7 Female Bodybuilders Explain Where They Get Their Strength

These women could kick your ass. While wearing heels.

BuzzFeed attended the 2014 Mr. & Ms. Muscle Beach competition in Venice, Calif. It was crowded with very strong women, and we asked some of them, in a world that tells females to be delicate, why they choose to be Amazons.

1. Brittany Saenz

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Why she started bodybuilding: "I love fitness. Fitness is my life."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: "They're usually like, Don't get too muscular."

Why she competes anyway: "It's really about showing off your hard work."

2. Jutta Vosgerau

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Why she started bodybuilding: When her son was born 31 years ago, she weighed 200 pounds and didn't like her body. "I looked for another shape."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: "In the '80s, it was OK, but now it's too much. They look for the bikini girls."

Why she competes anyway: "I love my body."

3. Lexi Moreno

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Why she started bodybuilding: "I love muscles. Muscles are hot."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: "They love it."

4. Julie Robinson

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Why she started bodybuilding: "I just wanted to do something different." Usually, she does Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu. "I've been fighting over 20 years. There's nothing better. That's the closest thing to being in heaven."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: "They were shocked," she said. But "everybody's really supportive."

5. Lidia Camarena

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Why she started bodybuilding: "I always wanted to do it. I like the sport, I like muscle, I liked getting bigger."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: "It's weird. They don't like the idea. I come off like a girly-girl, but I'm not a girly-girl."

Why she competes anyway: "It's what I like to do; I'm gonna do what I like to do."

6. Michelle McDaniel

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Why she started bodybuilding: "Someone mistook me for a pro. I started prepping the next day."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: "People always want to say, Don't get too muscular."

Why she competes anyway: "Competitive drive."

7. Adrianna Sanchez

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Why she started bodybuilding: "When I was younger, I always had overweight issues...I wanted something that would work for me, where I wouldn't get bored."

When people find out she's a bodybuilder: People say, Don't get too manly.

Why she competes anyway: "I tell them I'm doing it for myself. If I wanna look manly, then I wanna look manly. It's all about how I feel."