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Guest on the show

Ida

Ida is a bodybuilder in her 30s who shares her muscular physique on social media and sees encouraging women to train for themselves as one of her jobs in life.

Episodes with Ida

What Ida talks about

How to Handle Comments That You Look Too Muscular

If you have ever worried that getting strong will invite comments like "you look like a man" or "that's too muscly for a woman," this conversation is for you. Nikkiey Stott asks bodybuilder Ida how she handles the keyboard trolls who leave those comments on her posts, and Ida's answer is simple: she is more comfortable in her own skin than she has ever been, and she is not here to please anyone's eyes.

Ida explains that her 20-year-old self would have let those comments hold her back, but she got fed up with trying to fit in. Muscle is something we all have, she points out, and as a woman she doesn't have the same hormone setup as a man, so she will never look like the guys training as hard as she does. What still bothers her is the woman reading the comments: the teenager, the 20-year-old or the woman new to this lifestyle who might take that comment as aimed at her.

Nikkiey adds her view that the people writing these comments are insecure and wish they had the discipline and hard work to change their own bodies. The message to you: don't let someone else's opinion stop you from starting your journey. We're here to lift each other up.

  • Ida's response to comments like "you look like a man" is "according to you": an insecure person's opinion of your physique doesn't have to matter to you.
  • Ida stopped letting criticism hold her back once she got fed up with trying to fit in and decided she is here for herself, not to please anyone's eyes.
  • Muscle is part of biology for everyone, so having it doesn't make a woman less of a woman.
  • Ida explains that women don't have the same hormone setup as men, so a woman training as many hours and as hard as a man will not end up his size.
  • Nikkiey's view is that people who shame others for their muscle are insecure and wish they had the discipline and work ethic to change their own bodies.

What Happens to Your Body After a Bodybuilding Competition?

Getting stage-lean is only half the story. In this clip from The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey Stott talks with Ida, a former bodybuilding competitor and coach, about what happens after the last show. Nikkiey shares that she gained 25 pounds back in one month after a competition. Ida describes how her body never felt normal again until years after she stopped competing.

Ida's first piece of advice is to pick a coach who will still be there when the show is over. That coach keeps you accountable, guides your reverse diet and helps with the mental side. Competition-level body fat is not healthy or sustainable, especially for women. Going from shredded back to normal is hard whether you do it carefully or gain weight fast. She also explains how a 56-week diet and back-to-back competitions and photo shoots wore her down.

She also talks about how her focus shifted to a job she loved and why she no longer feels drawn to competing. Her closing point applies whether you have ever stepped on stage or not: you won't feel good about your body until you become okay with who you are and stop defining yourself by what you weigh.

  • If you plan to compete, choose a coach who will stay with you after the show to keep you accountable, guide your reverse diet and support your mental game.
  • Competition-level body fat is not healthy or sustainable, especially for women, so plan from the start to return to a healthy body fat percentage.
  • Going from shredded back to normal is tough whether you do it correctly or gain 25 pounds almost instantly, so expect the transition to be hard.
  • Being a coach or having experience doesn't mean you can skip having a coach of your own after competing.
  • Very long dieting stretches wear you down: Ida's first competition year meant 56 weeks of dieting and left her exhausted and in pain.

Why Women Compete in Bodybuilding and What Prep Teaches

What actually draws a woman to bodybuilding? In this clip, Nikkiey Stott talks with Ida, a figure competitor with four wins, about why she chose to step on stage. Her answer starts with the glam: the hair, the makeup, the shiny bikini and the feeling of showing off what you built. It goes deeper than that. She loved having a date to work toward her best shape, and she accepted from the start that putting yourself up to be judged against other women means bringing your A-game and letting go of what everyone else looks like.

Ida explains that figure is not always about being the most shredded. Symmetry, balance, presence and being lean in the right places matter. She describes prep as a time when you learn everything about yourself, especially on the days you are tired, feel off track and still have to go to your regular job. Nikkiey calls it a lonely road where it is you versus you every day. Ida adds that taking care of yourself first isn't selfish, because it lets you show up better for the people around you.

Both are honest that a competition diet is extreme and uncomfortable. Ida says she doesn't recommend it to anyone who isn't willing to go the full length of that discomfort. Nikkiey closes with what lasts: the daily discipline built during prep can carry into your whole lifestyle long after the show.

  • Ida says that if you choose to step on stage and be judged against other women, you have to be okay with that and simply bring your A-game, whatever everyone else looks like.
  • Having a set show date gave Ida a clear reason to work hard and reach her best shape.
  • In figure, winning is not always about being the most shredded: symmetry, balance, presence and being lean in the right places all count.
  • Prep teaches you about your body, your mindset and what you can handle, including on the days you are tired and still have to do your regular job.
  • Nikkiey describes competition prep as a lonely road where it is you versus you every day, unless you have people who understand what you're going through.

Common questions

How do you handle people saying you look like a man for lifting weights?

Ida says she simply thinks "according to you." She is comfortable in her own skin and doesn't care what an insecure person says about her physique, because muscle is something we all have according to biology.

Why do people leave negative comments about muscular women?

Nikkiey's view is that the people leaving those comments are insecure and wish they could look like these women. She says they wish they had the discipline, hard work and effort it takes to transform their body.

Will lifting as hard as a man make a woman as big as a man?

Ida explains that a man who trains as many hours and as hard as she does will be twice her size, because as a woman she doesn't have the same hormone setup. That doesn't stop her from looking her best or lifting the way she can.

How do you stop caring what other people think about your body?

Ida says she got fed up with feeling the need to fit in and trying to please others. She now reminds herself she is here for herself, not to please anyone's eyes, and is not trying to become anyone other than herself.

Is it healthy to stay at competition body fat after a bodybuilding show?

No. Ida says it isn't healthy to stay at competition body fat, especially for women, and Nikkiey adds that it's so extreme that it isn't sustainable.

Do I need a coach after a bodybuilding competition?

Ida says it's one of the most important things to consider. Your coach should still be there when you're done to keep you accountable, help you reverse diet and help with your mental game, even if you're a coach yourself.

Topics Ida covered