Changing the Image of Bodybuilding
Have you ever taken a minute between sets at the gym and noticed what a variety of people are working out with you? I think we all notice the muscle men. There’s always one or two that look like they’re getting ready for the next Mr. Olympia. Everybody would agree that they fit the stereotyped image of a bodybuilder.But It’s the other groups around you in the gym that you aught to tally. We’re bodybuilders too, and you are more than likely one of us. We don’t own posing trunks or a thong bikini, but we are bodybuilders just the same.
We pump iron. We get our hearts working to their limits. We eat wisely. We do everything we can to build our bodies. We’re BODYBUILDERS. What a force we are! What you see at the gym is only the tip of the iceberg. We’re in our basements lifting dumbbells. We’re in the garage doing chin-ups. We’ve pulled the bench out of the closet to do some presses. We’re at the park jogging. We’re biking on the country road.
We come in all shapes and sizes, ages and abilities, and we are all at various stages of our growth in this task of building bodies. Some of us struggle curling the 10-pound dumbbells while the guy next to us groans as he squats with a bar overflowing with plates. Some of us are winded just walking on the treadmill and yet our hearts are getting the same message as the runners on the track are sending theirs, “Get stronger! Grow, muscles! Be all that you can be!” We’re all BODYBUILDERS!
The teenager who wants to look sexy; the high school football player improving his game; the new mother trying to get back into her pre-maternity clothes; the business man tired of bulging over his belt; the grandpa fighting arthritis by trying to keep his joints moving; the grandma fending off osteoporosis; the patient doing therapy on his healing limb; the teacher working off the stresses from the classroom-they’re all BODYBUILDERS!
Our goals may vary. Lose weight. Gain weight. Add muscle. Tone muscle. Maintain a fit body. Get back a fit body. Improve endurance. Strengthen bones. Gain Power. But what do we have in common? We have goals. We have a plan to reach them. And we lift weights, do cardio, eat right, sleep enough, drink enough, and even supplement our nutrition and hire trainers-anything that is required to work our plan. We’re BODYBUILDERS!
What motivates us? I asked that question on the Real SOLUTIONS discussion board. Bodybuilders from all over the world responded. Some of the answers were expected. Some were a revelation.
TO LOOK GOOD
“It wouldn’t hurt to have a nice bod for summertime on the beach,” admitted Nik TheNofreSurfer. “I want to be more attractive and have an aesthetically beautiful body,” adds Gene Kelltech. Sandralynn9498 looks for balance of beauty, “I want to be as attractive on the outside as I know I am on the inside.”
“I hated my body,” says Shari. “My physical appearance is at the center of my self-image, my feelings of self-worth.” Now, after five years of bodybuilding she is competing and aspiring to be a fitness model.
“I do this because I really REALLY like the feeling of my skin finally fitting my body,” says WannaHaveAbs. “Walking around during the day, I’m just ecstatically happy feeling my skin fit! Like I’m in the best tailor-made tux you can find.”
Izzy doesn’t want to be scared about taking off his shirt, and Adam wants his girlfriend to be able to look at him and be happy that she has a sexy boyfriend. I admit that what I see in the mirror is a major motivator. It’s a good feeling to look at my reflection and be proud of the work. I think a little vanity fires all of us bodybuilders.
BEING HEALTHY
The majority of the discussion board replies, though, spoke of deeper, more life-altering motivation. Good health and energy were high on the list. “I want the healthiest body possible!” says Nik. “Life can be hard enough, and without great health its only making things harder.” Andiamo agrees that he’s a bodybuilder to “Feel better, live longer, [and have a] better quality of life.” He adds that, “I can now keep up with my daughters (always on the go, high energy). Besides I have to keep myself in good shape to keep the boy friends in line. This dad is no ‘ordinary’ dad!”
“One big reason I workout is for the health and strength of my joints and lower back,” says John, jgschreck. ” I had stopped working out for several years, and just did rehab for a low back injury. After I started working out again a year ago, I’m much stronger and move much better. Now I just want to keep getting better!”
I know that I have fewer colds, no more pulled back muscles, no headaches, and can keep going longer now that I’m a bodybuilder. I have more energy than I used to. I seem more alert and ready to cope. No doubt about it-we bodybuilders enjoy having better health.
EXAMPLE TO OTHERS
Sharing the joy and benefits of bodybuilding seemed high on everybody’s agenda. At sixty-seven, Jack, jhallwood, is very motivated to share his enthusiasm. “I know sometime I go overboard . . . but believe you me bodybuilding is the very best thing that has happen to me and I believe 100% in this great sport. I could go on and on with its benefits, but for you young people out there, I’m enjoying life due to bodybuilding. . . The thrill of watching my Grandson & his friend become strong and turn out winners is a reward that I can’t explain. I may look old on the outside but my mind is young sharing it with those boys.”
“I do it to help others understand that there is a long-term solution-there is hope,” shares humdinger, “and you don’t have to sign your life away to get there, thank goodness.” “Who’s going to help lead the next generation?” Nik asks. “We have to set an example for all of the children out there today who are learning the habits that will become part of their lives forever. We need to show them that eating healthy six times a day, training, and having the right mindset is the way to go for strength and longevity.” Nik hopes that his example as a bodybuilder will inspire others to “realize that it is a crucial part of being healthy, happy, and prosperous. Can you [visualize] if we ALL had healthy, functioning bodies? The energy levels of the world would be off the charts!”
Adiamo enjoys sharing his love of bodybuilding. “There are many people that I meet that are overweight, tired, and have lost enthusiasm because they are out of shape. I am able to share with them what weight training can do for them. At times I feel driven to be an active agent for change. I feel good when I can help someone. Little by little one person can make a big difference in someone’s life.”
It has meant a lot to me that my own transformation through bodybuilding has been a catalyst for change in several of my children’s lives. One daughter confided in me that her husband had started Body-for-LIFE. “If my 55-year old father-in-law can do it so can I.,” he conceded. We feel like knights on a quest, obligated to inspire others to join our ranks.
A DUTY TO THE CREATOR
A very religious aspect to bodybuilding came through from several people. “God in his grace has given me this body for 24 hours a day,” praised humdinger. “The least I can do is be a good steward and take care of it!” Nik adds his witness, “I am a bodybuilder because my body is a beautiful thing that God gave me. My body is a gift. While it’s only a temporary thing, it’s a temple for the energy that created me. That’s why I continue to nurture and nourish my body.” As I joined the ranks of bodybuilders several years ago I was motivated in part to be able to offer a better body to God’s service. Many of us testify that we have been blessed in our bodybuilding by the Master Builder.
NOT A SPORT OR HOBBY, BUT A WAY OF LIFE
Despite all the various factors that keep us motivated, one thing we all agree on. Bodybuilding is far more than a sport. It isn’t just an enjoyable pastime like taking up a hobby (although KD does it “because it’s fun!”). It is life-altering.
Andrew lets the daily routine be his foundation in life. “My main motivation is I know the program works. Just do it. Sounds pretty basic, I know, but it really works for me. I know that Monday I play squash and do abs. Tuesday it’s Chest, shoulders and triceps. Wednesday it’s HIIT and abs. Thursday-biceps, back and legs. Friday-HIIT and abs, etc. I just stick to the program without thinking. I eat my meals and take my supplements without giving it a second thought. It’s become so much of a routine. The thought of snacking never enters my mind. If it’s not in the program, then I don’t do it.” Working against obstacles, he has nevertheless made great progress. “It takes incredible commitment at first, but later becomes completely routine.”
Sean L. views it this way: “For me it’s the adrenaline rush. It’s the never-ending challenge of finding what my body is capable of. It’s the constant fuel of confidence. It’s the feeling that only we who train know. It’s all of the indirect aspects of life that are effected because I spent time in the gym to make myself better. For me, it’s a lifestyle.”
“My reason for sticking with bodybuilding,” writes Rcmm, “is because I was tired of being tired. I was tired of the out-of-shape, fat body. I was tired of not having any control in my life. I need a solid thing in my life to keep me grounded. I was as far as one could get in a hole just waiting to die. I need something in my life that no one can take away and I have total control over. I do it because it keeps a fire underneath me to keep pushing and living. I need this powerful thing we have, bodybuilding, to LIVE!” He continues, “What’s the other option? To become lazy and fat and unhappy? No thanks. I have been there long enough, and I’d rather not live in that state. It’s not even living–its waiting to kick the bucket. Bodybuilding is an all-around positive power in my life. It keeps my feet on the ground and keeps me going.”
WannaHaveAbs admits that he has stayed with bodybuilding because he has less stress. “My life is at a peace now . . . It’s a fantastic journey getting to finally face yourself and see what you are made up of inside and out. . . . To me this is the biggest mental challenge I have ever faced. . . I love it because it’s so dang hard to do! It’s hard work, and I NEVER give up on anything until I have mastered it. . . [bodybuilding] makes me feel extremely powerful physically all day long with non-stop energy.”
Taking a introspective look at the results of bodybuilding as it relates to his relationships with others, WannaHaveAbs observes, “I’m finally taking care of myself. I have an inner love for myself to take the time to feed and nurture my body like this. I love loving myself and caring for myself because it makes me finally feel love for my wife, my family and everyone around me. It gives me an inexhaustible patience in everything that occurs in my life. I’m now super easy-going, content and fulfilled with an unending supply of pumped confidence. Nothing, and I MEAN NOTHING, gets me down-and-out or depressed. It’s a lifestyle, a habit, in-grained, and a priority [with] a positive effect on every aspect of my life.”
This same view was expressed by humdinger. “It’s amazing what proper nutrition and exercise will do for your spirit! When I bend over to pick something up, I like the feeling of not thinking my head is going to explode off my neck. I got sick of constantly pulling up my pants and constantly holding in my gut to cover up the fact that I was…well…FAT. (yeah, like that really helped). My 4 year old son asked me why I had a fat belly. I realize that I’m a much better person as a fit individual, much better husband, father, son, brother, relative and friend…AND encourager. My wonderful wife and spectacular kids deserve it! There’s not one area of life that isn’t affected positively by being in control of my body. There’s not one area of life that isn’t affected negatively by being fat, out of shape and out of breath. The benefits of only a few hours a week invested in training, nutrition, supplementing, planning, mindset, etc. are extraordinary! I mean three, four or five hours a week? That’s a STEAL!”
Wulfgar says it this way: “[Bodybuilding] brings more to your life than just muscle, it is a lifestyle, that when you point your mind in the right direction, the body shall follow. Not very many people have that dedication and will power. You have to be hungry, and want to become a winner, even if you fail at first, you just keep trying. . . We all have our good days and bad days when we might ask ourselves, ‘Why am I doing this?’ We just have to keep thinking, ‘What else are we going to do?’ And I don’t see any other reason not to keep going.”
David, BigGunz, has so assimilated himself with bodybuilding that he feels it has become his identity. “It has become my passion. I enjoy the focus and intensity I have to put into each workout. I love a great challenge, setting and achieving goals. . . I like to set an example for those closest to me that lead an unhealthy lifestyle. . .[and] to help others reach their goals. [Bodybuilding] shapes the rest of my life. It encourages me to do those things in life that once were dreams. It is who I am.”
Nik sums it up. “Aesthetics used to be my main reason for bodybuilding. However, I have come to the conclusion that it isn’t the outside that has been changing. Rather, this whole time what’s been changing is my character and my lifestyle. Bodybuilding has taught me more about love, discipline, respect, and happiness than many other things in my life.
“Has anyone else had less stress as well? My energy levels and stress levels have flip flopped tremendously since I started bodybuilding. My self-esteem has risen not because of my new set of abs, but rather because I know that I will be able to enjoy the fullness of life. I’m going to be able to see my grandkids one day and still be able to play with them! I’m going to be coming back for USC football games when I’m in my eighties. I’m going to be doing what I love to do for my entire life because I will be healthy! I’m not going to have any music left in me when I finally go. Yes, bodybuilding is a great thing.”
These are only a few of the deeply reflective observations of our fellow bodybuilders, but our message to the world and to ourselves resounds loud and clear. We are partners in a powerful process, one that can change others’ lives as it has changed ours. The stereotyped image that the world holds as a bodybuilder needs to be redefined. Let us boldly reveal that new image. We are BODYBUILDERS!
