Tag: ms olympia
All Ms. Olympia Winners — Bodybuilding Queens & The History of the Show
The Ms. Olympia contest debuted at the Superbowl of bodybuilding — Olympia in 1980. Notably, it took the Olympia owners 15 years to launch the women’s bodybuilding division after they started Mr. Olympia in 1965. However, it wasn’t the only time the Ms. Olympia contest received a step-motherly treatment. Ms. Olympia was discontinued in 2014….
Andrea Shaw Talks Judges Expectations & How To Build Muscle Without Getting Too Big In Women’s Bodybuilding
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Andrea Shaw opens up about the delicate balance of expectations in Women’s Bodybuilding by judges.
Andrea Shaw is the current reigning 2x Ms. Olympia champion. And she has no expectations to slow down anytime soon. Her goal is to break the world record and win 11 Ms. Olympia titles. But how does one master the Women’s Bodybuilding division? How does the judging differ from the Men’s Open category? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Andrea Shaw goes into detail about the delicate balance of building massive size but not growing too large in order to stay in judges good favor.
The classic saying in bodybuilding goes – bigger is better. This is largely in reference to the Men’s Open division. Ever since Dorian Yates started the mass monster era of the sport – it seems every champion tries to out-do the other by getting as massive as possible.
Women’s Bodybuilding is the female counterpoint to Men’s Open. However the same mantra has not always stuck throughout the division’s history. It’s been notoriously known to rattle back and forth between emphasizing femininity while also building massive muscle. This expectation is rather vague – and has led to legendary women’s bodybuilders in the past – such as Bev Francis – to transform her muscle mass back and forth desperately seeking the judges approval.
With the reintroduction of Women’s Bodybuilding to the Olympia weekend – we seem to be in the beginning of a new era of the sport. And Andrea Shaw is the shining light and prime example of what a Women’s Bodybuilding champion should be. It wasn’t easy – and she has been competing since before the Ms. Olympia returned.
During our conversation with Andrea Shaw, she discusses the delicate balance of building the right physique to meet judges expectations and criteria. She breaks down her max lifts and her overall strategy for contest prep.
ABOVE: Andrea Shaw in recent guest posing.
Andrea Shaw grows muscle rather fast. It’s something she’s learned to accommodate for as she trains for the Ms. Olympia. This is especially true due to recent feedback she received from the judges last year. They told her that she no longer needed to build any muscle.
But Andrea Shaw knows she’s capable of getting bigger. This means she needs to be very aware of her diet and training to ensure she can improve – without building more size. While there is no weight limit to the open divisions, this is an example of the different expectation placed on Women’s Bodybuilding.
Not that this is a complaint, Andrea Shaw is taking the advice seriously and changing up her workout routine to focus more on more body fullness, hardness, and conditioning. Rather than bulk up with more size. Much like any other division with a weight limit – Andrea Shaw is using her weight last year as the limit to her size going into the Olympia 2022.
You can watch Andrea Shaw go into detail about Women’s Bodybuilding judging, her training routine, and how she’s balancing out her size in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above! You can also listen to our archive of full GI Exclusive conversations by visiting our Generation Iron Podcast homepage.
Hardcore Truth: Women’s Bodybuilding Is Still Underrepresented Despite Ms. Olympia Return
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Johnnie O. Jackson believes that the Women’s Bodybuilding division is still being snubbed by the pro league.
In 2020, the bodybuilding world rejoiced upon the return of the Ms. Olympia competition to the Olympia weekend. This came after the competition was discontinued for six years – with many believing it would never return. This is all part of Jake Wood’s passion and respect for Women’s Bodybuilding – and his plan to bring it back into popularity across the sport. While this is a great start, other massive competitions, such as the Arnold Classic, still refuse to put on a Women’s Bodybuilding competition. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson comments on the lack of representation for Women’s Bodybuilding and the Ms. Olympia not being enough.
Johnnie O. Jackson was very pleased when the Ms. Olympia returned to the Olympia weekend back in 2020. But he was also disappointed in himself for not realizing that Women’s Bodybuilding has yet to return to the Arnold Classic stage. He literally didn’t even realize it was missing until he had a conversation with a Women’s Bodybuilding competitor this past week.
This exact situation represents the issue Johnnie O. Jackson sees with Women’s Bodybuilding in the IFBB pro league. Jackson even accepts that he is a passive part of the problem – which is why he spent this week’s episode advocating for more Women’s Bodybuilding competitions across the year.
Johnnie O. Jackson believes that the pro league still has a long way to go in order to full support the Women’s Bodybuilding division. The Ms. Olympia is not enough if nearly every other high profile show of the year does not include them. The Arnold Classic, Indy Pro, Boston Pro, and many other major shows still do not feature Women’s Bodybuilding. The Arnold Classic in particular is the second biggest show of the year and contains the largest expo in the sport. Why do we not see Women’s Bodybuilders on stage?
It should also be noted that Johnnie O. Jackson also mentions the New York Pro in his argument. In fact, the New York Pro does feature Women’s Bodybuilding in their lineup of competitions. While Jackson may have misspoke on including the NY Pro in his argument – the overall sentiment still stands.
Johnnie O. Jackson believes that part of the reason the division slowly fell in popularity was due to a dislike of the massive physiques. Much like some of (but certainly less damaging) criticism about Men’s Open getting too big. Jackson believes that, overall, the judges are responsible for what kind of physiques they want to reward. Jackson states – if the fans are unhappy with the state of physiques for Women’s Bodybuilding – it’s the judges responsibility to ensure the right kind of physique is rewarded to bend the trajectory of the division.
Of course, the solution is never quite as simple as it sounds. While putting responsibility on the judges is part of the puzzle – there may be a wider variety of factors at play here. Judges should not always 100% bend to the demand of fans – that’s a dangerous precedent. Also – the criticism of Women’s Bodybuilding physiques could also be based in unfair expectations outside of the judges control.
Many have stated that Women’s Bodybuilding is “too masculine” but there is also a point to be made that the show is not a beauty pageant. The women should be judges the exact same way the men are – femininity should not be a criteria at all.
Another problem may be pure roster issues. Perhaps many of these larger shows cannot get enough competitors to sign up for competition. This is a snake eating it’s own tail type situation. If there is not enough support for Women’s Bodybuilding – there will be less interest by the athletes. Thus less sign ups for the few shows that exist. Thus less shows across the year to build interest. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Regardless, Johnnie O. Jackson’s main sentiment remains true. The Women’s Bodybuilders that do compete are sisters in iron. They deserve the exact same respect and opportunities as the Men’s Open division. Jackson believes a concerted effort must be made to prioritize getting Women’s Bodybuilding back to the Arnold Classic and other major shows across the year.
You can watch Johnnie O. Jackson’s full argument in our latest episode of Hardcore Truth above. Make sure to visit each Thursday for new episodes every week! What do you think? Does the IFBB Pro league need to prioritize more Women’s Bodybuilding representation?
Andrea Shaw: My Personal Goal Is To Win 11 Ms. Olympia Titles
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Andrea Shaw aims to beat the world record for most Ms. Olympia wins
Before the Ms. Olympia temporarily disappeared for about six years, Iris Kyle was the reigning champion. To this day, she is still the world record holder not only for most Ms. Olympia wins – but most Olympia wins by any athlete in any division ever. Since the return of Ms. Olympia two years ago, Iris Kyle has yet to make a return to reclaim her title for various reasons. As of now it’s unclear if she will officially return moving forward. But the current champion, Andrea Shaw, hopes to become the new world record holder. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Andrea Shaw details how and why she wants to earn 11 Ms. Olympia titles.
Andrea Shaw came out swinging upon the return of the Ms. Olympia competition two years ago. She has held dominion over Women’s Bodybuilding for two years now – and is the current reigning champion. During our recent video interview, we asked what her long term goals are. How long does she want to compete and how will she handle her physique once she retires? It seems like retirement won’t be coming any time soon though – as she proclaimed that she wants to win 11 total Ms. Olympia title by the end of her pro career.
The number 11 is not random, it’s the amount of wins she needs to become the new world record holder. Iris Kyle, the previous Ms. Olympia champion, currently holds the record at ten wins. This is also the most Olympia titles won by any athlete regardless of division. Shaw is ready to change that fact – we just may need to wait until 2030 for that to happen.
That’s a long way off. And Andrea Shaw is not delusional about the fact a lot can change between now and then. That’s why she has a very realistic rule she is living by in terms of achieving her goal.
“I’m very much aware of the fact that, you know, you still need to be in a good place mentally with competing. You still need to be a good place physically when competing,” Andrea Shaw states in our interview. She continues:
“My caveat to that is if I still feel good about it physically and mentally, I would like to go after eleven. But at any given point I feel as though it’s not there, I’m not the one to force that.”
Andrea Shaw makes a good point here. She cannot predict where her head or body will be at five or more years from now. She certainly has the hunger and drive to become a world record champion – but also realizes that life can change those goals and drive in unexpected ways. The most important thing for her is mental and physical stability. If the goal becomes a hinderance rather than a productive goal – she may change tactics.
Andrea Shaw goes on to use Dexter Jackson as an example. Jackson is notoriously known for his extremely successful and long lasting career. He is the most decorated pro bodybuilder of all time – and many had counted him out multiple times throughout his career as he aged. He ended up not retiring until after 50 years old.
Andrea Shaw points out that his longevity came down to how he planned each and every bodybuilding prep. He did not go hardcore like some other bodybuilder, which would lead to a burnout (even if it was after a very successful run). Shaw wants to follow this method. She wants to be the best and perhaps even become a world record holder – but only if it’s right for her overall happiness and stability.
You can watch Andrea Shaw talk in more detail not only about her goal of 11 Ms. Olympia wins – but also her plans for after retirement. Catch it all in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Andrea Shaw On Women’s Bodybuilding Criticism: “Without It There Are No Other Female Divisions”
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Andrea Shaw discusses her rise to Ms. Olympia and the ups and downs of the Women’s Bodybuilding division.
For the past two years, Andrea Shaw has proven herself to be the new standout and reigning Ms. Olympia champion in Women’s Bodybuilding. After a five year gap of the division no longer appearing at the Olympia weekend – Shaw exploded onto the scene with Ms. Olympia’s return in 2020. Since then she has been the star to beat in the prestigious but often criticized division. In our latest GI Exclusive, Andrea Shaw discusses her rise in Women’s Bodybuilding and responds to the criticism and struggles of the division.
Before Andrea Shaw, Iris Kyle was the unstoppable Women’s Bodybuilding competitor. She earned 10 Ms. Olympia victories during her career – before the division itself was dropped from the Olympia weekend. There was a five year gap where Women’s Bodybuilding was no longer supported by the Arnold Classic or the Olympia weekend. During this time – competitors in the division had little to work towards. With one exception – the Wings of Strength Women’s Bodybuilding competition.
It was during this strange time in Women’s Bodybuilding that Andrea Shaw rose up through the ranks and became an all-star competitor. Starting out in Women’s Physique, she eventually moved up to Women’s Bodybuilding. Of course, there was no Ms. Olympia to work towards. Thankfully – she found support at Wings of Strength. This allowed her to continue to find motivation and improve into a challenging competitor in the league.
Fast forward to 2020, Jake Wood now owns the Olympia event (he is also the man who ran the Wings of Strength competitions) and brought Women’s Bodybuilding and Ms. Olympia back into the fold. Andrea Shaw now had a new goal to work towards – which she earned both in 2020 and 2021 with two Ms. Olympia victories.
We connected with Andrea Shaw for a video interview to recap her rise through the years from Women’s Physique, into Women’s Bodybuilding, and through to the champion she is today. As mentioned above, her career grew during one of the most tumultuous times for Women’s Bodybuilding. We asked Shaw for her thoughts on the lack of support over the years at major shows such as the Olympia weekend and Arnold Classic.
The common reasoning behind dropping Women’s Bodybuilding from competition was simply that there was not enough popularity to keep it running. We asked for Andrea Shaw’s reaction to that kind of mentality. Did that excuse ever make sense to her?
“No. Only because it’s always been popular. Because without Women’s Bodybuilding there are no other female divisions. None,” Andrea Shaw stated in our interview. She continued:
“So it doesn’t matter if you’re in Figure, whether you’re in Fitness – it all started with Women’s Bodybuilding. I firmly believe that was just a call AMI made. Because Jim Manion, the NPC, the IFBB, they kept the contests going. There were so many contests that still had Women’s Bodybuilding. But that was a direct call from Arnold’s staff. You know, and I’m speculating because I wasn’t competing at that time but again Arnold pulled it first and then AMI followed suit. Whether it was unpopular – I think it was unpopular to them.”
Andrea Shaw goes on to also comment on the concept of “femininity” in Women’s Bodybuilding vs the pure athleticism of the sport. She’s well aware of the history behind the division. With athletes like Bev Francis being pulled back in forth for either being too masculine or not muscular enough.
“A lot of it are usually men. They are usually men. When you break most of it down, some of these men are insecure because they don’t have muscle and they wish they could. So then the target becomes the woman… but it’s bodybuilding. What difference does it make if it’s a man or a woman?”
You can watch Andrea Shaw’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Ms. Olympia 2021 Results
Here are the full results from Ms. Olympia from Friday night.
The Women’s Open division will be back once again this season looking to crown a Ms. Olympia. This is an event that did not take place for five years but returned during the 2020 show. Now, Women’s Open is back and some of the best competitors in the world have a chance to show what they can do.
Andrea Shaw was the champion in last year’s event. She will return as one of the favorites to win her second-straight title this year in Orlando. Shaw brought a great physique and conditioning to the show last year and that is expected once again.
There was plenty of talent at the event and that included Helle Trevino. She finished second in last year’s event, behind Shaw, ad has competed in many Olympias in the past along with the Rising Phoenix. Margaret Marvelous and Monique Jones also showed up looking to make an impact. Marvelous had many believe that she should have won the title last year.
When looking at the competitors vying for Ms. Olympia, this competition could not have been a bust. It was extremely exciting from the start and the full results have been announced. Below, you can find the full results, along with the previous winners and an official score card.
Olympia 2020 Ms. Olympia Results
First Place – Andrea Shaw
Second Place – Helle Trevino
Third Place – Margie Martin
Fourth Place – Mona PourSaleh
Fifth Place – Irene Anderson
Previous Ms. Olympia Winners
2006: Iris Kyle
2007: Iris Kyle
2008: Iris Kyle
2009: Iris Kyle
2010: Iris Kyle
2011: Iris Kyle
2012: Iris Kyle
2013: Iris Kyle
2014: Iris Kyle
2020: Andrea Shaw
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
Olympia 2021 Ms. Olympia Prejudging Report & Analysis
Highlights from the Olympia 2021 Ms. Olympia prejudging.
The Olympia 2021 Ms. Olympia division is one of the top at the event and this year did not disappoint. Andrea Shaw returned to stage to defend her title and did so in incredible shape.
It was no surprise to see Shaw represented in the first callout. There were a total of 16 competitors in this division and the first callout consisted of four competitors. The judges made multiple switches to get the best view at each angle. Margie Martin and Helle Trevino joined Shaw in the first callout, along with Mona Poursaleh.
Shaw has some strict competition in this event. Poursaleh has competed on stage multiple times this year and looked the part coming in. There are athletes that have gained momentum heading into the biggest event of the year and will be ready to put on. show. This was proven in the final callout.
The judges called for all four competitors from the first callout to return on stage once again. This shows how close the race could be in Ms. Olympia. Shaw entered as the favorite to repeat but she cold very well be taken down if the judges like another physique better.
This is going to be a competition to watch on Friday night. Until then, check out the full breakdown of the prejudging round.
Callout Report
First Callout
Margie Martin
Mona Poursaleh
Helle Trevino
Andrea Shaw
Second Callout
Michaela Aycock
Nadia Capostosto
Janeen Lankowski
Virginia Sanchez
Margita Zamolova
Irene Andersen
Third Callout
MayLa Ash
Reshanna Boswell
Leah Dennie
Silvia Matta
LaDawn McDay
Sheena Ohlig
Fourth Callout (Top 4)
Mona Poursaleh
Helle Trevino
Andrea Shaw
Margie Martin
Generation Iron will continue to provide coverage of the 2021 Olympia throughout the weekend. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.