Online hate in female bodybuilding: What drives the stigma?
Female bodybuilding has grown significantly in recent years, with more women stepping on stage across multiple divisions. But despite that progress,Female bodybuilders continue to face criticism online and much of that stems from a deeper female bodybuilder stigma that still exists within and outside the sport.
The Louise Plumb Column
WE LIVE in an era that preaches body positivity. We're told to celebrate diversity, to embrace different shapes and sizes, to "be kind" and not to judge others for how they look. It is no longer OK for someone to be bashed for being too fat, or too thin for that matter – and rightly so. But that message seems to stop short at women with muscles. For female bodybuilders, the rules are different. We’re met not with support but with scorn.
“You look like a man.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“Put down the steroids.”
Despite all the progress in how society views women's bodies, it still seems entirely acceptable to hate on muscular women.
The moment a woman begins to visibly build muscle, the comments and the female bodybuilder stigma starts. Strangers online, often hiding behind anonymous profiles, feel entitled to tear us down. We're called "manly," accused of being on steroids, or told we're "ruining" our femininity. And it’s not just passive disapproval – it’s aggressive, mocking and sometimes deeply personal. Somehow, muscular women have become fair game in a culture that claims to be anti-judgment and pro-body autonomy.
The irony is that these same people would never dare fat shame someone publicly. They wouldn't mock someone for being too thin or too curvy, at least not without consequences. But a woman with visible abs, capped shoulders and quads she worked years to build? Suddenly, all bets are off.
Over the years, I have given this topic a lot of thought. In my opinion, part of this female bodybuilder stigma stems from discomfort. Female muscle challenges long-standing gender norms. We’re not dainty, delicate, or decorative. We are powerful. And that power unsettles people. Strength in a man is expected, however strength in a woman is often seen as unnatural, even threatening.
We’re told we’ve gone “too far,” that we’re “trying to be men”. But building muscle doesn’t erase femininity, it redefines it. The real issue isn’t with our bodies, it’s with outdated beliefs about what women are supposed to look like.
What’s especially frustrating is the glaring double standard. Male bodybuilders (no matter how extreme) are worshipped. Their discipline is praised, their physiques admired. But when a woman achieves the same muscularity, she’s “gross” and "masculine." Social media platforms celebrate shredded men but quietly suppress muscular women. Algorithms often penalise female bodybuilders, shadow banning content or removing posts under vague community guidelines – usually because our physiques are wrongly sexualised or labelled “offensive”.
This online hostility isn’t harmless. It wears you down. Even the most confident athletes can feel the sting of constant judgment. It creates self-doubt, anxiety and a sense of isolation. Some women stop posting progress pictures altogether. Others retreat from online spaces they once used for motivation and connection.
For those of us who love bodybuilding, it’s heartbreaking. We work hard, sacrifice and strive to better ourselves, not to be told we’re “too much” or that we’ve “ruined our bodies”.
Still, we’re not going anywhere. Female bodybuilders continue to rise, build and post with pride. We speak up, we educate and we connect with others who understand the struggle. We won't shrink ourselves to fit others’ comfort zones. And we show what’s possible when women own their strength unapologetically.
This isn’t just about muscles – it’s about respect. It’s about broadening the definition of beauty to include all bodies, even the ones society still finds uncomfortable.
To those who claim to support body positivity, here’s a challenge: Mean it. That means supporting all women, even the ones with biceps and six-packs. Muscles don’t make us less feminine. They don’t make us less human. What they do make us is strong and that shouldn’t be controversial.
If you truly believe in empowerment, then you should celebrate all expressions of it. And for many of us, that expression just happens to be made of muscle.
To the ones who get it
Amid all the online noise, it's moments of real-life kindness that stick with me most. Like the woman at the kebab van one night, someone I didn’t know well at all, who came right up to me, smiled and said: “You look incredible. I can’t imagine how much work it takes to look like that.”
She didn’t flinch at the muscle. She didn’t mock or question. Instead, she praised the strength, the dedication, the power it takes to build and maintain this kind of physique. It was so unexpected – and so genuine. May I just add, I was getting food for my teenagers who ADORE a chicken shish wrap. To people like her, who see past the stereotypes and celebrate what we do... thank you. Your words stay with us longer than the hate ever could. You remind us that there are people out there who truly respect female muscle, who understand what it represents and who cheer us on without condition.
And that means everything.
*Read more from Louise Plumb here.
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