Self improvement work in progress
Are you a bodybuilder?
Bodybuilding was first developed in England in the late 19th century. The father and developer of this fine sport was Eugen Sandow. Many would say that he portrayed a body of a Greek god. He would let people enjoy his sculpted physique as part of some strength demonstration or before a wrestling match.
Sandow was one of the masterminds behind the first organized bodybuilding contest in London, which was called the Great Competition. The winner got a golden statue portraying Sandow himself. The second and third place also got a statue portraying Sandow, but in silver or bronze.
In the 1950s and 1960s bodybuilding became more and more popular. Many of who participated in the sport were people originating from strength sports like gymnastics and such. People wanted to look like the superheroes in comic books which led them to exercise their bodies with different forms of strength training.
This was a good time for bodybuilding and a time which can be associated with legends like Joe Weider, Steeve Reeves, Reg Park, John Grimek and many others. At this time, bodybuilders and strongmen were admired for their bodies and their strength. People looked up to them and wanted to be them-they were the superheroes of their time.
But that was then…let’s fast forward fifty years or so to the modern area of bodybuilding. Today, the first thing that comes to mind when people hear the word bodybuilder is big ass meatheads with bodies big as four full grown men and who spend more time in the gym than outside, always carrying some form of Tupperware filled with chicken breast, rice and broccoli (tuna works too btw).
Some of these misconceptions might have a bit of merit to them in some circles where the sport of bodybuilding is exercised, but for the most part, it’s just biases that misinterpret the sport and the vast majority of bodybuilders out there.
Bodybuilding is so much more than just putting on muscle, eating out of a Tupperware container and flexing in front of the mirror.
It is about character, dedication and building a lifestyle through positive habits; habits that will both build you mentally and physically.
It is not only about looks or vanity (not to say it isn't important, though).
Even if bodybuilding is a sport where you are judged by how your physique looks and how you portray it, it’s only half of the story and a very little part of, what I would call, the lifestyle of a bodybuilder.
A bodybuilder is like any other athlete out there whose dedication lies in the will of getting better in his or her specific sport.
I have always been fascinated by the sport of bodybuilding. The dedication and the determination these athletes put into sculpting their bodies to perfection. To build an almost perfect body with extremely low body fat percentage is a big cornerstone when it comes to bodybuilding. It’s about symmetry and flawless proportions.
The top bodybuilders are masters of this delicate art. They use their anatomical advantages to build something that, in the spectator’s eyes, only can be viewed as art.
Bodybuilding is a well-known phenomenon these days and I think most people are familiar with the sport. Men and women battle each other in the hope of winning the prestigious title - the best body on stage. The competitors are judged on symmetry, muscle fullness and how they display their bodies. Their entire package has to be wrapped in low body fat. If not, the shape of their muscles will not be visible to the spectator’s naked eye and the competition will be lost.
But as I mentioned earlier in the article - this is just half of the story and bodybuilding is so much more than just what the naked eye can see.
To me, bodybuilding is so much more than just muscle mass, striations, low body fat and a pretty smile. It’s about reaching your ideal body, no matter what that ideal might be. It’s about embracing a lifestyle were you always strive to better yourself, in all parts of life. It’s about building character, work ethic and educating yourself in the various topics of nutrition and training so you can take control of your body and how you want it to look and feel.
If you want to build and change your body and better yourself in all parts of life, you are a bodybuilder, at least in my eyes. So instead of thinking about bodybuilders as just a pile of muscle mass, we should embrace their lifestyle, maybe not all of them, but those that make us better as persons, as human beings. Because, in essence, that’s what bodybuilding is all about: making yourself a better version of you.
To begin a journey where the end goal is a better version of yourself is something amazing and something everybody should strive for. Even if you don’t go all the way, the feeling of self-bettering is an awesome feeling and something I highly recommend.
So start taking control of your life and your actions and become the best you can be. Trust me, you will not regret it.
Take care!
Daniel Rimfjäll
