Back Beauty

THE BEST?



They say that bodybuilding shows (female and male) are won "from the back", so it stands to reason that all great champions past and present have, out of necessity, superior back muscle development. Consequently, the conversation about the FBB with the "Best Back Ever" has never proved an easy one for fans to resolve.

And no, I am not about to attempt to resolve it.



However, what I have found it is possible to say is that, after extensive (and for once I am not being ironic when I say that) research, there are some FBBs who always tend to be in the "Best Back Ever" conversation, and today, in the first of two archivey posts this week, we have a sort of poll of polls Top 9 all-time female muscle backs.

In no particular order, they are...

LENDA MURRAY



Size, detail, aesthetics... Lenda's back, her champions say, has it all, and it's hard to argue. In her career, especially the second half of it, she came up against some of the biggest and best FBBs ever and "out-backed" them all on the Olympia stage.



KIM PEREZ



Creating shock and awe wherever she went (I imagine), Kim's upper body was undeniably one of the greatest, and biggest, in the history of FBBing - her back "the eighth wonder of the world", as one of her supporters puts it. Best back? Kim Perez - easily! proclaims another, with all the certainty of the true believer.



BRIGITA BREZOVAC



One of only two European backs that regularly make it into the discussion, Brigita's was, I think, at its best when covered in sweat (but then again, that would be true of pretty much any body part of any FBB any time!). You take my point though, not the most awe-inspiring contest back, more of an every day OMG I can't believe there are guys in that gym who witness that and don't melt into the equipment kind of back.



LESA LEWIS



This post is bringing back some memories, I must say. Memories like the many hours of quality time I spent with the hulking, nude Lesa photographed with love and his customary skill by Bill Dobbins - pictures I have sadly failed to track down for today. Whether she had the best ever back may be debatable but for me Lesa Lewis is still, for all Cass Martin's charms, the sexiest bodybuilding construction worker ever.



BETTY PARISO



It's easy to forget just how big some of these women were. Watching a Ms International from the early noughties recently the sheer size of Betty Pariso (height, width, mass) made me gasp. Fortunately there was no one around to hear me. She was like a living morph, a fantasy dreamt up by some female muscle artist. A meat feast deluxe. Her muscles posed for themselves, one forum wag writes, and that may be true, but gosh weren't they breathtaking when she took control and really made them work.



IRIS KYLE



Despite all her recent tribulations, Female Bodybuilding's most decorated is still just that. I'm hardly Iris' biggest fan, but if pushed to pick just one back to worship for the rest of eternity, then this one would be in a tie for first with another which is to come later in today's post. Young Iris had a fine, detailed, aesthetic back, Champion Iris had something all together meatier. 3D like nothing seen before or since. Olympias were won over and over again as soon as she turned and faced the back of the stage.



MARIE-LAURE MAHABIR



Hard to convey to the female muscle lovin' youth the effect pictures - Dobbins was again responsible for some of her most memorable images - of a woman like Marie-Laure in an issue of Muscle & Fitness, Flex, or Musclemag could have on a teenage female muscle fan back then. Dark, exotic, athletic, powerful and sensual, she was truly the stuff of fantasy. Guadaloupe? my teen self wondered. I didn't know where it was, but I knew I wanted to go if I could find women like Marie-Laure there.



MMMMONIQUE JONES



When I think about, writes one forum bod, after a barrage of stats, Monique may have or had the biggest back of any Female Bodybuilder thus far. Though not a dominant competitor on stage like Iris, she remains second to none in back development. Now very much into her coaching, she's treated audiences to more than a few thrills with her guest posing over the years, and that back, as an Instagram follow will confirm, is still well worth watching in action. I do wish she'd come back and compete again.



PAULA SUZUKI



She was different and unique, one apparently well-informed Paula fan tells us. She was 5'2" and had a lat spread that surpassed competitors a lot taller and heavier than her. Her back was disproportionate with the rest of her body, which made it look exaggerated, and at times took emphasis away from the rest of her impressive physique, but flexed or relaxed, her back dropped jaws. My tie for first with Iris, and by general consensus hers or Lenda's would be #1 according to my research.



So... what about you, dear reader?

Happy with that? Shock and appalled your favourite is missing?

Best Back Ever? Comments and suggestions below or to 6ft1swell@gmail.com