Trans Men’s Physique competitor and coach Cody Harman is no stranger to the bright lights of a bodybuilding stage. In a recent Men’s Health interview, he shared why bodybuilding is the “perfect’ sport for trans men because it serves as an excellent confidence booster.
“I haven’t personally come across a ton of transphobia within the bodybuilding community, but it’s definitely out there,” shared Cody Harman.
Many lives have been transformed by fitness in various ways. Fitness can enhance one’s physical and mental well-being. For Cody Harman, it also helped him embrace his identity as a transgender man and helped him discover the benefits of bodybuilding for trans people.
Harman started lifting weights in his mid-20s and fell in love with it. As he transitioned, he explored bodybuilding which afforded him the luxury of pursuing his passion with more confidence and joy. His last competition saw him finish fifth at the 2020 NPC Sacramento Championships.
“I can’t grow any taller but I can grow out.”
With a dedicated effort to training, health, and wellness, Harman parlayed his passion for fitness into a career. The 37-year-old is a nutritionist and fitness coach, responsible for preparing a number of athletes for competitions. His career choice was inspired after he trained with several coaches throughout his journey of self-discovery.
Trans Coach Says Bodybuilding Helped ‘Him Feel Comfortable in His Own Skin’
Cody Harman believes bodybuilding is an ideal sport for the transgender community as it promotes body positivity, inclusion, and hard work.
“I had a few awesome coaches growing up who helped me see what I was capable of and pushed me to keep improving and believing in myself, even when I was going through some really dark times. I want to have that same positive impact on others.”
“When you think about it, bodybuilding is the perfect sport for trans men.
“Bodybuilding was a way for me to take control [of my life], and start my journey of feeling more comfortable in my own skin. As I progressed, and started taking part in physique competitions, it became a celebration of my journey and how far I had come, from not even wanting to wear a swimsuit and wearing a baggy T-shirt at the beach, to stepping out on a stage with hardly any clothes on. I am also a pretty routine-oriented, structured person, so bodybuilding is a fit for me. I love getting up to train every day and seeing my progress over time.”
“A lot of trans guys and trans people in general come from this place where they’ve felt uncomfortable in their own skin their whole lives. So, this kind of training helps boost their confidence and what they believe they can accomplish.”
While Cody hasn’t encountered transphobia too often, he accepts that it’s ‘definitely out there,’ especially online. Oftentimes, when he meets someone who doesn’t agree with the LGBTQ+ movement, they are unaware that he’s a part of that community.
“I haven’t personally come across a ton of transphobia within the bodybuilding community, but it’s definitely out there. We get these little keyboard warriors, but generally they’re people you never see in real life because they don’t actually compete, and they suck at bodybuilding anyway.
Largely with bodybuilding, the greatest part is the shared focus,” said Cody. “It doesn’t matter how you were born, or how you identify, it’s [about] how we can all get bigger biceps. We’re in the gym, we’re having fun, that’s it.”
“I’ve had a guy at the gym casually tell me that he doesn’t “agree” with trans people or same-sex marriage and stuff like that, and I just sat there thinking to myself, wow, obviously he has no idea [I’m trans]. And that’s the majority of people; they have no idea they can be talking to a trans person about how they don’t agree with people transitioning, and you just have to laugh inside.”
Transgenderism’s impact on the fitness, bodybuilding, and powerlifting communities has been widespread. The USA Powerlifting (USAPL) federation was recently involved in a court hearing regarding a transgender inclusion policy in Minnesota. Having banned trans athletes from competing in women’s divisions, they eventually lost the court case. Even though the USAPL revised its transgender policy, they were still banned from conducting business in Minnesota.
Given the sensitive and controversial nature of the subject, some athletes have remained quiet on the issue. However, that’s not the stance bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest took. He went off on the aforementioned trans-athlete ruling and called it ridiculous. Overall, he doesn’t believe people born as males should have the opportunity to face naturally-born females in sanctioned competitions.
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Cody Harman hopes to make the world, and especially places of fitness, a more welcoming place for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. Given the wide-ranging benefits he’s taken from bodybuilding, Harman encourages his audience to give the sport a try.