Where bodybuilding meets the law
My name is Katherine, and I’m a bodybuilding law student. I began my bodybuilding journey in 2021 as a Bikini Competitor. Since then, I’ve competed twice and hope to compete again this coming year.
After starting law school, I noticed a lack of legal information surrounding the bodybuilding community. I looked for a way to combine my two niches into one. With this blog, I hope to provide my commentary and analysis on legal issues surrounding bodybuilding.
Enjoy :)
Case Western School of Law 2026;
Ohio State Univ. 2023;
NPC Ohio State Championships:
1st and 2nd place in Bikini Division Class D and Novice (2022);
5th place in Bikini True Novice (2021).
What are Common Legal Issues Bodybuilders Face?
June 15, 2024
If you compete or are thinking of competing, then you may already know some legal issues competitors face—substance use and coaching contracts. Here are some more legal issues to be mindful of when competing:
1. Drug Testing and Substances: Many bodybuilding competitions have strict rules and drug testing protocols to ensure fair competition. Athletes can face legal consequences if they are found to be using banned substances or performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
2. Supplement Regulations: The supplement industry is regulated differently in various countries. Some supplements marketed to bodybuilders may contain banned substances or ingredients not listed accurately on the label, leading to legal issues such as false advertising or health risks.
3. Intellectual Property: Bodybuilding competitions, events, and brands often have trademarks and copyrights associated with their names, logos, and images. Unauthorized use of these intellectual properties can lead to legal action for trademark or copyright infringement.
4. Contractual Agreements: Professional bodybuilders often have contracts with sponsors, supplement companies, and event organizers. Legal issues can arise from breaches of contract, disagreements over endorsements, or disputes about prize money and appearance fees.
5. Injuries and Liability: Like any sport, injuries can occur during bodybuilding training or competitions. Issues related to liability, especially in gyms or during competitions, may lead to legal claims if negligence is involved.
6. Advertising and Marketing: Misleading advertising claims for supplements, workout programs, or other bodybuilding-related products can result in legal challenges from consumers or regulatory bodies.
7. Personal Injury and Health Risks: Bodybuilders sometimes face legal issues related to health risks associated with extreme dieting, steroid use, or other training practices. Claims may arise from individuals alleging harm caused by advice or products endorsed by bodybuilders.
8. Privacy Concerns: With the rise of social media and online content, bodybuilders may face legal issues related to privacy violations, such as unauthorized use of images or personal information.
It's essential for bodybuilders, coaches, and anyone involved in the industry to stay informed about these legal issues and comply with relevant laws and regulations to avoid potential legal consequences.
How to Manage Off-Season as a Bodybuilder in Law School
January 12, 2024
One of the greatest challenges in law school has been making time for myself. For most of my life, “me time” involved training or the gym. Athletics were an outlet I could use to turn my brain off for just a few hours and enjoy the endorphins.
As a bodybuilder, my training is now more intentional. I track reps, sets, volume for each muscle group, etc. I weigh my food and watch my macros. These are all small bursts of effort and discipline that—outside of law school—were mere habits.
Law school has put me in a position where I feel the weight of small bodybuilding habits. Sometimes I don’t have enough time to input a meal into a tracking app. Other times I have no space in my day to cook a healthy, protein-rich meal. On occasion, I even skip the gym to finish a paper or study.
That being said, my passion for bodybuilding is currently on a back seat to my career and grades. Nevertheless, I still have found ways to incorporate bodybuilding training into my life as a law student.
Creating a Schedule. Creating a schedule has helped me manage my school and gym time. I typically will plot out my classes, study sessions, sleep, training, and cooking into Google Calendar. While schedules are a great way to keep track of your time, I also allow myself some flexibility when it comes to last minute plans or late nights with extra work.
Programming Efficient Workouts. As a bodybuilder, I’m very nit-picky about how I program my workouts and meso cycles. Before law school, I had the flexibility to create elaborate programs that would take over two hours to complete. Now, I’ve learned to prioritize lifts with the highest EMG activation values. I also focus on increasing weight as a progressive overload tool throughout my program cycle rather than increasing volume (high volume workouts at the end of program cycle take HOURS).
Creating a Diet Plan. Nutrition can make or break a bodybuilder just as it can also enhance your ability to focus and study. Competition prep requires most athletes to eat roughly the same thing everyday. In law school, I’ve learned to follow a meal plan just as I would in prep. Meal plans are helpful because it takes the stress out of deciding what to eat and which ingredients to buy. Meal plans also allow for meal prepping ahead of time so there’s no need to cook. Personally, I will only meal prep carb sources. I cook my protein and vegetables right before I eat them so it doesn’t taste as gross.
Should there be legal consequences for enhanced competitors who compete in natural shows?
November 17, 2023
Bodybuilders have the opportunity to compete in either tested or non-tested shows. In tested shows, bodybuilders cannot compete if they fail a drug test. Bodybuilding leagues divide themselves between tested and non-tested so natural competitors are given the opportunity to only compete against other natural athletes.
Currently, there is little information or case law on the legal consequences of enhanced competitors entering natural shows. Enhanced competitors have a clear advantage when competing against natural athletes. With the thousands of dollars and months of preparation that competitors pour into a competition, should there be greater deterrence against enhanced competitors from cheating the drug tests?
Social pressure from other competitors and coaches can often keep cheaters at bay. Negative publicity may crumble a coach’s reputation, and in the age of social media, word gets around fast.
That being said, coaches still enter enhanced competitors into natural shows and claim an easy win with another successful competitor to promote on their website.
As the sport of bodybuilding grows, I believe that the need to prevent enhanced competitors from competing in tested shows will only grow in importance. As bikini competitors, we understand that if you want to be successful in the sport, you likely will need to take performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). The decision to take PEDs is a very personal one—one that could negatively impact your health for life.
Allowing coaches to enter enhanced competitors into natural shows eats away at the limited opportunities that natural athletes have to make it in the sport. When we limit the opportunities for natural athletes to compete in fair conditions, more athletes will be forced to use PEDs to stay competitive.
If the pressure to become enhanced grows at the same rate that the sport gains in popularity, especially with young people, we would sadly see far more competitors abuse PEDS.
For these reasons, I hope to see some legal consequences for enhanced competitors who cheat drug tests in order to compete in a natural show.