The bodybuilding sphere comes with its own share of problems, however, the prejudice of being a female athlete in the domain, extends beyond the community and into the society itself. Women’s beauty standards have long been an issue for athletes. Be it gymnast legend, Simone Biles or 25-time World Record holder, Stefi Cohen, all have been subject to criticism based on these societal standards. 

In a recent Instagram post, the latter shared two impressive stills of her physique, with her defined abs popping out. Yet, her robust frame even though appreciated, she revealed in her caption that it is denounced by people for not fitting society’s standards. 

Stefi Cohen states the double standards of being a female powerlifter

As per the source, the 31-year-old champion was seen flaunting her shredded proportions in the two pictures. Her highly conditioned arms and abdomen muscles were commendable. Nevertheless, she shed light on a contrasting aspect of her efforts. She elucidated how “we”, as in the female athletes undergo constant scrutiny by these biased measures of men and women. 

“Praised for breaking barriers, yet criticized for not fitting society’s beauty standards: a constant battle we face every day in an attempt to defy odds and show the world what strength and beauty can look like,” she wrote in the caption. 

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Moreover, Cohen chimed in with an intriguing hashtag, “#beautysuglyside,” boldly referring to her mighty frame as the ‘ugly’ side of beauty, per standards. Similarly, Olympian, Simone Biles too opened up on her battle with body shaming once. 

How Simone Biles tackled body-shaming 

3 years ago, the 26-year-old athlete partnered with SK-II, a skincare brand for their ‘Beauty is #NoCompetition’ initiative. She gave a speech in New York, while several young women gathered to gain inspiration from her experiences. A question enquired about her past encounters with her appearance. Therefore, Biles responded, “They focused on my hair. They focused on how big my legs were.” 

She revealed that she was called ‘swoldier’ due to her frame which was against the beauty standards. “But God made me this way, and I feel like if I didn’t have these legs or these calves, I wouldn’t be able to tumble as high as I can and have all of these moves named after me,” she added emphasizing the importance of self-belief and confidence. What do you think of Cohen’s revelations? Do you agree with it? Tell us in the comments. 

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