Bodybuilding is a process of developing muscle fibers through special training exercises, increased calorie diet, and sufficient amount of rest. The process then becomes a sport called competitive bodybuilding, where the athletes display their physical body to judges and receive points for their musculature appearance. Many people believe that in the end of the 20th and 21st century, bodybuilders have formed a unique subculture with their own set of values, beliefs, traditions, etc. Now, bodybuilding is regarded as a lifestyle, an attitude towards life, people, and the human physique.
The sport truly began in the 1890s with Mr. Eugene Sandow, who the Mr. Olympia statue is modeled on. At first, weight training was an athletic activity used for the soul purpose of gaining strength and power. However, toward the end of the 19th century, it took on a whole new meaning. People started doing it for entertainment purposes in Europe, which signaled the beginning of a physical culture like never before.
There are several reasons as to why one would enter into the world of professional bodybuilding. Some of these reasons include, gaining self-confidence, wanting to make a lifestyle change, attract attention, be in shape, etc. Maybe you were that geeky scrawny kid in school that got picked on all the time. You figure if you start lifting weights and bulking up, people might start to respect you a little more. This exact situation has happened to tons of people. A lot of them then become so involved with weight lifting that they could never stop. They gain a certain passion for the sport and turn from recreational weight lifters into professional bodybuilders.
Once you become immersed within the subculture, you take on a new unique set of values and morals that are often different from mainstream society. For example, the word “freak” has a negative connotation attached to it. However, in the bodybuilding world, being called a freak is a huge...