Why did you start bodybuilding? To build muscle, duh!

Why did you stop bodybuilding? Well I haven’t stopped, yet…

I’m sure 99% of people reading this blog would have given the exact same answers to both questions. Because let’s face it, we start bodybuilding to build muscle, first and foremost. It’s a tough endeavour. It takes a lot of hard work, and what some might call “sacrifice”. We sacrifice time, junk food, alcohol, late nights, perhaps even family gatherings that may coincide with our training or competition schedule.

But one thing we should NEVER sacrifice in the quest for muscle is our health. It’s a strange thing, health. We don’t normally fully appreciate it until it’s taken away. And when we’re in good health we don’t always take steps to ensure it stays that way. Let’s face it, life is too short to be constantly worried about how every decision we make may impact our health. But when a significant threat to our health presents itself, most of us will have the good sense to avoid it at all costs.

Bodybuilding is most definitely a significant threat, if it is practiced in the wrong way. Obviously there’s the potential for acute injuries caused by improper lifting technique or a genuine accident on the gym floor. But delving deeper into the bodybuilding lifestyle we can uncover more sinister risks associated with our beloved sport. Beyond the occasional muscle strain and (not so occasional) post leg day DOMS there lies a whole host of other potentially health destroying risks.

These risks are presented when we take an excessive approach to all aspects of our bodybuilding lifestyle.

Ironic, in a way, seeing as bodybuilding by it’s very nature requires somewhat excessive behaviour to succeed. As bodybuilders, we do what many people consider to be an excessive amount of exercise, eat an excessive amount of protein, monitor our nutrition to an excessive degree…You get the idea. But what others see as obsession, we see as dedication. We’re willing to suffer the sacrifices necessary to achieve our bodybuilding goals.

That’s commendable, as long as it doesn’t cause our health to suffer, physical OR mental. No amount of muscle mass, no ripped abs, no trophy is worth jeopardizing your health for. Listen to your body. Be aware that excessive training or dieting, while it may get you closer to your cosmetic ideal, is not sustainable and will most definitely cause negative effects, not least hormone imbalances that can affect every aspect of your day to day life. Without delving too deep into the ill effects of out-of-whack hormones, let’s just say you’ll feel chronically shitty.

Likewise, obsessing about maintaining a perfect training and diet schedule is dangerous for our mental health. It’s unnecessary and can place an enormous amount of emotional stress on an person. While you may derive a great sense of satisfaction from strictly adhering to your plan, prioritizing it above everything else in life over an extended period of time is bound to leave you feeling stressed, drained, and trapped.

Bodybuilding is amazing; we watch ourselves literally transform over weeks, months and years. What was once our “dream body” becomes merely a stepping stone to an even more developed physique, one that will require a renewed effort, more effort. What we once considered excessive we now consider to be totally acceptable, a logical progression which is necessary to reach that next level.

And unless bodybuilding is your entire life, your only love and passion, then it makes no sense to give yourself over to it to such a degree that it feels as if it’s taking over your life and subsequently damaging your health.

Despite what some people say, there is a difference between dedication and obsession. Nobody can tell YOU exactly where the line between the two is, but if you’re able to recognize the symptoms of waning physical and mental health as discussed above, you should be able to discover where the line is for yourself.

Stay consistent in your bodybuilding journey, set goals and smash them. But don’t smash yourself in the process!

This is Shane McDonald for Muscle Eire.

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