Many women have had a lasting impact on the sport of bodybuilding. Names that may come to mind include the first Ms. Olympia Rachel McLish, six-time Olympia champion Cory Everson, and eight-time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray.
Over the last decade, the first name that may come to mind for many fans is Dana Linn Bailey. “DLB” was the first world champion in the Women’s Physique division when she was crowned Ms. Physique Olympia in 2013.
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Her impact on the fitness world has gone far outside of the competition stage, however. Her energy, personality, and physique have motivated and inspired countless fans around the world. To fully appreciate that impact, you should know more about her accomplishments and feats throughout her career. Here’s a small glance at what Bailey has done and the difference she has made.
Early Life
Bailey is a native of Pennsylvania and grew up passionate about soccer. She was even recruited as a starting defender for West Chester University. It was there that she started dating Rob Bailey, whom she would go on to marry. They both started training and pursuing bodybuilding. She also briefly worked as a physical education teacher in Pennsylvania during that time.
She competed in Figure division contests from 2006 to 2010. In 2011, the Women’s Physique division started taking shape, and she entered the very first pro qualifying contest — the 2011 Junior USA event in Charleston, SC. She won the overall title and became the first Women’s Physique Pro in the IFBB Pro League. Her story of firsts was only just beginning.
Contest History
Bailey is most famous for becoming the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia champion in 2013, but she competed for five years both as an amateur and professional. Her pro debut came at the 2012 Desert Muscle Classic, where she placed fourth. Her final show was the 2015 Arnold Classic, where she finished second to Juliana Malacarne, who also defeated her in 2014 to become the second Olympia winner.
In total, Bailey competed in seven professional contests with two victories. Her competition record is below.
2012
- Desert Muscle Classic — 4th
- New York Pro — 16th
2013
- Tampa Pro — 2nd
- Dallas Europa Pro — 1st
- Women’s Physique Olympia — 1st
2014
- Women’s Physique Olympia — 2nd
2015
- Arnold Classic — 2nd
Non-Bodybuilding Ventures
Bailey opted to take a sabbatical after the 2015 Arnold Classic, and she had yet to return to the stage in a competitive role as of April 2024. She did continue on as an athlete, however. Later that year, she trained for and entered to be on the hit TV show American Ninja Warrior. She shared her training and process with her followers, but she was unsuccessful on the show, and she was not prominently featured in the episode that included her.
Following that venture, Bailey would enter the world of powerlifting, competing from 2017 until 2018. According to Open Powerlifting, she entered three USAPL meets in the 62.5-kilogram weight class. Her best total came at the 2018 Arnold A7 Bar Grip Pro Raw Challenge. Her lifts from that day are below.
- Squat — 140 kilograms (308.7 pounds)
- Bench Press — 102.5 kilograms (225.9 pounds)
- Deadlift — 155 kilograms (341.7 pounds)
- Total — 397.5 kilograms (876.3 pounds)
In 2019, she found another competitive outlet — Brute Strength. Bailey entered that year’s Women’s Edition alongside CrossFit Games competitor Brooke Ence, Olympic weightlifter Mattie Rogers, and national-level powerlifter Maddy Forberg. Bailey would finish second to Ence in that competition, which included a variety of strength sports and skill events.
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Training
Bailey is still dedicated to training today, and she has no problem sharing her workouts with her followers. She has mixed up her training and has adapted to the styles of other athletes she has collaborated with on social media and her YouTube channel.
Dann Linn Bailey’s Leg Day Supersets
One such workout was a lower body superset session she did with bodybuilder Kristen Nun in December 2023.
- Barbell Squat + Lunge: 4 x 8 + 20
- Romanian Deadlift + Sumo Squat: 4 x 10-12 + 8-12
- Leg Extension + Sissy Squat: 4 x 12-15
[Read More: Dana Linn Bailey and Kristen Nun’s Leg Day Superset Tips]
Dana Linn Bailey’s Back Workout with Sam Sulek
Showing she can hang with anyone in a gym, she also trained with another fitness industry phenom, Sam Sulek, for a back workout. The summary of that workout is as follows.
- Cable Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown + Cable Rope High Row + Lying Cable Rope Face Pull*
- Dual Handle Lat Pulldown + Dual Handle Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
- Machine Single-Arm Row
- Seated Cable Row Overhand Grip + Close Underhand Grip
- Chest-Supported Machine Row + Seated Rear Delt Dumbbell Flye
* When three exercises are noted, they were performed as a circuit. Two exercises in the same line indicate a superset.
[Read More: Dana Linn Bailey Performs Sam Sulek-Style Superset Training]
Business Ventures and Social Media
Bailey is still very popular in the fitness industry and is involved with multiple businesses as a result. She is a sponsored athlete for both Redcon1 and Trifecta Meal Prep. Before her joining Redcon1, she was the owner of her supplement brand, Run Everything Labs. She is also an entrepreneur thanks to her training app as well as her Flag Nor Fail clothing brand.
While she was living in Reading, PA, she and her husband Rob ran Warhouse Gym. They have since relocated to Montana, and the gym is now under new ownership under the name Warhouse Strength.
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Bailey is also active on social media. Her Instagram page boasts 2.2 million followers, while her Facebook also has over 2 million supporters. Her YouTube channel has 546,000 subscribers, and she has posted over 800 videos on that channel. She is also posting on TikTok, where she has 226,000 followers. She also has a page on X (formerly known as Twitter) with 75,000 followers, but she has not posted there since 2022.
2024 and Future
Fans don’t yet know if Bailey has any competitive endeavors in her immediate future. But she is certain to be an active part of the bodybuilding and fitness scene thanks to her work training clients and posting updates about her life. She is also sure to make appearances at expos, shows, and other events because she has said she likes opportunities to meet fans. We may or may not be seeing her in competition any time soon, but her presence is sure to be seen and felt for quite some time.
Featured Image: @danalinnbailey on Instagram
