I have nothing but respect for the nine women on this list. While I’ve never really been able to understand bodybuilding – male or female bodybuilding – I am in absolute awe of the dedication and commitment it must take to really be successful. I have a special kind of respect for women bodybuilders because it has to be hard for a woman to break into a sport that has been so male dominated for so long. It had to take a lot of hard work to get into the shape they’re in and I find that endlessly inspiring. They knew what they wanted to do and they went for it. How could one not be inspired by that? Let’s dive in.
image source: muscleandstrength.com
09: Amy Sutter
Age (as of publication): 43
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Height: 5’1 3/4″
Typical Competition Weight: 111lbs
Favorite Feature: arms
Favorite Exercise: preacher curls
Favorite Foods: clean Mexican salad
Favorite Supplements: glutamine
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – shoulder blast and abs plus 5.3 mile run
- Tuesday – arms and abs plus 30 minutes on the wave machine with sprint intervals
- Wednesday – legs, glutes and abs plus overhead barbell lunges, scissorleg squats, isometric holds
- Thursday – chest and abs plus 1 hour spin class
- Friday – back and abs plus 2 to 5 minutes of jump rope and 3 – 4 sets of reverse lunge front kicks,
- Saturday – day off
- Sunday – one hour stretch
Competitions:
- 3rd place in the lightweight category at the 2010 NCP Stewart Fitness Bodybuilding Championships
- 2nd in the masters category at the 2010 NCP Stewart Fitness Bodybuilding Championships
- 1st place overall at the 2010 Big Shott Classic
image source: muscleandstrength.com
08: Bonnie Lefrak
Age (as of publication): 46
Location: Franklin, MA
Height: 5’9″
Typical Competition Weight: 135 lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 4
Favorite Feature: shoulders
Favorite Exercise: stiff leg dead lift
Favorite Foods: Brownies
Favorite Supplements: CytoSport EvoPro, Dymatize Elite Whey
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – off day
- Tuesday – legs, calves and abs
- Wednesday – off day
- Thursday – chest shoulders and biceps
- Friday – back triceps and abs
- Saturday – off day
- Sunday – off day
Bonnie also does 45 to 60 minute cardio workouts four times a week.
Competitions:
- 1st place in the Novice category at the 2005 USBF New England Natural
- 1st place Open Heavy at the 2005 USBF New England Natural
- 3rd place Open Heavy at the 2005 Northeast Classic
- 4th place in Masters at the 2005 Northeast Classic
- 1st place Open Heavy at the 2005 Monster Mash
- 1st place Open Heavy at the 2006 Northeast Classic
- Winner overall at the 2006 Northeast Classic
- 6th place Open at the 2006 WNBF Universe
- 1st place Open Heavy at the 2006 NPC Natural Northern States
image source: muscleandstrength.com
07: Christy Resendes
Age (as of publication): 36
Location: Fairhaven, Massachusettes
Height: 5’5″
Typical Competition Weight: 132-142lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 16
Favorite Feature: quads
Favorite Exercise: leg press
Favorite Foods: Italian food (especially lasagna), chocolate
Favorite Supplements: protein
Typical Workout Schedule: 5 days of weight training and 5 days of cardio (two sessions per day)
Competitions:
- 1st place overall at the 1993 ANBC Whaling City Bodybuilding Championships
- ‘Best Poser’ at the 1993 ANBC Whaling City Bodybuilding Championships
- 1st place overall for novice and open at the 2004 ANBC New England Natural Bodybuilding and Figure Championships
- ‘Best Poser’ at the 2004 ANBC New England Natural Bodybuilding and Figure Championships
- 1st place in the Women Open Tall categories at the 2004 ANBC Naturals Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Championships
- 1st place Open at 2005 MuscleMania Atlantic
- 2nd place Heavyweight at the 2005 New England Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships
- 1st place at the 2005 Hudson River Strongman Competition – qualified for nationals
- 2nd place at the 2005 Northeastern Tournament of Champions Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure and the Massachusettes State Bodybuilding Championships (shows were held in conjunction with one another), qualified for nationals and Team Universe
- 2nd place at the 2005 IFPA InShape Online.com Pro Classic
- 4th place at the 2005 INBF Monster Mash
- 3rd place at the 2005 MuscleMania World
- 6th place 2006 NGA Pro Universe
- 1st place Heavyweight at the 2006 NGA Granite State Open, overall bodybuilding champion – awarded NGA pro card
- 5th place at the 2006 IFPA Capital Pro Classic
- 3rd place Women’s Heavyweight at the 2007 Team Universe Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships (national level)
- 5th place Women’s Middleweight at the 2008 Arnold Amateur IFBB International Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships
- 9th place Women’s Light Heavyweight at the 2009 NPC USA Bodybuilding, Fitness and Bikini Championships
image source: muscleandstrength.com
06: Corrina Hamill
Age (as of publication): 37
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Height: 5’5″
Typical Competition Weight: 120-125lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 3
Favorite Feature: shoulders
Favorite Exercise: shoulder press
Favorite Foods: chewy chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies
Favorite Supplements: Nutrex Lipo 6, Sci-fit Creatine and MGN Protein
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – Quads
- Tuesday – Shoulders
- Wednesday – Chest
- Thursday – Back
- Friday – Biceps and triceps
- Saturday – Hamstrings and calves
- Sunday – off day
Competitions:
- 4th place Open at the 2007 NANBF Bluffs Classic
- 1st place Novice at the 2008 NANBF Southern
- 1st place Novice at the 2008 NPC Mile High
- 1st place Open Heavyweigh at the 2008 NPC Mile High
- 1st place Open at the 2008 NANBF Gold’s Classic – awarded pro card
- ‘Best Poser’ at the 2008 NANBF Gold’s Classic
- 1st place Open at the 2008 NANBF Heartland Classic
- ‘Ms. Nebraska’ and ‘Best Poser’ titles at the 2008 NANBF Heartland Classic
- 1st place Open at the 2008 NANBF Bluffs Classic
- ‘Most Entertaining’ at the 2008 NANBF Bluffs Classic
- 1st place Open at the 2008 NANBF Great Lakes Super Natural Muscle Classic USA – awarded pro card
- 3rd place at the 2009 IFPA Pro International
- 4th place Heavyweight at the 2009 IFPA Yorton Cup
image source: muscleandstrength.com
05: Drexel Long
Location: Houston, Texas
Height: 5’7″
Typical Competition Weight: 135-140 lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 5
Favorite Feature: arms, shoulders and back
Favorite Exercise: exercises that focus on her favorite features
Favorite Foods: lasagna, oatmeal cookies, brownies, popcorn
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – off day
- Tuesday – quads
- Wednesday – off day
- Thursday – chest, power lifting, dead lifts
- Friday – arms and back
- Saturday – shoulders, hamstrings and calves
- Sunday – off day
Competitions:
- 2nd place Light Heavyweight at the 2004 NPC John Sherman Classic
- Top 10 placement Light Heavyweight at the 2005 NPC Junion Nationals
- 2nd place Heavyweight at the 2006 INBF American Championships
- 1st place Heavyweight at the 2006 NGA Southern States Extravaganza
- Overall winner at the 2006 NGA Southern States Extravaganza – awarded pro card
- 2nd place Open at the 2006 MuscleMania Super Body
- 2nd place Fitness Model at the 2007 OCB Tx Shredder
- 1st place at the 2007 NGA Southern States Pro
- Crowned Champion at FAME’s World Pro Bodybuilding Championship in 2008
image source: muscleandstrength.com
04: Karen Miller
Location: Ohio
Height: 5’3″
Typical Competition Weight: 125lbs
Favorite Feature: back
Favorite Exercise: power cleans
Favorite Foods: popcorn, peanuts, guacamole and chips
Favorite Supplements: vitamin d
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – chest, triceps and front delts
- Tuesday – legs and core
- Wednesday – back, biceps and rear delts
- Thursday – off day
- Friday – power day (power clean, push press, clean and jerk, power jumps)
- Saturday – off
- Sunday – off
Karen bases her workout schedule on whether she’s in season or out of season. In season, she doesn’t take off days, doing cardio or posing on days she would normally take off out of season.
Competitions:
- won the 1984 Dallas Marathon
- won the 1987 Texas Ironman
- crowned Ms. Universe, Ms. International (various years)
- crowned Ms. American 2005
- Masters Midwest Champion 2007
- several more wins and placements throughout her career
image source: muscleandstrength.com
03: Kim Landry-Ayres
Age (as of publication): 38
Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Height: 5’2″
Typical Competition Weight: 116lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 17
Favorite Feature: back
Favorite Exercise: wide grip pull up
Favorite Supplements: BSN Cell Mass, Xtreme Bars
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – cardio and calisthenics
- Tuesday – triceps
- Wednesday – legs and biceps
- Thursday – back and delts
- Friday – cardio and calisthenics
- Saturday – off day
- Sunday – chest and legs
Competitions:
- 1st place Overall Female Bodybuilder at 2008 NPC Ms. Heartland Natural
- ‘Best Poser’ and ‘Gym Team Award’ at 2008 NPC Ms. Heartland Natural
- 1st place Overall Female Bodybuilder at the 2008 Ms. Wisconsin State Fair
- 1st place Lightweight Female Bodybuilder at the 2008 NPC Team Universe Nationals
- 1st place Overall Bodybuilding at the 2008 WNSO Fame North American Championships
- 3rd place Muscle Model at the 2008 WNSO Fame North American Championships
- 2nd place Pro Muscle Model at the 2009 WNSO Fame World Championships
- 3rd place Pro Body Building at the 2009 WNSO Fame World Championships
image source: muscleandstrength.com
02: Maria Battles
Age (as of publication): 50
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Height: 5’7″
Typical Competition Weight: 115lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 26
Favorite Feature: back
Favorite Exercise: dumbell rows
Favorite Foods: peanut butter
Favorite Supplements: glutamine
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – back
- Tuesday – quads
- Wednesday – chest
- Thursday – off day
- Friday – arms
- Saturday – glutes and hamstrings
- Sunday – shoulders
Competitions:
- 4th place Tall at the 2005 Natural Southern States
- 1st place Medium at the 2005 KC Gold’s Classic
- 5th place Tall at the 2005 NPC Las Vegas Classic
- 1st place Heavyweight at the 2006 Agusta Grand Prix – awarded pro card
- 1st place Overall at the 2006 Agusta Grand Prix
- 2nd place Tall at the 2006 Agusta Grand Prix
- 1st place Masters at the 2006 Gold’s Classic – awarded masters pro card
- 5th place Open Figure Tall at the 2006 Gold’s Classic
- 3rd place Submasters at the 2006 Gold’s Classic
- ‘Best Poser’ at the 2006 Gold’s Classic
- 1st place Open at the 2007 WNBF Pro Masters Cup – awared open pro card
- 3rd place Women’s Lightweight at the 2007 INBF World’s New York City
image source: muscleandstrength.com
01: Sherry McBride
Age (as of publication): 47
Location: New York
Height: 5’3″
Typical Competition Weight: 99lbs
Years Competing (as of publication): 10
Favorite Feature: triceps
Favorite Exercise: teaching spin class
Favorite Foods: soybeans and manicotti parm
Typical Workout Schedule:
- Monday – legs
- Tuesday – chest, shoulders and triceps
- Wednesday – back and biceps
- Thursday – explosive work
- Friday – shoulders
- Saturday – mixed cardio
- Sunday – off day
Competitions:
- 3rd place Lightweight at the 2008 New England Classic
- 2nd place Lightweight at the 2009 Fitness Atlantic
- 2nd place Lightweight at the 2009 New England Classic
- 1st place Overall at the 2009 Fulton’s Fitness – awarded pro card
