Athletes trained in gyms, using stones of various sizes as weights to increase their muscular physique and physical capabilities for the Olympics. In 11th century India, people used stone dumbbells to improve their health and overcome the challenges of daily life. It wasn't until the 1890s that bodybuilding reached a level of popularity. This marked the first time weightlifting was used as a method of entertainment and the beginning of the culture. At the beginning of its popularity, bodybuilding was about wowing crowds with incredible feats of strength rather than dazzling with glittering structure. Then, in the 20th century, Eugene Sandow bridged the gap between the overweight strongman and the bodybuilders as we imagine them today. Known as the father of modern bodybuilding, Eugene became a phenomenon thanks to his combination of muscular quality and strength. He would travel the world, surpassing all other strong men and promoting his muscular physique. In 1891, Eugene promoted the first bodybuilding show known as "The Great Show". He started promoting the contest three years in advance to try to spread the trend. To be able to compete in the pageant, contestants had to have placed in a smaller regional show. The qualities Sandow was looking for included overall development, developmental balance, tissue condition and tone, skin condition, and overall health. After the competition, bodybuilding culture became more and more popular around the world. As the popularity of bodybuilding grew exponentially, women began to learn about the possibility of achieving a higher level of physicality through weight training. Bodybuilding was considered a male oriented sport until 1977... middle of paper... it costs a lot of money and the bigger their bodies, the more money competing makes. Although women's bodybuilding is considered a sport, it means much more. Women's bodybuilding is a way for thousands of women of all ages to express themselves and be unique. These women not only explore the limits of their bodies, but push their mental strength and determination to the limit. Even if the competitions ended, there would still be members of the subculture pushing to be their best. The culture has its own family that makes members feel like they are part of something. It can truly empower an individual, knowing they have complete control over their body by exercising extreme levels of discipline and dedication to achieve a goal. This subculture also had to try to resist the ideals of the social conceptualization of a perfect woman.