Lee Priest doesn’t want to see the Women’s Bodybuilding division lose its identity again. In a recent Instagram post (November 10, 2026), he disputed Anastasia Korableva’s victory at the Romania Pro and suggested that Paula Ranta deserved the nod instead. Priest went on to warn that Women’s Bodybuilding isn’t adhering to the judging standards that have been established.
The Women’s Bodybuilding category debuted in 1980 and has grown a tremendous cult following since its inception. While the division was discontinued in 2014, it eventually made its big return. It was welcomed back in 2020 after Rising Phoenix promoter Jake Wood resurrected the class. Ever since, it has continued to gain traction, with reigning seven-time Ms. Olympia Andrea Shaw leading the pack.
This first began with a statement from Priest, where he was left unsatisfied with how the 2026 Romania Pro played out:
Though Korableva should be enjoying her victory lap, she was disappointed to receive such widespread criticism, especially from influential bodybuilding names:
“I want to share an insight with you that started during prep, reached its peak after the competition and became like the biggest disappointment of the year for me in our industry.”
“I’m talking about the people who are a part of this themselves, who are bodybuilders or used to be, and it’s from these people that a pile of shit is flying. These are the people who talk. I used to naively believe that people inside such a small niche support each other simply because there’s already enough shit coming from people who don’t understand what we are talking about or don’t understand the sport at all.”
She said she looks at everyone in the sport differently but won’t let it affect her outlook on the sport.
“But it turns out the mainstream of insults is coming from men who are a part of this sport. And the most interesting part, from women too. This is absolutely an amazing story, and so right now, I look at everyone connected to the sport differently and my attitude will never be the same again. So despite all the shit that will keep being thrown around, it will absolutely not change my life, my vision of what I do, my vision of myself, and my shape, or how I live,” she shared.
Priest commented on Korableva’s video, emphasizing that he wasn’t attacking her as an athlete or disrespecting her. He was simply raising concerns about the IFBB Pro League’s willingness to overlook established judging criteria.
“Great words. But I was not attacking you. I was just saying I was married to Kathy Lefrancois back in the day and the Ifbb told women in the bodybuilding category, you’re getting too big. lose 20% of the muscle. So a lot of women did. but then they gave it to the big women. And then sadly that division died until Jake Wood brought it back. I just do not want to see your division die again by the IFBB, not being able to stick to their criteria or the rules they make.”
He also believes the division’s appeal and viability depend on which physiques the judges ultimately award:
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for women and bodybuilding. I used to always stand up for them back in the day and had a made little money. etc. If it does go down that same road, then you’ll have nowhere to compete sadly, which would suck for all the women bodybuilders. And I’m in agreement; get as big as you want. That like you said, it’s only a niche of people that like that look and for women’s bodybuilding to grow, it needs more than that. The women’s Olympia back in the day used to fill out an auditorium. Now if it was just open women’s bodybuilding, there wouldn’t be a huge crowd sadly, which is sad to see,” Priest commented.
Overall, Priest would like to see Women’s Bodybuilding stand by consistent scoring criteria for the division’s long-term survival. For Korableva, she plans to continue pursuing her career and won’t let outside noise drag her down.
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