Once told, “Your thighs are too big, like a male speed skater,” Nagisa Miyazato (39), a police officer in Okinawa, overcame her body image complex and won the Muscle Gate Okinawa competition on April 25. Her journey of transforming herself through strength training was built on consistent hard work.
Nagisa Miyazato
**Starting from a Body Complex**
Her motivation for bodybuilding began after postpartum weight gain. However, she had experienced hurtful comments about her physique long before that.
“I was once told that my thighs were too thick, resembling those of a male speed skater,” she recalls.
At the time, her emotions often fluctuated based on external evaluations.
**How Strength Training Changed Her Inner Core**
As she continued training, Miyazato’s mindset underwent a significant shift.
“Through bodybuilding, I developed a core strength to keep promises I made to myself,” she says.
It wasn’t just about changing her appearance; she cultivated discipline. Her daily life transformed from being driven by emotions to building consistency through action.
“Whether I’m tired or not in the mood doesn’t matter. It’s just about whether I follow through with my planned actions.”
**Striving for a Physique That Communicates Effort**
Her current goal is not simply to be slim.
“I aim for a body that balances strength and beauty—a supple yet strong feminine physique,” she explains.
She idealizes a lean, refined style akin to that of a female athlete, where simply standing speaks volumes about the effort invested. In training, she prioritizes precise muscle activation over sheer weight or repetition numbers.
“The difference comes down to how you use the invisible time,” she emphasizes.
(Muscle Gate is an anti-doping bodybuilding competition in Japan that collaborates with the Japan Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation, conducting its own doping tests.)