Trying to emphasize bb as a sport

[reemas]

Question: Bodybuilding FAQ - Is Bodybuilding a Real Sport and Are Bodybuilders Athletes?

Is Bodybuilding a Real Sport and Are Bodybuilders Athletes?
Answer: by Lee Labrada

Bodybuilding great Rick Wayne once asked me if I thought that bodybuilders were athletes. Now, Rick is a long time bodybuilder, and knowing Rick?s penchant for liking to mischievously stir things up, I think that he was trying to get a reaction out of me. But occasionally, I find myself in a situation where I have to defend the sport that helped to catapult me to success.

Why all the misconceptions about bodybuilders? I think it?s due to just plain old-fashioned thinking. Unfortunately, many of the old stereotypes of bodybuilding have been slow to dispel. Notions like:

1. Bodybuilding will make you slow.

2. Bodybuilding will make you muscle-bound and inflexible.

3. Muscle turns to fat after you stop working out.

4. Working out is bad for your heart.

5. Bodybuilders are all stupid, arrogant, etc. The list goes on.


Although the public is way more educated about weight training (I like to call it bodybuilding!) than ever before, bodybuilding is still waging an uphill battle to prove itself as a legitimate sport with legitimate athletes. In order to settle this argument, let?s take a look in the dictionary.

Definition of the Word Athlete

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word athlete as ?a person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, or endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.?

The way I see it, if a bodybuilder doesn?t at the very least possess ?strength and endurance necessary for physical exercise,? I don?t know what other kind of athlete does! If you have any doubts, next time you?re in your gym, find the biggest bodybuilder in sight and challenge him to see who can lift the heaviest weights for the longest period of time. And by the way, make it worth his time... bet him a couple of hundred bucks or as much as you feel comfortable parting with.

Definition of the Word Bodybuilder

Let?s now examine the word bodybuilder. A bodybuilder is defined as ?a person who develops the musculature of the body through specific types of diet and exercise, such as weightlifting, especially for competitive exhibition.? It is logical to me that studying this definition, you would arrive at the assertion that a bodybuilder is indeed an athlete; a bodybuilder develops his musculature through diet and exercise, and to do this successfully, he must possess ?the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, or endurance necessary for this physical exercise.? That meets Webster?s definition of an athlete.

By the way, if you will re-examine the definition of bodybuilder, you will see that it also contains the words ?especially for competitive exhibition.? This is the only part of the definition that I am not in total agreement with. To me, this term should be broadened to include anyone using weight training to change the shape of his/ her body. In light of this, competitive bodybuilders like me would only constitute a small part of the total universe of bodybuilders.

Professional Athletes and Bodybuilding

It is a well-known fact that professional athletes of all kinds use weight training (bodybuilding) to improve their strength and performance at their sport. Not all bodybuilders are good athletes, but most good athletes are bodybuilders to a smaller or larger degree. I believe that if you were to examine those elite athletes who possess ?staying power? in their sport year after year, the one consistent factor in their preparations would be bodybuilding (you can call it resistance training or weight training if it makes you feel better.)

Lee Labrada's Final Veredict

My conclusions? Bodybuilding is the foundation sport for all sports. And yes, bodybuilders are athletes. And if anyone ever makes the mistake of telling me I?m not an athlete, they?re in for an earful!

Stay motivated and keep training hard.

[reemas]

Question: Bodybuilding FAQ - Is Bodybuilding a Real Sport and Are Bodybuilders Athletes?

Is Bodybuilding a Real Sport and Are Bodybuilders Athletes?
Answer: by Lee Labrada

Bodybuilding great Rick Wayne once asked me if I thought that bodybuilders were athletes. Now, Rick is a long time bodybuilder, and knowing Rick?s penchant for liking to mischievously stir things up, I think that he was trying to get a reaction out of me. But occasionally, I find myself in a situation where I have to defend the sport that helped to catapult me to success.

Why all the misconceptions about bodybuilders? I think it?s due to just plain old-fashioned thinking. Unfortunately, many of the old stereotypes of bodybuilding have been slow to dispel. Notions like:

1. Bodybuilding will make you slow.

2. Bodybuilding will make you muscle-bound and inflexible.

3. Muscle turns to fat after you stop working out.

4. Working out is bad for your heart.

5. Bodybuilders are all stupid, arrogant, etc. The list goes on.


Although the public is way more educated about weight training (I like to call it bodybuilding!) than ever before, bodybuilding is still waging an uphill battle to prove itself as a legitimate sport with legitimate athletes. In order to settle this argument, let?s take a look in the dictionary.

Definition of the Word Athlete

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word athlete as ?a person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, or endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.?

The way I see it, if a bodybuilder doesn?t at the very least possess ?strength and endurance necessary for physical exercise,? I don?t know what other kind of athlete does! If you have any doubts, next time you?re in your gym, find the biggest bodybuilder in sight and challenge him to see who can lift the heaviest weights for the longest period of time. And by the way, make it worth his time... bet him a couple of hundred bucks or as much as you feel comfortable parting with.

Definition of the Word Bodybuilder

Let?s now examine the word bodybuilder. A bodybuilder is defined as ?a person who develops the musculature of the body through specific types of diet and exercise, such as weightlifting, especially for competitive exhibition.? It is logical to me that studying this definition, you would arrive at the assertion that a bodybuilder is indeed an athlete; a bodybuilder develops his musculature through diet and exercise, and to do this successfully, he must possess ?the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, or endurance necessary for this physical exercise.? That meets Webster?s definition of an athlete.

By the way, if you will re-examine the definition of bodybuilder, you will see that it also contains the words ?especially for competitive exhibition.? This is the only part of the definition that I am not in total agreement with. To me, this term should be broadened to include anyone using weight training to change the shape of his/ her body. In light of this, competitive bodybuilders like me would only constitute a small part of the total universe of bodybuilders.

Professional Athletes and Bodybuilding

It is a well-known fact that professional athletes of all kinds use weight training (bodybuilding) to improve their strength and performance at their sport. Not all bodybuilders are good athletes, but most good athletes are bodybuilders to a smaller or larger degree. I believe that if you were to examine those elite athletes who possess ?staying power? in their sport year after year, the one consistent factor in their preparations would be bodybuilding (you can call it resistance training or weight training if it makes you feel better.)

Lee Labrada's Final Veredict

My conclusions? Bodybuilding is the foundation sport for all sports. And yes, bodybuilders are athletes. And if anyone ever makes the mistake of telling me I?m not an athlete, they?re in for an earful!

Stay motivated and keep training hard.

As a toddler I used to be very sportive and used to come first in sports then during the teen years I forgot about sports and became lazy and sluggish. Now that I've entered my brain in the sport mentality I just know that results will come actually they are coming its jut that its not visible and that the results are happening within the organism. I'm not good at explaining this but hopefully its understood. BB is a sport the dumbells barbells all machines are my friends my pals who won't betray me. I just feel that once he/she has entered the athletic/sportive mentality its very hard to quit. Its normal that someday we win and loose but thats part of this world and any other world. Maybe I'm too young to be writing in this section but just wanted to share my ideas... cheers and enjoy.

[reemas]

Found another good article

Can you imagine that in a day and age where you can turn your television onto ESPN and find the national spelling bee or the world series of poker on that this would still be a debatable topic? The fact of the matter is that both sides have a valid argument on this issue. From the outside looking in it would seem that bodybuilding competitions are nothing more then male pageants. Let's face it! The men in these competitions wear bathing suits while parading on stage to music and flexing their muscles. Is there more to it then that? Yes there is a whole lot more that the uneducated eye may miss and certainly after reading the rest of this article you can pick which side of the topic you fall on!

What constitutes a sport? This a question that has no definite answer. When golf, Nascar racing and darts are constituted as sports without any resistance, why is it that bodybuilding still garners such a high level of negativity? To first understand where bodybuilding is now, we must understand where it has been. The bodybuilding competitions of the early 1900s were a much different affair then what we have become accustomed to today. The competitions of old were broken into three different categories that each contestant would have to compete and be judged on. The first being a test of strength, followed by an agility competition and lastly by an overall muscularity showcase. It was not possible to win the event on any one category alone. The winner would have to excel in all 3 aspects of bodybuilding. It is safe to say that there was no debating whether bodybuilding was a sport in these past times. The fact that the two most athletic aspects of bodybuilding were pulled from formal competitions, leaves many people scratching their heads! It is safe to make the assumption that for the most part the people winning these competitions of old were never the best in each category. This would make the most sense for the reason that we now have individual competitions in each of these categories.

We're certainly aware of the arguments many people have for bodybuilding not being a sport but what are some of the reasons in its defense? I've always said if you don't have to train for your competition then there's no way you can be categorized as a sport. Bodybuilder's workout from 5-6 times a week for up to 2 hours per day! I don't know what the statistics are but all of us are at least acquaintances with someone who has taken up bodybuilding to get in shape but had to quit either due to lack of dedication or too many injuries. You are not going to find anyone claiming these routines are easy nor are you going to find many people that enjoy giving up the foods they enjoy for 3 month spans. All this dedication and sacrifice they put in is for the day of the competition. I bet you most people also don't understand that bodybuilders actually hire choreographers to assist them with their routines.

All the detractors are saying to themselves that yes bodybuilders may put work in at the gym but that still doesn't change the fact that their competition is nothing more then a glorified pageant for males! If you are up for the test I challenge anyone reading this article to stand up right now and continuously flex your muscles at full strength for a 3 minute duration. If you took the challenge I hope you have regained consciousness by now and are able to continue reading. That challenge wasn't too fun now was it?

My point was never to convince you that bodybuilding is or isn't a sport but to open your mind up to the possibility that their can be and is, a lot more to a bodybuilding competition then meets the proverbial eye. So next time you are asking yourself if bodybuilding is a sport keep in mind how much effort, dedication and sacrifice these people make to even get to the point of being on stage!

Michael Russell

[Rogerthat]

This debate rages with golfers and even bowlers. People would think I am a tad off balance if I was to tell them I was an athlete.

[reemas]

This debate rages with golfers and even bowlers. People would think I am a tad off balance if I was to tell them I was an athlete.

And to think that Mr. Tiger Woods is/was the most paid sportsmen/celebrity in the world due to his endorsments with nilke...damnnnnn

[thomasale]

Nilke?

[KLMARB]

Ah, this debate again. The reality is, that bodybuilding will never be considered a sport unless you address the issue of the "900 lb. gorilla sitting in the room" use of which is common at the higher levels of bodybuilding.....I think thats what prevents serious consideration....

[Tyrbolift]

Ah, this debate again. The reality is, that bodybuilding will never be considered a sport unless you address the issue of the "900 lb. gorilla sitting in the room" use of which is common at the higher levels of bodybuilding.....I think thats what prevents serious consideration....

You're probably right. The public and media use that as a strawman argument, as if one only has to pop pills and inject needles to succeed at it.

I know that I could use everything known to man and horses and still never be a winner in the pro ranks. People have died trying. But I'm still an athlete enough that I could own most every Joe six-pack at anything he would consider a "sport" that he watches on tv.

[OutOfStep]

Ah, this debate again. The reality is, that bodybuilding will never be considered a sport unless you address the issue of the "900 lb. gorilla sitting in the room" use of which is common at the higher levels of bodybuilding.....I think thats what prevents serious consideration....

That hasn't stopped baseball from being a sport. For the record, I've never viewed bb as a sport. It's a pageant and it's never going to be a mainstream activity. I don't care what it gets classified as, I love it just the same.

[ntrllftr]

That hasn't stopped baseball from being a sport. For the record, I've never viewed bb as a sport. It's a pageant and it's never going to be a mainstream activity. I don't care what it gets classified as, I love it just the same.

My wife always says to me before I leave for a show.....

Be sure to come home with the winning tiara.

.

[Tyrbolift]

That hasn't stopped baseball from being a sport. For the record, I've never viewed bb as a sport. It's a pageant and it's never going to be a mainstream activity. I don't care what it gets classified as, I love it just the same.

^^^^^^Arguing semantics. There's no cut and dried(no pun intended) solution to resolve difference of opinion that stem from what words actually mean.

[JOHN GARGANI]

here's some more semantics:


Cheers to you also, REEMAS, but wherever you are, in the USA toddlers are considered to be like 1 to 2 years old! LOL.....


so I don't think you were into sports as a toddler......

[reemas]

I guess that theres very little debate on a such subject to us. We are all aware that bb is primarily a sport and we've gotta be humble to it. Obvioulsy the exhibition and on stage is just the reward. Everyone knows when they've worked hard to reach that goal in their head. Don't get me wrong on what I'm about to write but its about having the winning attitude kinda cocky. See all the pro bb videos pre contest. They are all confident when they're going to win/loose. They know it deep inside how hard they worked for that upcoming comp before their previous competitions and they feel it that they deserve it. I guess I'll have to agree with oldsuperman that time is our friend if we're looking to progress in this sport, unlike 99% of other sports. Its about that positive thinking within you. If you have it you know it.

P.S. Sorry GARGANI but i guess it was clear that I didn't mean when I was 1-2 yrs...seems a bit too simple but yeah my bad

[Bamma]

It could certainly make for interesting conversation, with each side having strong points in its favor. Here is how I kinda look at it, as a novice lifter/bb'er. In a lifting competition, whether it is power lifting, Olympic lifting, or even strongman stuff, the participants perform an activity and are judged on how well they perform that activity relative to others in the field, on the other team, whatever. Just like in golf, all players play the same course(s), and whoever shoots the best score wins.

Bodybuilding is much different, in that all the work/activity is performed prior to the actual contest. The contest itself is merely showing the results of the work one performed (work meaning both the training as well as the bulking, dieting, sleeping, drug taking, whatever). While the training portion of it all is certainly athletic, the showing the results part is, umm, not so much (not that posing routines are not difficult to do, but compared to the training part, I can not imagine it being that bad). So, if BBing is considered a sport, then why wouldn't home building be? That is certainly a physically tough activity that also requires a lot of planning, research, work, etc. How about those guys who rebuild old cars and bring them to car shows. Is that sport? Same with home building, lots of physical work, planning, etc., but in the end those cars do not have to perform a specific task compared to other cars; people look at them and judge them against set criteria.

Now, I know ESPN sometimes shows some of the dog shows on its channel as well, but I can not in any way consider that one to be a sport. Take it to Animal Planet or something.

Again, much respect from me to all the BBers at every level. The dedication to get where those guys get is a lot more than I will probably ever have. I am not in any way saying their work is easy. Just not so sure I can fairly call it a sport when I compare it to things I consider similar.

[KyleAaron]

Ah, this debate again. The reality is, that bodybuilding will never be considered a sport unless you address the issue of the "900 lb. gorilla sitting in the room" use of which is common at the higher levels of bodybuilding.....I think thats what prevents serious consideration....

I agree completely. Drug use brings down the image of any sport. It seems to be rampant at the top levels of most sports, especially things like sprinting - it's just that bodybuilders are less subtle about it.

Image is everything, unfortunately.

An interesting article here describes how they looked at around 300 male drug-free bodybuilders to see what muscular development they reached. They then came up with formulae where you take your frame size - as measured by height, wrist and ankle girth - and predict the biggest you could ever be, drug-free.

This turns out to be pretty damned impressive. You could be your sized frame's equivalent of Steve Reeves, Reg Park or John Grimek. But it's well short of the modern Olympia champions. I think people instinctively realise this, because huge muscles are so obvious. If someone runs 100m in 9.80, well who knows if that can be done drug-free or not - maybe a PhD in exercise physiology would know, but most of us wouldn't. But when you see some of these modern bodybuilding champions, it's quite obviously well beyond what the human body can naturally achieve.

Clean it up, and people will consider it a genuine sport.

[Tyrbolift]

Main Entry:2sport
Function:noun
Date:15th century
1 a: a source of diversion : recreation b: sexual play c (1): physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2): a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport[2]

Yes, it is a sport.

Or are we going to use a definition of sport that someone makes up to fit what they want it to mean?

If so, please define the word as you see it, and do not just provide examples of sports.

[KyleAaron]

Well, you know, sometimes Catholic girls say that if it's in the butt they're still a virgin. And guys in prison, like the ancient Greeks and Romans, say it's only gay if you're on the receiving end.

It's stupid and obvious nonsense, but what can you do.

Most people don't consider bodybuilding a sport. You can quote as many dictionaries as you want, but dictionaries don't define a culture.

[thomasale]

I know what the definition is and technically yes for BB, but for my definition of a sport it has to be something quantifiable and NOT judged...there goes skating, gymnastics, BB and a host of others that are judged not won or lost by definite rules...that's just the way I look at it.

Now with that, it doesn't diminish what anyone has accomplished. To quote Shakespeare "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

[Diev]

I know what the definition is and technically yes for BB, but for my definition of a sport it has to be something quantifiable and NOT judged...there goes skating, gymnastics, BB and a host of others that are judged not won or lost by definite rules...that's just the way I look at it.

This was exactly what I was thinking as I read through this thread, IMHO once you involve human opinions you are making it tenuous at best to call something a sport.

I often hear fighters express their preference for ending a fight early rather than placing the decision in the hands of the judges. It seems much preferable to win decisively by knockout or submission and completely eliminate any doubt.

When somebody wins a close fight by a decision then there can still be doubt or arguments about the outcome long after the event. Fans of a beaten fighter who was on the wrong end of a judges decision will often insist that their preferred fighter was "robbed". The same would apply to a BBing contest.

However when you see someone get knocked out or submitted you are left with no doubt as to who the winner is.

However that's just my opinion and many will disagree.

Perhaps the mere existence of a debate automatically precludes Bodybuilding from being defined as a sport? If it were truly a sport then there should be no debate.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

I am an athlete. Don't believe it....come spend a week with me.


Baldie

[Tyrbolift]

Well, you know, sometimes Catholic girls say that if it's in the butt they're still a virgin. And guys in prison, like the ancient Greeks and Romans, say it's only gay if you're on the receiving end.

It's stupid and obvious nonsense, but what can you do.

Most people don't consider bodybuilding a sport. You can quote as many dictionaries as you want, but dictionaries don't define a culture.

At best, you can claim that the definition of sport is a bit muddy, and so to establish whether bbing is a sport or not will vary with the individual.

[Whiskeyjack]

That hasn't stopped baseball from being a sport. For the record, I've never viewed bb as a sport. It's a pageant and it's never going to be a mainstream activity. I don't care what it gets classified as, I love it just the same.

Agreed. The OP's articles only obliquely address the real issue: bodybuilding may be a "sport" and bodybuilders are clearly athletes, but in the end it's the subjectivity of the final outcome that detracts from its status. Oh yes, there are other highly subjective sports to a certain extent accepted by the mainstream, but they don't change the fact that bodybuilding, all supposed judging criteria aside, is just not as objective as who's the strongest or swiftest.

[reemas]

Agreed. The OP's articles only obliquely address the real issue: bodybuilding may be a "sport" and bodybuilders are clearly athletes, but in the end it's the subjectivity of the final outcome that detracts from its status. .

^^^^^this. bodybuilders are athletes.

[Kiknskreem]

In my opinion, while bodybuilding training may be somewhat athletic, bodybuilding is not a sport because it is not a physical contest.

Yes, posing on stage under poor nutritional conditions may be somewhat demanding, but the same can be said for beauty pageant contestants. They also diet, train, and present their bodies onstage. Does that make what they do a sport?

[thomasale]

In my opinion, while bodybuilding training may be somewhat athletic, bodybuilding is not a sport because it is not a physical contest.

Yes, posing on stage under poor nutritional conditions may be somewhat demanding, but the same can be said for beauty pageant contestants. They also diet, train, and present their bodies onstage. Does that make what they do a sport?

Great comparison, and for what it's worth although I would not call bodybuilding a sport I do consider the competitors athletes...odd?

[jawter]

If kurling can be an Olympic sport then BB'ing competitions have to be as well IMHO.

[Chris_T]

Great comparison, and for what it's worth although I would not call bodybuilding a sport I do consider the competitors athletes...odd?

I don't know. . .at the risk of getting negged, I wonder if something can be considered "athletic" if the competition takes place AFTER the cutting, and the no carbs, and the diuretics etc. Shouldn't an athlete compete at peak performance levels?

Maybe bodybuilding comps should be held during bulking phases, chest hair and all. J/K.

[Diev]

I don't know. . .at the risk of getting negged, I wonder if something can be considered "athletic" if the competition takes place AFTER the cutting, and the no carbs, and the diuretics etc. Shouldn't an athlete compete at peak performance levels?

Maybe bodybuilding comps should be held during bulking phases, chest hair and all. J/K.

The athletic part is the years of training that get one to the point where they compete.

To me, lifting weights for whatever goal is athletic, be it bodybuilding, powerlifting, olympic lifting or just the avergae joe working out to stay in shape (ie me). However to me, the strutting about on stage covered in fake tan and oil is not really sport it's more of a pageant as previous posters have mentioned.

Powerlifting and Olympic lifting are a sport by my definition as you have a clear winner who is the guy that lifted more than all the other guys.

Comparing bodybuilding to powerlifting or olympic lifting is a bit like comparing a poodle show to a greyhound race. (I'm so gonna end up in the red for that one)

For me lifting is a hobby.

[Tyrbolift]

The athletic part is the years of training that get one to the point where they compete.

To me, lifting weights for whatever goal is athletic, be it bodybuilding, powerlifting, olympic lifting or just the avergae joe working out to stay in shape (ie me). However to me, the strutting about on stage covered in fake tan and oil is not really sport it's more of a pageant as previous posters have mentioned.

Powerlifting and Olympic lifting are a sport by my definition as you have a clear winner who is the guy that lifted more than all the other guys.

Comparing bodybuilding to powerlifting or olympic lifting is a bit like comparing a poodle show to a greyhound race. (I'm so gonna end up in the red for that one)

For me lifting is a hobby.

Whether or not someone agrees with you, you expressed your opinion fairly. If anyone negs you for that, let us know.

[drewkawa]

I don't do this for sport, I do this for me.