Bodybuilding and insecurities

[body88]

Typically - obsessive compulsive, and or insecure personalities gravitate towards extreme bodybuilding. Marcus Ruhl type size.... Many of the top pro's you see - ( not all ),  risk their health and well being doing extreme things to fulfill a major insecurity regarding their manhood.

A lot of the time, insecure males have a twisted idea of what a real man should be. Overly gigantic and muscular like they see in the comics as a child.....My question is this : are they doing this for the love of weight training, or are they merely trying to receive justification of their manhood from their peers? What drives current bb's to go to the edge of sanity these days? Is it about having a great physique, or waddling out the hugest freakest physique they can attain, and if so why does the IFBB keep encouraging it? Chick, why does the IFBB reward unhealthy circus acts?

[Jeffro]

Why did you go back and change your post?

[Matt C]

What an incredibly shallow and idiotic post. Nobody EVER wants to die when they're 45 years old, even if it means watching their wife grow old or living in a nursing home.

Bodybuilders are NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You are not a superior or enlightened person because you compete in bodybuilding contests. The notion that bodybuilders are more "interesting or exciting" than people who raise families and make a living in the real world is simply laughable. To most people, you are just a self-absorbed bum who hangs around the gym all day and takes steroids.

[body88]

Why did you go back and change your post?

Because I noticed that I let a lot of my own theories run in to my question..... I want to know what you guys think.... A serious topic I know, but we have to balance it out to save our street cred.

[IronForever]

Typically - obsessive compulsive, and or insecure personalities gravitate towards extreme bodybuilding. Marcus Ruhl type size.... Many of the top pro's you see - ( not all ),  risk their health and well being doing extreme things to fulfill a major insecurity regarding their manhood.

A lot of the time, insecure males have a twisted idea of what a real man should be. Overly gigantic and muscular like they see in the comics as a child.....My question is this : are they doing this for the love of weight training, or are they merely trying to receive justification of their manhood from their peers? What drives current bb's to go to the edge of sanity these days? Is it about having a great physique, or waddling out the hugest freakest physique they can attain, and if so why does the IFBB keep encouraging it? Chick, why does the IFBB reward unhealthy circus acts?

I think your full of shit but thats my opinion. You dont care and I dont care. Lets leave it like that.

[body88]

I think your full of shit but thats my opinion. You dont care and I dont care. Lets leave it like that.

Thats fine, now tell me why you think bb's are going to retarded lengths these days?

[gordiano]

Typically - obsessive compulsive, and or insecure personalities gravitate towards extreme bodybuilding. Marcus Ruhl type size.... Many of the top pro's you see - ( not all ),  risk their health and well being doing extreme things to fulfill a major insecurity regarding their manhood.

A lot of the time, insecure males have a twisted idea of what a real man should be. Overly gigantic and muscular like they see in the comics as a child.....My question is this : are they doing this for the love of weight training, or are they merely trying to receive justification of their manhood from their peers? What drives current bb's to go to the edge of sanity these days? Is it about having a great physique, or waddling out the hugest freakest physique they can attain, and if so why does the IFBB keep encouraging it? Chick, why does the IFBB reward unhealthy circus acts?

Good post, man.

Let's face it, the IFBB, NPC or whatever other fed/entity encourages these not-so-bright insecure guys/gals, because it makes them money. Reminds me of something like the Amway scam, where the people at the top, make money, but the actual people doing the work, get shit.

I was once a fan of this shit. I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. This whole industry is built around lies and deceit. They market these great physiques, which would appear to be the epitome of health and fitness, when in fact they are the complete opposite.

[Eisenherz]

It's a sport. Nothing to do with qualifying your manhood. There are much better and easier ways to do so if you feel the need.
If the sport bothers you maybe you should take up nitting instead.

[gordiano]

Thats fine, now tell me why you think bb's are going to retarded lengths these days?

I personally think that a lot of these people, really have nothing going for them. So, here they are, working out, perhaps get good results, get noticed, like the attention....and it just takes off from there. If you're a hoodlum, and have no reservations about doing not illegals thing, but damage to your body, comp. bbing is perfect for you.

Some people just don't have their priorities straight. It's one thing to break the law, but to take your health/future for granted..... Then you add the other dirty shit this industry is full of.....and all usually done for a plastic trophy and maybe some little write up in some schmoe magazine.

[gordiano]

It's a sport. Nothing to do with qualifying your manhood. There are much better and easier ways to do so if you feel the need.
If the sport bothers you maybe you should take up nitting instead.

How is it a sport? Please, spare no detail.

[Jeffro]

Its ridiculous to even want to be an IFBB pro.  Only the top few make money, and they are doing so by seriously affecting their health.  Then there are others that rely on "other" types of income, such as G4P   

[body88]

It's a sport. Nothing to do with qualifying your manhood. There are much better and easier ways to do so if you feel the need.
If the sport bothers you maybe you should take up nitting instead.

I don't think it's a sport, and having played sports at the collegiate level - I don't think nitting would cut it for me. One of the largest triggers of insecurity in males, is not knowing what a real man is..... A lot of the time, people like that have a poor relashonship with the male figure in their life, and they base their self image of what a man is on comics, movies and stereotypes.

Do you agree that bb's are constantly obsessed with what people think of them, and get some kind of rush on proving themselves to other men - in regards to their manliness on stage? Why else would someone risk death over a plastic trophy and poor prize money? Imo, its that your a freak man.....Your giant and shredded, you look like a super hero... Translation a REAL man.


There is nothing wrong with bb, I'm talking about the EXTREME shit you see today.

[Chick]

Athletes in all sports are into becoming the best of their chosen profession....and many of those sports (and training) are extreme in nature. Not every athlete is insecure or is overcoming some obstacle in life...some are just sports oriented, and thrive on competition.

[body88]

I personally think that a lot of these people, really have nothing going for them. So, here they are, working out, perhaps get good results, get noticed, like the attention....and it just takes off from there. If you're a hoodlum, and have no reservations about doing not illegals thing, but damage to your body, comp. bbing is perfect for you.

Some people just don't have their priorities straight. It's one thing to break the law, but to take your health/future for granted..... Then you add the other dirty shit this industry is full of.....and all usually done for a plastic trophy and maybe some little write up in some schmoe magazine.

I agree, would you agree that todays extreme bb's risk their life to hear, "your a real freak man", "you are huge a genetic mutant"....aka, a real superman! Look at the mags, pandering this exact shit.... Get HUGE, be a total MUTANT - going directly after that insecure male willing to do ANYTHING to justify themselves.

What balanced weight trainer would have a stroke if you told them they looked a little smaller, or if they missed a single meal?

I'm not knocking weight training, or even bb's.....I'm talking about this cesspool the industry has become.

[body88]

Athletes in all sports are into becoming the best of their chosen profession....and many of those sports (and training) are extreme in nature. Not every athlete is insecure or is overcoming some obstacle in life...some are just sports oriented, and thrive on competition.

I agree somewhat....you don't strike me as being insecure at all. You seem totally balanced, and have good perspective in regards to missing a single meal, or the amounts of supplements you use. However, most are not like you.

What I'm asking is this : does the IFBB (and the industry) target that insecure male willing to do ANYTHING they can to get big, and why does the IFBB reward guys who kill themselves on stage? Chick, for a guys like King there has got to me some reason twhy they literally kill themselves for nothing. Are they searching for that justification of " you the MAN' from their peers, and the judges?


In other sports, their is millions of dollars and world wide fame at stake, I don't see that currently in bb.

[McFarland]

I've found there to be 2 main types of bodybuilder:

1)  The bodybuilder that loves bodybuilding.

2)  The bodybuilder that fears more what he would be without it.  

[body88]

I've found there to be 2 main types of bodybuilder:

1)  The bodybuilder that loves bodybuilding.

2)  The bodybuilder that fears more what he would be without it.  

Absolutely, and I think the majority of pros would be # 2. Just my opinion on the subject, ob you know better than I.

[Eisenherz]

I believe theres a no. 3 which is a mixture

[candidizzle]

or maybe bodybuilders are the only ones who are living in reality concerning their physical appearance

[Jeffro]

Many guys love the attention they get by being the huge freak.  I know plenty of guys that cant stand being small, and will try to get huge no matter what.  Some love getting attention, others are insecure and have distorted self images.  
In the bodybuilders case, they are just taking this to the extreme.

[body88]

or maybe bodybuilders are the only ones who are living in reality concerning their physical appearance

Maybe on a reasonable level, but you think the top pros have an accurate idea of what an ideal physique ( by bb's original standards) should be? 270 lbs at 5'9? 300 lbs at 5'11?

Think about it, how many bb's would go into shock if they had three ounces of chicken in a meal while preparing for a show. A lot would struggle with it for hours, wondering if they would lose size, or look bad on stage.

[no one]

Typically - obsessive compulsive, and or insecure personalities gravitate towards extreme bodybuilding. Marcus Ruhl type size....

not just pro's or those with extreme size.

i would say pretty much anyone who uses an anabolic to gain muscle would fall into this category, and even if you are a natural who doesn't use, but who's whole focus is on 7 meals a day + supplements + not missing workouts is the same.

i think the pastime of working out in general fills a void left from insecurity or poor body image, or not wanting one.

[McFarland]

or maybe bodybuilders are the only ones who are living in reality concerning their physical appearance

You know, you could consider any rock star or celebrity as having that "disorder" that your shrink diagnosed you with...in fact I think everyone maintains their own reality according to which ever one allows them to indulge their passions the most free of guilt or shame.  Some people just have more pronounced passions than others.  You are no doubt certainly one of them though, IMO that is.  

[no one]

I've found there to be 2 main types of bodybuilder:

1)  The bodybuilder that loves bodybuilding.

2)  The bodybuilder that fears more what he would be without it. 

well said.

[candidizzle]

Maybe on a reasonable level, but you think the top pros have an accurate idea of what an ideal physique ( by bb's original standards) should be? 270 lbs at 5'9? 300 lbs at 5'11?

i think its a combonation about being realistic about how you look and wanting to change it, and also being delusional about how you look and hating it.

"bigorexia"-----plus---"shreddedorexia"...= competitive bodybuilder