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Bodybuilding: One in a Series of Articles on the Bodybuilding Experience
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Many who have observed bodybuilders in competition have wondered what would posses these men and women to grow their muscles to such a enormous mass. One answer to that and other questions will be dealt with in this series of articles; welcome to the phenomenon of bodybuilding. 
First, one need’s to understand that bodybuilding is an exaggerated form of body modification. Rather than piercing or tattooing the outer skin, bodybuilders concentrate on subcutaneous muscle hypertrophy, or an exaggerated growth in the mass of the muscle through an increase in its size opposed to the number of its cells.
The competitive bodybuilder’s resultant physic is accomplished through a regimen of fat loss, oils, and tanning, which, combined with the proper lighting, reveal the extreme definition of the muscle groups.
Some of the more famous and familiar bodybuilders include California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, best remembered as the Incredible Hulk from television, and Jack La Lane, the health guru for a generation of television viewers.
In researching this article it was discovered that most competitive bodybuilders concentrate on gaining muscle mass for most of the year, known as the "off-season," and, about twelve weeks from competition, attempt to lose body fat, called "cutting," while restricting the loss of muscle mass. This simply means they reduce their calorie intake and increase aerobic exercise while monitoring their body fat percentage. Bodybuilders have been known to carry less than two-percent body fat during competitive periods.
How effective is this method? That is still unknown, because there are very few actual studies on the subject, and no known studies involving exact hypercaloric feeding combined with resistance exercise have been conducted. In other words, it’s trial and error for each bodybuilder to develop his or her own methods or improve upon the ones established by bodybuilders before them.
On the other hand, non-competitive bodybuilders choose not to adopt this strategy because of the enormous fat gain during the "bulking" phase. Instead, they prefer to maintain an attractive physique year-round. This is known as “toning.”
The evidence is very subjective, but it is believed that a proper training program combined with a modestly high calorie diet and proper nutrient balance, such as iron and other minerals, nitrogen, and potassium, can produce a relatively steady increase in muscle size and strength, while avoiding significant increases in body fat. It’s certainly not as fast as the pros, but it is a bit safer and less strenuous to the body.
Now that the introduction of bodybuilding is done, the next article will focus on the actual training and supplement regimens used by today’s bodybuilders.
Until next time, stay fit and be healthy.
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