Why does bodybuilding have such a negative connotation?

juliemouse83

I don't want to take drugs or compete...I simply want to look good nekkid and rock the swimsuit at the pool this summer.

juliemouse83

Whoever says bodybuilding has a negative connotation has probably never tried it! There's NO better way to sculpt the body you want, lose fat, gain some nice lean muscle, build your bones plus raise your metabolism than wailing on weights. And just so you know it's WAY harder to gain 1 lb. of muscle than it is to lose 1 lb. of fat - whether you are male or female. Indeed, the fear of bulking up too much is a myth that needs to be laid to rest and if you look around your gym, you'll see that those with the very best bodies are in the free weight zone - NOT in Zumba, or doing endless cardio, or using only machines! - period.

I ^^This^^

darkguardian419

I think the main negative connotation is that, to the gen pop, bodybuilding is lifting weights to do competitions. Some define bodybuilding as such, which comes with your 'typical meathead' connotation as well.

If you compare bodybuilding to powerlifters to any other "branch" of strength trainers, there is a thread of people who feel "bodybuilders" as far as the people who do almost pure accessory work to 'look pretty' is just for pretty boys.

If you take it at the base sense of building your body's muscle to get stronger while maintaining a low body fat percentage, there shouldn't be any of these issues. There are some a**holes who are the meatheads, but there are the same if not more who are powerlifters, who are crossfitters, and cardio bunnies as well.

It's just like racism... there are jerks everywhere, people just tend to look at things as black and white, no gray area.

Llorraine11

I LOVE TO DO WEIGHTS!

CakeFit21

because, spray tan?

^^^ this

Andrew_peter

Steroids/"supplements", grunting showoffs, and meatheads or other gym toughguys.

jonnythan

I think bodybuilding has a negative connotation because it's done strictly for aesthetic purposes. Bodybuilding has a history of sacrificing health and performance in order to achieve aesthetics, and is therefore looked down upon.

The problem comes with people equating lifting to bodybuilding. These are very different things.

Jersey_Devil

Anybody who wants to "tone", that's all you're doing...

i'm guessing you've watched one too many Planet Fitness commercials

efirkey

I think bodybuilding has a negative connotation because it's done strictly for aesthetic purposes. Bodybuilding has a history of sacrificing health and performance in order to achieve aesthetics, and is therefore looked down upon.

The problem comes with people equating lifting to bodybuilding. These are very different things.

Funny thing bodybuilding started off being all about health, performance, and eating well.

ndj1979

I LOVE TO DO WEIGHTS!

Ummmmm I could go in all different directions with this one..but I will just shut up ....

jonnythan

I think bodybuilding has a negative connotation because it's done strictly for aesthetic purposes. Bodybuilding has a history of sacrificing health and performance in order to achieve aesthetics, and is therefore looked down upon.

The problem comes with people equating lifting to bodybuilding. These are very different things.

Funny thing bodybuilding started off being all about health, performance, and eating well.

Did it? When was that? Must have been 60s or earlier I guess?

Ever since the Arnold days, bodybuilding has been a competitive sport that has nothing to do with health or performance. It's about aesthetics and aesthetics alone. To be a competitive bodybuilder you literally have to sacrifice health and performance.

suv_hater

Because the poster child for the sport, Arnold, was a drug addict and overall crappy human being.

cwolfman13

I think bodybuilding has a negative connotation because it's done strictly for aesthetic purposes. Bodybuilding has a history of sacrificing health and performance in order to achieve aesthetics, and is therefore looked down upon.

The problem comes with people equating lifting to bodybuilding. These are very different things.

This^^^

That said, I think the average Joe who's "body building" isn't necessarily going to those lengths just to look good walking down the beach.

suv_hater

if you look around your gym, you'll see that those with the very best bodies are in the free weight zone - NOT in Zumba, or doing endless cardio, or using only machines! - period.

Uh, what if they just came from the free weight zone?
This is one of the things that is irritating about amateur bodybuilders.... they shun things like distance running or taking a long walk. I see it all the time on Instagram.... this whole superiority complex over cardio..... if you're not doing HIIT you're not part of their cool club. It's such a warped vision of health and fitness.

SteveJWatson

1) Steroids

2) Pastel speedos/thongs

3) Oiled bodies

4) Conan the Barbarian

RunDoozer

I blame this moron.

Oishii

I think bodybuilding has a negative connotation because it's done strictly for aesthetic purposes. Bodybuilding has a history of sacrificing health and performance in order to achieve aesthetics, and is therefore looked down upon.

The problem comes with people equating lifting to bodybuilding. These are very different things.

I agree with all of this. Body building is not strength training. Strength training sounds like it has a practical purpose (if you are stronger, you do more) whereas body building is all about looking different and being looked at. Our society is not as comfortable as it once was with male vanity.

Fittreelol

I think bodybuilding has a negative connotation because it's done strictly for aesthetic purposes. Bodybuilding has a history of sacrificing health and performance in order to achieve aesthetics, and is therefore looked down upon.

The problem comes with people equating lifting to bodybuilding. These are very different things.

This. There's this weird ideal in our society that you're expected to look good, but it only "counts" if you aren't actually trying. That's why actresses in interviews say they got their pre-baby body back by "light yoga while the baby was napping" and not "I left my newborn with nannies while I lived at the gym and ate 3 oz of grill chicken breast and 4 asparagus spears a day."

Matt_Wild

Probably from the vanity aspect? Some might also think there's better/more productive things to be doing with time than building muscles. Some will be jealous of the dedication it takes and some will be jealous of the time some people have to spend on themselves.

Like women spending an hour or to get ready to go out, or get up in the morning, doing their hair, makeup and outfit... or better than spending hours sitting on the *kitten* watching TV? :laugh:

Ps said in jest.

emrogers

ignorance= not educated

_noob_

ignorance= not educated

what does educated mean?

bcattoes

Anybody who wants to "tone", that's all you're doing...

I think toning and body building are different things, but I also don't think body building has a negative connotation. Quite the opposite on this site, which has a fairly large population spill over from bodybuilding.com.

bcattoes

ignorance= not educated

what does educated mean?

ed·u·cat·ed/ˈɛdʒʊˌkeɪtɪd/ Show Spelled [ej-oo-key-tid]
adjective
1. having undergone education: educated people.
2. characterized by or displaying qualities of culture and learning.
3. based on some information or experience: an educated estimate of next year's sales.

ed·u·ca·tion/ˌɛdʒʊˈkeɪʃən/ Show Spelled [ej-oo-key-shuhn]
noun
1. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
2. the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession.
3. a degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education.
4. the result produced by instruction, training, or study: to show one's education.
5. the science or art of teaching; pedagogics.

csuhar

I think it is, as some others have mentioned, because it is often given a connotation of being an aesthetic thing with an emphasis on size over functionality.


And the marketing doesn't help. Many bodybuilding mags have a guy on the cover or somewhere within the ads that seem to make up most of the magazine, grimacing like he's constipated, with biceps almost the size of a human head and headlines that emphasize size.


Well, when the movement that promotes lifting and building muscle for health (and, arguably, bodybuilding exercises NOT emphasizing getting as big as you can) tries to argue their case, they then have to do battle with people who say "But I don't want to look like the Hulk". So they're left having to delineate between lifting and bodybuilding and their argument generally boils down to "you want to lift because that will make you healthy, bodybuilding is not the same thing because they want size". This can sound dismissive because bodybuilding is not the "health" oriented route.


Then, there are lots of people who will share their opinions that bodybuilders have physiques they don't consider attractive, which adds its own level of negativity. If I want to attract women and what I'm hearing is that they don't want bodybuilders (even if they're envisioning a stereotype), then the last thing I want to do is associate myself with bodybuilding.

,

_noob_

ignorance= not educated

what does educated mean?

ed·u·cat·ed/ˈɛdʒʊˌkeɪtɪd/ Show Spelled [ej-oo-key-tid]
adjective
1. having undergone education: educated people.
2. characterized by or displaying qualities of culture and learning.
3. based on some information or experience: an educated estimate of next year's sales.

ed·u·ca·tion/ˌɛdʒʊˈkeɪʃən/ Show Spelled [ej-oo-key-shuhn]
noun
1. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
2. the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession.
3. a degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education.
4. the result produced by instruction, training, or study: to show one's education.
5. the science or art of teaching; pedagogics.

deserved that one...well played

peachfigs

I think due to the association with steroids and unhealthy high protein diets.

bcf7683

Because it's one of those things you cannot understand truly unless you've done it.

Agree.

bcf7683

I don't care what other people think, lifting makes me happy and keeps me from turning into a giant green rage monster.

Agree with this also. :laugh:

blues4miles

2) Pastel speedos/thongs

3) Oiled bodies

4) Conan the Barbarian

You say that like those are bad things...oh well, more pictures for me then...

_noob_

2) Pastel speedos/thongs

3) Oiled bodies

4) Conan the Barbarian

You say that like those are bad things...oh well, more pictures for me then...

yeah, arnold took baby doses of steroids that were administered under doctor's supervision. Dude just did the work...