BAD NEWS ABOUT BODYBUILDING
I’ve never competed in a fitness show, nor been involved heavily in that scene, and the things I’ll relate under this subheading will be based on the experiences of many individuals I know who are involved with it, coupled with my exposure to it from outside-in. If that idea makes you hypersensitive, now’s the time to choose a different article to read. kozwaves.org
For those who remain, I want to reiterate that these are my opinions and observations of a culture that I’ve had a number of years of exposure to. A number of competitors in fitness and bodybuilding contests have mimicked my sentiments.
Put simply, I genuinely think it can mess with your mind – especially if you have tendencies towards insecurity with body image (especially this!) in the first place.
I have plenty of respect for the discipline and just straight up HARD training that’s necessary to prepare for a fitness show. But consider the following: Where I’m from, I see many physical “transformations” where a guy or girl loses or gains a serious amount of weight to get in proper shape. If they pull this off, naturally (and often), the next goal that often follows is that of “competing” or “doing a show”- and it’s usually reinforced by whoever their close friends or trainers are. It’s viewed as something to accomplish, and maybe even an act of “going the distance” per se – ultimate fatness to ultimate fitness, as it were. Commendable.
If that competitor is strong-minded.
What makes that statement important is investigating what the motivation was for desiring to do the show in the first place. There are many people who go from fat to fit, and then compete. I’m sure most in this particular scenario don’t think about competing when they begin their fitness journeys – that comes later on. Taking a glance at their past (for some reason, I always think high school) may see them as the butt of mean jokes, exclusion or ridicule from the public eye. It’s a cold world out there sometimes. Plenty of judgement could lead to insecurity about their current levels of fitness and a healthy desire to make changes. Once those changes are made, however, what is the inception for the desire to get on stage and pose in front of a panel of biased judges (quick note: all judges in ANY sport event that requires judgement are biased. That’s why decisions usually aren’t unanimous; because different elements of a performance or showcase will strike different judges in different ways, and impress some judges more than others) in hopes of winning? Could it go beyond a feeling of accomplishment and tiptoe into the realm of seeking validation from an external source? What about the reaction to next-level obsession that they’d have to take on with their exercise routine and dieting while in contest prep? I don’t know the answers – only the competitors can answer those questions for themselves. The same situation can be considered from the alternate angle of someone who previously had eating disorders and was always severely underweight.
I am not a psychologist, but I believe that these things (namely obesity or anorexia) have the capacity to affect mental health and wellness, and going “the distance” to the other end of the fitness spectrum can be a double edged sword, where that ‘passion’ I talked about earlier starts to dissipate and the intention becomes grayed or lost altogether. It’s something to think about.
Then there are the people (who probably comprise a slight majority) who enter shows for the love of the competition, and not much more. The ones who have always tried to lead a healthy lifestyle to some degree, perhaps have been previously involved in other forms of competition, and found enjoyment and fun in the challenge of preparing for a fitness competition as recreation. I’d love to think that this is the motivation for everyone, but tend to think that that’s far from the truth for many.
So is it taboo for me to address this? I may be crushing the dreams of young training enthusiasts around the globe with every word I continue to type. But hear me out. I feel that if the unhealthy warning signs of many types of contest prep dieting (including caloric restriction, nutrient restrictions, and water restriction) are often written about with regards to competing, that the unhealthy warning signs of the same things on one’s psychology should be noted. It’s not for everyone.
WRAP UP
Leading a healthy lifestyle means that getting (and staying) in shape had better be in the equation. It also means that you should be eating well and making good food choices, most of the time.
MOST of the time.
For those of us who aren’t being paid to upkeep a certain image or play a professional sport, exercising proper training and dietary habits should be a big part of a healthy lifestyle. But I believe there’s also a smaller part of that same healthy lifestyle where worrying about those things shouldn’t enter the mind or thoughts at all.
So if you’ve been training hard and you’re in great shape to boot, every now and then take a day or three off, and grab a burger with everything on it.
It’ll keep you sane.
