There is a scientific term called muscle hypertrophy which means to increase and grow the size of the muscle cells which is what is done in bodybuilding.
Bodybuilders use a combination of dieting, intake of calories, weight training and rest to form their muscles. Bodybuilding is an actual competitive sport which has judges who judge the bodybuilder’s muscles.
Bodybuilding as a sport began in the late 19th century with the man considered the father of bodybuilding – Eugene Sandow from Prussia. He worked for a carnival as a strongman and viewers were more attracted to his physique than his strength. He was credited with development of the first weight training equipment and for organizing the first bodybuilding competitions. The contestants were judged by how closely they resembled the classic Greek and Roman statues.
The 1940s to the 1970s was considered the Golden Age of bodybuilding and there was more focus on larger more defined mass in the muscles.
Arnold Schwarzenegger made a film in 1977 called Pumping Iron which brought a lot of attention to bodybuilding. The sport developed over the years. There were various federations for the sport such as the International Federation for Bodybuilders and the World Bodybuilding Federation and there was some controversy between them and over the use of steroids. Steroids in all sports have been controversial and there are potential harmful side affects to their use such as damage to the liver, increasing size of mammary glands, acne and baldness in males. If no one used them then the true athletes would just be left.
Female bodybuilding competition began to take place in the 1970s. There are females that fear that they will become bulky, but there are also benefits noted such increase muscle strength and increased bone density as well as the prevention of bone loss.
There are strategies that body builders use in terms of food intake. For most of the year they will work at increasing muscle size by eating carbohydrates which give them energy for their workouts. Then 3 or 4 months before competition they will cut down on carbohydrates and increase the intake of water to reduce fat and to promote the definition of the muscles. Protein is considered an important food source for body building. Some eat a high sugar content to make their veins stick out. There are also all sorts of supplements sold to increase muscle size. Many probably do not have any significant effect.
Rest is an important factor for body building to let the muscles which have torn fibers through routine workouts recover. The benefits or harmful effects of over training have been debated. Some believe it is beneficial in taking a body builder to a new level while others feel that it is an unnecessary practice.
