Hi, Melvyn! Great name and welcome to the forum. Thanks so much for the interesting question and, boy, what a valuable and fascinating research project. As a former IFBB pro, I can offer you some unique insight with regards to the strategies and tactics that nudged me to participate in these thonged battles.
For me, it all stemmed from my difficult upbringing. You see, Girls and sons who have not been loved by their fathers seek attention once teens and adults to compensate for what they didn't have originally. Fathers either left them alone, or were distant most of the time and not encouraging them. Some even despised them which would shape their personality and the way they interact with others for the rest of their life. They are extremistic in everything they do, always looking exaggeratly for attention, and have troubles adapting to society's rules, because they also have troubles defining their own identity and respecting authority and hierarchy.
Also boys who got picked on by others during childhood and adolescence -often sons without a father figure- try to compensate by lifting weights, to develop muscles and survive in ther male world. They're insecure because they're girly, childish, feminine having been raised by a single mom. They lift obsessively hoping it will transform them into men, to compensate for their lack of influence from a father figure that was not there. Unfortunately they can get as big as they can but it doesn't cure their insecurity and who they truly are, how they grew up being raised by a single mom. They're not as manly as other men whatever they do, and they often have a big lack of masculine presence they don't know how to balance, hence often being borderline homosexuals while trying to get their manhood back through various manly activities (MMA, cars, weight lifting etc.).
They are often the ones that, in order to get respect from other males, will go the steroids route to get even "bigger", attempting to cure their insecurity, but being natural not being "enough", they still feel "too small", insecure, amongst other males. The lack of a father figure also often means they didn't have guidance to continue studies and are often working shitty manual jobs.
Certainly, the promoters of bodybuilding shows are aware of this, and they will intentionally promote the shows as something gladiatorial, hyper-masculine, and worthy of our admiration. This is something that speaks to me because I don't take kindly to disrespect. not on the internet, not in person, not in a grocery store parking lot, not in like at walmart, not in a restaurant, not at the beach, not at the dry cleaners... anywhere.
ppl talk about the 'pussyfication' of America, yet they run their mouths thinking they won't get slapped and get their arm broken in front of their friends.
spent many yrs in a place where if you talk slick and say something out of line to somebody, you know that when you say it, you better be ready for what happens. most ppl here in the 'real world', aren't ready for what could happen.. and run their mouths like the world is a make believe cartoon. despite wearing nice slacks, polished shoes and a nice shirt, the guy you steal that parking spot from at the grocery store and proceed to flip off, may have just gotten out of prison and will have no problem identifying they bitch in you and proceed to teach you a lesson by taking you down to the ground and kicking out your teeth before you even know what happened.
the guy who's willing to go the furthest, wins. if you're not willing to go all the way, it's best you keep your mouth shut and move on, and make it to the next day.
I hope this answers your questions.
