Politics in the sport of bod
ybuilding is like a pissing match for republicans. It's almost like a contest for who can be more right-wing on as many given topics as possible. For many in the fitness industry, it's considered manly to be pro-gun, anti-union, pro-war, anti [universal] healthcare, pro-life, anti-choice, pro-cuts, anti [social] spending, and so on and so forth. If you're a liberal, a left-winger, or heaven forbid a democratic socialist (like yours truly), you're considered to be an immature, ill-informed, weakling. I mean take Arnold for example. Although he married a Kennedy, he's a Republican to the core, and when Democratic lawmakers in California didn't pass his party's initiatives quick enough, he publicly suggested they were acting like 'girly men.' The press had a field day - and the Democrats? They passed the budget.
Let me start by saying I love b
odybuilding. It’s arguably one of the hardest activities to master, which is what I think makes it great. But who is anyone kidding? Competitive bodybuilding is not a quest for optimum health. It’s entirely about achieving a lean, muscular and symmetrical appearance. There is no judging criteria for health or any health-related measures but with the recent passing of another bodybuilder perhaps this should be taken into consideration.
ATTENTION: The foll
owing article is for bodybuilders and other physique athletes looking to build muscle. Athletes training for specific sports or for function may not find it as useful, however the techniques listed could still be used in phases where hypertrophy is the goal.
There are many factors that determine how easily (or not) someone is able to gain muscle. Genetics are the biggest factor and this include things like hormone levels, receptors, type of muscle fibers, myostatin levels, ability to absorb nutrients, protein synthesis rates, etc. The other factors related to optimal muscle growth are more easily manipulated: diet, supplementation, training, determination, consistency, etc.
You migh
t be aware that resistance leads to growth in many ways, but you may not be aware that other factors can also contribute to growth. In fact, massage therapy can aid your growth in ways that you might never imagine.
Massage is usually considered a luxury, an occasional relaxing splurge, but the truth is that massage therapy is a form of alternative medicine that has bona fide medical applications; in most states it even requires practitioners to be licensed by the state medical board.
Bodybuilding isn't just a sport, it's a lifestyle. There's media in virtually every format imaginable from print to DVDs to the vast world of cyberspace. The theme is always a powerful one, where athletes' lives are scrutinized from their diets to their training methods to where they get their macros. But these larger than life men and women who help construct the fantasy world we all strive to be part of - are actually human. And as with any human, life happens.
