Mr. Olympia, posing, anabolic steroids – the most important bodybuilding terms

fitness

Where does bodybuilding begin and where does fitness end? The two terms cannot be clearly separated, as many bodybuilders are primarily fitness enthusiasts before later pursuing a career on stage. Basically, the goal of fitness is to feel good both physically and mentally. It should therefore be understood as a mixture of general health and physical aesthetics.

Strength training

Since bodybuilding is a part of strength training, both terms are often used together. However, they must be distinguished from one another. As the name suggests, a strength athlete wants to become strong and move as much weight as possible. Unlike in fitness, aesthetic criteria do not play a major role here. The fact that muscles grow is a side effect for strength athletes, who usually have a higher body fat percentage than bodybuilders.

Body building

There is no universally accepted definition of the term bodybuilding. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who shaped the sport like no other, describes it in his book The great bodybuilding bible as “Developing and shaping the body through progressive resistance training”In contrast to fitness and weight training, the focus in bodybuilding is primarily on external appearance. The aim is to maximize muscle mass, create symmetry and improve supposed weak points.

Anabolic steroids

Performance-enhancing drugs are widely used in bodybuilding, particularly anabolic androgenic steroid hormones (AAS), commonly known as anabolic steroids. ASA, for example, synthetically reproduces the male sex hormone testosterone. When the substance is initiated, it stimulates protein synthesis in the muscle cells. Bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids therefore increase muscle growth, have greater endurance and recover faster. However, there are numerous side effects, ranging from acne to heart attacks. Although the substances are illegal, it is known in the bodybuilding scene that most professionals use them.

Natural Bodybuilding

While many bodybuilders resort to anabolic steroids, there are also some athletes who decide against it. They call themselves “Natural Bodybuilders” and promote practicing the sport without performance-enhancing drugs. One of the most famous natural bodybuilders in Germany is Kay Gedan, who is active as a competitive athlete on stage and as an influencer in social media. The star accompanied Kay for a day in his adopted home of Cologne and talked to him about the positive and negative sides of the bodybuilding scene.

Mr. Olympia and IFBB

Every year, the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) organizes the Mr. Olympia competition. A win in this competition is the highest award in professional bodybuilding. Athletes can qualify by winning other professional competitions and by reaching the top 5 or top 3 in the points ranking in the previous year. This year, the Mr. Olympia will take place from October 10 to 13, 2024 in Las Vegas.

Natural Mr. Olympia and INBA/PNBA

Natural bodybuilders like Kay Gedan, on the other hand, take part in the Natural Mr. Olympia, organized by the International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) and Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA). Unlike the IFBB Mr. Olympia, strict doping tests are carried out here.

Posing

During competitions, bodybuilders aim to have as low a body fat percentage as possible, which they achieve by dieting for weeks. In addition, dark paint is applied to the skin to show off the muscle contours as best as possible. The athletes then present themselves on stage in poses that are checked by the jury. They specialize in different muscle groups and range from biceps to legs.

Bulking

When a bodybuilder talks about bulking, he means building muscle mass. The period of building muscle is also known as the mass phase. The diet is changed and the athletes are in a calorie surplus. This means that they consume more calories than they burn.

Cutting

The opposite of bulking is cutting, also “Cut” This means a diet, i.e. a calorie deficit.

Open Bodybuilding

A well-known class in men’s competitions is open bodybuilding, where there is no weight limit. In this category, athletes try to build as much muscle mass as possible. At the Mr. Olympia, many open bodybuilders therefore weigh well over 100 kg.

Classic Physique

In the Classic Physique, which was introduced in 2016, bodybuilders are not allowed to be too heavy. The limit is calculated in relation to the size of the individual athlete and is in the 100 kg range. While Open Bodybuilders primarily want to look bulky, Classic Physique athletes place more emphasis on aesthetics.

Men’s Physique

The situation is similar in the Men’s Physique category, but the bodybuilders in this category wear knee-length pants. In contrast to the other classes, the focus is therefore not as much on the legs.

The classes in men’s bodybuilding differ from those in women’s bodybuilding. An overview is available here.

Golden Era

The heyday of bodybuilding between the 1960s and 80s is often referred to as “Golden Era” Arnold Schwarzenegger in particular, who trained in the legendary Gold’s Gym in California in the 70s, is also well known outside the scene.

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