Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Bodybuilder Rene Campbell wants to change the view of what women should look like

Bodybuilder Rene Campbell wants to change the view of what women should look like

Counterpointed by a number of striking tattoos, hers is a body defined by muscle. She is a mother of two who embodies power and strength.

Rene Campbell has dedicated most of her life to sculpting her once diminutive frame into one that, she says, goes "completely against what society thinks a woman should look like."

The bodybuilder's dedication has brought plenty of awards but building her dream body -- gaining over 85 pounds, going from a UK size 8 to 14 -- has had its challenges, too, both physically and mentally.

"I was very insecure about my body image, very insecure about myself as a person," Campbell, 44, tells CNN Sport from her home in Cornwall, UK, as she reflects on her motivation to transform herself.

"I was constantly feeling under pressure through the media that women needed to look a certain way."

'A woman with muscle'


"For quite some time I struggled with eating disorders because I was constantly trying to keep my weight really low, to appear skinny, like these women are on magazine covers," she says.

Then, she attended a women's bodybuilding show and became intrigued by the way these seemingly confident women held themselves.

Though Campbell ​says she loves the way she now looks, ​she says she is sometimes treated with cruelty, like when she has been asked to leave women's toilets.

"A lot of the time you are up against a lot of negativity. People set in an old mindset," Campbell adds.

"I was up against -- and still am -- a lot of criticism from people who don't understand why women would want to be muscular. But it just gave me a sense of confidence and mental strength.

"I'm stuck in a situation where I have to prove that I'm a woman in order to use these toilets? It's quite offensive. I do try and explain to them quite nicely. I may look this way but, at the end of the day, I am a woman. I have every right to use these toilets."



Studying female bodybuilders


For over a decade, sociologist Dr. Tanya Bunsell has been researching female bodybuilders.

"When I would tell people that I was studying female bodybuilders, the first reaction was, 'That's just not attractive,'" Dr. Bunsell, a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at Canterbury Christ Church University, tells CNN Sport.

"There's definitely a glass ceiling on muscularity, and that crossover boundary where the body becomes transgressive and interrogates people's notions of male and female.

"The troublesome and disturbing body of the hyper-muscular woman is deemed so outrageously deviant by society that it provokes harsh comments."

"Even though there is a huge market encouraging women to build abs and tighten their figures, the ideal still stands for smaller waists, curvy hips and lean legs, the so-called hourglass figure," adds Dr. Bunsell.



'The body becomes an amazing machine'


When she started her bodybuilding career, ​Campbell says eating copious amounts of food was, at first, a shock to the body and mind.

"My body temperature went up," she says, ​saying that putting on weight initially scared her.

"I was feeling hot all the time because you're constantly eating, but once you get over that stage the body becomes an amazing machine and it starts to take that fuel in."

"There's a very close relationship between passion, dedication and obsession," says Campbell.

"You look at any athlete that has achieved great things, there has to be a certain level of obsession."

A photograph of Campbell is currently featured in a six-month exhibition in west London called "Womanhood."

Max Ellis, the photographer who took the portait of Campbell, describes his subject as a "work of art."

"She's worked her whole life to try and achieve this," Ellis ​said. "If you're a woman and you're doing this [bodybuilding], you are swimming upstream. You're fighting every known convention."

Steroids


But bodybuilding has a dark side, a long association with steroid use to help build muscle.

"Before she went to the world championships, Rene had to do a drug test and passed the drug test, but a lot of these girls didn't pass," Wanda Tierney, chairperson of IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness) Women's Committee, tells CNN Sport.

Campbell says it would be naïve to think that the problem does not exist, but argues that steroids abuse happens in other sports and in society, too.

"The onus is on the athletes to adhere to the rules and regulations set by their federation," Campbell says. "My federation (The IFBB), is a signatory to the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Code, and the IFBB anti-doping rules are in full compliance with the 2015 WADA code."

And as she reflected on her body's evolution, Campbell was keen to stress how bodybuilding had been accompanied by a shift in her mental health.

"It was a very big shift for me mentally, because my bodybuilding journey made me realize that I needed to do things for myself."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×