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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX97s1-lFMA

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Most people who start bodybuilding are in it for the competitions. Within the overall competition, bodybuilders can compete in smaller contests. It is up to the athlete how and where they want to compete but everyone in it is in it to win.
https://centerpodium.com/choosing-a-bodybuilding-contest/

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It wasn't until the late 20th century that women bodybuilders became popular. Women and men have very different body types so when women first started trying to build muscles like the men, it didn't work. It took a few years before they started to get that as a female, they had to work differently to gain muscle and that the muscle gain would look different. Today, women bodybuilding competitions are as popular as male competitions.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-womans-no-bs-guide-to-muscle-building.html

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The overall purpose of bodybuilding is to make the person into their peak self. It also has many healthy effects on the human body. The physical effect is obvious,, people are stronger and it is good for your organ system to have constant exercise. It is also good for mental health. Studies show that people who exercise on a consistent base have lower chances of depressions and overall lower stress levels.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/what_is_bodybuilding.htm

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A major thing that other subgroups have issues with is the fact that this subgroup in particular drives people to do dangerous things. From using 🤬 to starving themselves, people go to the extreme to be the best and other groups may have issues with the way people are going about getting in "perfect" shape. This group also puts a lot of pressure on their athletes to look their best and other subgroups may see this as narcissistic.
http://darwinian-medicine.com/the-dangers-of-bodybuilding/

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A major issue that comes with bodybuilding is the use of 🤬. With so many competitions and so much at stake, some people turn to performance enhancing 🤬. Because of this issue, most competitions have random drug testing during their events. However, some are able to cheat their way through and are able to use the 🤬 without getting caught.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bodybuilding_drug_testing.htm

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Body building started in the early 1800's with the Greeks and the Egyptians having stone lifting contests. As it made its way to Europe, body building changed to become more for entertainment purposes. When body building began to really take off was in Europe when they purpose changed from a show of strength to a show of physical appearance. Then bodybuilding changed once again when men with large stomachs and legs would carry animals and other large objects. It was more of a competition again. In the late 20th century, the two forms combined to what we know today. People in peak physical fitness competing in events of strength and agility.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson61.htm

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There are various elements that help build up these events to become extraordinary. Judges mostly old compitors come together to volunteer & help determine a winner who deserves a medal or trophies depending on category. Production is set with Lights , music, & stage set ups to give out all athletes a good first impression. All athletes have spend. Fortune on gym memberships, equipments, food, stage makeup and even their tans just for this one time event.

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Introduction

Bodybuilding contests over the years have been judged using a number of different procedures. In the early days of "Physical Culture" contests, competitors were required to demonstrate their athletic ability on stage---a precursor of today's fitness contests for women. Many early bodybuilding contests also involved evaluating the personalities and public speaking abilities of the contestants, who would talk briefly on stage in addition to showing off their physiques.

Bodybuilders have been divided into categories based on age and experience (novice, teenage and masters, for example) as well as by height or by weight. Scoring has been done using a rigid points system in an effort to emulate various established Olympic sports and, more informally, with the judges going off in private, discussing the contest among themselves, and coming to a conclusion much like a jury in a court trial.

The point of any and all of these judging systems and procedures is (or at least should be) to identify the best bodybuilders and rank them according to excellence. That is, the goal of judging is not to define what good bodybuilding is supposed to be but to recognize it.

Picture of the old system of judging!

Ultimately, it is the bodybuilders themselves who define what is possible in physique competition. Judges would not expect to see, or to demand to see, for example, cross-striations in the glutes unless or until they had already seen such a level of development on stage. As in other sports such as gymnastics and diving, a competitor comes along and establishes a new standard---maybe one previously thought to be impossible---and then suddenly everyone else starts working to duplicate that feat. As an example, looks how long it took for runners to break the four-minute mile barrier. But once one runner did it, suddenly hundreds were accomplishing the same thing.

Fundamentally, judging in bodybuilding is based on the ability of the judges to know what a good bodybuilder looks like when they see one. If a judge doesn't have a good "eye" for bodybuilding, it doesn't really matter what kind of system of rules is used. So the effectiveness of judging rules and procedures should be evaluated basically using one criteria---does the system help the judges in identifying the best bodybuilders, or does it make it difficult or even impossible for them to do so?

The NPC Judging System

The National Physique Committee, which governs amateur bodybuilding in the United States, uses a comparatively simple system of judging. All the judging for individual classes takes place during the prejudging (recently, the federation has begun doing some of the judging during the finals, but most still takes place during afternoon prejudging). Selecting an overall champion from among the class winners takes place during the finals. When an NPC competitor poses in the finals to music, this is strictly a show for the audience. The scoring has already been completed.

In an NPC contest, each bodybuilder in a class comes out individually and does a one-minute free-posing routine, with no music. The entire line-up is then brought out on stage together and the judges bring out groups of competitors---starting with what seems to be the top five or so---for comparison posing. There are no "mandatory" poses as such, but the bodybuilders are generally asked to do most of the common, conventional physique poses---front double-biceps, lat spread, side-chest and so forth. However, the judges can call for any pose they want---a most muscular, for example, or simply for "your best leg shot."

NPC judges don't score the rounds separately, but simply rank each bodybuilder in order once prejudging for the class is over. So when an NPC judge finally places a competitor, that score doesn't reflect any single aspect of the bodybuilder's physique or presentation but a complete, overall evaluation of his or her excellence.

The IFBB Judging System

The IFBB, which sanctions international amateur and professional bodybuilding competition, has a more complex and structured set of judging procedures. The prejudging consists of two rounds. In the first, the bodybuilders assume a "standing relaxed" posture (something like standing at attention, arms at the sides) and are looked at from the front, back and both sides. In the second, the competitors go through a very specific set of mandatory poses. In both rounds, the bodybuilders are looked at individually and are compared as well, although unlike the NPC system - where the judges can call out any number of competitors in a group - usually only three competitors are brought out for comparison at a time.

Another difference between the NPC and the IFBB procedures is that IFBB judges score each round separately, placing the bodybuilders in order of excellence for that individual round, and a competitor's score represents his or her cumulative scores from all of the rounds.

IFBB scoring is not completed once prejudging is over. The competitors don't do their free posing during prejudging, but are evaluated by the judges as they perform their routines to music in the finals. Once the third round is completed and the scores are added up, the top finalists are then brought out for an additional "pose-down" round and have an opportunity to make a final impression on the judges.

All Rounds Are Physique Rounds

The IFBB system of judging has been largely effective, with comparatively few controversial decisions resulting (except for the intrusion of the politically-inspired "guidelines" recently applied to female bodybuilding) when you consider how difficult it is to achieve an "objective" consensus of something with so subjective a nature as bodybuilding judging.

But when problems have arisen, it is often because there is a tendency on the part of some judges, when working within such a highly structured system, to forget that bodybuilding is a physique contest and that every round in a bodybuilding contest is supposed to be a physique round. That is, the judges are supposed to look at every aspect of the competitors in every round and to judge each round as if that were the entire contest. Judges should say to themselves, "If this were all I was going to get to see of these bodybuilders, if this were the whole contest, whom would I place first, second, third and so forth?"

Round One
But this often doesn't happen. For example, the "standing relaxed" round is often called the "symmetry round." This is because, when the bodybuilders are not flexing and posing, and they can't cover up physique faults by how they hit their poses, the aspects of their physiques that stand out tend to be their overall shape, symmetry and proportion. But the first round is not symmetry round - that is, it is not a round in which the judges are looking at symmetry as if it were a separate and distinct element of the bodybuilding physique. It is a physique round in which every feature of the body that can be observed should be considered.

For example, a judge should not give a high placing to a competitor with an aesthetic shape and good proportions, but who lacks mass or density, is not hard and defined or who is lacking in any other aspect of physical development or conditioning. As with the other rounds, the judges should score the competitors as if this were the entire contest, decided on the basis of what they can see while the competitors are "standing relaxed" who the best bodybuilders on stage are in order of excellence.

Round Two
The same is true of the second round. The bodybuilders do mandatory poses, flex their muscles, and this tends to show off their muscularity, but it is not "muscularity" round. Of course, when competitors start to pose a physique that seemed relatively unimpressive in round one can seem to come alive, muscles popping out all over. But while this should certainly count in her or his favor, it doesn't mean a bodybuilder's other obvious faults or weaknesses should be ignored. Again, the judges are supposed to look at the competitors in this round and ask themselves, "Who would I place first, second and so forth if this round were the entire contest and this was all I was going to see?"

The point of the different rounds is giving the judges as much information as possible on the physiques they are evaluating. You see different things when a competitor is just standing there or when he or she flexes and poses. Someone who doesn't impress you in one round might well change your mind in another. But the bodybuilding physique must always be looked at as a whole and be judged and evaluated in its entirety in each and every round.

Round Three
When it comes to round three, presentation is a vitally important aspect of a physique contest, but it is not a "posing" round. The idea of posing is a simple one: the competitor has had to show the judges his or her physique the way they wanted to see it; in round three, the bodybuilders have a chance to show-off their development in a way that maximizes their strong points and minimizes their weaknesses.

But the physique being presented in round three is the same one the judges have seen in the previous two rounds---and they pretty much know what it looks like by now. So bodybuilders shouldn't expect to jump a whole lot of places in the scoring because they are able to do an exciting routine. They might, however, in calling attention to certain of their strengths, cause a judge to think, "You know, that bodybuilder is really better than I gave him (or her) credit for."

Its an unfortunate fact of genetics that many physiques don't look all that good in certain poses---although they might be very impressive in others. And that's what round three is all about---showing the judges your physique in a way that is the most flattering to you and impressive as possible.

In Conclusion

The IFBB judging system obviously works, and the judges who officiate in IFBB contests have proven track records. But there has been a tendency on the part of judges, bodybuilders and spectators alike to think of round one as a "symmetry" round, round two as a "muscularity" round and the third round as a "posing round," and therefore to look at isolated aspects of the physique (or non-physique aspects such as posing) rather than the physique as a whole. This approach to judging can skew the results in such a way that, in spite of the best intentions of the judges, some of the competitors might not receive the placings they really deserve.

The remedy for this situation is for the judges to keep in mind at all times that they should base their evaluations on everything they see in every round, to judge each round as if it were the entire contest, and to keep in mind that bodybuilding is a physique contest and therefore every round in a bodybuilding competition is a physique round.

Thanks,

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Keeping Score: A Look At The IFBB Judging System.

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Introduction Bodybuilding contests over the years have been judged using a number of different procedures. In the early days of "Physical Culture" contests, competitors were required to demonstrate their athletic ability on stage---a precursor of today's fitness contests for women.

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Be persistent at what you do, respect the ones who help you reach your goals, and never use 🤬 to get you there.

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Is bodybuilding it's own subculture or just a sport? Are physique athletes too diverse and self-consumed to have a true collective identity? Will bodybuilding ever go "mainstream" or should it remain sequestered and hardcore? John, Lonnie, and Rob Fortney of www.virtualmuscle.com throw in their two cents.

[ Q ] Is bodybuilding its own subculture?
LL:

Absolutely. It has its own unique set of values and mores that are often very different. Even opposite than those of mainstream America and Canada. Just go to a

competition

and take a look around. Are those average people? As an example, let's look at the word, "freak" ... negative, disturbing connotations to most people and yet it's the highest praise for a true bodybuilder. Another example is pharmaceutical use.

Lenda Murray & Iris Kyle battleing for first in the 2003 Olympia.

I say "pharmaceutical" because I don't want to confuse it here with recreational "drugs." The truth is, most upper-level competitive bodybuilders are fascinated by anabolic drugs and value them as a necessary part of the subculture. They literally enable physique athletes to become supra-human - and that's seductive. It further creates delineation between the "average" citizen and the bodybuilder. In great contrast, the "just say no" generation is shocked and dismayed by drugs in general. I think members of the subculture take great pride in learning about and using drugs that shock the average person.

JB: Bodybuilding? A subculture? Na, it only takes one look at Muscle Media 2000 to see that bodybuilding is as mainstream as Microsoft and ... Oh wait a freakin minute! What am I saying? Of course bodybuilding is a subculture!

But before the argument begins, we have to define what exactly we mean by bodybuilding. By bodybuilding I'm referring to the drive (some call it obsession) for physique perfection including huge amounts of muscle mass and low levels of body fat. Included in this definition is also the drive for maximum intensity both in and out of the gym. Physique competition has something to do with the definition but not everything.

Bodybuilding is more a state of mind characterized by excess that is manifest in the gym and on the stage. Everything about bodybuilding is hardcore. Excluded in this definition is the desire to "look a little more cut", to "see all my abs," and to "get a little stronger."

Nothing is wrong with these latter goals, but they are not bodybuilding goals. Bodybuilding, by its very nature, screams "LOOK AT ME! I'M NOT NORMAL AND I LIKE IT." Does that sound like a subculture to you? Of course it does. And if you don't think so, you're not a member.

One of the most interesting things I find about this subculture is the following. A member of it is easily recognizable. And I don't just mean the silly tans and the pumped up physiques. Since I'm pretty big and lean, I can walk into any serious gym across the US and Canada and once I start training, you'll see the members of the subculture rise to the surface. I know this because in the last 7 years I've had memberships at more than 20 gyms. Immediately as I begin squatting over 500 pounds, the average gym lifter views me as peculiar. And why wouldn't he or she.

My head looks like it's about to rocket launch from my body. In contrast, the bodybuilder views me as "one of us" and is the first one to offer a spot or to start conversation. These are the guys have often become my best friends. It's like being part of a secret society that few others understand.

In this life there's a strange irony. We are all looking for a certain defining individuality but we also want to share that with others like us. It's not a rugged individualism but just something that makes us different from most. And bodybuilding sure does offers that to us.

RF: I don't think there can be any question about bodybuilding as a subculture. When one becomes fully immersed in bodybuilding his life changes and he adapts in varying ways to the pursuit. Lonnie's points about performance drugs and their widespread use cause subculture-like attributes as well.

Take a look at any group who share preference for a certain drug - be it alcohol, pot, cocaine, crack, etc ... Do they not gravitate toward each other? I think in looking at this it is apparent subcultures are created when groups of like-minded people with similar desires unite in opposition to a social environment that views such interests as "abnormal." Building ridiculous-sized muscles is the subculture of bodybuilding.

[ Q ] Is the bodybuilding subculture bad? That is, is there something pathological about it compared to the general population?
LL:

Partially; although it takes a couple of years to fully see it. It's particularly "bad" regarding high-level competitions. So much so that it has become part of the subculture itself. Recreational drugs, body image/eating disorders, dishonesty and sexual perversions of all kinds have tainted the sport. These things have almost become prerequisite for competitive success on a national level.

They are not, however, the essence of bodybuilding. If you want to know what the essence is, go watch " Pumping Iron" again or "The Comeback." Sure these were at least partly scripted films and they definitely obscure the "dark side" of the sport from their era, but they do capture the essence. The roots of the subculture lay in something inspiring and almost magical. This hard-to-describe quality is why so many people get hooked for life and never really stop bodybuilding. I suppose, as with so many things, the world is ultimately what we make of it.

JB: Is the subculture bad? I guess it depends on your surroundings and the context. Again, since I move around a lot, I've seen the many faces of bodybuilding. I've seen a bodybuilding full of competitive sprit and camaraderie. This is that essence that Lonnie made reference to. Interestingly, at the time, I was training in a very old school gym full of black and white photos of Arnold and some other 60s and 70s bodybuilders.

In fact the gym owner used to hang with Arnold back when Arnold was still bodybuilding and loved to tell the stories of the good old days. Sure they were delusional in their thinking that the current bodybuilders couldn't hold a candle to Arnold and Franco. Sure there were drugs in that gym just like everywhere else.

Sure there was that hint of body image obsession. But all these potential disasters were held in check by something, I don't know, more wholesome. It was all about lifting weights and pride. Muscles were synonymous with work and in such a place, the bigger you were, the harder you worked. We weren't worried about getting the perfect tan or always being smoothly shaven.

On the flip side, though, I've also seen bodybuilding as a destructive endeavor full of physical obsessions (including the eating disorders, sex fetishism, and drug abuse) and mental obsessions (including obsessive compulsive disorder, addictive personality disorders, and paranoia). This side was full of after hours "photo shoots" with the female fitness models and bodybuilders, full of parking lot pharmacists, and full of dime store thieves and addicts trying to get some money together for their next steroid cycle. In such situations, of course pathos runs rampant.

Low self worth, antisocial behavior, and physical, social, and mental insecurities turn into the desire for some sort of muscle suit to cover it all up and make one "OK." And being part of this over the top subculture seemed to make them feel ok for a while. But ultimately they became defined by the subculture and never were able to develop other coping skills. The threat of no longer being part of this group meant loss of identity and that's how addicitions and paranoia begin. Looking back, it's frightening. With this said, though I'll be honest. The guys in this second scenario were bigger.

And sometimes felt and seemed to be superhuman in the context of their little world. To give an extreme example, I remember days when these guys would have steroid parties where they would play loud music, shoot up lots of juice, and then go "power eat" thousands of calories in a sitting. Again, it was all about excess and they loved it! But from the perspective of an outside observer, they were just sick little children in big boy clothes.

At this point, I hope I'm presenting a fair depiction of both sides of the coin. But no matter how bodybuilding presents itself, in either context, the potential for danger is still there. Like I said earlier, bodybuilding is all about extreme and hardcore. And anything taken to that level for too long may destroy. It's like running a car at 100mph all the time.

On the autobon, it's probably OK. But do that while ripping around your neighborhood and you're just hanging on the edge of disaster. I guess it's more important to know when it's appropriate to speed up and when it's appropriate to slow down. Unfortunately many bodybuilders don't know how on earth to do that.

RF: I feel bodybuilding, when taken to extremes, is horribly damaging to a person's well being, both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, if you want to achieve competitive success, you must go to the extreme. The drug abuse, social isolation and inevitable body-image problems can create havoc on one's life.

You'll find most hardcore bodybuilders obsessed and with little to talk about outside of the sport. It's sad and leads to destructive behaviors. I've said it before. Most upper-level bodybuilders are socially impotent and have serious body-image problems.

[ Q ] Can bodybuilding evolve into a mainstream sport or will the attempt destroy its true nature?
LL:

Many people have commented that bodybuilding must evolve into an entity that's more appealing to the general populace or it will ultimately destroy itself. I'm not sure that I agree. Although I do feel that the subculture has become stagnant compared to the eighties (few interesting new pros, redundant sales pitches from supplement companies, etc.), I don't believe it has to stay this way.

Some of the stagnation has come from pressure on magazine editors and contest officials to be politically correct. Bodybuilding should not be "PC." It's unique set of values and mores define it. Lose these to outside influences and you lose the sport.

JB: I'm not sure what to think on this one. For the sport, I'm certain that going mainstream is not where it's at. In the mid 90s when I was in the thick of my competitive days, Bill Phillips was trying to convince people bodybuilding is in fact a mainstream activity. And with this belief he decided to define bodybuilders as regular old Joes picking up weights in the weight rooms and fitness centers across the world.

He thought physique competitions should be like his transformation challenges. In fact, I remember the scene in his Body of Work video where he actually went up to a pro bodybuilder and with a derisive tone, he mocked him, calling him "the next Arnold." He then implied that all this obsession with muscles was ridiculous. So, inherent in this, his bias was clearly stated. "Get out of the gym you freak, your days are numbered."

Numbered? I'm not so sure. But times, they are certainly a changin.' It seems like the soft core is in. But in a subtle yet different way than Bill espoused. Bill simply wanted to soften the image of bodybuilding to the general public so that they too saw the value in weight training. But rather than focusing just on that, he decided to combine being apologetic for the bodybuilders with a mocking of them. And although I didn't agree with his methods, that's not all that reprehensible. In fact it's kind of cool to see more and more people lifting weights than ever. But what I see today in bodybuilding is surely what I would define as "soft."

Bodybuilding today has become so image conscious. And in doing this, it has lost its hardcore. With its new attempts at going mainstream there is this carnival-like atmosphere. And it seems to be becoming less and less of a sport. I can't imagine anyone thinking the new carnival is cool. It's Vince McMahon marketing style at its "finest." The bodybuilding aristocracy has created these whirlwind events and publications that emphasize video, magazine, and supplement sales.

Not that big of a deal. But since the consumers no longer think they actually have a chance of attaining the physiques of the pros it's more of a WWF-like interest that keeps them coming back to the sport. Bodybuilding crowds and enthusiasts used to be participants. Now they are just spectators. And to perpetuate this, 16 token bodybuilders will walk onto the Olympia stage every fall. And every fall they're bigger and more unattainable.

Maybe, for the benefit of those who are searching for the essence, the new carnival has to die. But my fear is that if bodybuilding does die, something may be lost. I'm not saying it definitely will, but without public physique heroes, some of the drive is certainly gone. When I was 18, I had a pictures of Gary Strydom, Shawn Ray, and Lee Haney up on the wall in my bedroom. But what I did was cut out pictures of my face and paste it on the faces of the bodybuilders. Obsession? Maybe, but it was definitely motivational for me.

So the bottom line is that mainstream acceptance of lifting is cool. And the practice of it in health clubs is also fine. But bodybuilding as I defined earlier should stay in the gyms. Don't try to take it out to the public. And don't try to bring the public to it. Either way, it gets soft. And whether it thrives as a sport or not makes no difference to me. I never viewed the bodybuilding I do as a sport anyway.

RF: First we have to make the distinction between weight training and competitive bodybuilding. There's a huge difference. Bodybuilding in its purest form will never appeal to Joe Public. And that's the way it should be. I'm huge into music and can tell you that whenever a musical genre gains mainstream acceptance and support, it becomes diluted and lame. The same holds true for bodybuilding. Just look at how the sport's become flaky over the past ten years! Why? Well, for starters, there are too many wankers pretending to be hardcore. Hardcore is a way of life. It's a mindset, not a physical attribute or how much juice you can inject.

[ Q ] What are your predictions/suggestions for the future of the subculture?
LL:

The magazines are the voice and the glue that holds the subculture together, so we should start there. First off, to motivate readers/athletes, mags will need an infusion of new, hardcore talent. Second and more importantly, we'll need a paradigm shift away from in-house supplement "magalogs" toward some independent publications.

Selling products within the pages is not, in itself offensive, but when it taints the content of every article, you have to wonder: why am I paying to read a 100-page advertisement? Besides, this type of setup pressures editors to only serve-up sugar coated, more politically correct articles that essentially dissolve the subculture. If no one can get a new "voice of the people" off the ground financially, I predict corruption and dilution to the point of demise for bodybuilding as we know it.

As a web site contributor/editor, I see this type of online publication potentially leading the way toward cultivating a reader-first paradigm that's purpose is to educate/motivate -and only sell products peripherally. The problem with web sites is the ocean of worthless ones. Still, web site/printed mag combos like www.t-mag.com, www.virtualmuscle.com, and the small start-up pub, Muscle Monthly, are steps in the right direction. If they can instill a fresh sense of community, we'll see a new era.

JB: I see a huge shift in the direction of bodybuilding and weightlifting. I don't think that the magazines that are currently portraying themselves as the "voice" of bodybuilding are going to be able to continue as they have been. The bodybuilding media and culture have been corrupted by money. And the money men are wiesels that haven't ever know the pain and subsequent reward of puking after a real 20 rep set of 405 on the squats. Without that knowledge, how do they ever expect to appeal to me? They can't tap into what makes me want to train and get huge.

I think that the hardcore subculture needs to separate from the farce that has become pro bodybuilding (namely the pencil-neck bodybuilding aristocracy) and simply go to where other hardcore athletes are. What about joining forces with sprinters, pro hockey players, football players, and the like?. Are they really all that different than we are? Sure our training goals are different, but is the attitude any different? I don't think so.

We all want to go to the edge in our performance. Heck even the drugs are the same. So why not join forces. Running, football and hockey are certainly more mainstream than bodybuilding and will always be. But I'm not talking about the commercial side of sport here. I'm talking about the athletes themselves.

I think that if the subculture expanded to include these hardcore athletes, if supplements and training programs were designed with all of us in mind, and if real gyms included all of such athletes, then although the subculture might lose a bit of it's identity, it will thrive in different ways and become a bit more mainstream without a deterioriation in its essential character. We may need a change like this to create a new identity. I think it's a hugely mutually beneficial relationship. Think about what we can and have already done for them in terms of training and nutrition!

To illustrate my point look at the individuals who are becoming successful in the industry. The guys who are targeting serious weight trainers and athletes. Sure physique enhancement is included in this. But mags like T-mag are becoming wildly successful without ever showing a bodybuilder's picture or training routine. Such mags are searching to get that essence back. And are finding it in the gyms not on the stages.

RF: I can foresee a time when professional bodybuilding is outlawed. This may seem far-fetched, but is it? The whole thing has gotten so out of hand. What the sport needs to do is lose Ben Weider and other like-minded fools. They want mainstream acceptance and it is drawing in all sorts of deviants and scum. These people want money, nothing else. But really, what isn't corrupted by man's greed? The hawking of lies and crap has become epidemic.

We need to trim the fat and go back to the essence of the sport. Bodybuilding has become corporate I'm sad to say. It's lost its innocence. What ever happened to a pure love of training and the friendships that develop with others who share the same passion? To me, weight training is a natural extension of all else in a healthy life. One must not forsake everything for one attribute. There has got to be balance. I was losing that balance several years ago. Thank God I caught myself. And guess what? I'm a better person and better lifter. Coincidence? I don't think so. Bodybuilding needs mentally strong participants. It's not for the weak.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Bodybuilding does seem to be more of a subculture than merely a sport - although even those with competitive experience disagree on its defining characteristics. You can become a force for positive change or you can lose your naivete in very destructive ways. It's up to you.
About The Author
John M Berardi is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human performance and nutrition. His company, Science Link, provides unique and highly effective training, nutrition, and supplementation programs for high level athletes as well as recreational exercisers. John is a prolific author and a sought after speaker and consultant. Visit www.johnberardi.com for more information about John and his team. Also, check out his new DVD entitled No Nonsense Nutrition.

Thanks,

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Is bodybuilding it's own subculture or just a sport? Are physique athletes too diverse and self-consumed to have a true collective identity? Will bodybuilding ever go "mainstream" or should it remain sequestered and hardcore? John, Lonnie, and Rob Fortney of www.virtualmuscle.com throw in their two cents. [ Q ] Is bodybuilding its own subculture?

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Technology has become an inevitable part of our lives and is not likely to go anywhere. Just like on other things, it has also had a major impact on health & fitness. Programs such as MyFitnessPal or apps that help track down BodyBuilders Intake. Sport watches and accessories help them determine activity levels and connect with their fitness community.

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Technology has become an inevitable part of our lives and is not likely to go anywhere. Just like on other things, it has also had a major impact on health & fitness.

Every new innovation is shifting the way you work out at the individual level. But most importantly these smaller shifts eventually result in substantial transformations that change the entire fitness industry.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that before you even realize it, you'll be working out in your SF flat with your friend from Japan in a big VR gym with Matt Damon as a spinning instructor. But for now, let's slow down a bit and look at the impact technology has already had / will have in the near future on your everyday fitness routine.

The Future Of Fitness: Wearables - Tracking 24/7

One word - wearables. These more or less tiny devices that now come in all sorts of form and track certain aspects of your workout have had a massive impact on the way we think about health & fitness today. With wearables, tracking has entered a new ear where data has no space, time or any kind of limits.

You don't have to rely on your personal trainer or other professional assistance anymore. With these simple and easy to use gadgets you can track your own physical activity all day every day.

What are wearables?

Wearable technology is actually not a new concept. Simple wristwatches - remember, the ones before Apple Watch and Fitbit took over the wrists of people - were the first wearables in human history.

Wearables are simply defined as " electronic technologies or computers that are incorporated into items of clothing and accessories which can comfortably be worn on the body." [ 1].

While we can differentiate between various wearable subgroups, they all share the same main goal. Which is allowing individuals to access advanced technologies in an easy, portable and hands-free way [ 1].

One of the wearable groups, the one that we are mainly interested in, is fitness trackers. They scan, sense, and track particular aspects of your workouts, movements and all sorts of physical activity. Then they analyze the data and provide you with easily accessible and understandable feedback.

Wearables' Impact On Your Workout Routine

Wearable fitness trackers have affected a number of aspects of our physical activity. While most of these impacts are clearly positive, you might occasionally hear some skeptical comments too. And to be completely honest, if you dig deep enough there might be a negative side as well.

Pros of Wearables

First and foremost, wearable fitness trackers provide you with real-time data that you were not able to access before. Let it be heart rate, calories burnt, pace and distance of your run, all types of data will be a beneficial piece of information. Information that gives meaningful insight into your current and past performance and helps guiding your workouts in the right way.

There are also more sophisticated wearables today that take it to a whole new level with the feedback they provide.

Wearables, like the Sensoria socks & anklet or the Athos apparel track your technique as well. Once all the necessary data is collected and analyzed, you get access to accurate and easily understandable feedback at the tip of your fingerprints. So thanks to these fitness trackers, you're able to improve your technique without a professional trainer.

Besides the fitness side of the story, these wearables are also able to reveal useful details about your general health and wellbeing. With basic features, like the HR monitor, step counter, and sleep tracker, you get to see how you're actually doing in your day to day life.

So all in all wearable fitness trackers have moved your everyday health & fitness journey to a more data-driven direction, which has been proven to have a positive impact on our health & fitness by several studies [ 1, 2].

Cons Of Wearables

However this advantage of being data-driven is something others might actually see as a disadvantage of wearables. The reason behind it is simple. Constantly looking at numbers and checking you performance can become compulsive.

Working on your performance based on meaningful metrics is fine up to a certain level. But once the rivalry with others or even with your own self turns into an obsessive habit, it can become unhealthy. Therefore, wearable fitness trackers are sometimes accused of making you push too hard and taking away the fun aspect of your workouts.

The Future Of Fitness: Mobile Apps - Virtual Trainers Instead of Personal Trainers

The health & fitness software industry is also on fire. The app store is getting packed with various counting, tracking, and coaching apps. And all of these apps are changing our attitude towards different services in the health & fitness, making them more accessible and affordable for everyone.

One of these services is personal training. A service that used to belong to a premium category, not affordable by the general public. But with the introduction of mobile apps that specialize in virtual training, you can train with an instructor whenever and wherever you want to completely free of charge.

Virtual Training Apps Impact On Your Workout Routine

Mobile apps that allow you to "hire" a personal trainer virtually have a clear disruptive effect on the fitness industry as a whole. Although it's a trend very different from activity trackers, its impact at the individual level may have an even wider reach. And at the industry level it may result in challenging the traditional models of personal training.
Check Out The Top 7 Virtual Training Apps
Pros of Virtual Training Apps

As touched upon earlier, the main advantage of these fitness apps is the overcoming of barriers of traditional personal training. Applications now offer workouts with video and audio coaching by professional instructors.

And even the ones that are not free only ask for a small fraction of what a personal trainer would normally cost you. So on one hand, these apps make personal training accessible for those who couldn't afford it perviously.

On the other hand, the usage of the app doesn't have any time or location constraints. This means that you no longer have to spend time on trying to sync yours and your trainer's schedules. Or sit an hour in traffic traveling back and forth from the gym. Hence, these applications also make personal training more accessible for the time poor audience.

Besides accessibility, there's also a positive influence on training frequency and precision. When you have a professional voice to rely on, you'll feel more confident. This is likely to have a positive impact on your willingness to work out increasing the frequency of training. And when these trainings are video and audio guided, chances are that you'll nail the exercises better than when you'd on your own.

So overall, the innovation of virtual training apps have resulted in widening the audience for a nontraditional personal training service. Which, taken a step further can lead to more frequent and efficient workouts among everyday people.

Cons Of Virtual Training Apps

An obvious disadvantage for the industry is the undermining of personal training in a traditional sense. When you have a lower cost and more time-effective alternative, you will probably choose that one. And hence, the profession of personal training is likely to suffer as a result.

But before jumping to conclusions, we can still ask whether there are any benefits of real life personal training over virtual training. And the answer is there might be, especially if you're a newbie in the gym. Because having a video showcasing the right movements doesn't guarantee that you'll actually perform the right movements.

So while virtual training apps are likely to improve your workout habits compared to anything DYI, it might result in adopting worse techniques than with real life personal trainers.

But an easy way to overcome this is to pay close attention to your virtual coach and potentially have a more pro workout buddy with you. This way you won't need to worry that much about messing up.

The Future Of Fitness: Streaming Workout Classes - Bring The Group Workout Home

Ok so those interested in one-on-one sessions can now have on-demand virtual coaching in their own living room. But if you're more of a group workout fan, you still need to get that pricey gym membership, right? Not at all. Because the Netflix of fitness classes has arrived as well.

Streaming Workout Classes' Impact On Your Workout Routine

Services like ClassPass Live or Peloton have made it possible to enjoy almost everything that comes with a group workout without having to step outside your home. These virtual workout class services allow you to either join in for a live class or stream on-demand. They revolutionize another aspect of the fitness industry.

Pros of Streaming Workout Classes

Just like virtual personal training, a higher level benefit is making studio workout classes more widely accessible.

The most popular boutique workouts, like SoulCycle and CrossFit, are hitting price ranges that are breaking the bank. Hence, they're obviously not for a mainstream audience. But with lower costs, streaming allows you to get a piece of the cake even if CrossFit is out of your monthly budget.

In addition to the time and location convenience, another factor that leads to an audience increase is the unlimited capacity of these classes. While booking the class of your favorite Barry's Bootcamp trainer is like getting tickets for Coachella, Peloton Bootcamp will never sell out.

These streaming services will also increase your training effectiveness and efficiency, as they are instructor-led. But besides this, these virtual group workouts are likely to impact your motivation as well. As a result of being virtually surrounded by people, you'll push harder than on your own.

Finally, the subscription model of these streaming services might also increase your motivation to train more frequently. Simply because more workouts means lower costs per class, which should sound like a good deal to everyone.
Check Out The Most Popular Group Workout Streaming Services
Consequently, streaming group workout classes is another fit-tech trend that is likely to increase the number of people engaging in physical activity. At the individual level, your workout scenery will shift from a fitness studio more towards your living room. And the frequency of your workouts coupled with the efficiency of home workouts will see a rise as a result.

Cons of Streaming Workout Classes

In parallel with virtual training apps, these class streaming services are also bringing workouts to your home at lower costs. In the future this might result in a decline in studio class attendees. Now the prevalence of such effect is probably still lower simply because of two factors.

1) The number and variety of those streaming services that actually match the quality of studio workouts is still limited.

2) Those services that are/are almost available, come with pretty highly priced equipment. For instance, the Peloton Tread will be $3,995 and the Mirror's reservation price is $1,495. While they are great long-term investments, their up-front costs still turn them into premium category Christmas gifts.

And looking at the actual workout, it is questionable whether a studio workout fanatic can be satisfied with a virtual version of these classes. Yes, it is definitely an alternative option that will fuel your motivation to train better than an individual session. But will you really experience the same vibe and atmosphere as in an in-person group workout?

The Future Of Fitness: Virtual Reality Fitness - Keeping Fitness Fun

Give me anything that screams 'the future of fitness' more than having a VR personal training session in your local VR gym. While not too long ago VR sounded more like the after work fun of boojee Silicon Valley software guys, it's slowly making a move towards a more general fitness audience.

VR Fitness' Impact On Your Workout Routine

With the roll out of machines like the VirZOOM - a blend of stationary bikes and VR games - and the Icaros flying machine - core & upper body focused VR - to selected gyms, you should expect your workouts to see some more action in the near future.

But what's going to have an even more interesting effect on our fitness routine is the introduction of entire VR gyms.

Black Box VR, which brings the 'world's first virtual reality gym' to life, is expected to open their first studio this year in San Francisco, CA. With their unique resistance machines and personalized fitness headsets, they promise to deliver the most disruptive full-body workout experience.

Now the question is, how will this influence the fitness industry in the long run?

Pros of VR Fitness

The most obvious impact of VR fitness is adding something back to your workouts that fitness trackers are accused of taking away. Pretty sure you could've guessed it by yourself, but this something is fun. Because training your core while flying through space on your Icaros will be a bit more exciting than a set of lame crunches.

This idea of having real fun, not the 'Oh my God, I had so much fun at SoulCycle yesterday - because I'm pretty sure you didn't - has some real game changing opportunities.

Firstly, it has the potential to bring a whole new crowed into fitness. Meaning that people who have never worked out a day in their lives because they lack motivation, now might feel encouraged to take the first step.

Secondly, VR fitness also has the power to keep those who're already physically active motivated in the longer term. Because let's be honest, doing the same cardio session every morning is not too engaging. Whereas working out in a virtual world while fighting a bunch of aliens to save the planet will probably keep you away from an easy burnout.

These effects at the individual level are expected to have positive benefits for the industry as a whole as well. Since the involvement of a new audience means more clients. And the increased engagement of old members means higher retention rates. At least for those gyms who will put VR on their list of offerings.

Cons of VR Fitness

Next to all the positive changes, there are a few controversial questions that pop to my mind when thinking about VR fitness. There are some basic critiques, like the awkwardness of working out in a headset. Or the immediate motion sickness that's likely to be caused by VR. But there're also some more significant and long-term points to consider.

First, this motion sickness may be more serious than we think. According to scientists at Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, VR negatively affects how your brain and eyes normally correlate, which might have some long-term effects. However, what these effects exactly are is currently unknown.

But what's not unknown is that suggested max times spent in VR already exist for a reason. Now when your brain is being tricked and you're also exposed to intense physical activity at the same time, how does that affect the whole equation?

And another thing to question is the actual efficiency of these VR workouts. Focusing on purely your physical performance is already hard enough. But when you'll need to divide your attention between VR and the actual reality, will your performance not drop as a consequence?

The Future Of Fitness: High-Tech Equipment - An Entire Built-In Gym

The last big change caused by technology, which is something also fairly new, is how much is actually packed into a single piece of equipment. With the introduction of equipments, like the Tonal with digital weights, live coaching and real-time tracking, the time when stationary bikes were only for cycling will soon become history.

Although we can expect to see some hot price tags - $2,995 for the Tonal - ,considering that it is the real all-inclusive option makes it more reasonable. Because I'm pretty sure that if we add up your annually gym membership, personal trainer, and fitness tracker costs, this number will be outweighed. And we haven't even touched upon the equipment part yet.

High-Tech Equipments' Impact On Your Workout Routine

A clear outcome for those who invest in the Tonal-alikes will be moving their workouts from their local fitness studios to their homes. And of course moving towards a more data driven fitness journey.

Pros Of High-Tech Equipments

You will no longer need to write a lengthy shopping lists for building a full-on gym in your living room. A single piece of equipment will provide everything you need for a full body strength workout. Which has positives both on the financial and the actual fitness side of things too.

Focusing on the fitness side, these equipments will ultimately improve your workout routine if you belong to the following group. You don't have time to go to the gym 5 times a week, but have some time every day to work out at home.

While this would normally mean a quite simple workout with basic equipment, these products will definitely spice things up a bit. You'll now be able to do a complex workout with professional guidance and accurate tracking. Meaning that you'll have the chance to have more comprehensive, performance based workouts supported by real-time data.

Since all of this will be within the comfort of your home, you'll also be encouraged to work out more often than before. So overall forecast is rather sunny with frequent workouts resulting in efficient calorie burning - strength building all over the body.

Cons Of High-Tech Equipments

The cons here are in line with what we've seen with the previous trends. Firstly, these equipments will push the data and performance emphasis even further. As discussed earlier, getting fixated on these number can have negative effects, like over-competitiveness and finding no joy in the workouts anymore.

Secondly, the virtual personal trainer aspect raises the question of technique improvement again. Because like it or not, your movements may not always be perfect. And when you're not doing an exercise in the right way, your efficiency will drop. Which is where in-person coaching of real instructors comes in handy.

Which fit-tech trend do you think will bring us the most significant changes? Tell us in a comment!

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How Technology is Changing Your Workout Routine - 20 Fit

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Technology has become an inevitable part of our lives and is not likely to go anywhere. Just like on other things, it has also had a major impact on health & fitness. Every new innovation is shifting the way you work out at the individual level.

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Ground Rules are set for all Builders this CAN BE men and women, regardless of race,  may be accepted and compete for summer shedding or any bodybuilding competitions. The goal is to look as lean or “shredded” (language) as possible throughout meet day.
Affect all fitness, increase and max output and intensity, & No body part should be max stressed 2-3x a week. Despite the Athletes intake illegal juices (language) aka 🤬 such as steroid should be prevented . Drug test may be taken for competitors .  Supplements such as protein powder , vitamin and minerals may be taken. And most importantly making sure your properly taken care of you carb intake with a workout pump to enhance thier physiques before posing.

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Although bodybuilding is broadly defined as "the use of weight training in order to improve the muscularity of the body," bodybuilders recognize that those who take this sport and turn it into a lifestyle - a community even - would more likely self-identify as bodybuilders rather than would the average gym-goer ( Dutton & Laura, 1989).

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Eugen Sandow is known as the father of bodybuilding. He studied under other bodybuilders but he was the first to organize a worldwide bodybuilding competition. The event took place in London and was judged by Sandow, Arthur Doyle (author), and Charles Lawes-Wittewronge (sculptor and author). Another well known bodybuilder is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger started to gain attention when he won Mr. Universe at age 20 and then Mr. Olympia multiple times. He brought attention to the sport by writing books and speaking publicly about the sport. Post-retirement, he hosts an annual bodybuilding contest in his name and is a major owner for fitness magazines and gyms.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugen-Sandow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger#Bodybuilding_career