Bodybuilding is an act of body modification involving weightlifting and exercise programs designed to achieve intense muscle hypertrophy.
Bodybuilding is thought to have originated in the late 19th century when Eugen Sandow performed “muscle display performances” to audiences in Prussia (now Russia), although the first actual bodybuilding competition in America did not occur until 1904.
In 1946, brothers Ben and Joe Weider founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) which today remains the highest body within competitive bodybuilding in the world.
Throughout the 1950′s and 60′s bodybuilding increased in popularity, with a number of high profile gymnasts and athletes participating in the sport. Muscular physics became popular with muscle training advertised to young man as a means to resemble their favourite comic book heroes.
In 1950 the first Mr. Universe competition was held by the newly created National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (NABBA) in the United Kingdom. The IFBB soon followed suit, creating its own “IFBB Mr. Universe” title in 1959 (though this was changed in 1979 to “The World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships” to avoid confusion)
In 1965 Jo Weider created the Mr. Olympia event, held in Brooklyn, NYC. The competition was started to create an opportunity for Mr. Universe contestants to compete further and earn more money.
By the 1970′s bodybuilding was receiving major publicity and the appearance of many bodybuilding athletes in major Hollywood films. These athletes became celebrities such as Reg Park, Lou Ferrigno and the most well known former body-builder, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger, an Austrian born American started weight training at 15 and was crowned Mr. Universe by age 20. He won the Mr. Olympia competition seven times during his career as a bodybuilder and has authored countless books and articles on the topic.
The rise of these “mass monster” celebrities within the sport also saw an increase in the use of anabolic steroids. During this time, the IFBB (the major competition organiser) introduced drug tests for both steroids and other illicit performance enhancing substances. Despite these measures, doping remained a large part of the sport with the legal status of these substances at the time meaning their use was openly discussed.
A movement within the bodybuilding community knows as “Natural Bodybuilding” promotes the participation of athletes in bodybuilding competitions without the use of performance enhancing substances. Natural bodybuilding has evolved to encompass a number of national and international organisations and competitions around the world, all denouncing the use of anabolic steroids, insulin, human growth hormone and other illicit substances.
Apart from illegal performance enhancers, many bodybuilders frequently use supplements and special diets to enhance their physiques. These are used to replace or supplement meals, enhance muscle and weight gain and improve performance. The most common supplements used are vitamins, protein powders, glutamine, prohormones (a precursor to natural testosterone), essential fatty acids, creatine and branched-chain amino acids to enhance the effectiveness of training, increase muscle hypertrophy and aid recovery without the use of illegal substances.
Steroid use has been seen by the IFBB and wider sporting community as a major hurdle in attempts to make bodybuilding an Olympic sport. In 2000, the IFBB gained IOC membership but despite efforts to hold a demonstration event, Olympic recognition of the sport remains controversial, as does the classification of bodybuilding as “sport”.
Despite this controversy, bodybuilding remains an extremely popular and competitive activity for both professional and amateur participants.
The IFBB is considered the highest international level of organised competition for professionals, though the NABBA now also has international arms. To qualify as an IFBB professional bodybuilder, participants must successfully compete in a succession of local, regional, state and finally national competitions where contestants are judged based on mass, definition, proportion, symmetry and stage presence. Extensive preparation is undertaken by competitors with training, tanning, body oils and painting all used to emphasise muscular definition.
While the sport has historically been dominated by males, female bodybuilding has become increasingly popular. Females began competing in bodybuilding competitions in the 1960′s, although it wasn’t until 1978 that contestants were judged on muscularity alone. In 1980 the first Ms. Olympia was held with Ms. International following in 1986. Around this time, the American Federation of Women Bodybuilders was founded as bodybuilding gained popularity amongst female participants, although media coverage of bodybuilding competitions remains extremely gender biased to this day.
