There are a total of 11 pro divisions that hold contests at the Olympia in the IFBB Pro League. One of the great benefits of having so many divisions is that more athletes are eligible to participate should they qualify as professionals. This also means that if an athlete desires, he or she can change divisions to take on new challenges.
Sheena Ohlig and Julia Föry are two perfect examples of why this policy is in place. Both IFBB pros have been competing in the Women’s Physique division, but they will move up to the Women’s Bodybuilding division in 2021.
Both ladies joined women’s bodybuilding legends Lenda Murray and Alina Popa on this week’s episode of Femme Flex Friday to discuss the reasons for making the change. Föry turned pro by winning the 2019 Amateur Olympia contest, and her first women’s bodybuilding contest will also be her pro debut. Even though she didn’t turn pro in that division, she had been enamored with that field for quite some time.
“Female bodybuilding, I fell in love with it for a long time, and I just wanted to see how I look next to the physique pros,” she explained. “That’s why I was prepping for a show (in 2020). As COVID came, I just chose to take the whole year off, and just go for bodybuilding.”
As for Ohlig, she earned her pro card in 2012 at the Junior USA’s in Women’s Physique. She was forced to take a break from competing due to injuries and subsequent surgeries, including hip reconstruction surgery. After Murray endorsed her as a future candidate for the bodybuilding division, Ohlig shared that it was her conversation with the eight time Ms. Olympia that led her to making that transition.
“I can’t tell you how big of an impact that made on me and my decision to move forward in women’s bodybuilding. It was really an honor that I could even get feedback from you two,” she commented to the co-hosts. “I took it to heart and made the transition, after serious considerations and taking everything you said into consideration, along with my coach, Trey Hodge.”
Ohlig has already competed in a women’s bodybuilding show. She placed 9th at the 2020 Chicago Pro. She had since put on about 20 pounds (currently around 198 pounds), and she feels confident that her next show will go much differently.
Föry revealed to Popa that she is currently over 220 pounds at a height of 5’7”. Popa asked her about the difference in her approach to training between the two divisions.
“I love to train. I love training heavy, and I love training excessively, but it’s funny because when it comes to the transition, I have to pay more attention to the detail. So instead of just keep throwing on more weight. I have to break it down a little bit and work on more details.”
The ladies go into detail about how supportive their families were, how they have been able to train during the pandemic, when they will return to the pro stage as bodybuilders, and a lot more. See the full episode in its entirety over at www.wingsofstrength.net . Femme Flex Fridays air every Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
