Okay so you know why you build your body, you know the science behind it, and you know how to go about doing it but the questions remain – what precisely is bodybuilding? Where did it come from? And how does bodybuilding differ from weight lifting? Or just exercise?
Bodybuilding is working out with the emphasis on the aesthetics. The actual competition involves simply positions and poses in order to strike the most impressive pose and demonstrate the fruits of painstaking labour in the gym. That may sound like a vain or superficial endeavour, but actually it’s one of the most healthy – the reason being that this is the only sport that emphasises working every muscle group and keeping them proportionate. In sports such as powerlifting or golf, the athlete trains for strength, but only in the muscles required for those movements. In bodybuilding by observing each individual muscle the athlete is ensuring every single cog in the machine is brought up to speed. This of course lessens the chance of injury and leads to a better overall strength and a better overall ability. A power lifter may be stronger in the three compound movements they train in, but put them in a dumbbell curling competition and they won’t stand a chance. A bodybuilder can hold their own no matter the situation.
Bodybuilding then requires the practitioners to spend time developing each muscle group to an equal degree – from the biceps to the serratus muscles (the small muscles under the arm pits). At the same time they need to try and gain as much size and definition as possible – building muscle without putting on fat. This will be a achieved through a combination of weight lifting, resting, supplements and a good diet that will facilitate the break down and rebuilding of muscle tissue. Most of this revolves around the consumption of protein which contains the amino acids that build up muscle (more on this in ‘The Science of Bodybuilding). Many bodybuilders choose to use performance enhancing drugs on top of this such as steroids. While this is illegal, some organisations enable this to continue with irregular checks that are easy to trick, while other ‘all natural’ competitions are far more stringent.
The roots of bodybuilding lie in the early strong man displays of the Victorian era and particularly in the strong man antics of a particular Sandow who was the first to allow audiences to view his physique through flexing and is considered the ‘Father of Modern Building’. Since then much has changed and modern bodybuilding displays focus solely on this ‘flexing’ having done away with feats of strength as such – as science has developed and these do not necessarily represent a good a balanced physique. Today then the competition itself will then require the bodybuilders to show off their muscles in a musical muscle display where they’re hold impressive poses (which is harder than it sounds). This is called a routine, and is often followed by a ‘pose down’ or ‘pose off’ where two high scoring bodybuilders are called out for direct comparison. Here the bodybuilder will attempt to show off their strong points and highlight the weaknesses in the opponent.
The main governing body in the bodybuilding world is the IFBB – the International Federation of Bodybuilding, which presides over the famed Mr Olympia competitions (Mr Olympia being the most acclaimed title in bodybuilding). The judging of bodybuilders is often a cause for controversy as different people believe the judges should be looking for different things. Recently the winners of Mr Olympia have shown a trend towards gigantic muscles that can only be achieved using steroids and that lack a functionality or aesthetic appeal for the layman (and that often results in the GH ‘gut’ that makes them look slightly fat); the most notable example of this being 8-time Mr Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman, and current (2009) Mr Olympia Jay Cutler.
In the past some smaller bodybuilders have managed to win the title for featuring impressive detail and low body fat percentages. Frank Zane is for many the perfect embodiment of this ideal featuring great symmetry, a narrow waist and wide lats that give him the ‘super hero’ silhouette at a far lower weight. Some hope for a return to this aesthetic while others are happy to promote the continued growth of Mr Olympias.
While the idea of competing on a stage and getting oiled and tanned, and reaching Ronnie Coleman – won’t appeal to everyone, bodybuilding has a far wider appeal than that and is enjoyed by many more people on a more casual basis which is what you will likely enjoy should you decide to take up bodybuilding (unless you want to turn it into a career). During the ‘golden age’ of bodybuilding in the 70's and 80's, a certain Arnold Schwarzenegger popularized the sport with his illustrious film career and (then record breaking) seven Mr Olympia wins. Around the same time one Joe Weider was pushing the sport and the man in magazines and outlining the training principles he saw in the gym. This lead to the health and fitness industry experiencing a renaissance and remarkable ‘boom’ as everyone wanted to get into shape. Gyms have since opened up around the world and staying in shape has become high on everyone’s agendas. Amusing to think that all this came from the antics of a few early strongmen displaying their physiques and feats of strength on stage (and that now many casual gym goers are likely in better physical condition).
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment