{"id":30586,"date":"2026-10-01T18:03:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T18:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=30586"},"modified":"2026-10-01T18:03:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T18:03:30","slug":"female-bodybuilder-says-people-tell-her-she-looks-like-a-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=30586","title":{"rendered":"Female bodybuilder says people tell her she ‘looks like a man’"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

A female bodybuilder says she has been told she \u201clooks like a man\u201d because of her muscular physique.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ivonne Michel, 29, started working out after gaining weight left her feeling unhappy and insecure about her body.<\/p>\n

She was 21 and weighed 152 pounds when she began researching ways to improve her physique and discovered the gym.<\/p>\n

Ivonne started working out three times a week in 2018, using YouTube tutorials to learn different exercises and following fitness influencers for inspiration.<\/p>\n

She quickly fell in love with bodybuilding and now spends around two hours a day in the gym.<\/p>\n

Since starting her fitness journey, Ivonne has competed in bodybuilding competitions including Amateur Olympia South America and the South American Championship.<\/p>\n

She says weightlifting has transformed her self-esteem \u2013 despite receiving negative comments about her muscular appearance.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Ivonne after weightlifting. (Pix via LUXN\/Ivonne Michel \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Ivonne, a personal trainer from Panama, said: \u201cIn the beginning, I didn\u2019t know if it was achievable for me to get a body like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was 21-years-old when I was feeling shy and insecure about my body because I gained a bit of weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, I didn\u2019t have any sports around; nobody in my family was really into sports, so I didn\u2019t know what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI then discovered the gym and realised that was my method.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning to lift through YouTube<\/h3>\n

After joining the gym in 2018, Ivonne began searching YouTube for workout tutorials.<\/p>\n

She started by exercising three days a week for five months before getting a personal trainer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started googling ways that I could improve my body,\u201d Ivonne said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started working out with YouTube tutorials \u2013 including workout routines and exercise tutorials.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking for different leg and glute exercises, ideas for what I could eat, and generally learning from different fitness influencers and creators.<\/p>\n

\u201cI then met a personal trainer in the gym; he was giving me great advice, which I am so grateful for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Ivonne Before weightlifting. (Pix via LUXN\/Ivonne Michel \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"
Ivonne Before weightlifting. (Pix via LUXN\/Ivonne Michel \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

After learning more about nutrition and how to optimize her workouts, Ivonne became a qualified personal trainer herself just 12 months after joining the gym.<\/p>\n

She now owns a gym and says she trains for around two hours every day, including three leg sessions a week.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cThese days I am grateful that I have more time to do fitness.<\/p>\n

\u201cBodybuilding is my life right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI own a gym, so that helps me organise my time better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI go for two hours every day; I do 30 minutes of cardio and one hour and 30 minutes of bodybuilding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Ivonne after weightlifting. (Pix via LUXN\/Ivonne Michel \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018People tell me I look like a man\u2019<\/h3>\n

Ivonne says she was shy when she first took up bodybuilding but gradually became more confident as her body changed.<\/p>\n

She admits comments about her muscular physique initially made her question herself.<\/p>\n

Ivonne said: \u201cPeople would tell me all the time that I look like a man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was wondering whether that was true and if I looked good, but I realised I like what I see and how I am feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw my body changing, I was building more and more muscle, and I just fell in love with the process.\u201d<\/p>\n