“Women want to be capable in every way possible. They don’t want to limit themselves to only the household and their children. They want to be assertive outdoors; kick that football, and lift those barbells,” says Anna Christianne Ho, a 50-year-old bodybuilder from Hong Kong.
Ho is a poster girl for the growing number of female bodybuilders in Asia, fighting to eliminate gender stereotypes in a society obsessed with small framed and soft physiques, inspired by the imagery of its ubiquitous pop culture.
“Looking good goes far beyond skin deep,” says Ho. “All that spending on expensive clothing and make-up, means we pay least attention to the most important element: a fit and able body.”
Ho started focusing on her body after giving birth to her two children in Sydney. Being a health and fitness enthusiast carried her through some of the toughest moments of her life. A victim of domestic violence, incorporating a good workout regime helped her become a “stronger person, inside and out.”
Since the rise of female bodybuilding, gender discrimination has been a concerning issue. Female bodybuilders often experience criticism of their bodies, whilst they build an aesthetic commonly conflated with a masculine identity.
“So ugly... do you think you are a man?… why bother?...” are just some of the things that have been said to Ho during her bodybuilding career. However, she does acknowledge that acceptance is becoming more common now, and more females are participating in the sport.
“I feel social media is the biggest player in shaping what is accepted and what isn’t, especially since Instagram is so prominently used worldwide,” says Jayne Lo, a Hong Kong native, who represents the UK in the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding). A runner and swimmer growing up, Jayne left Hong Kong for Bristol to attend university. After becoming inspired by female physique competitors on social media, she started working as a personal trainer and decided to compete in bodybuilding. Within nine months, she took part in her first show and placed first in her category (bikini fitness short).
“I definitely do feel weight training is looked down upon more in Asia, where the ideals of beauty are soft with no muscle, or “skinny fat” as I would call it,” says Lo. “For anyone to then look curvier would not be deemed ideal,” she reiterates.
Even as a teenager at her skinniest – or “stick thin” as she calls it – Lo was deemed “muscular” by many locals.
But whilst Anna and Jayne are changing attitudes amongst women and men alike, female bodybuilders in Asia still have an uphill battle ahead. This January, an Iranian female bodybuilder was arrested after she posted selfies of her muscular figure on Instagram, and the sport is still banned in Afghanistan.
Most of Lo’s clients are very open to her methods of training, however, she points out that many of her Asian clients often express their desire to “not get too big.”
“I think the issue is the misconception of what weight training does to someone’s body. There is a negative stigma associated with weight training amongst the Chinese community, and their mind-set has been the hardest to change,” she adds.
Anna echoes Jayne's sentiments by also expressing her concern over the lack of understanding when it comes to weight training. “A lot of people think it is easy to become big. In fact, you have to work exceedingly hard to become big naturally!”
“A beautiful woman is a strong, fit and healthy woman, both on the inside and out. For most women, any positive change to their personal wellbeing – whether it is their physique, career, or relationship –makes them feel more confident inside and out,” says Lo, stating she's realizing that she has influenced, inspired and motivated hundreds of women and men through her Instagram stories.
“My proudest moment was when I saw a change in lifestyle amongst one of my clients,” says JLo, adding, “with a structured plan alongside my coaching and guidance, she gained more confidence in the gym and became stronger and fitter.”
Ho, too, expresses her desire to encourage others through fitness, saying, “Exercise helps young girls achieve a fit and healthy lifestyle, and provides young mothers the physical and mental balance needed to cope with the challenge of a budding family. There are numerous reasons why we should never give up exercising, especially weight training.”
