A person who develops large, strong muscles through systematic weight training and controlled diet.
Compound of 'body' and 'builder,' coined in the early 20th century as the sport of bodybuilding professionalized. The term became standard by the 1970s when bodybuilding exploded into mainstream culture with figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Bodybuilders are artists who sculpt muscle like marble sculptors shape stone—they use calculated nutrition and training to literally rebuild their bodies, making 'bodybuilder' a perfect name for someone doing such deliberate body engineering.
Bodybuilding culture from the 1970s onward was male-dominated in professional spaces and media representation. Female bodybuilders faced different standards, scrutiny, and marginalization despite equal athletic achievement.
Use 'bodybuilder' neutrally for all genders; specify 'female bodybuilder' only when gender context is relevant to discussion, not as default categorization.
["strength athlete","competitive athlete"]
Women like Rachel McLish (Ms. Olympia pioneer, 1980) and Lenda Murray established elite bodybuilding legitimacy despite being chronically underfunded and undermediated compared to male counterparts.
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