Anja Langer: Throwback Thursday with The German Angel #tbt

I am a former IFBB pro bodybuilder and the runner-up 1988 Ms. Olympia, and I would like to begin by mentioning that although I traded-in competitive bodybuilding for motherhood some twenty-odd years ago, I have never stopped bodybuilding … I only changed my involvement in it:After leaving the competitive stage, I co-authored a book on exercise and nutrition, conducted guest appearances at major bodybuilding shows, participated in theatrical performances involving muscularity and fitness, ran my own gym for several years, and appeared in numerous muscle and fitness magazines. For a more detailed story, please visit the page Anja’s Story.

Anyway, it has now been over 11 years, since I first established this website, primarily to provide my fans an official site where they could find both new and old photos, as well as up-to-date information on me.

Currently, I am mostly focused on conducting personal training and fitness counseling at the individual level. However, you can occasionally find me as a judge at a bodybuilding and fitness competition, or in a photoshoot for an article of one of the muscle or fitness magazines.

As already mentioned above, I have been involved in the sport of bodybuilding for most of my life and in a variety of ways. This has led to my desire to continue to be a spokesperson for the sport, not only as a former competitor, but also as a role-model for women and men of all ages who seek to improve their physical well-being and appearance.

It is also my wish to help people understand that bodybuilding is not limited to the narcissistic expression of individuals obsessed with their physical appearance. Instead, bodybuilding can be the enhancement of what makes up a human being, which I see as consisting of three distinct parts: the mind, the body, and the soul. To strive for improvement in all three areas should be a goal in all of us.

Thus, an intellectual and spiritual individual who dies of poor health at a young age, or one who is so obese that his peers ridicule him and neglect his talents, is neither doing himself nor humanity any good. However, except during healthy competitions, one’s success in the physical arena should not be measured by comparing oneself with others. If you improve your body and health to the best of your ability, and at a rate that your life-style allows you to, then you are a winner and a champion in your own world.

I would also like to point out that I see a difference between ‘bodybuilding’ and ‘competitive bodybuilding’. I may no longer be a competitor, but I will always be a bodybuilder; I am proud of that statement and I promise that will never turn my back on it. So, please visit my Photo Gallery, where I hope to abolish any stereotypical views that you may have on female bodybuilders. I do have a few of these photos available for purchase, with or without personalized message or autograph. Please, send me an email to see which ones are available, before placing your order.

I welcome your comments or fanmail and promise to do my best to respond in a timely manner, but as a result of being a mom of two boys and full-time house-wife, I often find that I do not have a lot of time for myself. Responding to the abundance of e-mails that I receive is in direct competition with the time that I have to spend in the gym, so I hope that you understand that I would rather be working out than typing on a computer. This should not discourage you from sending me an e-mail; however, you may have to wait a while to receive a response.