Female bodybuilding is of course part of bodybuilding.
But for women.
Quick ain't I?
They have had physique contests for women since the 1960s, way before female bodybuilding competitions like we have today and even before that, muscular women were popular.
But back then they were called "strongwomen" and were usually regulated to performing feats of strength in a circus, vaudeville, music halls, or other venues.
As they do today, these ladies had a special, loyal following.
Strongwomen weren't for everyone, the typical 19th century woman was considered frail and weak, but not these amazons.
Before we get to bodybuilding today, let's take a look at some of the women that laid the foundation of the sport.

Josephine Blatt
One of the first strongwomen was Josephine Blatt.
Josephine was born in 1869 and passed away on September 1, 1923.
She performed under the stage name "Minerva" and for several years was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having lifted the greatest weight ever by a woman.
This was 3,564 lb in a hip-and-harness lift at the Bijou Theater in Hoboken, N.J., on April 15, 1895.
Besides that amazing feat, Minerva could do other little things like break horseshoes with her bare hands, break steel chains by expanding her chest, and play catch with a 24 pound cannon ball.
You know, everyday stuff.
Josephine married Paul Blatt (sometimes listed as Charles Blatt..the Hoboken Hercules) and together, they made tours all over Europe and the US with various circuses.
She finally retired in 1910.

Charmion
Another strongwoman was Laverie Vallee also known as Charmion.
She was not only a strongwoman, but a vaudeville trapeze artist as well.
Charmion had an act that featured both her trapeze skill, and her strength.
She'd come out in full Victorian attire and mount the trapeze, then begin to remove pieces of clothing until she got down to her leotard.
Needless to say, the act raised a lot of eyebrows back then, and got her a big male fan base, one of whom was Thomas Edison.
Yes, that Thomas Edison.
He was so impressed with her, that he asked her to do one of his films, the 1901 short, "Trapeze Disrobing Act".

Vulcana
Kate Roberts was better known by her stage name, "Vulcana".
Vulcana toured as part of the Atlas and Vulcana Group of Society Athletes in Britain, Europe and Australia.
Atlas was strongman William Hedley Roberts, who Vucana had met when she was at a local women's gymnasium in 1890.
Even though she was only fifteen, it was love at first sight.
But since William had a small problem (namely a wife and kids) they decided to run away together.
Vulcana has several feats of strength credited to her such as a bent press (I don't think they do that anymore, it looks really dangerous) with 124 pounds. Though some say it was actually 145 pounds.
She is also recorded as having done an overhead lift with a 56 pound weight in each hand.
Besides being a strongwoman, Vulcana had somewhat of a reputation as being a superhero back then. (That is if they had the term superhero back then)
At the age of thirteen (in 1881), she stopped a runaway horse in Bristol.
In July of 1901, Vulcana saved two children from drowning in the River Usk in Wales.
In October of 1901, Vulcana reportedly freed a stuck wagon by lifting it up in front of witnesses.
When the Garrick Theatre in Edinburgh caught fire in 1921, Vulcana rushed into the blaze to save some horses that were part of another act. She received several commendations for that incident.

Katie Sandwina
Katie Brumbach was born in 1884 in Vienna, Austria.
She was one of fourteen (yes fourteen) children born to circus performers Philippe and Johanna Brumbach.
Katie started out doing wrestling in the sideshow and again, she was one of these women that no man could ever beat.
As a matter of fact, she met her husband Max Heymann during one of these performances. (They married and stayed together fifty two years)
As to how Katie Brumback became Katie Sandwina...ever hear of Eugen Sandow, the "Father of Modern Bodybuilding"?
Well when she was in New York, Katie ran across one of Sandow's weightlifting contests.
Katie put 300 pounds over her head, but Sandow could only get the weight up to his chest.
So Katie adopted the name, "Sandwina".
Just a side note here, Katie was just over six feet tall and weighed around 187 pounds.
Katie worked for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the US until she retired at the age of 64.
She and Max then opened a restaurant in New York.
Katie passed away on January 21, 1952.

Of course the feats of strongwomen didn't end in the 19th century, they carry on all the way up to today with women like Chyna, Elena Seiple, Robin Coleman and Aneta Florczyk.
And they have moved into the modern age with ESPN televising contests like the annual World's Strongest Woman.
I bet Josephine Blatt would have never dreamed of anything like that.