Week 127 :: How Has Bodybuilding Affected Your Life?

[webmaster]

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* Note: How can I win? 1. Answer all questions in the order that they are asked. 2. Go over reviews (located at the bottom of past TOTW articles) and see what was said about those that did not win. Good Luck!
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TOPIC: How Has Bodybuilding Affected Your Life?

For the week of: June 13th - June 19th
Tuesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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Bodybuilding is more than just a sport or hobby; it is also a life changing activity. Bodybuilding can bring positive changes, such as confidence and a stronger and healthier physique, along with some negative affects.

How has bodybuilding affected your life?

What was your greatest benefit from bodybuilding?

What is the worst affect from bodybuilding?

BONUS QUESTION: How do you think bodybuilding will affect your future?

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* New Rule (beginning: June 1st, 2006): Any exercise not listed on our exercise listing (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm) must be accompanied by a full and complete description and pictures (or a link to the exercise(s) where pictures and description are given).

Thanks.

Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

Thanks,
Will
Webmaster
Bodybuilding.com

[DD66]

Bodybuilding has affected me in a positive way. I got more discpline and a lot more dedication. It motivated me to reach my goals by showing what patience really is all about.
The positives are endless. You feel better, you think better. You become a better person for the people around you. The extra boost off confidence makes you a leader for others.
The negatives I believe are almost none existent when you are commited and you like what you are doing. But for myself that hardest part is eating correctly while being on the road very often. But you can always choose the correct menu.
In the future I believe bodybuilding will bring me better success in all areas of my life. Its simple, if you believe in what you are doing, and you act a certain way.

[100%beef]

First of all, I'm relatively new to "bodybuilding" as a kind of exercise or systematic muscle-building program, although I've been involved in exercise and workout programs ever since kindergarten. "Bodybuilding", however, is really a new pathway of healing or rebuilding my body, as it really offers a systematic way to build the body, in ways I hadn't imagined before (for me) through both systematic and targeted weight-training and nutritional discipline. I was diagnosed with osteo-arthritic last February and my doc informed me I would need knee replacement surgery. I asked him what else could I do, he recommended glucosamine sulfate (600mg 2x day) and Super Omega-3 Fish Oil (2,000ng.d), and he encouraged me to exercise more, but he advised avoiding stressing the joints. You see, osteo-arthritis is the deterioration and subsequent inflamation of the joints. If left unchecked it has a way of turning you into a couch potato. Joints get achy and you don't want to move, you become more and more physically inactive, muscle atrophies--and it's a downward spiral. Well, I was kinding heading in this direction at age 56. Well, after I received the diagnosis I was determined to try another way, I took my doc's advise to build up the muscle around my joints to better support them--one body part taking care of another, as it were. . . I started a pretty rigorous weightlifting/workout program at a community club, under a certified trainer. My trainer actually pushed me to work my quads harder than I had expected, and we designed a weight-lifting and aerobic exercise program for me, with my arthritis in mind. I worked out 6x a week for about 2 hours a day. I introduced a new element to my workouts, here. In between sets I sat in the sauna to further warm my muscles--this was incredibly soothing. I stopped using the treadmill, as the running movement was overly stressful on my knee joints, and now use the Cross-Trainer for all aerobic exercises, where my feet never leave the foot pads. The pain and aches of the osteo-arthritis have virtually disappeared. So, at this point "body building" means building up lean muscle mass to support my joints--and it's working. I don't even need to take aspirin, not even one time in over a month. So, the greatest benefit bodybuilding has offered is pain relief, pure and simple. The only negative affect I experienced so far was a minor muscle strain in my back, probably due to over-training a little, which disappeared with rest and a massage. How will bodybuilding affect my future? Ok, realistically, I am thinking it will help me delay knee replacement surgery, but depending upon how successful I am in building lean muscle mass that will support my joints like warm, absorbing muscle buffers around my joints, I am hoping to keep my own knees until a very old age.

[Captain Ahab]

At this point in my life I would credit bodybuilding with making me feel whole again and giving me my life back. After losing my leg and getting increasingly fatter and more depressed by the day I felt that there was nothing that I nor anyone else for that matter could do that would let the sun shine back in.
But low and behold I discovered the gym and lifting and pushing iron was my way back from that black hole that was sucking the life out of me.
Today I am in such great spirits and am working out with people who want to make changes to their bodies and lives that it just can't help but make me feel euphoric.
I am in the process of writing a book about not only basic bodybuilding but also what bodybuilding aka. just lifting weights, eating clean and doing some cardio has done for me, my wife and what it can do for all of us.
Bodybuilding may just be the fountain of youth that Ponce de Leon and so many after him have been searching for...it sure makes me feel young again.

[DNeidigh]

Bodybuilding has been great to me, but I never really even had any interest in bodybuilding until this past year right before football season started. I?ve been a football player for the last six years and started lifting weights about 3 years ago when I got into high school and realized how much bigger and stronger everybody was.
At first I started lifting weights just to get stronger and faster. Then after the first year me and all my friends noticed how much bigger my muscles were than their own muscles, and I just kept lifting more weights and got stronger and then I eventually had the biggest muscles in the league and then I was getting some looks in the gym and one day I took a close look at myself working out and realized ?wow, my muscles are pretty big. I wish my biceps were a little bigger though. My triceps could be more defined, man really need to do more work on my pecs.? Ever since that day I?ve always been paying attention to details on my muscles and workouts and then I found bodybuilding.com and then I knew what bodybuilding was all about.
I would definitely have to say that my greatest benefit from bodybuilding was improving my health and then becoming a better athlete for football. Before bodybuilding I was just a little pudgy fat freshman and now I am a huge beastly man who makes anyone look wimpy. But I would have to say that my favorite benefit from bodybuilding is definitely all the ladies I meet wherever I go. If it wasn?t for bodybuilding I would never have even met my girlfriend who spends almost as much time in the gym as I do, and she is the most beautiful girl in school. If it wasn?t for bodybuilding I?d be dating fat chicks, but hey fat chicks need love too.
There are so many great things about bodybuilding and I am grateful for them, but there are also a few negative effects which everyone goes through. I guess I would have to say that the worst negative effect, in my opinion, would be all the free time that gets eaten up by working out but then again all the money spent on supplements along with workout clothes and gym memberships do not help. I am a very conservative guy when it comes to money so even after the last few years I still hate spending money on all the supplements that I gotta buy.
Personally I think bodybuilding will affect my future in a positive way. I think this because hey every guy out there loves to have girls flock to them because of their muscles and I?ll admit that I love it, it?s how I get the ladies in the first place. So if I keep up with bodybuilding I?ll always have beautiful women surround me.

[britolly]

****ing Troll

[dickmorrison]

Sometimes I run into people I haven't seen since I was a kid usually they recognize me cause I almost look the same but most of the time I can't recognize them, specially the women. I feel that bodybuilding is without any doubt the fountain of youth, I look and feel much younger and stronger, this sport teaches u discipline and self control, in the gym and outside ... I vent out and deal with the stresses of everyday life in the gym, I feel great after a good work out, its good for the mind, I don't ever see myself losing a battle to depression , nope, if you're having a bad day or going through rough times, no body can convince me that getting drunk would be a better way to deal with things that to go out to the gym and pump some iron.

Finally the most important reason of them all....Please answer the following question:
2 guys one with a 6 pack and one with a big belly walk up to a girl on the beach.... who do u think has a better chance?

[dbc5]

How has bodybuilding affected your life
For the truly dedicated, bodybuilding is a passion that has an effect on nearly every aspect of everyday life. My desire to reach my goals impacts nearly every decision I make, from the way I plan my time, to how I eat, to how I spend my free time, and even how I relax. There are hardly any decisions that I make without paying at least some thought to how my body will be affected. The way I see it, every moment of everyday is an opportunity to get closer to my physique goals. If I waste that opportunity, I can never get it back. Therefore, bodybuilding is a passion that impacts my life far beyond the trip to the gym. My every decision is effected by my passion for bodybuilding.

What are the greatest benefits of bodybuilding
There are many benefits that I gain from my dedication to bodybuilding. First and foremost are the obvious health benefits that come with exercise and a healthy diet. However, the benefits extend far past simply a greater physical well being. Bodybuilding provides some of its greatest benefits to my mental well being also. This sport gives me a motivating and driving force in my life. Everyday is a chance to better myself. It gives me a reason to push myself a little bit harder then I did the day before and put out that extra effort. Further, there is the tremendous boost in self esteem that anyone receives as they watch their body transform into their ideal physique. Having the control to sculpt your body into whatever you want it to be is a very empowering feeling and something that really provides a sense of accomplishment and drive.

What is the worst affect of bodybuilding
Obviously bodybuilding has many benefits for those that truly devote themselves to it. However, with this level of dedication, there are inevitably sacrifices that must be made. First and foremost, the way that we must eat and plan our time can sometimes really cut up the day. It is difficult to eat every three hours and often times means we must plan in advance and take special care to prepare our meals in advance. Further, there are the unavoidable social sacrifices that many bodybuilders face. It is no secret that young adults enjoy drinking. There is simply no way around this. My friends enjoy their parties and alcohol, but I refuse to put that stuff into my body. They eventually realized that I wasn?t going to be joining in on their drinking binges, and although they accept it, it is obvious that they truly do not understand. We bodybuilders are a different breed and we make decisions that other people simply do not understand. Sure it is difficult sometimes to know that my friends simply do not understand something that I am so passionate about is obviously difficult. However, the love that I have for this sport overcomes this difficulty.

Future affects
In the future, I see bodybuilding continuing to be a driving force in my life. This will prevent me from ever becoming the sedentary and overweight individual that many people become as the years pass. My family has had a history of heart disease, much of it coming from a simple lack of physical active in adulthood. Bodybuilding will give me a reason to never allow a lack of excercise to become my downfall. For many people, there really seems to be no reason to sacrifice their time and effort to excercise. However, my passion is excercising, so I will never fall into this rut. For me bodybuilding provides both a love and passion, and also a means of preserving my health into the future.

[Dedicatedforlife]

Here's My Entry.

[Wildflame]

How has bodybuilding affected your life?

I should begin by stating that I have been interested in bodybuilding since I was about fifteen (now nineteen) and have been actively bodybuilding (using first bodyweight methods but now the more effective barbell-in-the-back-yard) for just under one year.

It has firstly been part of my maturation from an adolescent into a man. I know that many people can argue that, being nineteen, I am still adolescent, but I don't refer simply to physical development, rather mental and emotional development. I went through puberty late, starting approximately when I was fifteen, and up until that point was the smallest and weakest of my social group - although insanely fast, agile and able to compensate for my weakness by sheer will. As I hit puberty and became interested in girls I quickly realised that my physical capability was lagging behind everyone else, and needed to push myself forward to the front. At the same time, I suffered minor depression and all the other distractions that tend to strike during middle adolescence.

The goal of building myself into someone made of corded steel like Bruce Lee or being able to do my own stunts like Jackie Chan was a strong inspiration, and influenced my taste in movies: since I began to see how Bruce Lee in particular was idolised as being absolutely unique, I also began to enjoy watching martial arts films and exhibitions, acknowledging the power of the human body to adapt to almost any challenge.

I drew confidence from even the first days of my interest, not so much from suddenly hitting the gym and packing on five kilos of muscle (though, looking back, I would have liked to have done so). It was simply the opportunity that bodybuilding presented to me that was so significant.

Every person's mind is limited as much by perceived as actual impossibility. I used bodybuilding extremes as examples of how the perceived impossibility of, say, myself becoming stronger and more powerful than those people with a strong inherent build, could be overcome. In addition, I looked at the struggle of ordinary people like me, and saw that while the path was not easy, others were also on the road, and had benefited from it.

This realisation of the distinction between what a person perceives to be impossible and what is actually impossible is the most significant effect of bodybuilding upon my life.



What was your greatest benefit from bodybuilding?

When I began actually bodybuilding, I was going through a transition from being very intraverted and quiet to moderately outgoing. Bodybuilding accelerated and exaggerated that development. There is something truly awesome about ripping a huge deadlift from the ground, a combination of stress relief, amusement and physical struggle that is, for me, equal to the struggle of some grand hero in an epic film.

Moreover, bodybuilding provided an escape from stress (case in point, the recent cheating of my long-distance girlfriend, something that inspired a personal what-the-hell best of 100kgs by 10 reps by 10 sets in a day, four times my normal rep-load), a way to bond with my close friends (we get together weekly on Sunday afternoons to lift in my back yard and chat), and a source of personal confidence. I stand taller, walk with a stronger swagger, and look people in the eye, knowing I have the strength to pick any one of them from the ground and hurl them practically across the street if need be - yet by the same token, I also realise that I don't need to.

The bodybuilding community is full of people working together, disagreeing at times, to a common goal. There's no fist fights here, at least as far as I've ever seen. That is also a strong benefit from this activity, the community feel despite it being in the end a solo thing.



What is the worst effect you have suffered from bodybuilding?

A couple of injuries, nothing major, just a wrenched knee (sloppy form) and a couple of strains. Apart from those, there's nothing, really. I am not certain whether it's my social group or the fact that I don't carry the "ripped, tanned, dyed-hair, egotistical" stereotype, but I still look normal to every person I meet - up until the time I have to help shift a car or help a co-worker in my shop renovate.

Possibly the cost in time, possibly the retort "oh, you bodybuild, eh? You don't look it", who knows? All I can say is that there is nothing that someone at my introductory stage can really point out as that negative. I can look forward and see the possibility of needing to take heavy supplements, or diet hard for cuts, but my goal has never been contests, and as such I need not worry about that to the same extent. My goal is rounded strength and size, and as such the only sacrifice I make is the sweat off my brow and the calluses on my hands.


BONUS QUESTION: How do you think bodybuilding will affect your future?

I am strong, and getting stronger. Fit, getting fitter. I have healthy relationships with others because I can set my own boundaries. Physically, bodybuilding in the future will continue to push me forward towards my potential. Mentally, it will teach me the skills to shrug off pain and setback. Emotionally, it will serve at the least as a distraction and aid to relieving stress, and at best will give me the third-best clean rush in the world (the first being sex, or one of those love moments, the second being a good hard game of paintball or laser equivalent). Bugger illicit drugs, tobacco, hell, even alcohol. Give me three or four heavy sets, a nymphomaniac girlfriend, and ten thousand paintballs. I'll be right. *winks*

And as long as it's good fun, gives me a rush, keeps me focused and is a daily struggle against the weight of the world, it will be part of my life. I just hope I can convince the less-sporty of my best mates to join me (the other one having stolen my wheel and hidden a set of dumbbells under his bed - soon he'll be ready to come out of the cupboard and admit he lifts!).

Wildflame out.

[Mickfootie]

Bodybuilding is more than just a sport or hobby; it is also a life changing activity. Bodybuilding can bring positive changes, such as confidence and a stronger and healthier physique, along with some negative affects.

How has bodybuilding affected your life?

What was your greatest benefit from bodybuilding?

What is the worst affect from bodybuilding?

BONUS QUESTION: How do you think bodybuilding will affect your future?

Bodybuilding has affected my life and fitness in a big way over the last 11 years since i started training. It helped me go from 112lbs at 26 years of age to 169lbs at 37.
It changed my life immensly. I was a quiet person with not much confidence at all and since i started bodybuilding my confidence grew with every year of working out and it also enabled me to be more in-tune with my body. I found what did and did not work for me and what foods helped with growth, cutting etc...

The greatest benefit it has given me over the 11 years is being able to help others out from my experiences good and bad and give advice to people who have been in the same situation. As my son is a young soccer player it has allowed me to help my son with his nutrition to keep him at his best yet still allowing him to do and eat what a normal 13 year old does for most of the time.

On the downside i have used supplements that have made me ill. Wasted money on supplements that don't work and have picked up a couple of injuries along the way, especially knee issues from overloading of weights. But this has also turned out for the good as it has given me the experiences of what not to do and so can help others to try and avoid the same mistakes.

My future in bodybuilding looks to be good and strong at the moment. I seem to still be able to improve year on year with relativley few issues. Obviuosly the older you get, the harder it gets but i think i have a good few years left in my tank yet for me to keep and improve on what i have done and to allow for more experience in this life style to keep helping others and one day will become a personal trainer.

Thankyou for the oppertunity for me to write a little about my bodybuilding life style.

Remember Work Hard but also Play Hard. Life is about enjoyment and i have enjoyed life a lot more since taking up the sport of bodybuilding.

Mick.

[VietHulk4]

My article...

[ike88zb]

Not only did it affect my life, it saved it. Here is my story.

[MattyH7688]

How has bodybuilding affected your life?
Bodybuilding has completely changed my life. I was fourteen years old and overweight with little self-confidence. I was 5?4 and almost 220lbs. I was completely out of shape and came into high school playing football. This is when I started my journey with weight lifting. Originally, I use to be somewhat lean until 7th and 8th grade I really just ended up getting very lazy and played some sports. My diet was god awful and consisted of soda, pizza, ice cream, Little Debbie Cakes, etc. almost every day. I had almost no self control with myself. I was still pretty popular but was always made fun of for being fat, I played it off like it did not bother me but deep down it affected me greatly. I had very little confidence in myself, though I put on a front as I did. I must admit, I also had little luck with girls at this time too. I realized it was time to change my life for the better. I was starting to get very worried about my health. I went to the doctors and found out I was borderline obese and had an above normal heart rate. This is when my life changed.

I worked out and started to completely cut the junk food out of my life and started caring more about myself. I soon got much stronger and eventually worked my way to around 176 with 12% body fat my junior year. Senior year bodybuilding/ weight training help create me a much better football player as well. My senior year, I was 195, faster and stronger than I have ever been in my life. I went all-region noseguard that year. I also got a team award for being the most dedicated on the team. This award I truly cherish. It is something to really show for my hard work. I am now eighteen years old and have added over 200 lbs to both my bench and squat from the time I have started lifting. I currently stand at 5?8 195lbs with around 10% body fat. I now have the confidence to take off my shirt at the beach and talk to girls when before I was always self conscience. I have learned the true meaning of hard work and realized I can accomplish anything I put my mind too.

What was your greatest benefit from bodybuilding?
There have been so many benefits to my life from bodybuilding, the list is endless. I would say the three biggest things that I have benefit from bodybuilding would have to be health, self confidence, and the true meaning of hard work.

Bodybuilding has completely changed my health. I was overweight and out of shape and had many health risks for being obese. I am now in the best shape of my life and at a much healthier body fat. Before, I would get out of breath just walking to fast. Now my endurance is through the roof. I am now stronger than I have ever been. My diet before lacked many quality foods. I have completely changed my diet providing my body with healthy nutrient filled food that I once neglected. I really think bodybuilding may have saved my life. Without it, who knows where I would be now. The rate I was going I could have been three hundred pounds by now. I feel it has given me a chance to live a much longer, healthier life.

My self-confidence has also increased greatly. I actually feel good about myself. Before, I felt sorry for myself and was embarrassed to wear certain clothes and take my shirt off in public. Now I have no problem with that. I wake up every morning feeling like I an take can take on the world. I see what I have done to my body and realize I can just about do anything I put my mind too. I have confidence in my every day life. I know whatever I put my heart into, I can succeed at. I feel much better about myself and my self-esteem went from low to very high.

The next thing I learned from bodybuilding was the meaning of hard work. Nobody understands how hard it is to be a bodybuilder. It?s a lifestyle. You find yourself pushing yourself for two hours every day in the gym to exhaustion. You wake up earlier than usual to get that early morning cardio. Your life revolves around your meals and you make sure you get six meals a day. It takes someone special to be a bodybuilder. It takes hard work and determination. I feel that I can use this in all aspects of my life later on. I learned the true meaning of hard work with bodybuilding and I understand now for me to accomplish great things, it takes an extreme amount of effort and hard work. I now know I can push myself to the limits of bodybuilding and everyday life as well.


What is the worst affect from bodybuilding?
Honestly, I do not think there are negative affects from bodybuilding. However, there are a few common ones that people often talk about. Bodybuilding is a very time demanding sport; this leaves you with less time to do other things in your life. Bodybuilding is a lifestyle that is not for everyone. You will spend hours in the gym and preparing meals and getting good sleep.

People often complain about their social life being affected by bodybuilding. I think it has been quite the opposite for me. I find my social life has improved greatly. People often complain about not being able to drink and so forth because of bodybuilding. Everyone needs to understand that in life everything needs to be in moderation and you should try to have a balance in your life.

BONUS QUESTION: How do you think bodybuilding will affect your future?
At eighteen years old, I feel I have a very good base right now. I feel the sky is the limit for me. I will be entering a show in August, then who knows from there. I do know that bodybuilding has taught me important life skills that I will use in my daily life. Hard work and determination I have learned from bodybuilding. I can later apply these to other things in my future, such as my job, family, other sports, etc. Bodybuilding has helped lay the foundation for my life and only time will tell where it leads me.

[EZ-Bar]

How has bodybuilding affected your life?

First a little background about me. I had a very active childhood whether it was baseball, Tae Kwon Doe, Running, etc. I did it all or at least tried. Then as I got older everything changed; I moved away from my hometown and lost every childhood friend that I had, which when combined with my extreme shyness; allowed me to have maybe one or two friends and become very depressed.

It seemed the only thing I had going in my life was video games and eating junk food. I can remember going through twelve packs of sodas in three days, sometimes less. I became a very angry person because kids kept picking on me and I did terrible in school, and didn't have anywhere to vent so I kept bottling up my emotions to the point where I would get home and just start punching holes in the walls, putting dents in the doors, and breaking things that were important to me. Everything seemed to be going down fast, and at some low points I considered suicide. Then one day I told myself I wasn't going to get picked on anymore, and I would get bigger and stronger and get the respect I felt I deserved.

Back to the present, and I am a very confident person, and sometimes I can't believe how far I have come from just a few years ago. I put on slabs of muscle, cleaned up my diet, and it is such an awesome feeling whenever I get compliments. Not only that, but it made me start pushing myself in other areas in my life, which is a very successful trait to have.

What was your greatest benefit from bodybuilding?

A lot of people don't realize it, but bodybuilding affects all areas of your life. In general I would say the greatest benefit of bodybuilding is it allowed me to improve in all areas of my life. I became more confident and sociable to the point where now I don't care what people think about me, and I have tons of friends that I trust completely. It made me work harder at school and strive to always improve, always do better and to show for it I had a 3.7 GPA last semester while taking honors and AP classes. I have also taken up snowboarding, football, and boxing, which are things I was too afraid to do a couple years ago. It really gives you the mental capability to push through your fears and weaknesses to become better.

What is the worst affect from bodybuilding?

The only negative thing that I can think of is the social acceptability. Some people don't understand why you don't want a nice greasy hamburger from McDonalds or slurp down the forty two oz. cup of coke, but honestly that isn't a hard problem to fix at all if you find people that have the same beliefs as you or that can accept you doing it.

BONUS QUESTION: How do you think bodybuilding will affect your future?

Well in short I think it will make me a more successful person in general. I will live longer if there aren't any accidents, be stronger, and just look better then most people when I get older. I will keep pushing myself and just strive for the ever-elusive sense of being perfect.