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Writer's pictureGil Peleg

Bodybuilding: The Pros and Cons of the Sport

Updated: Jun 16, 2022

In this article, we'll take a look at: What is Bodybuilding? What is Professional Bodybuilding? What are the benefits of professional bodybuilding? What are the disadvantages of professional bodybuilding? What is the history of Bodybuilding? What is Bodybuilding Competition? What is Natural Bodybuilding? What is Bodybuilding for Women? What is Overtraining in Bodybuilding? How do they dress in the gym? What fitness equipment is recommended for a personal trainer? What home fitness equipment should one buy?

 

What is Bodybuilding?

The bodybuilder's body takes a lot of effort and time to achieve the desired results. At first, in the first year, Bodybuilders can quickly gain muscle mass. However, after a couple of years, this muscle increase slows down, that is, muscle mass increases, but at a slower pace. After five years, the rate of increase in muscle mass approaches zero.
Exercises to develop the muscles of the upper chest

Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercises to develop muscles through hypertrophy, with the main aim of aesthetics, thus the focus is on appearance rather than strength. Bodybuilders prepare for competition by removing unnecessary body fat, with a combination of extracellular dehydration and carbohydrate loading to maximize muscle size. They also tan and shave to accentuate the contrast of their skin. The bodybuilder's body takes a lot of effort and time to achieve the desired results. In the first year, Bodybuilders can quickly gain muscle mass. However, after a couple of years, this muscle increase slows down, that is, muscle mass increases, but at a slower pace. After five years, the rate of increase in muscle mass approaches zero. Some Bodybuilders use anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs to build muscle and recover from injury faster, but sometimes competition prohibits their use due to health risks or because of fair competition. Despite the many recommendations for steroid testing among bodybuilders, the leading bodybuilding associations do not require testing. At the beginning of the 21st century, there were attempts to turn bodybuilding into an Olympic sport. Full membership in the IOC was obtained in 2000 and there was an attempt to get approval for demonstration competitions at the Olympic Games, but nothing came of it. Recognition in the Olympics remained controversial over the assertion that bodybuilding is not a sport.


What is Professional Bodybuilding?

In today's bodybuilding industry, the term “professional” usually refers to the Bodybuilder who wins the preliminary competition and receives the “professional card”. Professionals are eligible to participate in competitions that include cash prizes. The professional card prohibits an athlete from competing in federations other than the one from which he received the professional card. Depending on the level of success, Bodybuilders may receive financial rewards from sponsors or various advertising agencies.


What are the benefits of professional bodybuilding?

Some coaches claim that professional bodybuilding has a large and healthy effect on muscles, bones and joints; Keeps the body and muscles strong and flexible, helps with osteoporosis and arthritis.
Front arm development training

Some coaches claim that professional bodybuilding has a large and healthy effect on muscles, bones, and joints; Keeps the body and muscles strong and flexible, and also helps with osteoporosis and arthritis. Aside from the obvious benefits of building muscle, improving well-being, and self-confidence, there are many reasons to pursue professional bodybuilding, they said.



What are the disadvantages of professional bodybuilding?

Older bodybuilders have even higher injury rates than younger ones. The authors of the 2014 study noted that the respondents most often suffered injuries to the lower back, shoulders, elbow, and knee. In addition, many athletes reported living with chronic pain.
Working with heavy weights for muscle growth

Intensive training for professional bodybuilders puts them at risk of injury, according to a June 2018 survey in the Journal of Physical Rehabilitation. It found that 45 percent of bodybuilders currently suffer from injuries. Another study, published in the October 2014 issue of the International Journal of Sports Medicine, also found that adult bodybuilders have even higher injury rates. The authors of a 2014 study noted that the bodybuilders surveyed were most likely to experience injuries to their lower back, shoulders, elbows, and knees. In addition, many athletes reported living with chronic pain. Professional and amateur bodybuilders also experience more psychosocial distress than most other athletes. According to an August 2016 review in the journals Psychological Research and Behavioral Management, some people with bodybuilding training are obsessed (psychosocial disabilities) with the shape and size of their muscles. They invest a lot of money and put in a lot of effort to improve their muscles. Scientific reports describe the negative effects of this condition. The authors noted that many Bodybuilders resort to risky behaviors to achieve their goal of getting leaner and bigger. For example, they may develop emotional dependence on laxatives and steroids.


What is the history of Bodybuilding?

The first bodybuilding competition was held on September 14, 1901 year, under the title "The Great Competition" and had great success. The winner was awarded a golden statue of the Sandow.
Olympia Sandow Bodybuilding Cup

The tradition of lifting heavy stones was practiced in ancient Egypt and Greece. Western weightlifting developed in Europe from 1880 to 1953, when physically strong people demonstrated complex acts of strength to the public. The first bodybuilding competition was held on September 14, 1901 year, under the title "Great Competition" and had great success. The winner was awarded a golden statue of "Sandow". The Sandow Silver Trophy was awarded to the second-place winner. The Sandow Bronze Trophy was awarded to the third-place winner. From December 28, 1903 year, to January 2, 1904 year, large-scale bodybuilding competitions were held in America in Madison Square Garden, New York. When the cash prize was $ 1000 and was considered a significant amount for that period.


What is Bodybuilding Competition?

Bodybuilding became more popular in the fifties and sixties with the rise of fitness and gymnastics champions. The press made a great contribution to the publicity and popularity of the industry, that is, articles about bodybuilding; Learning principles; Proper nutrition; consuming protein, and other supplements (mass gainer protein - increases the amount of muscle in the body). As a result, these sports enthusiasts got a great opportunity to enter the world of bodybuilding competition. The number of bodybuilding organizations has increased.

In competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders strive to present an unaesthetic body on stage. When judging, the participants perform several compulsory poses. Each participant also performs an individual choreographic program to showcase their body type. Bodybuilders usually spend a lot of time practicing their poses in front of a mirror or under the guidance of their coach. Unlike weightlifting competitions, where physical strength is paramount, bodybuilding competitions usually focus on muscle size and symmetry. Different organizations emphasize certain aspects of the physique, and they have different categories for judging athletes in competition.


What is Natural Bodybuilding?

With growing concerns about the high cost of health consequences and the illegal nature of steroid use, many organizations have responded by launching competitions in natural bodybuilding. Their main goal is to change the mindset of the general public regarding natural bodybuilding. Comprehensive test protocols have been developed to identify the use of prohibited steroids. Penalties and sanctions are applied to violating organizations. There are many natural bodybuilding organizations such as Musclemania, Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE), INBF / WNBF, and INBA / PNBA. These organizations have the US and global presence and are not limited to the country in which they are located.


What is Bodybuilding for Women?

The first women's championship in the United States, held in 1978 in Canton, Ohio, judged competitors solely for muscle. In 1980, the first Miss Olympia competition took place, the most prestigious competition for professionals. This competition marked a turning point in women's bodybuilding. In 1985, the documentary "Pumping Iron 2 The Women" was released. Which documented the preparation of several women for the 1983 Caesars Grand Prix World Cup in Las Vegas. In recent years, fitness-related competitions, a combination of the world of acrobatics and functional muscle development without excess volume, have become more popular than traditional women's bodybuilding competitions. This look is suitable for those women who decide not to develop the muscle level required for bodybuilding.


What is Overtraining in Bodybuilding?

Overtraining occurs when the volume and intensity of the exercise exceed an individual's recovery capacity. Overtraining occurs when a bodybuilder has trained so much that his workload exceeds his recovery capacity. Overtraining occurs for many reasons, including insufficient nutrition; Lack of recovery time between workouts; Lack of sleep, and training intensity too high. To avoid overtraining, one needs to control your rest. Intake of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements.

 


With what equipment is it recommended to practice at home?

Using a yoga mat, abdominal muscles can be improved; Training weights are to improve muscle strength; Using an adjustable strength bench can strengthen chest muscles by lifting weights; A free-standing punching bag is a perfect solution for punching and kicking improvement at home ... Below is a list of recommended equipment for home exercise:






Home training is recommended to be performed under the supervision of a certified trainer. It is recommended to avoid exercising alone at home!

Cardiopulmonary endurance:

To improve cardiopulmonary endurance, it is recommended to take brisk walks, combined with running, to increase and decrease the pace. These runs can be done outdoors, on the coast, on a Treadmill, or on a Home spinning bike. Recommended: Wear suitable shoes while running, and document and monitor your calorie burn and heart rate with your Smartwatch. Also, with the help of this it is very easy to see improvements in cardiopulmonary endurance, In fact, all your actions are recorded using a computer, and there is a training history. The following is a list of recommended personal equipment for home workouts, for developing cardiopulmonary endurance, and for monitoring and controlling progress:







Home training is recommended to be performed under the supervision of a certified trainer. It is recommended to avoid exercising alone at home!
 

Bodybuilding resume, pros, and cons

In this article, we have covered the topic of the birth of bodybuilding; The main goal in sports is muscle beauty and size and less emphasis is placed on strength and functionality; Have observed negative effects from the use of unnatural substances; Adverse effects on the body and mental state of the Bodybuilder; Have seen what a bodybuilding competition is; We studied the opinions of some experts who claim that bodybuilding has a beneficial effect on trainees; We saw many attempts to make the sports Olympic, but there were failures along the way; The evolution of bodybuilding by women, into the industry of fitness and gymnastics; The athletes who train naturally and achieve impressive results; The negative effects of overtraining. We also saw what they wear in the gym, what fitness equipment is recommended for a Private Trainer, and what equipment is recommended for home workouts.

 

Article - Gil Peleg.

 

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