Bikini competitors focus more on upper-body training; less emphasis on quads than Wellness athletes.
Last updated on August 5th, 2025
Women began competing in bodybuilding events in the 1970s. Categories include Bikini, Wellness, Fitness, Physique, and Figure. In late July 2025, Wellness competitor Chloe Pickford teamed with Bikini athlete Phoebe Goodwin for a glute and hamstring-focused training session.
During their workout, the IFBB Pros explored the unique characteristics of each woman’s bodybuilding category and how these distinctions shape their training approaches.
Differences Between Wellness Vs. Bikini Bodybuilder
Each women’s bodybuilding division has unique competition criteria, physiques, and tailored training plans to meet specific goals. Goodwin explained that training for the Bikini division varies depending on the athlete and the muscular development of their lower body.
Achieving a well-balanced physique from top requires building density in the glutes and hamstrings.
Even though it’s Bikini, they’re still muscular.
—Phoebe Goodwin
Bikini competitors prioritize upper body training more than Wellness athletes, though Pickford incorporates shoulder training. Pickford explained that Wellness athletes emphasize hamstrings, glutes, and quad development. Bikini competitors scale back on lower-body training to maintain the physique required for the Bikini division.
Rule of thumb: Bikini girls don’t blow their quads up and train quads directly.
—Chloe Pickford
Per Goodwin, women’s bodybuilding training evolves, becoming more specialized as they gain experience. Beginners are advised to focus on fundamental compound movements, gradually refining their training as they progress in the sport.
The key distinction lies in how the lower body is developed across divisions. In the Bikini category, athletes aim for streamlined quads. Wellness division emphasizes pronounced hamstrings and denser overall lower body development.
Leg Day Training
Pickford and Goodwin began with a lower body warm-up, using resistance band lateral steps. Warming up before intense exercise can significantly enhance performance. (1) Their workout comprised the following:
Cable Glute Medius Kickbacks
Glute medius kickbacks on a cable machine opened the session. The duo added a variation by crossing the cable behind their legs. This technique targets the glutes.
Pickford enjoys complementary exercises, including standing kickbacks.
It’s important to do an array of kickback variations.
—Chloe Pickford
Hip Thrusts & Lying Leg Curls
Pickford and Goodwin performed hip thrusts using a barbell machine for two sets of eight to 10 reps. To maximize the effectiveness of the hip thrust, Goodwin coached Pickford to target a lower range of six to nine reps.
Pickford kept her hips tucked into the machine during lying leg curls to avoid momentum. She and Goodwin trained to failure with a squeeze at peak contraction of each rep. Lying leg curls build the lower lateral and medial hamstrings. (2)
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats & Machine Abductors
Pickford and Goodwin trained Bulgarian split squats — a unilateral movement that helps offset strength and aesthetic imbalances. They closed with machine abductors.
Chloe Pickford’s Off-Season Update
Pickford’s training is progressing despite a hip injury sustained before a 2024 contest prep. Her injury limits specific exercises, including the 45-degree leg press and Smith machine split squats, but she has otherwise adapted by adopting the horizontal leg press.
Pickford will begin prep in November 2025, take a short break over the holiday, and then apply for the Arnold UK, where she previously earned her pro card. “It’s probably the best offseason I’ve ever had because my process is much more refined,” Pickford concluded. “I’m locked in.”
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References
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Tiryaki-Sonmez, G., Wilson, J. M., Kolber, M. J., & Peterson, M. D. (2015). Regional differences in muscle activation during hamstrings exercise. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 29(1), 159–164. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000598
Featured image: @chloepickford_ifbbpro on Instagram
