As a trainer / competition prep coach and member of a Bodybuilding Association Executive, I am often asked if breast implants are necessary for success in fitness competitions.  And my first reply is always a resounding NO – well, not necessarily.  Let me explain.

What the judges are looking for in all physique sports includes many things; two of which are balance and symmetry.  If your body is bigger on the bottom than the top, then you’re not balanced; if your left side is bigger than your right, then you’re not balanced.  And this includes everything… muscle size, conditioning, and sometimes also breast tissue.  If your entire body does not have ‘flow’, you will not be marked as high. 

If breast implants serve to balance out your physique, then they would be beneficial to you.  On the other hand, if they are overwhelming to your physique and either in size or placement and make you look unbalanced or asymmetrical, then they could definitely be a hindrance.  I have seen beautiful women with excessively large breast implants get judged down because the breasts are a distraction and cause the symmetry of the body to be compromised.  I’ve personally known a professional female bodybuilder who had her large implants replaced by much smaller ones because she was told by several judging panels that they were simply too big. So bigger isn’t always better.

So my advice is this: don’t get breast augmentation because everyone else is.  If you feel that your body would have greater overall symmetry and balance with enhancements, then that is your choice. I suggest that you talk to your judging panel, fellow athletes and coaches to see what their opinions are. But the decision is ultimately yours.  NEVER change your body for ANYONE but you.  You’re beautiful JUST the way you are. Happy Valentine’s Day.