Is the Bodybuilding mindset liberal/conservative?

[Notomorrow]

On the one hand it's liberal in that it has you consider and reject things other than the the normal tried and true way of 3 meals a day, 7 days a week horseshit society feeds you.  On the other hand it is very conservative because a life of strict schedules/diet, hard work and consistency is conservative in nature.

A conservative, is almost like proving a negative in that they want LESS government, where a liberal wants more.

     So in terms of bodybuilding, a liberal would want a stronger presence of the IFBB, all sorts of mandates, more rules, and of course more money going to IFBB board members.
     They would create all sorts of positions like IFBB certified health experts, a board of doctors that clear athletes to compete and demand you buy health insurance through an IFBB affiliated medical insurer.  IFBB guru certification. To "protect and care" for the athletes. They would have a supplement "board" that would decide what supplements would be IFBB certified, with a matching price tag. They would censor all talk of steroids, citing how kids could get the info. There would be rules that no bodybuilder could ever talk about steroids or PED's or face being banned by IFBB. 
     Over time, the rules would becomes stricter and stricter, and the IFBB more and more powerful with mandates,  This would all be done in the name of "protecting" the bodybuilding community. Then of course taxes AND fees. It would cost a FORTUNE to hold an IFBB certified event, because of the taxes and fees, as well as fines for all sorts of violations of IFBB rules, which would become more numerous each year. Pro cards would cost MUCH more, to pay for all the new IFBB board salaries. The power that these liberals would have over bodybuilding would breed corruption including biased decisions, financial fraud, and sexual abuse of competitors both male and female, who would be afraid to come forward because of the IFBB's power over the sport.
     A conservative would say you're all free to pursue bodybuilding how you see fit as an individual. The IFBB is here just to evaluate your physique onstage.

[Never1AShow]

You know what I think of your posting style, asshole, but this is actually my other issue with this thread. Most really don't do that. Most people in the "fitness lifestyle" who aren't pros only have short periods of time really doing that, if they even get to that point at all. Most don't turn weaknesses into strengths, most work on strengths and ignore weaknesses.  Among male gym rats, everybody likes working arms and chest, maybe back, fewer people  work legs unless they are genetic strengths. (I've heard so many guys try to justify why NOT training legs is actually a smart thing.) Half are permabulkers. Most never progress, even if they go somewhat regularly.  Even if you want to politicize working out (which is stupid IMO) the practical mindset of most people who work out is way different than the ideal mindset.

A point of clarification, not concerned with working out or the fitness lifestyle, just bodybuilding. In particular the bodybuilding mindset where you tailor your life around your growth of big muscles with an endgame of bodybuilding competition.  On some level to succeed you need to reject a lot of normal things like 3 meals a day or normal foods in favor of doing what you think works for growth.  You may get up for a protein shake at 2am.  You may eat chicken breast for breakfast or egg whites for dinner.  You may reject the "weekend" as rest and train Saturday and Sunday.  Heck, looking in the mirror at muscles and dieting isn't something "normal" men do.  Rejecting society's norms in favor of what you think is better tends to be a more classically liberal mindset.

On the other hand "the body thrives on regularity" and to quote Lee Haney "God put the white and the yolk together you shouldn't separate them."  And the bodybuilding lifestyle for optimum growth tends to be a fairly boring routine focusing on eat, train, eat, sleep over and over and over consistently with no vacations from training (unless you're a slacker).  That seems pretty stick with the tried and true conservative.

[Dave D]

Phil Heath and his back.

Pre 2007ish his back was poor. Back and chest were his only weak body parts then.

By 2009 he had thicker pecs, although they didn't look great with his narrow clavicles. Back was now out of this world good. Best example of turning a weakness into a strength. In comparison Cutler barely improved his.

Great point!

I will only say that Heath was still beginning his bodybuilding journey in 06 compared to Cutler who was well established with his development (and again in hindsight idk how much Jay actually brought his back up compared to Ronnie declining).

[Irongrip400]

Judging by this board, I’d say mostly conservative. Although all the closet cases would suggest…oh wait…