IFBB Pro Marilyn Yee has built an amazing physique from her early days in Hong Kong. She’s conquered an eating disorder, packed on slabs of muscle, and created a truly remarkable look which she presents alongside having a babyface. That’s right folks – a babyface. I wouldn’t sell her a beer if he was a bartender, let alone guess her correct age.
Marilyn has created a look that’s truly unique. She can be hard as nails, symmetrical, and exhibit perfect balance, all the while sporting a cute smile. Whereas most people who get closer to hitting the stage start rockin the death face, Yee skips all that. She stays looking super feminine and super youthful even as her body dries out and her muscle looks harder than concrete. That’s the gift of genetics. But in addition to looking strong, Marilyn actually is!
Most people see physique-based athletes and one of the first questions they have is how much can you bench or how strong are you? People outside the sport see a muscular person and automatically assume that that look is the product of lifting massive amounts of weight of over time. They see someone with bicep peaks and assume they rip phonebooks for fun. Little do they know that physique-based athletes get this look primarily through diet and high volume training. In all actuality most bodybuilders aren’t necessarily stronger than everyday hardcore lifters. I’m not going to say they’re not stronger than the average person, but they’re not necessarily much stronger than your local gym muscleheads. There are exceptions though.
There’s a handful of top amateurs and pro’s who train like powerlifters and look like bodybuilders. IFBB Pro Marilyn Yee fits perfectly into this category. Not only does she look strong, but she’s an actual powerlifter, who has put in a great deal of time and effort into perfecting her form and execution on heavy lifts (e.g. squats, deadlifts, and bench). If people ask her for her PR’s, she’s more than happy to oblige. She not only talks the talk, but she walks the walk! And come to think about it, she’s doesn’t talk that much, either. She’s all about action. Talk is cheap, after all.
Interestingly, most physique-based athlete go to great lengths to look strong – from using fake weights to having camera crews catch one actual lift and then splice in a series of reps using lighter weights in hopes that viewers won’t catch on. We saw this with the old Greg Kovacs videos for Muscle Tech. It looked like Greg was repping out six plates on the smith machine incline press, but at most he got one only. Then again, that was a dead give away. No self-respecting powerlifter/power-bodybuilder would ever be caught dead using a smith machine for PR’s. Then again – silly or not – most bodybuilders are OBSESSED with being perceived as strong. They’ll fake it till they make it and most never do.
If you’re looking for the modern day Superwoman, I say check out Marilyn Yee!! She’s got tons of muscle, knows how to pose, and can probably pick up the stage during the intermission. Don’t be fooled, this petite girl can move massive amounts of weight with strict form; she can also lift for volume and develop deep cuts to her muscle that become even more evident when she hits the stage. One look at Yee’s photos and you truly come to appreciate all of her hard work.
Be sure to check out this great interview with StrengthAddicts. Although it cut out towards the end (thanks Instagram!), we hope to do a follow-up or two. Also be sure to follow Marilyn on Instagram and check her out on Amazons Fit Mag! She also seems to have a great deal of interest in Titan Medical Center and I secretly would love to see her rocking a Team Titan shirt while crushing some sets in the gym!!
