The human body happens to be the most complex system of machinery. Outwardly, it may seem like just the limbs, the head, the back, chest, and the core. But as the age-old saying goes, the more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know. When I say building a body, what comes to the mind, is the hypertrophy in externally visible muscle. That in fact might seem like a very simplistic and naive perception of bodybuilding.
Even if it is focused on the hypertrophy of the visible muscles that cannot be done, unless and until the deep-seated muscles, the ligaments, the tendons, and the biochemical pathways are all aligned to work towards the same goal. And that there is a certain level of myofibrillar hypertrophy besides the plain sarcoplasmic hypertrophies that we are targeting. That brings us a bit closer to real bodybuilding. When you build something, it has to have a firm and strong foundation.
What is Natural Bodybuilding?
When I say natural bodybuilding, every person who is strengthening herself, measuring his/her diet, calibrating it consciously, matching it with appropriate exercises in bodybuilding. It may be to support his/her respective sport or personal goals. What eventually happens is that if you have a well-balanced approach, you have educated yourself well and created sufficient awareness, you are ready to accept that this is a lifelong process that has to evolve and years, you will be able to reach the very best version of yourself. By well-balanced approach I mean, your weight training would have to be supported by well-maintained cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, endurance, and other components of fitness. Reaching your best potential can give you a happy and very satisfying life, and help you to explore the world in so many ways.
Are Supplements Essential for Bodybuilding?
The word dietary supplement in itself means that these products supplement the diet and cannot replace the diet completely. However, while we have certain goals accompanied by certain limitations, that we need to surpass and supersede, we need the support of these supplements. For example, muscle is primarily made up of protein. As explained earlier, a bodybuilder may need higher protein than usual to accomplish hypertrophy by super-compensation, while at the same time keeping the calorie intake in check. The only way that is possible is by taking a protein supplement. It would be desirable that the supplement contains just pure protein and minimal if at all any other macronutrient. Supplementation is required to ensure adequate blood supply to the muscles and for the completion of the required biochemical reactions for protein metabolism.
What are different body type workouts?
As we exercise and train our muscles to strengthen and grow, the body takes shape following with the type of muscle fibres, the quantum of fibres, and length of limbs for roundedness, and so on.
The way we train, focusing on different muscles, understanding our structure, using different training modalities, especially by bringing about variations in the number of repetitions, the resistance applied, time under tension, the technique of execution of an exercise, limiting the time between exercise and the order of execution of these exercises, helps to design the routine to eventually sculpt the body. The body can thus be sculpted, in due course of time. That is an ever-evolving process. Natural bodybuilding needs a person to have a very balanced and matured mind. It needs consistency in the long run. It needs you to overlook indulgences and temptations. In fact, it keeps a person focused and brings forth the best version of the person.
What happens when it comes to competitive bodybuilding?
Competitive bodybuilding means that you would be compared to other bodybuilders. In non-competitive bodybuilding, your work and progress are based on becoming a better version of you to live a productive life. Fitness, as we know, has several components - strength, power, endurance, flexibility, body composition, and so on. While our focus ideally should be on overall development of all these components the focus in bodybuilding, is primarily on fat loss and muscle gain.
Bodybuilding to some extent requires one to be narcissistic. Without judging whether narcissism in itself is positive or negative, it has to be accepted that some degree of it has to be there, which keeps the bodybuilders so self-obsessed that he/she is non-judgemental towards others.
Women especially are scrutinised much more and all these things have emotional and psychological repercussions. As a bodybuilder steps into the competitive world, a relevant realization those dawns upon him/her is that this is a subjective sport. A lot depends on your fellow competitors, as well as the criteria laid down by the bodybuilding federation, the preferences of the judging panel, and the kind of judges who form the panel.
Being a Bodybuilder or Athlete what are the expectation from the competition?
If it means achieving fame and glory, one has to approach it in a way that the stage memories are captured and used with a parallel sense of detachment. Clinging on too much to winning medals and comparing oneself too intricately to others can be emotionally draining and stressful, pushing you to take to means and substances that can harm you in the long run and take away all the benefits of bodybuilding.
Almost all bodybuilders including Olympians, reach their peak, learn as much as they can in their competitive journeys, recondition their minds and then eventually realize that, if they are to stay alive and productive and live happier lives, they need to simply follow the same routine and life sans anabolics. They also need to work on mobilities and their abilities without harming themselves without going overboard. I would say they graduate to natural bodybuilding.
What are the natural strategies for natural Bodybuilding?
While natural bodybuilding can bring about the best in a person, especiallybecause it takes a lot more than is obvious on the exterior. It can come only by being consistent physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically, besides having a tremendous amount of strength, patience, and resilience and re-adapting to the society with grace. Competitive bodybuilding in a desperate attempt to prove oneself may take away the essence of it all because, besides the obvious anabolics and other bizarre ways, there is judgment, jealousy, society, partiality, and money involved, that can complicate matters.
I wish for a world where natural bodybuilding is highly encouraged. If the norms of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) organisations are truly followed and stricter and clearer guidelines are laid down with support from the governments, natural bodybuilding can bring about a whole paradigm change in bringing awareness in fitness and putting things in perspective to carve a path towards a fitter, a stronger and happier world.
About The Author
The team is based out of Delhi and is connected to all the leading athletes, trainers and nutritionists. The purpose is to bridge the gap between common people and all fitness e..
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