Why does bodybuilding have such a negative connotation?

_noob_
_noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anybody who wants to "tone", that's all you're doing...
«13

Replies

  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    It doesn't.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    I think it is just on the downside of the fad cycle. When I was in highschool I was into bodybuilding and now it seems like "strengthstrengthstrength" is the buzz word.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    I wasn't aware that bodybuilding had a negative connotation. And, those who say they're looking to "tone" aren't typically looking to "bodyduilkd". They usually mean they want their muscles to show which is just losing fat to show the muscle better. Bodybuilding, generally speaking, means specifically seeking out a diet and exercise regime to increase muscle mass, not solely reduce fat.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I guess because people associate it with "meatheads" and "heavy grunters"...or they just had a bad experience with some random ahole at a gym and think that all people who lift are like that ..probably a half dozen things..

    Or some people just think that they will get massively jacked up if they lift every day ...which could not be further from the truth...
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    I don't really see the negative connotation except in the expressions of the uninformed.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    I guess because people associate it with "meatheads" and "heavy grunters"...or they just had a bad experience with some random ahole at a gym and think that all people who lift are like that ..probably a half dozen things..

    Or some people just think that they will get massively jacked up if they lift every day ...which could not be further from the truth...

    this
  • Angie__1MR
    Angie__1MR Posts: 388 Member
    Um, no. "toning" whatever the hell that is, is not bodybuilding.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    some get too bulky and look like ****.
  • NikkiSixGuns
    NikkiSixGuns Posts: 630 Member
    Does it?
  • MommaRoseFitness
    MommaRoseFitness Posts: 87 Member
    It is like every activity. Some people give things a bad view. Others are jealous of what they accomplish.

    Like being a dancer or cheerleader. It was snob or vain.

    A lot of the body builders at my gym are extremely nice. If they see me going towards free weights, they offer to spot.
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    Because it's one of those things you cannot understand truly unless you've done it.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    some get too bulky and look like ****.

    It takes a hell of a long time to get that way.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    It is like every activity. Some people give things a bad view. Others are jealous of what they accomplish.

    Like being a dancer or cheerleader. It was snob or vain.

    A lot of the body builders at my gym are extremely nice. If they see me going towards free weights, they offer to spot.

    That's because you're a good-looking girl, not because they are nice, hahahaha.
  • HealthWoke0ish
    HealthWoke0ish Posts: 2,078 Member
    If it does, it's because those people think "body building" = "body bulking". To them I say, A square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    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.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    steroids
  • BlackStarDeceiver
    BlackStarDeceiver Posts: 590 Member
    I don't care what other people think, lifting makes me happy and keeps me from turning into a giant green rage monster.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
    In the past, I think people associated bodybuilding with steroid use. How the perception has changed. It has become a more acceptable sport in the public eye. Not so much a quick bulk, but actually a lot of hard work and dedication. I personally wouldn't want to be a mass of total muscle with a freakish look....but everybody has their own body and can do with it what they please.

    Sorry, I had put "freakish" in there to get a rise outta folks!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Because people see the extremes, and think that's what happens to everyone.
  • RetroRob
    RetroRob Posts: 58
    steroids
    ^ This^
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    It is the pendulum of fashion. Used to be body building. Now, it is powerlifting and strength. Next week . . . who knows? I am waiting for everything to go back to cardio. Dagnabit !
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I think it's because of the OTT body builder pictures you see... I used to think negatively about it on women, but now I think chicks with muscles Rock!
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
    If it does, it's because those people think "body building" = "body bulking". To them I say, A square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square.

    Actually, a rectangle is not a square, unless you traverse it in half perpendicular to its longer paraell lines.And then it becomes two squares....So technically, it is never just "a" square.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    On the brighter side, the more people think badly or are not interested, the fewer people you will have to compete with to get to the rack at the gym, right? :laugh:

    Edited to fix typos.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    It's not universally negative, but there is a history of steroid use and of people doing nutty, unhealthy things just to look good for a competition.
  • efirkey
    efirkey Posts: 298 Member
    It can be an extremest egotistical sport. Some hard core bodybuilders do massive amounts of drugs. They are rumored to do GFP to pay for their drugs. And it is a little weird for men to pose in their underwear for adoring male fans. But you can certainly be a bodybuilder and not do any of those things.

    PS. I use to bodybuild in high school.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Probably from the vanity aspect? Some might also think there's better/more productive things to be doing with time than building muscles.

    I believe this is a common thought
  • dietingdanni
    dietingdanni Posts: 65
    steroids

    I think this is what people tend tend to associate with it. Plus the grunting and the vanity.
  • planetshark
    planetshark Posts: 37 Member
    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.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    because, spray tan?

Categories