Continuing yesterday’s theme of how bodybuilding is not a sport:
It’s a beauty pageant, in my opinion.
Only worse.
Because, while regular beauty pageants come with a host of problems, bodybuilding dials the degeneracy up to 11.
The insane diets, crushing training regimes, pre-show dehydration, not to mention the utterly inappropriate posing routines (the way women are asked to pose to gratify the almost exclusively male judging panel and audience is particularly disgusting).
“Oi Phil, pack it in with your moralising – other athletes push themselves to the limit and none of what you’ve said means bodybuilding isn’t a sport”.
Cometh the inevitable objections from those who enjoy looking at veiny muscles.
Two things:
1) Bodybuilding judging is entirely subjective and there is no unified standard between competitions – with things as asinine as “hair style” being used to place competitors (a female acquaintance of mine who used to do bikini shows once missed out on first place because her hair was straight, then in a subsequent competition because it was curly).
2) The stated aim is for competitors to look the picture of health which is the exact opposite of how they feel on the day, with many reporting they feel like death warmed up, and some needing to be carted away in ambulances due to severe cramping and, in rare cases, heart problems caused by electrolyte imbalances secondary to their starvation diets and intentional dehydration.
So, really, what we have is a forum for individuals who enjoy exposing themselves in public to validate their eating disorders, exercise addictions, body dysmorphia, and, often, drug abuse.
Not. A. Sport.
However.
I still think early bodybuilders (especially those who were active between 1940 and 1959) have much to teach us about training.
Hence why everything I teach in my three month programme “Silver Era Secrets” is based upon how these men built their bodies.
If you, too, possess the maturity to understand that you can learn things from people who have opinions and take actions you disagree with, you will likely benefit greatly from the programme.
All the info is linked below, so you can judge if it’s right for you:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/programme
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman