Last week I read a very interesting blog post that ruffled a lot of feathers. Some dude named Christian Thibaudeau sounded off on his disdain for the influx of women entering into body building/figure competitions. He basically said people are doing it for all the wrong reasons, namely for attention. He made no attempts to hide his hatred for selfies, Instagram posts, and Facebook albums that new competitors use to chronicle their transformation. To read his passionate post, click here.

I agree with Thibaudeau on this: the explosion of ordinary women competing in body competitions is very real. My social media feeds are many times completely dominated with girls I know posting photos showcasing their training regimen, pre/post workout faces, before and after body comparisons, competition action, and trophies. To me, it almost seems like the majority of my female friends are taking part in these fitness endeavors.

But do I have a problem with it?

Absolutely not. Even if the goal of each girl actually was to garner attention, I still really wouldn’t mind it just because the work needed to receive that attention was noble. If the sole reason someone got really fit was just to receive 1,000 likes on an Instagram image, the fact of the matter is that she still got really fit. She overhauled her body, why hate?

Of course most females don’t do competitions to win praise from others. They do it because they want to challenge themselves, make a positive change, and set goals. Also, it is a legitimate hobby these days. It seems to me that I see just about as many girls enter fitness competitions as I do see them go watch “Pitch Perfect 2” or make a craft they saw off of Pinterest. It is a trendy thing to do but it is a positive thing to do.

I might not prefer the body competition look that so many women have attained but I sure as heck respect it. I also respect Thibaudeau’s right to his opinion but I really do question his motives. As a fitness nut himself, you would think that he would support more people entering his growing industry. Perhaps he just wanted to stir the pot a little bit?

I admire my friends who set a goal, start a program, and transform their bodies. There is absolutely no way I can discount the amount of hard work it takes to pull off such a feat. To all my fitness competitor friends…don’t let Christian get under your skin. Don’t Blink.