S.W.E.A.T. Showdown to Support Female Body Builders

The number of female body builders is on the rise and to many women, bodybuilding and lifting is more than a hobby – it’s a lifestyle.

Bodybuilding—which entails resistance training plus a very specific diet that results in extreme muscle development—has been a fairly widespread men’s sport for the better part of a century. Bodybuilding competitions started in the 1940’s, but were dominated by men. Females didn’t really start the competitions until 2001 when the NPC introduced the figure division, and most recently in 2011, the bikini division.

Cassie Smith, an Associate Editor at bodybuilding.com, says, “The ‘strong is the new skinny’ movement is definitely taking over.” “Women are recognizing that lifting weights is good for muscles, bones, and joints,” she continues. “It’s good for your heart and your brain and helps you sleep better and live longer. It’s a good life-altering thing to get into,” Cassie says.

Jenna Schrock and Nicole Francis have been part of this movement for a few years. They have accomplished many goals and now they each have a new dream – do well at their first competition.

Jenna started lifting weights a few years ago. “I was athletic and into sports in high school. But after I graduated, I put on weight and I was not happy with myself. I wanted something new to stay in shape, so I started working out,” Jenna says.

Jenna’s is competing in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion Competition on Dec. 5. This is Jenna’s first competition, and she said it has been mentally tough. “Physically it’s not so bad until closer to the date of the competition just because when you diet, you’re weaker. Dieting is hard – it’s very mental. You just have to tell yourself it’s not that bad. The first few weeks of the diet isn’t so bad, but the end stretch of the diet is the hardest I have ever done.”

The World Beauty and Fitness Competition is different than other fitness competitions. “It’s more based off your personality. It’s not strictly fitness, but it is at the same time,” Jenna says, “I picked this one because it fits me more.”

Jenna has been training hard for her competition. The videos show her dead lifting 320 lbs. and doing 20 pull-ups.

Nicole started out teaching a Zumba class at Powerhouse in Seaford, Del. and got into lifting weights after. Nicole is competing in the 2016 Miss Delaware USA Pageant. In this pageant you model an evening gown, cocktail dress, bathing suit, and have an interview with a panel of judges.

This is Nicole’s first competition. “I’m a little nervous. I practiced with a coach and it’s a little more than I thought,” Nicole says.

“I really didn’t even know I was going to do a pageant. I did a photo shoot with Ashley Holloway and then I saw on Facebook a post saying ‘send your pictures for the Miss Delaware USA Pageant’ and they called me. I never thought they would call me.”

Nicole says there is not talent portion in this pageant but if there was she would show them how much weight she can squat. In the video, Nicole is squatting 225 lbs.

Both ladies believe that the number of female body builders has grown in the area. “I feel like its a small town and everyone just enjoys the same thing. It’s a competition with yourself and people want to see you do well and complete your goals,” Jenna says.

The ladies are holding a S.W.E.A.T. Showdown at Seaford Powerhouse Gym on Saturday, Nov. 14, to help them raise money to take care of costs of their competitions.

The showdown competitions consist of bench press, squats, dead lifts, planks, and pull-ups. You do not have to be a Powerhouse member to compete. There are two different groups as well:

Male Groups