What is it
Body building is literally the “construction of the body”, that is the intervention aimed at developing muscle mass according to beauty criteria typical of this discipline, which provide for a growth of the muscles much higher than the norm.
What is it for?
The purpose of this bodily transformation is not the development of physical strength but exclusively the achievement of aesthetic ends, namely “beauty” according to the canons of body building.
Muscle growth can also be pursued for competitive purposes, i.e. with the aim of participating in national and international competitions organized by the various associations that regulate the discipline; In these competitions the body builder is judged by the proportions, harmony and symmetry that muscle development has given to his body.
How to practice
Muscle growth is achieved by constantly practicing strenuous physical exercises and following a targeted diet.
The exercises generally involve short and intense efforts and are carried out with loads (such as weights, barbells and specific machines), to be pushed or lifted.
Training is diversified on the basis of the magnitude of the load, the number of repetitions of the exercise, the intensity with which a certain muscle group is stimulated and also the duration of the rest time reserved for a certain group of muscles so that it can regenerate and develop greater mass.
The diet is generally based on the consumption of numerous meals throughout the day and on the preference for protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, milk and fish. Foods rich in carbohydrates such as rice and pasta are also often consumed to restore the energy spent to the body.
Who can practice it
Body building is a discipline that requires constant training with which you try to bring the muscles to the maximum effort they can withstand; For this reason it is suitable only for those who do not have muscle, heart or physical pathologies in general.
It is therefore not recommended in the age of development to avoid too consistent stimulation of the muscles and excessive reduction of fat mass.
Contraindications
For a long time, and in particular in the 80s, in the world of body building the intake of substances that promote the development of muscle mass has been tolerated but which, in the doses in which they were often taken, can give rise to disorders and metabolic imbalances even serious.
In particular, there has been a widespread use of anabolic steroids which, having an action similar to the male hormone testosterone, increased muscle mass.
Today it is known that the abuse of these substances can cause metabolic imbalances and infertility in men and masculinization phenomena, with irregularities in the menstrual cycle and breast reduction, in women.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.