The Myth of the “Easy Route”: Why Being a Natural Female Athlete Deserves More Acknowledgment

One of the most persistent narratives I’ve heard over the past two decades in the bodybuilding world is the idea that being a natural athlete means you’re taking the easy route.

Let’s clear that up right now:
It’s not easier — it’s simply different.

And this difference deserves to be understood, not minimized.

Understanding the PED Advantage — Without Judgment

The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at any sport where PEDs have been used.

Think back to when Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France and later tested positive. The takeaway wasn’t that he lacked work ethic — it was that he had a physiological advantage that changed what his body could sustain and recover from.

In bodybuilding, the same principle applies.

A woman using performance-enhancing drugs may:

• Recover faster

• Maintain more muscle in a deficit

• Push greater training volume

• Hold conditioning longer

• Experience enhanced strength, endurance, and output

PEDs can allow an athlete to reach degrees of hardness and conditioning that are simply more challenging and physiologically demanding for a natural athlete to achieve.

This isn’t a moral judgment — it’s just physiology.
And many women choose that route with intention, education, and medical oversight. That choice doesn’t make them “wrong,” “unhealthy,” or “less authentic.” It’s simply a different path in the sport.

Why the Natural Route Comes With Its Own Challenges

Being a natural athlete doesn’t make you superior — but it also doesn’t make the process easier.

The natural route requires navigating:

• Recovery without chemical assistance

• Muscle maintenance during a caloric deficit

• A metabolism that must adapt 100% naturally

• Energy management without external hormonal support

• Progress that occurs solely on your body’s timeline

Again — not better or worse.
Just a different experience with different demands.

Where the Misconception Comes From

So why has the “natural = easy” misconception lasted so long?

Because bodybuilding culture has historically valued extremes.
And in that environment, “more extreme” behaviors sometimes get misinterpreted as “more committed.”

But commitment isn’t measured by what someone does or doesn’t take.
It’s measured by alignment — with health, goals, values, and long-term well-being.

Prep Feels the Same — But the Aftermath Doesn’t

During prep, both natural and enhanced athletes experience the same core challenges:

• Hunger

• Fatigue

• Brain fog

• Hormonal strain

• Emotional fluctuations

• Food preoccupation

• The demands of achieving true stage conditioning

Where the experiences diverge is post-show.

A natural athlete doesn’t need to navigate:

• Coming off a drug protocol

• Hormonal shifts during drug cessation

• Water rebound associated with PED withdrawal

• Potential side effects tied to cycling

Meanwhile, an enhanced athlete does — and that requires its own level of awareness, responsibility, and support.

Both paths come with challenges.
Both require consideration.
Both require recovery.

This Is Why Natural Tested Shows Exist

There is absolutely a place in this sport for women who want to compete in a fully drug-tested environment.

If she knows she’ll feel frustrated comparing herself to enhanced physiques…
If she wants reassurance that everyone on stage is held to the same standard…
If she prefers competing in a drug-free category…

Then natural tested federations are an excellent option.

It’s not about being “less serious.”
It’s not about bowing out of competition.
It’s simply about choosing the environment that aligns best with her goals, values, and expectations.

Respect for Both Paths

Using PEDs doesn’t make someone more dedicated.
Being natural doesn’t make someone more virtuous.

They’re both valid choices with:

• Different challenges

• Different risks

• Different recovery needs

• Different timelines

• Different physiological outcomes

And both choices deserve respect.

In Reality…

Being a natural athlete isn’t the easy route — it’s simply a unique one.
It requires working within your own physiology, trusting your natural timeline, and understanding that your progress unfolds organically.

Not better.
Not worse.
Just different.

And that difference deserves acknowledgment — without judgment, comparison, or elitism.