Biography Disclaimer: The information provided in this forum is collated from multiple reliable sources such as personal interviews with Denise, counterpart female bodybuilders, Articles published by the Women's Physique World company and other less reliable sources such as alleged acquaintances and urban legends. plus.google.com/107735558336250537077/videos?pid=6214827271460792978&oid=107735558336250537077
Denise Lynn Rutkowski will forever be remembered as one of the most complete female bodybuilders of all time. She combined muscle mass, symmetry, the ability to verbally and physically seduce men, not to mention along with a gorgeous, irresistible face. Nevertheless, she will also be remembered for being one of the most enigmatic figures of the sport given the way she retired.
1988 NPC Spring City Classic - 1st (HW) & 5th place in the 1988 Extravaganza Strength Show
1993 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd
Story
Denise was seen by many as the perfect genetic masterpiece of bodybuilding. She started off as a professional exotic dancer which helped Denise exude her sensualness on stage during bodybuilding contests which left everyone in attendance on the edge of their seat. After her 1993 Miss Olympia performance Carla dunlap even told her “That performance was hot. She added by saying "You are going to find it hard to leave the building today” because Denise simply electrified the crowd on that night.
It is a former texan male bodybuilder by the name of rick adams who got Denise Rutkowski into professional bodybuilding when he saw her potential, this is something Denise stated herself during a backstage interview with Carla Dunlap at the 1993 Miss Olympia. ultimately, Rick adams served as Denise’s choreographer up until her last performance which was the 1993 Miss Olympia.
However, as is well known, the female bodybuilding federation, IFBB, is a highly politicised organisation and so there remained the possibility that Denise’s stripper background might have been one of the reasons why she wasn’t crowned 1993 miss olympia. In an interview Denise claimed to have started her bodybuilding career with K mart weights, training in her garage and when she started to get muscular, someone recommended that she do bodybuilding and Denise also claimed that this came easy to her because she was always infatuated by muscle.
A testament to the sensualness of this Goddess!
TelevisionAppearancesIn 1994, she had a brief appearance on the show Dream On, in the episode Blinded by the Cheese. As well, she was hosted on the Goodnight America Show following her 1993 Ms. Olympia.
Beginnings
Starting off at Texas, she hit the ground running and basically sweeped all that they had on offer, competitions included the 1988 NPC south Texas and NPC Spring city classic on to the 1990 NPC steel rose and world gym classic. Denise Rutkowski during her early 1980 bodybuilding days
Ultimately this forced Denise to go hunting for more challenging bodybuilding grounds which is why she moved to Venice, California- The Mecca of Bodybuilding- in 91 and immediately replicated her success by clinching the 1991NPC Orange county muscle classic and California state championships.
Denise Rutkowski's California address: 1617 Lincoln Boulevard. No 247, Venice, California 90291
The following year is when Denise decided to go head to head with the elites on the national stage, however this time she didn’t repeat the immediate success she previously enjoyed since she came in 3rd at her first national championship which was the 1992 NPC Nationals. But this was no shame because the legendary Laura bass was at her very best.
Denise Rutkowski was raised on a farm during her upbringing in Pennsylvania
Nevertheless, Denise's fortunes were set to change when in 1993 she reached, what many would argue was, her peak. Denise for the first time competed for the Jan Tana in 1993 which she uncontestedly won. She had the proportions, mass, definition, condition and presented that in a sensual way, from head to toe she was untouchable. Not only that, by winning her first pro competition on her first try, she joined the likes of Cory Everson, Lenda Murray and Kim Chizevsky as the only 4 people to do so at that time.
Along the way Denise earned multiple nicknames such as Miss Muscles and the one most used to refer to her was The Golden Panther, and she was referred to as the Golden Panther because of her iconic golden blonde hair and golden swimsuits which she wore at all of her 1993 contests.
All of Denise Rutkowski's Major Competitions:
Her favorite body part was her arms and in particular her biceps which she flaunted as being the best in the industry and in her ray martin tapping she even issued an open challenge to anyone at arm wrestling. During one of her arm wrestling sessions in the ray martin tapping she might have even accidentally forced one of her competitors to tear one of his biceps. Even during the 1993 miss olympia prejudging once Denise hit the front double bicep pose, Carla dunlap was simply astounded as she said “Her biceps have come so far”.
In an interview with Denise Rutkowski from WPW magazine the fall 1991 edition it is quoted that observers have that Denise’s arms are the best shaped in the sport.Here is a routine Denise follows to add mass to her arms:
- Arms:
- Straight Bar Curls- 4x8-10 reps
- Hammer Curls- 4x8-10 reps
- Concentration Curls- 4x8-10 reps
- Triceps:
- Tricep pushdowns- 4x8-10 reps
- Lying Tricep extension with an EZ Bar- 4x8-10 reps
- Standing overhead two-arm Dumbbell extension- 4x8-10 reps
Note: Denise says she neversplits triceps and biceps, by working them together she had amazing results and never looked back!
DENISE'S WORKOUT TIPS: DOING HIGH REPS WILL ONLY EAT AWAY YOUR MUSCLES, STICK TO HEAVY WEIGHTS AND LOWER REPS!
And truly, her biceps were the best but the thing about Denise Rutkowski was that she had no weak body part, all of her muscles were symmetrical and proportionately built, she even once said that she had no problem in turning men into arm men, glute men or any other body part men. She was just a goddess sculpted to perfection. Denise’s muscles were not only about aesthetics though, she had the strength too. In an extravaganza strength competition Denise squeezed about 23 pull ups and 21 tricep dips and the impressive pull up count might explain why one commentator once compared Denise’s amazing back and lats to those of Flex Wheeler in the mens bodybuilding department. FLEX WHEELER VS DENISE RUTKOWSKI
She also went about the 1993 NPC USA contest with so much confidence that the same commentator pointed out Denise’s facial expression which showed that she knew she had this contest in the bag and that she was head and shoulders above the other contestants.
Feast your eyes on her biceps!
The size, thickness and mass of Denise's muscles during that particular contest was simply not only too much for the crowd to handle but for her swimsuit to handle as well because she might have been lucky of not being disqualified because of a mishap with her undersized bra that couldn’t contain her large chest.
In the early 1980s Denise filmed an exotic video released by Premier productions titled the muscle fox, and this is how the production company described her:
"Based on all our experience filming 'fit' women, we can honestly say that Didi [which is denise’s nickname] is the most outrageous turn-on we have ever seen. She's gorgeous. Dead perfect complexion, and physically trained to the ultimate level. The performance she gives is almost beyond words. When you watch her strip (to a G-string), stretch out, and taunt you with those unreal thighs and buttocks, you had better be strapped to your chair, 'cause all hell will break loose!”
Already the winner of two major titles in one year, Denise set her aim towards winning the biggest competition in female bodybuilding which is the miss olympia. Denise entered the 1993 Miss O for the first time and as a serious contender for many. Also, While many thought that this was going to be just another tussle between lenda murray and Laura Creavalle, Denise found herself in their midsts competing for the top spots. during her performance routine she was slightly criticised by one of the broadcasting commentators, namely Carla dunlap, for being a little bit too promiscuous and sensual by introducing some smooth dancing movements, such as crawling on stage, into her routine which has been outlawed by the judging panel. Specifically, it was the same seemingly jealous female commentator who reminded the audience of Ben Weeder’s claim of not wanting to see competitors crawling on stage during the 1993 miss olympia broadcast. The same jealous female commentator, Carla dunlap, even criticised Denise for being over sexual and walking the line between what is acceptable on stage and what is not. Of course, Carla finally admitted that denise basically had everything the looks, mass, tone, from head to toe, she is perfection.
As expected, she wooed and dazzled the crowd nonetheless. Then came the posedown it was clear that Denise was seriously contending for the top spots and this was confirmed when Laura was announced as third-place contestant. Unfortunately, the fairy tale finish for Denise’s 1993 year wasn’t meant to be as she came second by the slimmest of margins. Yet, still to come on to the olympia stage and out muscle 19 other elites during one’s first attempt was denise should be proud of, even though, she could have easily gotten more.
In the gym, Denise had a motto: if you can’t beat me in the gym, you can’t beat me on stage. One way, she claims, that helped her get her huge arms was by warming up with 45 pounds dumbbell curls followed by 125 pound barbell curls and finally wears them out with 90 pounds curls for reps, 10 to15. Denise’s strength was proven in the 1992 extravaganza show where she did up to 23 pull-ups, bearing in mind many people can’t do even one. And those pull ups seemed to have paid off as she was renowned in the sport for having an impressive v tapper with thick and perfectly dense and sculpted lat muscles.This was important because denise was average in height, so when she went head to head with the elites in the posedowns she gave the illusion that she was much bigger by deploying the front lats spread pose, which by stepping on her toes and expanding her wide front lats, made her look, not only taller, but also wider and thicker than most of her rivals. Collectively, this helped pull together Denise’s strong points like her boulder shoulders, sharp abs, massive bowling ball glutes and swollen arms showcasing them and ultimately, presenting her as the Rosie the Riveter of female bodybuilding.
Although aggressive in the gym and on stage this doesn't mean that she doesn't have a soft side, during Denise's time in California, she quickly assumed a big sister role in her community helping young kids stay away from the streets. Basically, what she did was unofficially adopt these kids. first, it started by them coming over to denise’s house where she had 9 puppies which was followed by meals together and ultimately led to Denise taking them to places such as disneyland, WWF shows and of course, her bodybuilding contests where they rooted and supported her. Even during a 1994 live interview with goodnight america she spoke about her plan to join a big sister program that looks after kids with hard upbringings and she was also passionate about it because she saw kids as the future.
Prior to the 1993 Jan Tana, Denise had endured a rough preparation period which saw her, months before the contest, fall of a bike which led her to break her wrist and wear a cast, significantly hampering her training capabilities. Second incident was at a highway rest stop, Denise was attacked and punched and she claims it was unprovoked. Finally and worst of all, with all the photo shootings and running, Denise claimed that her resistance fell and she ended up getting a flu which prevented her from moving for a week before the contest. All information here has been sourced from the WPW magazine issue pf January 1994.
All in all, Denise left the bodybuilding industry with a huge fan base and so many achievements in such a short amount of time that it would not be wrong to claim her one of the greatest, most beautiful and sexiest to ever grace the sport. Her mismerising tone, mass, definition, condition, looks, symmetry and stripper background all add up to the best female bodybuilder in history.
Probably the biggest question left unanswered is the use of steroids, in both men and women’s bodybuilding there is a common saying that all competing professionals use and that is, if you do not dope, you cannot cope!. Denise herself once said in an interview, maintaining consistency for 7 to 8 years without going out to the beach and eating ice cream is what won her multiple accolades. Raven, miss muscles USA or the golden panther, Denise was the stuff of fiction she was a real life heroine! Super woman. However, there are significant pointers on the internet that indicate that Denise used a drug called Anadrol (25mg/day) prescribed by Steroids Guru the late Dan Duchaine. BUT HERE IS WHAT DENISE RUTKOWSKI ATE TO BUILD HER ASTOUNDING PHYSIQUE! Denise even admitted having a sweet-tooth and especially when it came to either pumpkin pies or cheesecakes!Meals PRE-CONTEST FOOD Meal 1 10 EGG WHITES + 3 SERVINGS OF CREAM OF RICE Meal 2 ONE CAN OF TUNA + 1/2 CUPS OF RICE Meal 3 ONE CANE OF TUNA + 1/2 CUPS OF RICE Meal 4 1/2 POUND OF SWORDFISH + 1/2 CUPS OF RICE Meal 5 1/2 POUND OF SWORDFISH + 2 CUPS OF RICE Meal 6 10 MORE EGG WHITES!
Ultimately, her short bodybuilding, roller coaster, career ensured Denise Rutkowski a place in the hall of fame of female bodybuilding. Indisputably she was the best, she was a million times more feminine and beautiful than Lenda Murray and had enough muscle mass and strength to break the so called 6 time miss olympia winner, cory everson at her best, in half. (Not sure? watch the video below!)
Denise was to forever be known as the legendary golden panther. It is unlikely that another female bodybuilder will rise to scene bearing the same sensual oratorical skills, smooth erotic dancing, bursting muscles, cute face and a goddess persona. The most underrated female bodybuilder in history Denise rutkowski, the golden panther.
Some quotes from Denise Rutkowski:” I don’t seem to have time for anything else after bodybuilding. My are days are devoted to lifting, food shopping, preparing meals, aerobics and posing practice.”
She also had this to say, “I want to be big, but within a well-rounded and marketable look. I feel there is a tightrope you have to walk between being masculine and feminine.” After beingscandalously ranked in 3rd place at the 1992 Nationals and many would agree she was unjustly ranked judging by the chorus of boos that decision generated, Deniseacknowledged that regardless of what the judges amorphous criteria might be she was more comfortable coming in with, for many, extra muscle mass since she it more appealing for women to look "healthier and less scrawny" and that paid offbecause not only had she met judges criteria by clinching the 1993 Jan Tana and NPC USA but she also seemed to redefine those standards.
FACT: One week prior to the 1993 Ms. Olympia, Denise was left traumatised after learning that one of her closest friends was left dead in a shootout where he tried to cover his aunt and cousin from gunfire.
This is how Denise lynn rutkowski should be remembered, the sexiest uncrowned female bodybuilder of all time.
Finally, it should be noted that Cory Everson escaped from the new, more muscular, trend emerging in female bodybuilding during the late 1980s, early 1990s by the skin of her teeth after she was scandalously crowned miss olympia 1989 at the expense of the more deserving Sandy Riddell but as for Denise Rutkowski, she took the bull by the horns and competed and won against the most muscular women out there such as the beast powerlifter, Danielle DeRoy. Out of 7 to 8 competitions throughout career her worst placing came at the 1992 Nationals when she placed in 3rd place, other than that she either won her contests both in her weight class and overall or she came in as runner-up. and that is why Denise rutkowski is simply the best and the Arnold of female bodybuilding.
Denise's Music Selection based on her contests:
1993 NPC + JAN TANA:Gino Vannelli - Black Cars (Special Dance Mix)
1992 NPC USA:The Commodores Brick House
1993 MS. OLYMPIA:Madonna - Hanky Panky
1991 ORANGE COUNTY AND NPC CHAMPIONSHIP:Prince - "Partyman"