020. Few could have predicted that Andrea would dominate the Olympia. Compiling a comparison list is difficult. The number of women competing continues to grow. More athletes will emerge showing the magnitude of female physical strength.
