Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton, aka the First Lady of Iron, aka Queen of Muscle Beach, aka The Original Muscle Beach Girl, was a woman strong enough to lift society’s expectations for women over her head. Born in Santa Monica in 1917, she was nicknamed “Pudgy” by her father because of her weight. Abbye flexed on the practice of discouraging women from any physical activity too powerful for the male gaze. In the late 1930s, she stopped being a phone operator and took her talents to Muscle Beach. Abbye organized the first sanctioned weightlifting meets for women, wrote a column called “Barbelles” for Strength and Health magazine, and basically created the bikini with the help of her mother. Standing at 5’2” and 115lbs, she inspired a movement. Who runs the world? Cue the Beyoncé soundtrack! We see you, Abbye! #abbyestockton #pudgystockton #musclebeach #venicemusclebeach #bikini #moodboard #drinkfras