the "first privately owned health club and bodybuilding gym" was established by guangdong local yuan guohui in 1985, who went on to organise his own bodybuilding events. in the same year, china became the 128th member of the global bodybuilding organization, the international bodybuilding federation. female participants were allowed to register for the first time, albeit with the stipulation of only being able to pose in bathing suits. whether women should be allowed to compete in bikinis was a matter of excited discussion, leading to a "bikini controversy". international standards held that women were to wear them. the 1986 hercules cup in shenzhen was the first tournament in china to feature bikini-wearing competitors. the 1980s also saw a surge in the number of fitness schools and sportswear stores in china.