FBBTV: Reality & Documentary

Reality TV seems to love a bit of female muscle.

But some muscle girls don't seem to be doing too well...





However, not all reality female muscle stories are as depressing as the women selling their clothing in order to fund their passion (no doubt), or - even worse - failing to make car payments because they are spending it all on funding their passion!

In this clip "Lori" both has her cake and eats it.



And you can watch a longer version here.

Time for a break.

We'll be back right after this...



"The very best of whatever you desire" - and that turns out to be - at least as far as a woman is concerned - a bodybuilder. And no inverted commas bodybuilder either, but Theresa herself. Why settle for anything less when you can have a true diamond?

Now that's what I call FACTUAL!

Our documentary feature today comes from Ireland.

Supersized Shes (wonder where they go the title, it's genius!) follows bodybuilders Inga Beinara and the previously seen on FMS Sophia McNamara. Enjoy!

Back Is Beautiful

The beautiful backs of Andrulla Blanchette (left) and Maryse Manios

It's only in the last couple of years of my female muscle lovin' life that I feel I have come to really, truly appreciate the true glory of the female bodybuilder's back. This is partly because of my own experience of lifting, and the recurring message I've read and heard - the back is the most important muscle group in your body. It is, quite literally, what holds your physique together. Want to lift heavy? You'll need a big back. Want your waist to look tiny? Get a big back. And, as I know from bitter personal experience, if you want that back to grow, if you really want results, you'd better be prepared to push yourself to puking point and beyond when back day rolls around.



The female bodybuilder's back is therefore arguably the greatest single sign of her strength. Without having shifted serious poundage her back wouldn't be so wondrously huge - it indicates her physical strength. But furthermore, understand that to lift that poundage she has, by sheer force of will, pushed herself beyond her physical limits again and again and again, and marvel at the mental strength that has taken.


The mind-boggling back of massive Robin Dee

The results can be absolutely breathtaking. Whether it's the back double biceps pose (that seems to reveal every tiny muscle from the shoulders to the waist and beyond) or the lat spread (her back fanning out, like an angel stretching her wings) I've started to feel it doesn't get much better than the sight of a huge and shredded muscular back.


Ireland's finest female back, Sophia McNamara

So this week on FMS, brace yourself for some bodacious backs. It's going to be seven days of the kind of meaty lats and tasty traps to make your mouth water (among other things). It's whole week of the kind of muscular backs so detailed that they could (should!) be used to teach anatomy, and so wide they could block out the light.


All in the detail, Croatia's Branka Njegovec

This week, Back Is Beautiful. Enjoy!

Sophia McNamara Wears the Green

A St. Patrick's Day special here at FMS today, featuring the Republic of Ireland's most successful female bodybuilder ever, the very gorgeous Sophia McNamara.



Her mother, Angela McNamara, was a 1980s Irish female muscle pioneer, and it was her trainer who urged Sophia to compete. In 2009, after she'd been training for just three months, she stepped on stage for the first time. I found my first competition very embarrassing and nerve-wracking but yet it was exciting, she recalls.




She must find it exciting. If nothing else, Sophia McNamara has competed a lot. FMS has managed to find four more competitions she took part in that year, ranging from a regional competition in the south of Ireland to representing her country in the mixed pairs class at European level. In 2010, four more competitions, including her first RIBBF National title and her first experience of competition at world level. In 2011 and 2012 she won her second and third consecutive Irish titles, and competed at world level again. Busy busy busy! Perhaps she became less nervous the more she competed? I have a drink back stage for nerves, she explains.




However, Sophia threatened to retire from competition in 2012, sounding slightly disillusioned with the sport and the sponsorship opportunities available in her native country: I’m the most successful female bodybuilder ever to come out of Ireland, and the more you achieve the less people want to know. But thankfully, she found she couldn't stay away, although she did switch federations to the only place to do it out of pure love for the sport, NABBA. And of course she proved that whatever the event, she's the best in the Emerald Isle, becoming NABBA Miss Ireland 2013 (Trained Figure class) and also representing her country at last year's NABBA Universe.



Exposure on Irish TV has, naturally, led to her being the target of some negative comments. I can understand some women think I've too much muscle for a woman, Sophia says, but she has little time for those (women) who openly criticise her look. To call an attractive glamorous woman mannish is jealousy. People forget I look this way because I, myself, designed my body and frankly I love it.



FMS hopes we'll see more of Sophia in 2014, but meanwhile, there's plenty more of her out there. Her Facebook page is out of commission at the moment, but there's a fair few images of Sophia (not necessarily wearing green) here. She was one of the subjects of a "Modern Ireland" documentary, Supersized Shes, which you can watch in full, and there's also plenty of Sophia on the excellent Irish Muscle website, including her on stage at the 2013 NABBA Ireland, and an interview with her after her win. And if that's not enough, you can also see Sophia representing Ireland (in green, naturally) and finishing 4th in a quality field at the 2013 NABBA Universe here.



May her Irish eyes keep smiling...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!