Bodybuilding actually began during the era of the Greeks. The Greeks served as the inspiration for many late societies, such as the Romans and their Gladiators. They were known for being fearless fighters, and the saying “a body like a Greek God” originated because people believed the Greeks were strong, muscly, and ready for anything. Although the Greeks wouldn’t have known they were starting the trend of bodybuilding, they did build the foundation for the ideal bodybuilder’s body.
Below, we’ll look at how bodybuilding has evolved into a popular trend today and why people are obsessed.
The Earliest Celebrations Of The Human Physique
The Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans were all infatuated with the human body and the power of the physical form. The taller, more muscly, and stronger the man, the more powerful, respected, and desirable they were. All three would host games, such as the Romans with the gladiator battles and the Greeks who started the earliest records of the Olympics.
Still, bodybuilding wasn’t a thing as such during these eras; they were more concerned about developing the physical form for strength and power rather than the aesthetic. They would use stones and rocks of various sizes to gain strength and ultimately build the physique that generations of humans would come to remember.
The 90’s
Weight training didn’t slip away in the period between the Greeks and the 90s, but it was during the 90s that weight training to improve the physical form became a massive trend, rather than focusing on strength and power. It was in the early 90s that weight training for entertainment purposes also originated, with the professional strongman originating from the shows in the early 90s that would thrill people with strength and form.
It was, however, arguably Eugene Sandow, the father of bodybuilding, who made it what it is today as he became a phenomenon of natural physique and strength. Natural, however, soon slipped away and in came the use of steroids to improve the physical form. Arnold Swazenneger, for example, says he feels steroids took his physique to the highest possible level. Bodybuilding shows soon became about poses and tans; rather than strength and power.
Bodybuilding Today
Bodybuilding today is a massive trend – but there are two sides to it. There are the people building muscle and the perfect body for shows and those building strength and power. The use of steroids is also higher than in the 90s – with a simple search of terms like steroids Canada or America, anyone can get their hands on the manmade hormone that promotes testosterone production.
You could say that the era of natural bodybuilding is somewhat dying out. Instead, people take steroids and supplements like BCAA’s and whey protein to support and promote muscle growth. Interestingly, more females are into bodybuilding than in any other era on the timeline. There has been a huge shift in women focusing on weights for strength and muscle growth rather than cardio and toning.
Bodybuilding is, at the core, about looking and feeling good. Although it may have changed over the years, the fundamentals of why people lift weights and body build remain the same. There are more people than ever before in the gym, lifting weights and improving their physical form.