Research Proposal

            I am currently part of the NPC bikini competitior community, and I am prepping for my first show this fall. The bikini community includes a small number of women that strive to reach their best physique by weightlifting, doing cardio, and closely tracking nutrition for months before their show. I currently weight train 6 days a week, do cardio 4 days a week, and weigh and track all of my food that I am eating every day. This sport is a vigorous one, and I chose to research the effect that social media has on bodybuilding competitors, specifically NPC bikini competitors.

            To research this topic, I plan to interview my prep coach, Adison Barnhart, who is also an NPC bikini competitor. She won the title of Ms. Bikini Ohio 2017, and is expected to win her IFBB Pro Card this year. I also plan to research articles that discuss the effects of social media on bodybuilding competitors, and the negative effects that come along with competing. I personally have known several teammates and friends that have developed eating disorders or depression during prep, and the sport is not designed for everyone. The women that have developed these habits will admit that they are highly affected by what they see on social media. A lot of competitors argue that social media motivates them to compete and improve, and bodybuilding competitions have proven to be a controversial topic. I am excited to further research this topic and I feel as if I can relate a lot to the community since I am currently going though the process of prep and competing.