When discussing mores statistics and the range of physical capabilities are mentioned. Fans and spectators wonder how an average person would compare. Women athletes when studied are compared to their counterparts and untrained men to get an idea of the magnitude of performance. Rarely are they compared to other women. The tendency to categorize a woman athlete as some biological anomaly. Sports science, fitness, and guidelines for exercise still have these biased views. The error is that males are used as a default comparison standard. To get a better idea about women’s range of physical capabilities a comparison should be done with average women. This demonstrates how much exercise, an athletic training regimen, and nutrition can enhance women’s fitness. Women bodybuilders are known for their developed musculature. It is known that many can be as stronger or stronger than untrained men. The sports science related inquiry never poses the question related to untrained women.
Are female bodybuilders stronger than the average woman?
Women Bodybuilders Versus Average Women
The problem with exercise physiology research is that few studies focus on women. An answer related to the strength of women bodybuilders and average women can not be referenced easily. That leaves individuals to configure an answer based on what little information is available. Women’s bodybuilding has multiple classes. Bikini, figure, wellness, physique, and open class. The average women would probably have less strength than most of these divisions.
A noticeable difference can be seen in anthropometric measurements and muscle size . Biacromial diameter , bicep, and thigh size give some indications of strength. Biacromial diameter can very among individuals based on somatotype, weight, and skeletal size. Should width data is not collected by most health organizations. Based on what is known, the average woman has a biacromial width of 14 inches. What adds to shoulder size is the deltoid muscles. Biacromial diameter only takes into account skeletal structure, rather than all the tissues. The average woman’s bicep size can range from 11 to 12 inches according to the CDC. The average thigh circumference for a woman can range between 18.3 to 21.7 inches.
Andrea Shaw the Ms. Olympia champion has biceps close to 18 inches and a thigh circumference of 27 inches. That is beyond the untrained women’s anthropometric measurements. The woman bodybuilder is going to have larger limb size compared to an untrained woman. Muscle mass percentage will also be higher. The more type IIa muscle fibers the greater strength a person has . Based on anthropometrics, the women bodybuilders would have more strength.
Weight remains a factor. Women bodybuilder’s weight can vary depending on division. It cans also change depending on the off season and during competition. The average American woman according to the CDC is 170.8 lbs. The global average is 137 lbs based on data collected. Seeing as contests are held a few times a year, off season weight will be used for comparison. Contest weight is temporary. Andrea Shaw’s weight can range from 180 lbs to 209 lbs. That surpasses the global average women’s weight and the American woman’s weight .
Bikini competitors are the smallest in terms of muscularity. Their weight can range between 125 lbs to 145 lbs. The taller competitors are in a higher weight class. The bikini competitors are still getting more exercise than the average woman. The tallest and biggest bikini competitors would still be stronger than an untrained woman. Using off season weight, the untrained woman could be out matched.
Examining strength standards and hand grip can provide answers. Bench press can tell much about upper body strength. This is the weakest area of a woman’s body. Seeing how much it changes from training gives a range in the gap related to strength. The untrained woman can bench press between 65 lbs to 125 lbs depending on body weight. The elite women can range from 120 lbs to 225 lbs.
There are women bodybuilders who can reach the intermediate male range. The majority will be stronger than untrained men and novice male lifters. Kristy Hawkins bench pressed 341.7 lbs. That means Kristy does not fit on the women’s bench press standard chart. That surpasses the strongest untrained woman by 216.7 lbs. Women bodybuilders have a wide range of strength levels depending on the class they compete in. Angela Yeo prior to bodybuilding was involved in powerlifting. Angela Yeo can bench press 248 lbs and squat 231.5 lbs. Brenda Raganot could bench press 245 lbs and squat 385 lbs. These go past the elite class on a women’s strength standards chart.
Hand grip data for bodybuilders is limited. Only a few videos exist of women bodybuilders using hand grip dynamometers. The majority show them either reaching to an average male hand grip level. Using values from both hands give the best proxy measurement. Women bodybuilders could possibly have hand grip that exceeds 68.34 lbs. BMI applied here is not for the sake of indicating healthy weight . Rather, it indirectly shows possible force generation based on body mass. Brenda Raganot’s BMI would be 30. That means she could have a hand grip beyond 70 lbs. Angela Yeo would have a BMI of 29. The estimate is that her hand grip would be in a slightly higher range than Brenda’s. Women bodybuilders’ hand grip would be higher than the average woman.
The woman bodybuilder gets more exercise than most of the average population. Athletic training is more than just exercise. It is a program of enabling the body reach a certain level of sports performance. Women bodybuilders train for the purpose of aesthetics. Building strength is not the objective, but developing muscle to look a certain way. A woman can gain strength from bodybuilding. More strength can be gained from powerlifting and weightlifting. There are women bodybuilders who have competed in both of those sports. Lifting weights on a regular basis builds bone and muscle mass. Women have lower rates of sports participation and exercise compared to men. Most of the public in general does not get the recommended amount of physical activity. The amount of athletic training puts the woman bodybuilder at a higher strength level.
The average woman probably would not be stronger than a woman bodybuilder. Maybe it would be possible for them to match a bikini competitor and the fitness class. That would be difficult considering their exercise amount and years of experience. An untrained women with higher than average strength could be a match for women bodybuilders. Some women can genetically have higher strength than average. Knowing certain factors predict outcomes to a physical contest. A group of women bodybuilders lifting against average women would perform better. Arm wrestling would not be much of a challenge. Hand grip and bicep size would be a huge gap. Tug of war would be easy for women bodybuilders against average women. The bigger women bodybuilders are going to be more formidable. Based on exercise science, it can be predicted that a woman bodybuilder would be stronger than most untrained women. Weight, anthropometric measurements, hand grip, and strength standards are factors.
