The "downsizing" letter! Is this true?

**Mike Pulcinella** · #1 03-04-2008, 01:51 PM

I heard that a few years ago the IFBB sent a letter to all female bodybuilders asking them to "downsize". The idea was that female bodybuilders were getting too big and that it was becoming detrimental to the popularity of the sport. Is anyone here familiar with that letter?

**IslandGirl** · #2 03-04-2008, 02:00 PM

Yes, I am. If I remember, it was to all NPC and IFBB female competitors. Not sure if I can find it or not. But I remember clearly it was downsizing of 20%.

**Mike Pulcinella** · #3 03-04-2008, 02:03 PM

What was the result? Did anyone take it seriously?

**IslandGirl** · #4 03-04-2008, 02:46 PM

I can speak for Colorado judges. We have and do apply it to our judging. We do not have much FBB'ers coming out of Colorado so we have not been faced with applying this as much as other states do. In regards to figure, yes we have.

**TTTG** · #5 03-04-2008, 03:20 PM

Here is a quote from Wikipedia...

"In a memo dated December 6, 2004, IFBB Chairman Jim Manion introduced the so-called '20% percent rule', requesting "that female athletes in Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure decrease the amount of muscularity by a factor of 20%". The memo stated that the request "applies to those female athletes whose physiques require the decrease"."

So according to this, judges were to only apply this to those they "thought" needed to reduce muscle size. This leaves things open to alot of personal preference and problems. What if an athlete were to reduce the muscle by 20% and then still be too big in the eyes of certian judges. Do they then tell certian ones they have to loose 30 or 40%? I have to give our judges credit, they have a difficult job to do.