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Muscled: Competitive Bodybuilders On Strength And Sacrifice

The muscular back of a white woman with short hair facing a crowd of hand raised in applause. The image is an illustration colored in shades of blue.
Charnel Hunter
Bodybuilding is a competitive sport based on muscular physique. But there's a lot more that goes on beyond the stage.

Athletes who push their bodies to muscular limits take Anita inside their physique sport. She explores their personal motivations and talks with a health professional about the toll this kind of training takes on competitors' physical and mental health.

Meet the Guests:

  • Coryne Butler, a , shares her experience as a woman in the sport of bodybuilding
  • Tommy Murrell, a and former bodybuilding competitor, explains how his time in the gym helped him to improve his mental health — and grappled with his gender identity
  • James Leone, at Bridgewater State University, talks about the consequences both physically and mentally of bodybuilding-style training

This episode also features the voices of bodybuilders Joshua Langbein, Alex Edwards, Luke Nathan, Elijah Busier and Alex Tilinca.

Read the transcript | 

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Anthony Howard, a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill and the fall intern for Embodied, is currently majoring in media and journalism at UNC's Hussman School. He has interests in creative writing, musical theatre, and fashion. Whether it be writing for The Daily Tar Heel as an arts & culture staff writer or listening to the latest Megan Thee Stallion, Howard is excited to broaden his experience with Embodied and create impactful storytelling.
Kaia Findlay is the lead producer of Embodied, ¼ª²ÊÍøÍøÕ¾'s weekly podcast and radio show about sex, relationships and health. Kaia first joined the ¼ª²ÊÍøÍøÕ¾ team in 2020 as a producer for The State of Things.
Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist, host, creator, and executive editor of "Embodied," a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships & health.