We seek to discover women's understandings on construction of physical beauty and the concepts of power inherent in this process. The survey was conducted in six gym clubs in the city of Recife with 30 exercising women. The interviews were conducted individually using a script composed by images. We identified three bioascetic main senses: beauty as ontological security, as social distinction and as autonomy of the self. The production of beauty represents domination in social relations and a way of building a sense of autonomous life. It is concluded that to live "life in steroids" is setting a new peculiar way of existence in somatic culture.
Beauty; Women; Power; Aesthetics