Athletes trained in gyms, using stones of different sizes as weights to increase their muscular physiques and physical abilities 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 certain level of popularity. This was the first time weightlifting was used as a method of entertainment and the beginning of the culture. In the early days of its popularity, bodybuilding aimed to delight crowds with astonishing feats of strength instead of dazzling with a brilliant figure. Then, in the 20th century, Eugene Sandow bridged the gap between the overweight strongman and 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 strongmen and promoting his muscular physique. In 1891, Eugene promoted the first ever bodybuilding show known as "The Great Show." He started promoting the contest three years in advance to try to spread the trend. To be eligible to enter the competition, competitors had to have entered a smaller regional show. The qualities Sandow looked for included general 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 discovered the possibilities of achieving a higher level of fitness through bodybuilding. Bodybuilding was considered a men's sport until 1977... middle of paper ...... they bring in a lot of money and the bigger their body, the more money the competitions bring in. Although women's bodybuilding is considered a sport, it means much more than that. 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 own bodies, but also push their mental strength and determination to the limits. Even if competitions disappeared, there would still be members of the subculture striving to be the best they could be. Culture has its own family that makes its members feel part of something. It can truly empower an individual, knowing that they have complete control over their body by exercising extreme levels of discipline and dedication to achieve a goal. This subculture also had to attempt to resist the ideals of society's conceptualization of a perfect woman..