Who's Leigh Penman?

Details

Published on Thursday, 04 June 2009 00:40

Written by Sister Steele

Leigh, you've been writing for bodybuilding magazines, websites and nutritional supplement companies since 1985. You've basically followed the sport and brought it to the world through your writing for over 2 decades. What is your take on the way the sport has progressed through the years? At what point in time and in light of what major occurrence did you foresee the sport going down a road that would ultimately lead to its demise?

"I think the sport went through a shaky period in the nineties when drug experimentation got a bit out of hand. However, we now seem to be getting back on track. I think we have an amazing crop of women competing right now and some great things to look forward to.  The ‘demise' could have happened if we continued down that 90's road but I truly think we are recovering. I am forever the optimist and as long as we keep writing about the women, covering women's issues and truly supporting our female athletes then we can short circuit the program that had us headed for extinction"

 

According to a short biography on the famous Leigh Penman on bodybuilding.com, you've been described as a writer, and I quote, who "walks her talk". Can you please elaborate further on that statement?

"That's a simple one, I just mean that with 30 years of consistent training under my belt, I don't just write about training etc I actually do it. I have seen many people over the years who write about the sport and step up to advise others who look like they have never seen the inside of the gym. Another example is writers who seem to completely let themselves go once they achieve a certain status in the sport."

 

Who do you think is the most influential figure to ever grace the bodybuilding stage? Do you think we've strayed from the ideals that made bodybuilding the spectacle of aesthetic perfection it once was?

"I would have to say Cory Everson since she had what I would call the most aesthetically perfect physique. I think we went through a phase of straying away from this but I think we are slowly getting back on track."

 

Leigh, many will argue the fact that bodybuilding is an actual sport. Do you think bodybuilding is a sport, despite the absence of the element of performance in competition?

"I think bodybuilding is definitely a sport when it comes to all the training we do in the gym and then when we take it to contest level it becomes a ‘performance art'.

As a woman of diverse talents and interests, care to shed some light on some of your other hobbies and passions? What does Leigh Penman do besides publish thought provoking masterpieces on bodybuilding for the world to enjoy?

"Thanks for the compliment! My other passions would include music (since I originally started out as a music journalist in the 80's), I used to like movies but now I find my attention span can't handle them...unless I go to a movie theater and have paid my dollars to sit there (lol!!). I confess to an addiction to Reality TV shows. I love doing research on nutrition, drugs etc. Also, due to my having to overcome certain problems with my computer of late I have developed the desire to learn more about various programs  etc."

What role would you like to play in the resurrection of female bodybuilding? What measures do you think need to be taken to salvage our sport from its inevitable demise?

"I hope the demise is not ‘inevitable'...I am forever hopeful! I just want to firmly establish myself in the USA in a way that I did many years ago in the UK...as one of the top writers on the women's sport. I want to open up discussions between women on subjects never talked about before. I want to write articles that are thought provoking and I want to really help women get the publicity they deserve....'I want'...'I want'...'I want'....now I am sounding like a three year old throwing a tantrum fit (lol!). But you see where I am going with this. I just want the women to get a voice and with RX and the great ‘Muscle Girls Inc' it is finally happening!"

 

What does a typical day look like in the life of Leigh Penman?

"This could be boring, because I am very predictable (though I am trying to break out of that comfort zone). However, if it is a day when I have to work at the store (www.stickstoneandbone.com) I get up at 8.30, pre cook my meal for later that night, check out e mails and what has been going on at RX overnight, shower, eat and Leave for work after 11. Open store and work till 5 or 7pm (depending on the day). Get home; take a mental break by watching some reality shows or taking a quick nap. By ten I set up my late meal, if it's a Monday or Thursday I fit in a quick weight session, hop in the shower, then spend an hour on computer again. Then eat and sleep. If I am not at the store there is more computer time and an afternoon workout."

 

What is the most attractive attribute to a female bodybuilder? What makes one female bodybuilder more attractive than another, in your opinion? Sometimes, the more attractive athlete is not necessarily the better athlete. What is your take on that?

"That's a tough one as how do you define ‘attractive'. If you are talking about physique only then balance, definition, a good V taper would be my answer. The ability to be ‘attractive' to others usually goes much deeper than mere looks. On stage, obviously looks will get immediate attention but in bodybuilding it is all about judging the body and not necessarily the face. Off stage, the way an athlete carries herself and interacts with others makes her ‘attractive'...personality, intellect, humor usually win the day."

 

What gratification do you personally get from writing about the sport? Whom do you wish to reach through your writing and what sort of response or reaction are you looking to invoke in the reader?

"I probably get more gratification from writing about the sport now than at any other time in my writing career. Via my work with RX I am actually getting positive feedback from readers and a great amount of support. In my magazine days you only got feedback (if you were lucky) when you went to shows. That is the beauty of an online magazine you are able to interact with it. I just want to reach as wide an audience as possible and encourage thought and discussion."

If you could change one thing about the sport, what would it be?

"That would have to be more shows for the women, wider coverage of the women's sport and more prize money at the pro shows...that's three I know...I have a hard time restricting my options!"

Tell us a little bit about your training and eating habits. How diligent are you at applying everything you write so fervently about to your own lifestyle? You look in remarkable shape in your pictures. Does it come easy to you to stay in shape or is it something you have to work hard at?

"Thanks again for the compliment. As I said earlier, I have worked out consistently for 30 years. The longest time I have had off training was recently when I tore an abdominal muscle, but I still did some light stuff! I haven't actually trained in a gym for around 15 years; I have all my own equipment at home. Right now - because I am still recovering from an injury, I follow a two days on, 1 day off, 2days on, 2 days off routine split like this - Monday - Shoulders/forearms, Tuesday - Legs. Thursday - Chest/triceps, Friday -Back/biceps. This gives me more time for muscle and CNS recovery. However, normally my biggest threat is overtraining... I tend to train like a maniac if I don't rein myself in! Keeping in shape is no problem; I look the same year round. The only difference this year is maybe 4-5lbs extra muscle on last year. I stick to a healthy diet, don't have sweet tooth, don't eat junk food...so I don't have to work hard at that. I eat like a scientist...lol!"

 

Please tell us Leigh, what is your one most prized achievement or accomplishment in life outside your years of valuable contributions to the bodybuilding industry?

"That's easy! My most prized accomplishment was finally relocating to New York after several years of trying. I just knew I would do it and I kept on trying until I did! Funny, even now I get a kick out of walking around the city with the ‘Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack on my MP3 player...thinking wow, little did I know that when I saw this movie about ten times when it came out, I would actually be walking around NY as a resident listening to ‘Staying Alive' etc one day!"

How do you feel about the underground subculture of female bodybuilding?

"I place no judgments on people for what they engage in as long as it is something they want to do and are not being forced to do. Exploitation is what I am against."

What are your views on female bodybuilders in pornography?

"That would depend on the reasons they give for doing pornography. If it is a desperate attempt to make money and they are not happy doing it and are being exploited by the producers of the material then of course I would have a problem with it. However, if they are doing it because they WANT to do it, are comfortable doing it and are not feeling exploited, then who am I to judge?  I try not to place judgment on others for the lifestyle they lead as long as it doesn't hurt others or diminish their own self worth. I like to think of myself as liberal and open minded. It is 2009 after all; I think we need to reassess the way we jump to judge others."

 

As a female bodybuilder yourself, have you ever questioned your sexual identity or acted upon deviant sexual urges for either personal gratification or money?

"I knew I could trust you to throw me a couple of ‘off the wall' questions...lol! Okay, I'll answer these questions in reverse order...

"No, I haven't had ‘deviant sexual urges or acted on them for personal gratification or money. The sexual identity thing, I would have to say yes to that one. I went through a tough time with that from a very early age. However, I am much more comfortable in that area now (maybe that happens when you hit your 40's!). It's strange, I don't consider myself to carry a specific gender as gender usually comes with rules of conduct and limitations on what you can or cannot do. I like to think of myself as androgynous and open minded."

 

What do you think leads many female bodybuilders to seek love and acceptance in homosexual relationships?

"Another tough one since (call me naïve) I never really thought FBB turned to homosexual relationships for ‘love and acceptance'. Many may be more open to sexual exploration, they could have been born with that mind set or perhaps the chemicals most women take have an effect on the way they view other women. Perhaps you could also say that the confidence gained from the sport makes it easier to cross the old boundaries set up by society in terms of what is or is not possible in terms of forming a relationship. I don't think gay relationships are formed in order to find love and acceptance, I think they are formed when people let go of restricting behavior patterns."

Are you in a relationship? Care to tell us about how your significant other feels about your passion for bodybuilding?

"I am not in a relationship. My ‘significant other' is my goldfish...and he often watches me working out..lol!"