why so many disfunctional serious bodybuilders?

[DK II]

Most bodybuilders have as much brain as a cake.

When your whole life cycles around the size of your arms and how much steroids you have to inject when and what medication you have to take to fight the sides plus all the fuzz about getting EXCATLY 23.5 g of protein at a certain time there no time for a decent job or the "fine  arts".

[@Brandon]

He's a good training partner, that's why. I get to gym and he got the music I want playing...machines loaded up and he's already warming up.

 He's contest shape year around and tan. His life is MD Magazine...XBox and his hopes "to go PRO". Funny thing is...he never qualified for a national level show. Neither have I but I'm not him. I'm just telling the story.

 I spoke to him the other day and he was telling me about how he ate a whole bag of Oreo cookies and woke up in the middle of the night and was more ripped as he's ever been. That's like...a HUGE event in his day. If not that he tells me about how he got 'life immunity' in Resident Evil. I don't even play video games. He just tells me.

 He think's he'll go PRO in the next 2 years. He's competing in 2 weeks in Chicago and thinks I'm a pussy for dropping out of the show due to financial and personal legal drama. Some BB's just don't get it.

Your friend sounds retarded.
Maybe the parents know that, and is taking care of and protectin their retarded son.
10y old children talks about Life immunity on resident evil.

You dont find it difficult hanging out with a retarded friend?

[MAXX]

stupid fucker not to take the fire fighter jobb. Its the perfect jobb for a bodybuilder. 1/10 of the time they do nothing and half of the time its fake calls just  someone smoking inside...

[210 and growing]

Most bodybuilders have as much brain as a cake.

When your whole life cycles around the size of your arms and how much steroids you have to inject when and what medication you have to take to fight the sides plus all the fuzz about getting EXCATLY 23.5 g of protein at a certain time there no time for a decent job or the "fine  arts".

HAHA - i think we have hit the nail on the head guys !! F uckin wierdos !! 

[HUGEPECS]

well, I Praise those bodybuilders outthere who can hold a professional career and bodybuilds at the same time. it pays to be a smart bodybuilder. I think there are a handfull of them on the Pro circuit

[HowieW]

PhD in chemistry?

BS Chemistry, MS in physics  my doctorate is in science education.

Bodybuilding is a fun activity but trying to make a a "life" and/or living around it can be a recipe for disaster in my opinion.
The old pros like Sergio Olivia  worked jobs and made $$$$$ .
I think that pro wannabees that live at home and sponge off parents or girlfriends are lazy and lacking in character.

[The Squadfather]

hahahahaha, another internet PhD.

[Blockhead]

Your friend sounds retarded.
Maybe the parents know that, and is taking care of and protectin their retarded son.
10y old children talks about Life immunity on resident evil.

You dont find it difficult hanging out with a retarded friend?

I don't necessairly HANG OUT with him or anybody. I never 'hang out'. Ever. He's just one of my meathed gym buddies. He always got extra clen or gear laying around and he's a good training partner. For example...

 "..awww man, after work I gotta pick up Mrs BlockHead cuz her car's in the shop...I won't be at the gym until around 9:30pm, bro...I'll just meet up with you tomorrow..."

 '..Naaaa, that's cool...I'll be there at 9:30...take your time.'

 I didn't see him last night because I went to a different gym and he won't go to that particular gym because he's ducking some guys as he owes them money. Has to do with gear and FRONTING. Typical BBer.

 His parents have money. Dad is a fire cheif and his mom does real estate I think. I guess they don't care. I don't know. He's been like this for years. He's doing a show in a couple weeks I'll try to get pics of him and POST them. It's amazing. He'll go to a show and get autographs from PROS signed to him and I go over to his crib and they'll be pinned to his bedroom wall. Hahaha...

 He 100% believes he will go PRO within the next 2 years...get a supplement contract and make money. He sent his pics to that MD Cyber contest but didn't get picked. He sends his pics to Optimum, Beverley, NOW, ErgoPharm etc...nothing happens. I explain even if a company wanted his images...what will he get besides a few free jugs of protein powder? He says..."No dude...once I get that I can afford IGF and more Gh then when I qualify for Nationals and if I take top 5 or something...then I can break in the magazines and then my name will get out there so then..."

 Hahaha. He's a trip. He's like a walking JERRY SPRINGER show. I talk to him and afterwards I dont feel so bad.

 I bet if I call him right now...he's either sleeping or he's watching a BB dvd or something or playing XBOX with the faint sound of TuPac in the backround. WAITING for me to come to the gym tonite.

 Know what's funny? When I go to different gyms he won't go and get's mad. "Awww come on man...I got a killer shoulder routine planned bro, I was reading that Charles Glass has his guys like hold their pinky finger down like pouring water out of a pitcher, you know...so it's supposed to hit the side delt better so I want to try those tonite...fk that gym man...that place sucks. Come to PUMPS tonite...I'll throw you some winny tabs I got..."

 He tries bribing me. Hahaha..

[MAXX]

I don't necessairly HANG OUT with him or anybody. I never 'hang out'. Ever. He's just one of my meathed gym buddies. He always got extra clen or gear laying around and he's a good training partner. For example...

 "..awww man, after work I gotta pick up Mrs BlockHead cuz her car's in the shop...I won't be at the gym until around 9:30pm, bro...I'll just meet up with you tomorrow..."

 '..Naaaa, that's cool...I'll be there at 9:30...take your time.'

 I didn't see him last night because I went to a different gym and he won't go to that particular gym because he's ducking some guys as he owes them money. Has to do with gear and FRONTING. Typical BBer.

 His parents have money. Dad is a fire cheif and his mom does real estate I think. I guess they don't care. I don't know. He's been like this for years. He's doing a show in a couple weeks I'll try to get pics of him and POST them. It's amazing. He'll go to a show and get autographs from PROS signed to him and I go over to his crib and they'll be pinned to his bedroom wall. Hahaha...

 He 100% believes he will go PRO within the next 2 years...get a supplement contract and make money. He sent his pics to that MD Cyber contest but didn't get picked. He sends his pics to Optimum, Beverley, NOW, ErgoPharm etc...nothing happens. I explain even if a company wanted his images...what will he get besides a few free jugs of protein powder? He says..."No dude...once I get that I can afford IGF and more Gh then when I qualify for Nationals and if I take top 5 or something...then I can break in the magazines and then my name will get out there so then..."

 Hahaha. He's a trip. He's like a walking JERRY SPRINGER show. I talk to him and afterwards I dont feel so bad.

 I bet if I call him right now...he's either sleeping or he's watching a BB dvd or something or playing XBOX with the faint sound of TuPac in the backround. WAITING for me to come to the gym tonite.

 Know what's funny? When I go to different gyms he won't go and get's mad. "Awww come on man...I got a killer shoulder routine planned bro, I was reading that Charles Glass has his guys like hold their pinky finger down like pouring water out of a pitcher, you know...so it's supposed to hit the side delt better so I want to try those tonite...fk that gym man...that place sucks. Come to PUMPS tonite...I'll throw you some winny tabs I got..."

 He tries bribing me. Hahaha..

are you sure he doesnt read getbig?

i would guess most bb'ers reads either on getbig or musclemayhem.

[hifrommike]

I'm not a psychiatrist, but I'd guess the guy who won't take a job because he might miss a workout has an obsessive/compulsive disorder.  If not that, something else that could use some treatment.  He will be doing exactly the same thing 20 years from now unless something forces him not to. 

[The Enigma]

While there have been some top bodybuilders that enjoy decent , happy, secure lives; it seems pretty rare .
The personal lives and finances $$$ of many that get serious and hardcore seem to suffer.
I was taking to a guy that used to seriously compete (like me). We both realized how much better our overall life and financial security was since we stopped being so serious about bodybuilding and treated it as hobby.
I love bodybuilding and still train hard, but my finances and life quality kinda sucked when I was into serious competition.
I am not sure what the reality is here ? any thoughts??

Did you mean dysfuntional? As in abnormal? 

[The Enigma]

Did you mean dysfuntional? As in abnormal? 

Or dysfuctional?

[Big N]

I'm not a psychiatrist, but I'd guess the guy who won't take a job because he might miss a workout has an obsessive/compulsive disorder.  If not that, something else that could use some treatment.  He will be doing exactly the same thing 20 years from now unless something forces him not to. 

"Obsessive/compulsive disorder" is a little too extreme, i'd rather call it a form of "addiction" or "bad excuse to work". Otherwise yes agreed dude.

[The Enigma]

Or dysfuctional?

Or disfictional?

[Matt C]

While there have been some top bodybuilders that enjoy decent , happy, secure lives; it seems pretty rare .
The personal lives and finances $$$ of many that get serious and hardcore seem to suffer.
I was taking to a guy that used to seriously compete (like me). We both realized how much better our overall life and financial security was since we stopped being so serious about bodybuilding and treated it as hobby.
I love bodybuilding and still train hard, but my finances and life quality kinda sucked when I was into serious competition.
I am not sure what the reality is here ? any thoughts??

I was just thinking about this today.  I was thinking what it was about Gunter's personality that everyone seems to love.  It's not what Gunter IS, but what is ISN'T.  He ISN'T insecure and unhappy and unstable and etc.  He's just a normal happy guy who has a stable life that he enjoys.  In addition to that, being good looking helps of course, but the main reason he is so well received is for all the bad things he is not.

I think the reason why most pros don't fit this category is because it takes a certain type of extreme personality to become a pro.  It was the same inclination for recreational drug abuse which allowed Tom Prince to abuse performance enhancing drugs to the extent he did to achieve success as a pro.  What he had was, as someone put it, CRAZY.  The ability to get through intense workouts in the gym as he destroyed his joints and tendons.

It's kind of like looking at geniuses: there is a greater percentage of geniuses who have all forms of mental illness because the same powerful minds which resulted in that high IQ resulted in other brain activity as well which was not always for the best.  Or think of extremely religious people: they are more likely to do all types of irrational things - the same irrationality which made them extremely religious also affects other areas of their life.  So really, it's that it takes a certain type of person to become a pro.  You need to be willing to dedicate an abundance of time and money to something that gives little back - you need to risk your health and make a lot of sacrifices.  These same personality traits will extend to other areas such as poor financial planning and poor relationships and so on.

Of course, like anything in life, there are exceptions, but I can objectively tell you that I feel the stereotype of a bodybuilder is very true.  Most stereotypes are accurate generalizations.  When I went to the Arnold Classic, people were asking me if I was competing in it lol.  Proof of what the general populace considers "built" - and I definitely don't hold it against anyone to think of me as a meathead.  From my observation, that is generally pretty accurate amongst bodybuilders.  Bodybuilding doesn't make a person dumb, but more than likely dumb people will train to make up for something else.

[HowieW]

Obviously there are idiots and geniuses in every field. Get out of your little insecure box.

For example, I was really impressed with Silvio's intelligence (he went to a university on scholarship for Aeronautical Engineering). And trained a bit with Mike (a national level competitor) who has a masters in Engineering.

I can easily say the same about high school teachers (why so many disfunctional high school teachers?). Give me a fucken break -- those losers get 3 months off each year and bitch and moan about how hard they've got it.    My high school physics teacher was originally one of the PE teachers -- hadn't a clue about physics. Biggest bonehead I've ever met...and I was only 17. I could go on...want me to continue?

By "DYSFUNCTIONAL" I mean in terms of a consistant, stable life . Things like a home, stable career, health coverage and retirement, etc.  I won't teachers here as I have worked with some lousy and lazy ones, that is for sure. The point is that as a teacher, you still have a stable career with bennefits. Granted it can be dull like most typical careers, but, it is stable.  The PE teacher , who taught physics was WRONG. That is the schools fault and EVERY teacher should be fully qualified to teach their subject or they have no business in front of a classroom.
Having said that, I love teaching and feel I do some small measure to make a difference in a few kids each year.

I don't need to even bother defending the field of education, it is one of the foundations of every society in the world.
Bodybuilding is a great sport and I love it. I just think that as a carrer pursuit, it is losing proposition for 99% of those that try. Some top guys like Jay Cutler seem to be pretty balanced guys with stable lives. I think he is the exception rather than the rule however.
Howard

[Man of Steel]

You're preaching to the choir here, homey. I could write a book on this topic.

 I told this story before...

 Buddy of mine. 4 yrs older than me so he's about 31 now. Lives at home and never ever ever has a job or works. He is ripped/tan and shaven clean year around. Uses gear and never comes OFF. 2 years ago we drive out to the ASC and he was PISSED because..."Dude...my dad is being an asshole, man...he only gave me $100 to spend..."

 Anyway...when he was 21 he took the Chicago firefighters enterence exam. His dad is a Cheif on the job so he takes the exam and last summer he comes to the gym and shows me a letter. It was a letter saying how he is being selected to continue with the hiring process and must report to the Academy in 30 days. I was estatic for him...that's the best job ever in Chicago and for a bodybuilder. Work 81 days a year? Excellent pay and benefits. He was all grim about it and said he isn't going to bother. The reason? He was prepping for the Indiana State Show and couldn't go to the Fire Academy because..."dude, fk that man...all that running and shit they do in the Academy...I'll lose muscle fk that shit no way...I sent my pictures to Beverley Int. and they're the main sponsor of the show so fk that! "

 That was last summer. He ened up NOT placing or qualifying for a national level show and I bet my hairy ass right now he's at home...playing XBox waiting for me to get home so we could train.

 Amazing, huh?

I think I remember you posting that story awhile back.....it was even funnier and more pathetic this time around.

[HowieW]

I think I remember you posting that story awhile back.....it was even funnier and more pathetic this time around.

I agree, and the thing is I bet we all know some guy that is like that to some degree.
I just laugh at that kind of bodybuilder and am glad I don't have their life LOL

[Debussey]

BS Chemistry, MS in physics  my doctorate is in science education.

Great work man!