If you think Ronnie Coleman is not an athlete then go through a leg workout with him. Flex Wheeler is highly trained in martial arts. Try racing Kevin Levrone...even when he did weigh 260. The bodybuilding "show" is not neccessarilly the "athletic" part of the sport...its the time leading up to it. The hard work is done leading up to the show...not on stage. I've worked out with plenty of "athletes" football players, fighters (MMA), etc.... who couldn't stop throwing up long enough to complain when going through one of my workouts. The only people I know that work as hard as bodybuilders are fighters, and even they don't have to go through the agony of strict dieting (although there training is just as hard if not harder). I played football, and baseball in school. I know about running sprints in 103' degree heat in the middle of August and throwing up in your helmet before you can get it off. I was also involved with competitive rock climbing for a number of years (like you would see in the xgames) and have been alpine climbing (extreme environments)I train with guys doing Mixed Martial Arts etc...nothing I have ever done is as challenging as bodybuilding.
