Welcome to yet another look at the ‘mind behind the muscle’ of our favorite bodybuilders and forum members. This time around it is the turn of popular forum member ‘Sassy 69’ who has built 
up quite a reputation as being the ‘go to’ person when it comes to giving out great advice on many forums over the years. So what better place to begin than by discussing her rock star status in the world of muscle forums….
You are a regular on quite a few muscle forums, what enticed you into participating?
“I started interacting on my first muscle board trulyhuge.com live chat back in 2000. I had come across and lurked on a few other boards just researching ‘bodybuilding’ because I had just done my first show. I engaged much more actively in late 2000 as a way to keep myself occupied between meals while prepping for my second show. After a bad experience with a trainer I felt it was important to educate myself as much as possible and did this via posting questions on the forums. I still feel that you should educate yourself as much as possible and not become too dependent on a coach/trainer. You need to know how to listen to your own body and make good decisions about what you do within the sport. Even with a great coach, you are still the only one who is truly tuned in to your own body.
“I have signed up on several different boards but I have a couple that I consider my home boards where I have been for years and consider the people there to be close friends, many of whom are friends in real life. I have moved around a lot over the last several years and haven’t really been anywhere long enough to establish a good base of local friends…but my friends on line are always there.”
Do you feel that female bodybuilders get a raw deal when it comes to publicity?
“I think that women’s sports in general get a raw deal. So much of what women do is judged first through the eyes of ‘fuckability’ before their skill and accomplishments. But to be fair, bodybuilding, much less female bodybuilding, is not a mainstream sport. In fact we constantly argue about whether or not we can even call it a ‘sport’. Maybe we should call it a ‘performance art’. Bodybuilding suffers from being very subjective in terms of who ‘wins’. With a lack of clear definition of what female bodybuilding actually is I am not surprised by where it is in terms of evolutionary status.
“Another challenge female bodybuilding has arises from the associations it has with porn and fetish stuff and simply ‘looking manly’. It is a visual pursuit and, particularly with the androgens that can be involved, there is a fetish aspect to it. All of this goes into how the mainstream public views female bodybuilders. I think you need to look closer at the amazing women in physique sports to really appreciate what is involved. I have seen scores of women ‘find’ themselves when they got into weight training.”
Talking about ‘finding yourself’ how did changing your physique transform you mentally?
“I grew up with brothers and a primarily male influence so I perceived myself as being capable of doing the same things men could do – which covered everything from being able to excel in things like math and science to push-up contests. I also carried some extra weight when I was growing up which gained me the label of ‘big girl’. So I finally said, hey I’m never going to be a hot skinny cheerleader, so let’s embrace this ‘big girl’ thing. I liked the fact that my biceps responded to lifting and that I could push weights in the gym. Going to the gym every day was also an important mental and physical outlet. I also came to be more self reliant and didn’t depend on a boyfriend to do things for me.
“One of the final pieces of what I call ‘becoming complete’ was overcoming a lifetime of shyness and stage fright when I did my first show. This proved that not only could I get my body into great shape but that I could get up in front of hundreds of people I didn’t know and prance around in protan and a bikini. That, along with having a physique that makes people stop and stare every now and then, definitely gives me a level of confidence I wouldn’t otherwise have had.
“As I get older I also have greater expectations of my quality of life because I don’t see limitations. I guess I see ‘getting old’ as the day I can no longer lift a weight. But if that happens I’ve got some resistance bands that I can pull out in a heartbeat!”
How do you think the general public view a female who displays obvious muscularity?
“It’s a cross between fascination and disgust. I suppose it depends on the person and the amount of muscle you are talking about. I’m not particularly concerned about what people think of me or my muscles because I am happy with them. Personally I think it’s a crime NOT to develop a strong and healthy body, but not everyone finds their passion in a gym. It all seems to come down to what people find attractive. I am more concerned about making a positive impression on people who take the time to get to know me, and not the public at large.”
Do men approach you differently in social situations?
“These days I suspect more than in the past. I am still single and no longer in my 20’s and I am tall (but not particularly tall) and muscular. I definitely get more attention when I am leaned out for a show, but outside of say 4 weeks before or after a show I mostly just feel that I am ‘big’. It is possible that I am just getting too set in my ways as well – I don’t have a lot of patience with guys (or many people for that matter) under 30. Many people I have met who are my age already have families or some sort of baggage that they have picked up over the years. I have also run into guys who are into things like competitive biking and things that I interpret as being catabolic to my goals. I suppose I have a few hang-ups that the typical girl doesn’t. And hey, if you are not into muscular women that’s your prerogative. On the other hand, I have come across guys who are looking for the freak show – either in terms of being the ‘older woman’ or the ‘muscle girl’ neither of which I have any interest in being.”
“I am not cute and petite, so I actually find I have more in common with guys than with women. Often I’ll end up talking to the guys about weight training or diet or something like that, as a result I am often perceived as being ‘one of the guys’. It doesn’t necessarily work out so well relative to the guys’ significant others, but again, that would be their problem and not mine. I am respectful of anyone I meet but I am one of those people who have a couple of strong friendships versus lots of acquaintances, so that’s my comfort zone. I am a very strong, independent woman and I need a guy who can deal with that and compliment it.”
How do you deal with the inevitable negative feedback from people who don’t understand the sport?
“If someone wants to take the time to talk to me I will sit down and have a discussion. People’s views of this sport are usually the perception of a ‘jacked-up’, manly looking woman. So I guess I start with ‘Do I look like a jacked-up, manly looking woman?’ Then comes the whole discussion of how many years I have been lifting, why I lift, what my diet looks like and how I look a lot better than many people my age. If they don’t want to have the discussion, then I am not particularly concerned about what they think. Regardless of the competitive side of it, this is a lifestyle that is fundamental to who I am and I doubt anyone can present me with an argument compelling enough to cause me to abandon it. This is by far the most consistent piece of my life that has kept me grounded through a whole lot of life challenges, and I have come out stronger than ever!”
What part do you want to play in promoting female bodybuilding in the future?
“I think ever since I did my first show I have been evangelizing weight lifting in general to women. Also letting them know that the ‘secret’ to getting control of your weight and your body is simply being consistent with your diet and not starving yourself, resistance training and not sticking to the pink weights ‘because you’re a girl’. You can’t sit around and cry about your weight or what you want to eat, you need to educate yourself and act on it.
“The ‘sport’ of bodybuilding really exists within the framework of the various federations, but the ‘hobby’ of weightlifting is something I promote every day of my life. It usually starts with the discussion of ‘how did you get those muscles?’ but I take that opportunity to dispel the myths about starving yourself to lose weight. I want to let women know that there is a healthy way to get control over your body and there is a lifetime of benefits that go with it. It is more than just the hours and hours in the gym.”
Well, I am sure you’ll agree with me when I say her presence on the female boards of many muscle forums has definitely done a lot to promote the sport of female bodybuilding and to motivate others to become involved. We are certainly very happy to have ‘Sassy 69’ at RX and look forward to hearing a lot more from her in the future!
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