In the last decade, bodybuilding has been a great way for both men and women to build strength, feel better about themselves, and push their body to its limits. While the positives benefits of being in the gym are countless. That is not to say that there are not certain mental and physical aspects that can potentially cause harm. This cultural phenomenon has certain areas such as dieting, overworking the body, and injury that can cause potential harms. Its important to be educated on these potential harms and make sure that you know how to take care of your body while trying to push it to its maximum limits.
Bodybuilding is a great practice to have in one’s life. Taking part in rigorous exercise is a great way to promote one’s physical and mental health. It’s a great way to stay in shape and fight the realistic harms of chronic illnesses and obesity. In addition, it’s a great way to free one’s mind and combat anxiety and depression. Although with nearly a decade of experience under my belt, I’m aware of the potential harms that can come from the culture itself. It’s important to be educated on how to go about bodybuilding correctly so that you are taking care of both your mental and physical health. While I’m aware that these harms affect both men and women that are a part of the bodybuilding culture. Im am going to focus on my personal knowledge and experiences with these topics in the area of men. I feel that men can often be overlooked in the area of self body image. This is unfortunate due to the fact that so many men struggle in this specific area. Even the “gym bros”.
Perhaps one of the main issues with male bodybuilding culture today is the unrealistic standards that are seen online. Often, young men see physiques on social media that look unreal and have been achieved over years of work.Unfortunately, this can often scare young men away from the gym. They see that kind of physique and are intimidated by all kinds of fitness. As a result, they run far away from the whole idea of working out. In reality, fitness is all about baby steps. Learning the ways of the gym, figuring out what works best for your body, and staying on track. Due to these unrealistic standards seen on social media, many are intimidated and avoid the gym entirely. It’s also important to acknowledge that a large amount of the bodybuilders seen online are on some sort of performance enhancement drugs. And while yes, those who take steroids still have to stay consistent and work hard in the gym, it’s important for young men to realize that some physiques seen online are not attainable “naturally”. Overall, comparing yourself to other people in a negative manner is the easiest way to begin to grow a hatred for fitness. Instead, find someone who can teach you how to reach your own fitness goals. Whether that be a friend, brother, sister, or even an online fitness influencer. Instead, compare yourself to them in a more positive light. Use this comparison to motivate yourself to work harder and reach your goals.
Another area of focus that is important to understand in terms of bodybuilding is dieting. It’s important to have a solid grasp of dieting and how it works. Additionally, it’s important to have a healthy relationship with the whole ordeal so that you can take care of both your mental and physical health. Whether you are trying to lose weight or put on muscle, it truly comes down to diet. Unfortunately, so many young men attempt to starve themself when “cutting” weight. This is not the way to go about the process. In reality, you end up just slowing down your metabolism which will do damage to your body and end up making things harder in the future. When dieting, it’s important to have a knowledge of your goals and how your body works. Over-eating or starving yourself to be a certain weight is never the correct answer. Setting your goals and finding your macronutrients to properly achieve those goals is the best way to go about the dieting process. Taking care of your mind and physical body should always be your priority. Ive attached a macro calculator for those looking to begin their fitness journey. Here you can set your goals whatever they may be, and find your own macros.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to balance. A main issue with the culture today is toxicity. If you don’t want to work out 5 days a week. You simply don’t have to. Having a healthy relationship with fitness, food, and your body is the key to having a healthy relationship with the gym. Forcing an unhealthy gym schedule or diet on yourself is a ticking time bomb. It’s important to have balance when thinking about fitness. Don’t drive yourself crazy. If you do that, you’ll never find a love for fitness. It’s important to take care of your body and mind while bodybuilding to ensure that its positives outweigh the potential harms.
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