please excuse my ignorance...

[southernmommie]

But what is the difference between the Women's Fitness and the Women's Figure? Can you train the same way for each?

[p.s.]

The main differences are that there is no routine (fitness now requires a gymnastic type of routine) in figure and the figure girls "generally" have a much softer appearance.

[HARDCORE]

yep, figure is basically a bathing suit competition that takes up half of the night from the bodybuilders and fitness. Fitness requires some basic gymnastics and strength moves in their routine, and is generally a bit more pleasing to watch.

[wolverine]

yep, figure is basically a bathing suit competition that takes up half of the night from the bodybuilders and fitness.

LOL!!!! that was funny

[dancerqueen]

But it's true.....it's tough watching figure....it's a sleeper

[killermctavish]

The first few shows I watched there were a few girls in each class or maybe up to 10.  Now, holy bikini, there can be 25 in a class and it takes a LONG time to get through the turns in the different suits.  I enjoy figure but not when there are so many and it takes so long and all they are doing is turning.  BB is great and I enjoy fitness routines the most.  It amazes me that they can be dieted down and still be able to leap through the air and stand on their heads.

[dancerqueen]

The first few shows I watched there were a few girls in each class or maybe up to 10.  Now, holy bikini, there can be 25 in a class and it takes a LONG time to get through the turns in the different suits.  I enjoy figure but not when there are so many and it takes so long and all they are doing is turning.  BB is great and I enjoy fitness routines the most.  It amazes me that they can be dieted down and still be able to leap through the air and stand on their heads.

I think watching pros is a bit easier.  At the beginner level, there are always so many girls and the judging that goes on is all over the place.  It's so difficult to determine what the hell they are judging on.  At the show I competed in last year, the girl who took first against me and overall also took first and overall in the figure competition the night before.  I just watched an NPC video on judging figure competitions and one thing that they stated is that these girls are not to be so cut and shredded as bodybuilders, which goes competely against how they judged this girl last year.  It frustrates me.  I have seen this at so many novice and local shows.  Figure is just one of those areas where judging becomes completely subjective.  When I'm completely dieted down and watching other people, I need something that captures my attention....for me, figure is just not it.  I'm completely with you though....fitness is truly amazing to watch.

[p.s.]

I agree that fitness is way cool, but there is still an issue or two with that competition as well in that like figure the judging is not uniform from show to show, and this in turn makes it very hard for the gals to know how to dial in. Now at least with BBing it's still the most ripped, muscular, proportioned, and symmetrical gal will most likely always win the show, and this only makes sense as this is what BBing is all about (even with that 20% BS), but fitness and figure are not so well defined.

Figure makes no sense at all as there is zero criteria in fact one show you'll see a gal win that looks like she just walked in off the street, and then the next time the winner looks like a softer BB with a rack! Fitness is another area where the IFBB needs to sit the judges down and hammer out some solid rules that make sense, and then pass these down through the ranks.

Personally figure should be left at the natty level as the gals are using more and more gear and will eventually just become BBs in heals! Or just dump it completely.

Now before some of you gals get all up in arms etc lets also look at some facts FBB is what has created these two spin offs and IMO yes fitness is without a doubt a great sport that just needs some tweeking. Also FBBing in one form or another has been around since Pudgy Stockton and the muscle beach crowd in the 40s. I also feel that figure can go any time, as it really is just a T&A affair designed to attempt to bring in more ticket buyers. Both fitness and FBBing need to be given high exposure built up over a period of time to help the general populace get used to women with muscle, and then if this is accomplished properly we will see more and more gals competing in either BBing or fitness over the next few years. Hell maybe we could get things back to the way they were in the late 80s early 90s when FBB could fill a large theatre as a stand alone event.

Someone like Lenda could be used to sell either sport to the general public, as she has many solid qualities that make for great PR. Here's a quick example.......

[Jack Tragic]

Ah yes...Lenda. Not a huge/vascular/muscular phisique, but defined, toned, cut and very symmmetrical and in proprotion...