Myron Mielke - Can Pro Bodybuilding Go Mainstream? Part One.

[webmaster]

Think back to when you were a kid and remember a few of the many sports that you enjoyed playing. Did any include bodybuilding? Probably not. Here are some reasons why bodybuilding will never be mainstream.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mielke21.htm

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[thebigguy1]

Very good article.....and sad in some ways, and true in many.

There is also the view that most of the general public think that if they see a huge bodybuilder, or even someone that looks slightly larger than the normal musculature, they are quick to assume that you are on steroids. I can remember walking through a mall, and although I am no Ronnie Coleman, at 6' 245 pounds (and yes, unashamedly a musclehead ) I am not a small guy. I happen to walk past a couple of guys and gals, and I just happen to hear a whisper of "that's steroids...". I did not even bother to say anything..not worth it, and in some ways I considered it a compliment as I do not juice nor fault anyone that does. But there's that perception, and that also keeps the general public at bay...especially with the steroid "witch hunters" out there today.

And that isn't even touching on the "Musclebound and DUMB" stereotype. I am college educated from a very good school, and I got more respect for my intelligence when I was a 145 pound skinny college graduate. And that's a shame. I can go to a dinner party and the moment I start to discuss something that proves to people around me that I have a brain and can actually form a sentence, people look at me in disbelief! Amazing...

I can't wait for your next installment, and I also can't wait for what the future holds for bodybuilding. No matter what direction it takes I'll always love it.....to me it is a personal thing...to be the best that I can be.

And again, thanks for a great article

Ron aka thebigguy1

The article highlighted some of the key reasons why bodybuilding will never be embraced like some of the other more popular sports are. I agree with the premise and reasoning, but perhaps one aspect was left untouched; namely, the financial aspect of bodybuilding.

Our sport is an extemely costworthy one. Think of what an amateur bodybuilder spends on for food, gym memberships, vitamins and supplements alone. Moreover, add in the additional costs that high level competitive bodybuilders will need to spend for their "supplementation," i.e. steroids and growth hormone. In sum, the expenses add up making a sport in which many are unlikely to grasp even more difficult to get involved in.

I believe that this is perhaps the most significant factor in the topic. As the old adage goes, "it's all about the money." If a young kid wants to play basketball, all he needs is a ball and to find a hoop, which is ordinarilly provided in a public-funded park. The same child cannot go to a publicly-funded gym as they do not exist. Further, who's going to play for the kid's multivitamins, glutamine, whey protein, etc.?

Nonetheless, I am interested to see what the author has to say as the first portion was very insighful.

And Big Guy1, I'm with you, brother, and I can sympathize with your situation. I used to compete at an amateur level, but I have maintained pretty decent size (5'9, 230) so naturally when I first entered graduate school, everyone assumed I was a stupid meathead. Unfortunately, that is the common stereotype and we have an uphill battle to convince people otherwise. I find solice in the fact that most of the stereotypes derive from the fact that the masses are envious of one who keeps himself in good shape; they cannot possibly fathom that the same person would also have functional brain.