There was a time when being a female bodybuilder was unheard of and certainly taboo. Unfortunately, it is still viewed as going against society norms and "unfeminine" if a female bodybuilder has a great deal of muscle. For these reasons alone, many females who may want to become bodybuilders and who may in fact have the genetics and dedication to become great bodybuilders, shun away from even trying. However, female bodybuilding came along and brought some equality in the sport among both genders.

All things being equal, a female will have significantly less muscle mass than the male. Furthermore, the manner in which the female body metabolizes differs from the manner in which males do. Female bodybuilders have to be even stricter because of their higher levels of fat and it is an equally strict and tough routine as for male bodybuilders. With women requiring more work than men in burning fat, many women use low carbohydrate diets and seek out foods that help increase metabolism to overcome some of the physiological disadvantages that females have.

Of course, the exceptional dedication, demands and commitment to the development of the physique is required by both males and females and regardless of whether a bodybuilder is male or female; they handle and work through the same physical challenges. Among recreational bodybuilders, there is a tendency for females to focus more on "toning" and shaping their bodies.

Training

Training at the competitive level between the two sexes is more similar than different. Training angles for all exercises are the same for both genders and both need the same amount of muscle contraction to stimulate muscle growth. Women bodybuilders at the competitive level tend to include more cardio and high rep training to aid them in tightening up certain areas of the body, this is more easily achieved by their male counterparts who burn the excess fat more efficiently.

Calories

A 260 pound professional male bodybuilder requires consumption of greater calories and protein than a 160 pound female bodybuilder to maintain and gain further muscle mass. The diet for both men and women still requires the necessary calories and macro/micronutrients to achieve anabolic growth, and getting proper amount rest to grow, except, the body masses involved differ, although males do have a significant advantage in making progress due to testosterone advantages.

It's clear that you should reduce your consumption of fat in order to decrease your body fat level, because fat is a highly concentrated source of calories. There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. That means that by reducing your food by 500 calories per day, you should lose one pound of fat per week, right.