The growing popularity of bodybuilding among Indian women proves that muscles aren’t always macho
When Shweta Rathore, a 25-year-old engineer picks up weights of 450 kg at her gym, the men stare at her, huffing and puffing with far less weights in their hands. Welcome to the world of Indian women bodybuilders. Rathore, who won the Miss India 2015 title in bodybuilding, says, “When I walk on the road, people stop their cars to look at me.” Ashwini Waskar, 32, quit her job as a marine researcher to be a full time bodybuilder and has participated in three championships, including an international event. “I just started going to the gym to lose weight, but got very inspired to build muscles. Once I sculpted a good body, I started participating in competitions. Today, women and men look at me with awe.”
MUSCLE WORSHIPPERS
Between hours of working at the gym, a strict diet regimen (seven meals a day), bodybuilding is almost a full-time lifestyle.These women, by building their sculpted bodies and going about their daily chores, while also participating in championships, are becoming popular due to their grit, determination, discipline and perseverance.They are challenging traditional gender stereotypes. The passion for bodybuilding has given these women a new meaning of life. Deepika Chowdhury, 31, molecular biologist-turned-figure athlete, who became the first Indian to win an International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) title, says, “More women are becoming bodybuilders even though this is a largely male dominated sport in India. But perceptions are changing. Muscles are no longer just macho.I choose to look different than other women with increased muscle mass. I love my image and it gives me great confidence.”
The new-age female bodybuilders aren’t trying to be male bodybuilder copycats.They are building muscles, yet retaining their lean frame. It takes a lot of work. Chowdhury wakes up at 5.30 am, does cardio for 30 minutes followed by weight training. She adds, “But my mind is the supreme power. I have developed immense faith in the power of the mind which I call `God’. I believe it will guide me to live an accomplished life.”
Says Rathore, “I eat good carbs to get a feminine lean body, not just muscles. For an international competition, I have to look good, make sure my skin is glowing and my hair is shining.” A woman’s body doesn’t naturally carve muscles like a man’s. Waskar says, “We have to work harder. I’m now training a lot of women, and tell them not to be scared of bodybuilding. After I built my body, I asked my father’s permission to wear a bikini and enter a competition, where I flaunted my curves and muscle power. It gave me a lot of confidence.” As far as negative reactions are concerned, she says, “I worked very hard to create a positive identity. My body shape is a result of five years of hard work and a lot of pain in the muscles. I don’t care about negative reactions.”
Courtesy of: India Times