Bodybuilding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bodybuilding is the use of
progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's
musculature.
[1] An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive amateur and
professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders appear in lineups doing specified poses, and later perform individual posing routines, for a panel of
judges
who rank competitors based on criteria such as symmetry, muscularity
and conditioning. Bodybuilders prepare for competition through a
combination of dehydration,
fat loss,
oils, and
tanning (or
tanning lotions) which make their muscular definition more distinct. Well-known bodybuilders include
Charles Atlas,
Steve Reeves,
Reg Park,
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Lou Ferrigno.
The winner of the annual
IFBB Mr. Olympia contest is generally recognized as the world's top male professional bodybuilder. The title is currently held by
Phil Heath of the
United States. Since 1950 the
NABBA Universe Championships has been considered the top amateur bodybuilding contest with many notable winners such as
Steve Reeves,
Bill Pearl,
Reg Park,
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Lee Priest.
History
Early years
Stone-lifting traditions were practiced in ancient
Greece and
Egypt. Western weight lifting developed in Europe around 1880 to 1953, with
strongmen displaying feats of
strength
for the public, and challenging each other. The focus was not on the
make up of their physique, and these strongmen often had a large stomach
and fatty limbs.
[2]
Eugen Sandow
Bodybuilding developed in the late 19th century, promoted in
England by the 'Father of Modern Bodybuilding, German-born
Eugen Sandow.
He allowed audiences to enjoy viewing his physique in "muscle display
performances". Although audiences were thrilled to see a well-developed
physique, the men simply displayed their bodies as part of strength
demonstrations or wrestling matches. Sandow had a stage show built
around these displays through his manager,
Florenz Ziegfeld. The Oscar-winning 1936
musical film The Great Ziegfeld, depicts this beginning of modern bodybuilding, when Sandow began to display his body for carnivals.
Sandow was so successful at flexing and posing his physique that he
later created several businesses around his fame, and was among the
first to market products branded with his name. He was credited with
inventing and selling the first exercise equipment for the masses:
machined
dumbbells, spring
pulleys and tension bands. Even his image was sold by the thousands in "
cabinet cards" and other prints.
Sandow was a perfect "gracilian". This was a standard of ideal body
proportions close to those of ancient Greek and Roman statues – see
Golden Mean. Men were judged by how closely they matched these proportions.
First large-scale bodybuilding competition
Sandow organised the first bodybuilding contest on September 14, 1901 called the "Great Competition" which was held in the
Royal Albert Hall,
London,
UK. Judged by himself, Sir Charles Lawes, and
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the contest was a great success and with a capacity crowd many bodybuilding enthusiasts were turned away.
[3]
The trophy presented to the winner was a gold statue of Sandow sculpted
by Frederick Pomeroy. The winner was William L. Murray of
Nottingham, England.
The silver or spelter Sandow Trophy was presented to the second-place
winner, D. Cooper. The Bronze Sandow Trophy, the most famous of all, was
presented to the third-place winner, A.C. Smythe. In 1950 this same
bronze trophy was presented to
Steve Reeves for winning the inaugural
NABBA Mr. Universe. It would not resurface again until 1977 when the winner of the
IFBB Mr. Olympia contest, Frank Zane, was presented with the Bronze Sandow Trophy, or at least a replica of it. Since then,
Mr. Olympia winners have been awarded a replica of the bronze trophy.
On 16 January 1904, the first large-scale bodybuilding competition in America took place at
Madison Square Garden in
New York City. The competition was promoted by
Bernarr Macfadden,
the father of physical culture and publisher of the original
bodybuidling magazines including Health & Strength. The winner was
Al Treloar and he was declared "The Most Perfectly Developed Man in the
World".
[4] Treloar won a $1,000 cash prize, a substantial sum at that time. Two weeks later,
Thomas Edison
made a film of Al Treloar's posing routine. Edison also made two films
of Sandow a few years before. Those were the first three motion pictures
featuring a bodybuilder. In the early 20th century,
Bernarr Macfadden and
Charles Atlas, continued to promote bodybuilding across the world.
Alois P. Swoboda was an early pioneer in America.
Notable early bodybuilders
Many other important bodybuilders in the early history of bodybuilding prior to 1930 include:
Bernarr Macfadden,
Earle Liederman (writer of some of the earliest bodybuilding instruction books),
Zishe Breitbart,
Georg Hackenschmidt, Emy Nkemena, George F. Jowett, Finn Hateral (a pioneer in the art of posing),
Frank Saldo,
Monte Saldo,
William Bankier, Launceston Elliot, Sig Klein, Sgt. Alfred Moss, Joe Nordquist, Lionel Strongfort (Strongfortism),
[5] Gustav Frištenský (the Czech champion),
Ralph Parcaut,
a champion wrestler who also authored an early book on "physical
culture," and Alan P. Mead, who became an impressive muscle champion
despite the fact that he lost a leg in
World War I. Actor
Francis X. Bushman
started his career as a bodybuilder and sculptor's model before
beginning his famous silent movie career. Bushman was a disciple of
Eugen Sandow.
Model Jackie Coey with Mr. Los Angeles contestant Ed Holovchik (also known as
Ed Fury), 1953
1950s and 1960s
Bodybuilding became more popular in the 1950s and 1960s with the
emergence of strength and gymnastics champions joining the culture, and
the simultaneous popularization of muscle training, most of all by
Joe Weider,
whose advertising in comic books and other publications encouraged many
young men to undertake weight training to improve their physiques to
resemble the comic books' muscular superheroes. Of notable athletes, US
national and gymnastics champion and US Olympic weightlifting team
competitor
John Grimek and British strength athlete
Reg Park as winners of newly created bodybuilding titles such as the
Mr. Universe and
Mr. America competitions paved the way for others. Magazines such as
Strength & Health and
Muscular Development were accompanied by the fame of
Muscle Beach,
in Santa Monica, California. The casting of some bodybuilders in movies
was another major vehicle for the activity's popularization. Of
bodybuilder-actors perhaps the most famous were
Steve Reeves and Reg Park, who were featured in roles portraying
Hercules,
Samson and other legendary heroes.
Dave Draper gained public fame through a role in
Don't Make Waves, and in appearances in television series such as the
Beverly Hillbillies and
The Monkees. Other rising stars in this period were
Larry Scott,
Serge Nubret, and
Sergio Oliva. The gym equipment and training supplement industries founded by Joe Weider were complemented by the growth of the
International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB), which was co-founded by Joe and his brother
Ben. The IFBB eventually displaced the
Amateur Athletic Union's Mr. Universe titles and also that of NABBA, the
National Amateur Bodybuilders Association as the most important and notable contests.
1970s onwards
New organizations
In the 1970s, bodybuilding had major publicity thanks to
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Franco Columbu,
Lou Ferrigno and others in the 1977 film
Pumping Iron. By this time the
International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB) dominated the competitive bodybuilding landscape and the
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) took a back seat.
The
National Physique Committee (NPC) was formed in 1981 by
Jim Manion,
[6]
who had just stepped down as chairman of the AAU Physique Committee.
The NPC has gone on to become the most successful bodybuilding
organization in the U.S., and is the amateur division of the IFBB in the
United States. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the decline of AAU
sponsored bodybuilding contests. In 1999, the AAU voted to discontinue
its bodybuilding events.
Anabolic/androgenic steroid use
This period also saw the rise of
anabolic steroids
used both in bodybuilding and many other sports. In bodybuilding lore,
this is partly attributed to the rise of "mass monsters", beginning with
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Sergio Oliva and
Lou Ferrigno in the late 1960s and early 1970s and continuing in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s with
Lee Haney,
Dorian Yates,
Ronnie Coleman and
Markus Ruhl. Also the emergence of bodybuilders such as
Greg Kovacs,
Paul DeMayo
and Victor Richards who, while not being particularly successful at the
pro level, attained mass and size at levels that were not seen
previously.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the time of shooting
Pumping Iron (the movie that brought body building to life
[citation needed]), while never stating he used steroids, did say "you have to do anything you can to get the advantage in competition"
[citation needed].
But in later interviews acknowledged steroid use, saying he does not
regret using anything. At the time Arnold was the face of bodybuilding,
so this had a large impact
[clarification needed].
[7]
To combat this, and in the hopes of becoming a member of the
IOC, the IFBB introduced
doping
tests for both steroids and other banned substances. Although doping
tests occurred, the majority of professional bodybuilders still used
anabolic steroids for competition. During the 1970s the use of anabolic
steroids was openly discussed partly due to the fact they were legal.
[8] However the
U.S. Congress in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 placed anabolic steroids into Schedule III of the
Controlled substance act (CSA). Similarly in
Canada, steroids were added to the Canadian
Criminal Code as a Class IV controlled substance (that class was created expressly for steroids).
World Bodybuilding Federation
In 1990, wrestling promoter
Vince McMahon announced he was forming a new bodybuilding organization, the
World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF). McMahon wanted to bring
WWF-style
showmanship and bigger prize money to the sport of bodybuilding. A
number of IFBB stars were recruited but the roster was never very large,
with the same athletes competing; the most notable winner and first WBF
champion was
Gary Strydom.
McMahon formally dissolved the WBF in July 1992. Reasons for this
probably included lack of income from the pay-per-view broadcasts of the
WBF contests, slow sales of the WBF's magazine
Bodybuilding Lifestyles (which later became
WBF Magazine), and the expense of paying multiple 6-figure contracts as well as producing two TV shows and a monthly magazine.
Olympic sport discussion
In the early 2000s, the IFBB was attempting to make bodybuilding an
Olympic
sport. It obtained full IOC membership in 2000 and was attempting to
get approved as a demonstration event at the Olympics which would
hopefully lead to it being added as a full contest. This did not happen.
Olympic recognition for bodybuilding remains controversial since many
argue that bodybuilding is not a sport.
[9]
Recent developments
In 2003,
Joe Weider sold Weider Publications to
AMI, which owns
The National Enquirer. The position of president of the IFBB was filled by Rafael Santonja following the death of
Ben Weider
in October 2008. In 2004, contest promoter Wayne DeMilia broke ranks
with the IFBB and AMI took over the promotion of the Mr. Olympia
contest. Other professional contests emerged in this period, such as the
Arnold Classic,
Night of Champions, and the European Grand Prix of Bodybuilding.
In the 1990s and the early 21st century, patterns of consumption and
recreation similar to those of the United States became more widespread
in Europe and especially in Eastern Europe following the collapse of the
Soviet Union. This resulted in the emergence of whole new populations of bodybuilders emerged from former
Eastern bloc
states. In 2014 the FTM Fitness Conference hosted the FTM Fitness World
Bodybuilding Competition, which was the first bodybuilding competition
for transgender men.
[10]
Areas
Professional bodybuilding
Frank Zane, a former professional bodybuilder and three-time Mr. Olympia.
In the modern bodybuilding industry, "
professional"
generally means a bodybuilder who has won qualifying competitions as an
amateur and has earned a "pro card" from their respective organization.
Professionals earn the right to compete in competitions that include
monetary prizes. Depending on the level of success, these bodybuilders
may receive monetary compensation from sponsors, much like athletes in
other sports.
Natural bodybuilding
Due to the growing concerns of the high cost, health consequences and
illegal nature of steroids many organizations have formed in response
and have deemed themselves "natural" bodybuilding competitions. In
addition to the concerns noted, many promoters of bodybuilding have
sought to shed the "freakish" reputation that the general public
perceives of bodybuilding and have successfully introduced a more
mainstream audience to the sport of bodybuilding by including
competitors whose physiques appear much more attainable and realistic.
In natural contests the testing protocol ranges among organizations
from polygraph testing (lie detection) to urinalysis. Penalties also
range from organization to organization from suspensions to strict bans
from competition. It is also important to note that natural
organizations also have their own list of banned substances and it is
important to refer to each organization's website for more information
about which substances are banned from competition.
There are many natural bodybuilding organizations that exist. Some of
the larger ones include MuscleMania, Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE),
INBF/WNBF and INBA/PNBA. These organizations either have North American
or worldwide presence and are not limited to the country in which they
are headquartered.
Other notable natural bodybuilding organization include the
National Physique Committee (NPC)
and the North American Natural Bodybuiling Federation (NANBF). NPC
competitions screen competitors using a polygraph test to ensure fair
practices. Though it is not fool-proof, competitors are selected at
random and not all are tested. This is how the NPC differs from the
NANBF. The NANBF takes a more direct approach by taking urine samples
from all competitors that test for steroids and any other substances on
the banned list. The NANBF differs from the NPC also when it comes to
judging. The criteria of certain poses differs from organization to
organization. The NANBF even has an elevated calf pose which is
specifically unique for their competitions.
Female bodybuilding
Pro female bodybuilder
Nikki Fuller performs a side chest pose.
The first U.S. Women's National Physique Championship, promoted by
Henry McGhee and held in Canton, Ohio in 1978, is generally regarded as
the first true female bodybuilding contest – that is, the first contest
where the entrants were judged solely on muscularity.
[11] In 1980 the first
Ms. Olympia (initially known as the "Miss" Olympia), the most prestigious contest for professionals, was held. The first winner was
Rachel McLish
who had also won the NPC's USA Championship earlier in the year. The
contest was a major turning point for the sport of women's bodybuilding.
McLish inspired many future competitors to start training and
competing. In 1985, a movie called
Pumping Iron II: The Women was released. This film documented the preparation of several women for the 1983
Caesars Palace
World Cup Championship. Competitors prominently featured in the film
were Kris Alexander, Lori Bowen, Lydia Cheng, Carla Dunlap,
Bev Francis, and Rachel McLish. At the time, Francis was actually a
powerlifter,
though she soon made a successful transition to bodybuilding, becoming
one of the leading competitors of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In recent years, the related areas of
fitness and figure competition
have gained in popularity, surpassing that of female bodybuilding, and
have provided an alternative for women who choose not to develop the
level of muscularity necessary for bodybuilding. Rachel McLish would
closely resemble what is thought of today as a fitness and figure
competitor instead of what is now considered a female bodybuilder.
Fitness competitions also have a gymnastic element to them.
A recent study by the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine has found that female bodybuilders who are taking
anabolic steroids
are more likely to have qualified for substance-dependence disorder and
have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness and have a history of
sexual abuse.
[12]
Competition
A bodybuilder, Lukas Osladil, posing onstage during a competition. The pose is a variation of the "most muscular".
In competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders aspire to develop and maintain an
aesthetically pleasing body and balanced physique.
[13][14] In prejudging, competitors do a series of mandatory poses – the front lat spread, the rear lat spread, the
front double biceps, the
back double biceps, the
side chest, the
side triceps, the
Most Muscular (men only), and the thigh-abdominal pose. Each competitor also performs a routine to display the physique. A
posedown
is usually held at the end of a posing round, while judges are
finishing their scoring. Bodybuilders spend time practicing their
posing, since they are judged on it.
In contrast to
strongman or
powerlifting competitions where
physical strength is important, or to
Olympic weightlifting,
where the main point is equally split between strength and technique,
bodybuilding competitions typically emphasize condition, size and
symmetry. Different organizations emphasize particular aspects of
competition, and sometimes have different categories in which to
compete.
Preparations
Cutting and bulking
The general strategy adopted by most present-day competitive
bodybuilders is to make muscle gains for most of the year (known as the
"off-season") and approximately 12–14 weeks from competition attempt to
lose
body fat
(referred to as "cutting"). The bulking phase entails remaining in a
net positive energy balance (calorie surplus). The amount of a surplus
that a person remains in is based on the person's goals, as a bigger
surplus and longer bulking phase will create more fat tissue. The
surplus of calories relative to one's energy balance will ensure that
muscles remain in a state of anabolism. The cutting phase entails
remaining in a net negative energy balance (calorie deficit). The main
goal of cutting is to oxidize fat but also to preserve as much muscle as
possible. The larger the calorie deficit, the faster one will lose
weight. However, a large calorie deficit will also create the risk of
losing muscle tissue.
[15]
The precise effectiveness of the cutting and bulking strategy is
unknown, with only limited observational case studies on the subject. No
studies involving precise hypercaloric feeding combined with resistance
exercise have been conducted.
Clean bulking
Many non-competitive bodybuilders choose not to adopt the
conventional strategy, as it often results in significant unwanted fat
gain during the "bulking" phase. The attempt to increase muscle mass in
one's body without any gain in fat is called clean bulking. Competitive
bodybuilders focus their efforts to achieve a peak appearance during a
brief "competition season".
[citation needed]
Dirty bulking
"Dirty bulking" is the process of eating at a caloric surplus,
without finding the exact number macronutrients (carbs, fats, and
proteins). Weight lifters who are attempting to gain mass quickly often
choose to use the "dirty bulk" method.
[citation needed]
Pre-competition
In the week leading up to a contest, bodybuilders may decrease their consumption of
water,
sodium and
carbohydrates, the former two to alter how water is retained by the body and the latter to reduce
glycogen in the muscle. The day before the show, water is removed from the diet, and
diuretics may be introduced, while
carbohydrate loading
to increase the size of the muscles through replenishment of their
glycogen. The goal is to maximize leanness and increase the visibility
of veins, or "
vascularity." The appearance of veins is further enhanced immediately before appearing on stage by darkening the skin through
tanning products, and applying
oils
to the skin to increase shine. Some competitors will eat sugar-rich
foods to increase the visibility of their veins. A final step is the use
of weights to fill the muscles with blood and further increase their
size.
Muscle growth
Bodybuilders use three main strategies to maximize muscle hypertrophy:
Weight training
Weight training causes micro-tears to the muscles being trained; this is generally known as
microtrauma. These micro-tears in the muscle contribute to the soreness felt after exercise, called
delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is the repair to these micro-trauma that result in
muscle growth.
Normally, this soreness becomes most apparent a day or two after a
workout. However, as muscles become adapted to the exercises, soreness
tends to decrease.
[16]
Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of
hypertrophy:
sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic
hypertrophy leads to larger muscles and so is favored by bodybuilders
more than myofibrillar hypertrophy which builds athletic strength.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is triggered by increasing repetitions, whereas
myofibrillar hypertrophy is triggered by lifting heavier weight.
[17]
In either case, there is an increase in size and strength of the
muscles (compared to if that same individual does not lift weights at
all). However, the emphasis is different.
Many trainees like to cycle between the two methods in order to
prevent the body from adapting (maintaining a progressive overload),
possibly emphasizing whichever method more suits their goals. I.e, a
bodybuilder will use sarcoplasmic hypertrophy most of the time, but may
change to myofibrillar hypertrophy temporarily in order to move past a
plateau. However, no real evidence has been provided to show that
trainees ever reach this plateau, and rather was more of a hype created
from 'muscular confusion.'
Nutrition
The high levels of muscle growth and repair achieved by bodybuilders
require a specialized diet. Generally speaking, bodybuilders require
more
calories
than the average person of the same weight to provide the protein and
energy requirements needed to support their training and increase muscle
mass. A sub-maintenance level of food energy is combined with
cardiovascular exercise to lose
body fat
in preparation for a contest. The ratios of calories from
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats vary depending on the goals of the
bodybuilder.
[18]
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates
play an important role for bodybuilders. Carbohydrates give the body
energy to deal with the rigors of training and recovery. Carbohydrates
also promote secretion of
insulin,
a hormone enabling cells to get the glucose they need. Insulin also
carries amino acids into cells and promotes protein synthesis.
[19] Insulin has steroid-like effects in terms of muscle gains.
[citation needed]
It is impossible to promote protein synthesis without the existence of
insulin, and which means without carbohydrates, it is impossible to add
muscle mass.
[20] Bodybuilders seek out
low-glycemic polysaccharides and other slowly digesting carbohydrates, which release energy in a more stable fashion than high-
glycemic
sugars and starches. This is important as high-glycemic carbohydrates
cause a sharp insulin response, which places the body in a state where
it is likely to store additional food energy as fat. However,
bodybuilders frequently do ingest some quickly digesting sugars (often
in form of pure
dextrose or
maltodextrin) after a workout. This may help to replenish
glycogen stores within the muscle, and to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
[21]
Protein
The motor proteins
actin and
myosin generate the forces exerted by contracting
muscles.
Current advice says that bodybuilders should consume 25–30% of protein
per total calorie intake to further their goal of maintaining and
improving their body composition.
[22]
This is a widely debated topic, with many arguing that 1 gram of
protein per pound of body weight per day is ideal, some suggesting that
less is sufficient, while others recommending 1.5, 2, or more.
[23]
It is believed that protein needs to be consumed frequently throughout
the day, especially during/after a workout, and before sleep.
[24]
There is also some debate concerning the best type of protein to take.
Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, eggs and dairy foods are high in
protein, as are some nuts, seeds, beans and lentils.
Casein or
whey
are often used to supplement the diet with additional protein. Whey
protein is the type of protein contained in many popular brands of
protein supplements, and is preferred by many bodybuilders because of
its high
Biological Value (BV) and quick absorption rates. However,
whey has a bigger effect than Casein on insulin levels.
Whey triggers about the double the amount of insulin release.
[25] That effect is somewhat overcome by combining
Casein and
whey. Bodybuilders are usually thought to require protein with a higher BV than that of
soy, which is additionally avoided due to its claimed
estrogenic properties. Still, some nutrition experts believe that soy,
flax seeds and many other plants that contain the weak estrogen-like compounds or
phytoestrogens
can be used beneficially, as phytoestrogens compete with estrogens for
receptor sites in the male body and can block its actions. This can also
include some inhibition of
pituitary
functions while stimulating the P450 system (the system that eliminates
hormones, drugs and metabolic waste product from the body) in the liver
to more actively process and excrete excess estrogen.
[26][27] Cortisol decreases amino acid uptake by muscle, and inhibits protein synthesis.
[28]
Some bodybuilders, such as
Patrik Baboumian and
Robert Cheeke follow a strict
vegan diet.
[citation needed]
Meals
Bodybuilders often split their food intake for the day into 5 to 7
meals of roughly equal nutritional content and attempt to eat at regular
intervals (e.g. every 2 to 3 hours). This method can serve two
purposes: to limit overindulging in the cutting phase, and to physically
allow for the consumption of large volumes of food during the bulking
phase. Contrary to popular belief, eating more frequently does not
increase
basal metabolic rate when compared to the traditional 3 meals a day. While food does have a metabolic cost to digest, absorb, and store, called the
thermic effect of food,
it depends on the quantity and type of food, not how the food is spread
across the meals of the day. Well-controlled studies using whole-body
calorimetry and
doubly labeled water have demonstrated that there is no metabolic advantage to eating more frequently.
[29][30][31]
Dietary supplements
The important role of nutrition in building muscle and losing fat means bodybuilders may consume a wide variety of
dietary supplements.
[32]
Various products are used in an attempt to augment muscle size,
increase the rate of fat loss, improve joint health, increase natural
testosterone production, enhance training performance and prevent
potential nutrient deficiencies. There are three major macronutrients
that the human body needs in order for muscle building. The major
nutrients - protein, carbohydrate, and fat - provide the body with
energy.
[33]
Performance-enhancing substances
|
|
This section may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. Please help to create a more balanced presentation. Discuss and resolve this issue before removing this message. (January 2014) |
 |
This section's factual accuracy is disputed. (January 2014) |
Some bodybuilders use drugs such as
anabolic steroids and precursor substances such as
prohormones to increase
muscle hypertrophy. Anabolic steroids cause muscle
hypertrophy
of both types (I and II) of muscle fibers caused likely by an increased
synthesis of muscle proteins and are accompanied with undesired side
effects including
hepatotoxicity,
gynecomastia,
acne,
male pattern baldness and a decline in the body's own testosterone production, which can cause
testicular atrophy.
[34][35][36] Other performance-enhancing substances used by competitive bodybuilders include
human growth hormone (HGH), which can cause
acromegaly.
Muscle growth is more difficult to achieve in older adults than younger adults because of
biological aging, which leads to many metabolic changes detrimental to muscle growth; for instance, by diminishing growth hormone and
testosterone.
Some recent clinical studies have shown that low-dose HGH treatment for
adults with HGH deficiency changes the body composition by increasing
muscle mass, decreasing fat mass, increasing
bone density and muscle strength, improves
cardiovascular parameters, and affects the quality of life without significant side effects.
[37][38][unreliable medical source?][39]
Rest
Although muscle
stimulation occurs in the
gym (or home gym) when lifting weights, muscle
growth
occurs afterward during rest. Without adequate rest and sleep (7 to 8
hours), muscles do not have an opportunity to recover and build. About
eight hours of sleep a night is desirable for the bodybuilder to be
refreshed, although this varies from person to person.
[40] Additionally, many athletes find a daytime nap further increases their body's ability to build muscle.
Overtraining
Main article:
Overtraining
Overtraining occurs when a bodybuilder has trained to the point where
his workload exceeds his recovery capacity. There are many reasons that
overtraining occurs, including lack of adequate nutrition, lack of
recovery time between workouts, insufficient sleep, and training at a
high intensity for too long (a lack of splitting apart workouts).
Training at a high intensity too frequently also stimulates the
central nervous system (CNS) and can result in a hyper-adrenergic state that interferes with sleep patterns.
[41]
To avoid overtraining, intense frequent training must be met with at
least an equal amount of purposeful recovery. Timely provision of
carbohydrates,
proteins, and various micronutrients such as
vitamins,
minerals, phytochemicals, even nutritional supplements are acutely critical.
It has been argued that overtraining can be beneficial. One article published by
Muscle & Fitness
magazine stated that you can "Overtrain for Big Gains". It suggested
that if one is planning a restful holiday and they do not wish to
inhibit their bodybuilding lifestyle too much, they should overtrain
before taking the holiday, so the body can rest easily and recuperate
and grow. Overtraining can be used advantageously, as when a bodybuilder
is purposely overtrained for a brief period of time to super compensate
during a regeneration phase. These are known as "shock micro-cycles"
and were a key training technique used by Soviet athletes.
[42]
Non muscle-developing methods
Some bodybuilders, particularly at professional level, inject
substances such as "site enhancement oil", commonly known as synthol, to
mimic the appearance of developed muscle where it may otherwise be
disproportionate or lagging.
[43] This is known as "fluffing".
[44][45] Synthol is 85% oil, 7.5%
lidocaine, and 7.5% alcohol.
[44] It is not restricted, as it is ostensibly sold for topical use only, and many brands are available on the internet.
[46] The use of injected oil to enhance muscle appearance was abandoned in the late 20th century.
[citation needed] Its use was revived more recen
