The International Association of Trans Bodybuilders and Powerlifters: An Interview with Bucky Motter

I wanted to continue to provide a place where people across the transgender spectrum could compete. I knew I had what it took to continue the work.
––Bucky Motter, Executive Director and Treasurer of the IATBP

​This week I am excited to share an interview with Bucky Motter, Executive Director and Treasurer of the International Association of Trans Bodybuilders and Powerlifters, a USA-based organisation for physique and strength competitors on the transgender and non-binary spectrum.
 
Since 2014, they have been running a yearly bodybuilding competition in Atlanta. Recently, they have also added a powerlifting meet for transgender and non-binary athletes to the same event.
 
Bucky and I touch upon the following topics:
 

• His own experience as a strength and physique athlete
• How he became Executive Director and the history of the organisation
• Their goals and projects for 2020
• The bodybuilding competition: judging criteria and beginners’ tips
• The powerlifting meet

 
If you are a trans competitor or aspiring competitor, this is your one-stop shop article for everything bodybuilding and powerlifting!

Background and Goals
 
First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Can you tell me a bit about your personal background and how you became interested in bodybuilding and powerlifting?
 
Well, I would be happy to tell you more than a bit.
 
I became interested in powerlifting when I was 19. I enjoy individual sports, and a friend told me about a great trainer, John Coffee, who had a gym in Marietta, GA, which is where I grew up. John was one of the first to train women in both powerlifting and Olympic lifting.
 
After competing for about a year and gaining some muscle from powerlifting, I wanted to switch over to bodybuilding. I worked out by myself most of the time, but later joined Lee Haney’s gym, Animal Kingdom, in Atlanta, GA.
 
I learned from other bodybuilders there and used to go to Mr. Haney’s office and give him a biceps shot now and then. I was so skinny, but thought I was hot stuff! It always made him laugh. 
 
I never tried to find a trainer, though, because I was intimidated by the bodybuilder’s diet. I was afraid I couldn’t do it.
 
Fast forward to about 2004. I was training at Mr. Haney’s new gym, Lee Haney’s World Class Fitness, and I met the manager there, Dean Felder.
 
He took an interest in me because he knew I was a hard worker and I was in great shape, so he started writing training programs for me. I had a workout partner at the time, who was competing in bodybuilding, so I learned a lot from her, too.
 
Finally, Dean approached me one day and said, “It’s time.”
 
I knew what he meant. It was now 2005, and I began preparing for my first bodybuilding competition at age 45. It was like a dream come true.
 
Dean was very generous with his time and Lee Haney even gave me some posing tips. I remember working on my rear lats spread when he stopped me and said, “Put your hands here.”
 
I stood behind him and put my hands on his lats. As he was showing me the pose, it felt like his lats grew so wide I thought he was going to fly away!
 
Definitely a life highlight, as were all the contests I competed in in the following four years and winning a silver medal in my weight class at the 2006 Gay Games. 
 
What spurred you to make the decision to acquire the IATBP name in 2018? What were you planning on doing with it at the time?
 
I love the sport and art of bodybuilding. I was so excited when Neo offered the company to me. I could barely sleep! I wanted to carry the mantle that Neo Sandja had carried since 2014, when he set up the first transgender bodybuilding competition that we know of.
 
I wanted to continue to provide a place where people across the transgender spectrum could compete. I knew I had what it took to continue the work. 
 
What were your goals for the organisation back then?
 
At the time, the goal was to keep the company up and running by obtaining sponsors and grants. This work is really a labor of love.
            
Also, my aim was to switch from a for-profit model to a non-profit model called 501(c)(3). This model would allow us to have a board of directors, which was and is an important part of the organisation to me, as it allows people from the community to help.
 
What are your goals for 2020?
 
We want to continue to provide high quality productions for our bodybuilders and first class meets for our powerlifters. We received a large grant from the Conrad Hilton Foundation at the end of 2019, so we can focus on our targets without being so tied up in fundraising.
 
We are very open to hosting competitions in other cities in 2020 and beyond.
 
Moreover, we have the infrastructure to help anyone host an IATBP-sanctioned event. We have manuals for hosts, judges and logistics in place. We have had people interested in hosting shows from as far away as Sydney, Australia, and South Africa. 
 
Who else is on the IATBP team with you?
 
The other members of the board of directors include our secretary Tessa Marie Clark; Director Mark Rosenberg; Director of Social Media Nat Vega; and Director of Communications Poul Olson.
 
The Event
 
Are there any restrictions on who can compete in the bodybuilding show?
 
The only restriction is that you must be on the transgender spectrum, which includes gender non-conforming (GNC) people. There are no surgeries required to compete.
 
We do not drug test competitors because we realize that the hormones some female-to-male (FTM) transgendered people take are actually steroids. In fact, we are one of the only places where these bodybuilders can compete because the testosterone that they take routinely would disqualify them from participating in most other meets.
 
What are the categories, classes, and divisions?
 
Bodybuilders compete in Lightweight (up to and including 145 lbs), Middleweight (over 145 lbs and including 165 lbs), and Heavyweight (over 165 lbs).
 
We had our first female bikini competitor in 2019. We will also offer a separate class for GNC people if they come to compete this year.
 
The establishment of other classes and categories is left to the head judges’ discretion.  For example, they might decide to establish a separate class for people over 45.
 
Who are the judges?
 
Shawn Stinson, the overall winner in 2014 and 2015, is our head judge. He brings with him Rashad German and rounds out the judges’ panel as he sees fit. We like to use former competitors as often as possible.
 
We are currently almost finished developing training modules for new judges. We are keen to devise consistent standards for judging and running these events.
 
What criteria are used for the competition?
 
All competitors are judged the same way, regardless of whether the competitor has had surgeries or is currently undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
 
These are our criteria, modelled on those used in other bodybuilding competitions:
 
Mass:
 
The perception of muscular size has been the foundation of bodybuilding since the beginning of the sport. Yet mass is only a merit when accompanied by the other criteria.
 
Mass/muscularity refers to the size of the muscles, their shape, definition, and hardness. Muscularity is determined, in part, by the extent of the development in relation to the size of the skeletal structure.
 
It also includes the shape/contour of the developed muscles and muscle groups, and separation (i.e. the lines of demarcation between adjacent muscles) and striations, delineating sections or fibers within the same muscle group, and the degree of firmness and muscle tone (lack of fat or water under the skin).
 
Definition:
 
Indicates the degree of muscularity brought about by the absence of subcutaneous body fat. Defined muscularity is necessary to fully display the development of the physique. Definition is only of value when it allows massively developed muscles to be displayed.
 
Proportion:
 
Implies an even balance of muscular development in comparison to each muscle group. Theoretically, a “strong body part” can be just as detrimental as a “weak body part”. Bodybuilders must strive for equal development between all muscle groups.
 
Symmetry:
 
Refers to the structural harmony of the physique, which is the relative size of the various body parts and their shape.
 
There must be balance and proportion between different components (upper body and lower body, upper and lower parts and front and back of extremities, etc.).
 
Symmetry refers not only to balance in size of these elements, but also to the degree of definition and detail. Symmetry is a measurement of evenness of development and how well all parts of the physique fit together.
 
Presentation:
 
Refers to the effectiveness of the display of the contestant’s assets and includes posture, carriage, projection and posing ability and performance. Skin quality, evenness of tone, charisma, poise, choice of posing outfit and grooming are considered.
 
Effective stage presentation is essential to display the physique to its maximum potential.
 
Do you have any advice for bodybuilding competitors who would like to come to Atlanta in 2020?
 
Getting fit and staying healthy are always the priority.
 
In addition to fitness, it pays to practice your posing as often as possible. Your stage presentation can mean the difference between first and second place.
 
Beginners – it’s ok to smile!
 
When and why did you decide to include powerlifting in the organisation name and in the competition?
 
We included powerlifting in the name in 2019. We felt that our powerlifters should be represented properly and on an equal footing with our bodybuilders.
 
What are your plans to make the powerlifting meet more popular in 2020? 
 
We hope that, as we become better known, word will spread and both word of mouth and our Instagram campaign will attract more interest and participants in the meet.
 
What are your hopes for this year’s event in general?
 
We hope to attract more competitors and larger audiences. The meets are very well run, and we have classes for competitive powerlifters as well as folks who just want to come and lift and perhaps set a personal record.
 
We also hope to add a panel discussion following these events to help people understand more about transgender people and how the individual competitors became interested in participating in these sports.
 
What projects is the IATBP team most excited about at the moment?
 
The most excitement is around the Instagram campaign. We hope people will respond, compete, and tell their friends about us.
 
Also, the Conrad Hilton Foundation Grant is exciting because it is helping us spread the word and continue holding these events in the future, perhaps even hold two events per year.
 
Thank you again for your time, Bucky. Any closing remarks?
 
We hope to continue to make space for transgender and GNC people to compete. Through this small step, we hope to help transgender and GNC people to be accepted for who they are all over the world. We very much see this as a way to support human and civil rights.
 
Final Thoughts
 
The venue for this year’s event will be announced soon, so check the IATBP website at iatb.info for details.
 
If you want to stay up to date with everything IATBP, you can sign up for email updates on the website and follow their Instagram account @iatbp.official. Tag them when you share your personal story and training. This way you can inspire more and more passionate athletes to compete!
 
Personally, when I feel like my time has come to undertake my first prep, I already know the IATBP event will be my very first bodybuilding competition.
 
Your Turn:
 
Have you ever thought about competing in bodybuilding or powerlifting as a trans athlete?