Where it all Started.

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Bodybuilding as we all know today is a kind of sport wherein a person is engaged in body modification using weights to build muscle. A person who is on board on this kind of sport is referred to as a bodybuilder and in professional competition; a person competes with other bodybuilders and are judged base on the quality of their physique and appearance on stage.

This is how we see bodybuilding today, but have we even thought of how this sport was discovered and evolved? To start things off, bodybuilding did not start from the era where cave men kill mammoths and bring their meat at home to be eaten and shared to the entire tribe. Thus, the history of bodybuilding started in Greece where people are training their bodies for battle by lifting different sizes of rocks. This is how they modify their physiques and show how strong they are. The primary goal of bodybuilding before is to enhance not only the physical appearance but to actually improve strength. This doing evolved until the late 19^th century when Eugen Sandow of Russia started the new era of bodybuilding and was referred to be the “Father of Modern Bodybuilding”. He started to show other people his great body by different types of flexing and posing and this nonetheless started the old school bodybuilding techniques. This became a big hit and the first bodybuilding competition was held in England with thousands of spectators wanting to watch the epic event.

As the 19^th century progresses, bodybuilding evolved in to a full grown sport wherein science was already incorporated to further enhance a person’s physique by supplementing the body with steroids and other known drugs that promote muscle growth and performance. This was referred to as the golden age of bodybuilding, some of the great bodybuilders of this time even got to the Hollywood; an example of which is the famous 7-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenneger. On this era, balanced physiques and low body-fats were the concentration of the bodybuilders to win in the prestigious competitions that was organized by International Federation of Bodybuilders which was formed by Ben Weider and National Amateur Bodybuilders Association that was formed in England. IFBB organized Mr. Universe and NABBA organized Mr. Olympia, in which both competitions Arnold Schwarzenneger got the title. Other legendary bodybuilders known at that time were Frank Zane, Dorian Yates, and Larry Scott in which these bodybuilders share the same training, the high intensity training.   

Today, bodybuilding is not only for people who uses it to compete but also for people who wants to change their physique and wanting to boost their self-esteem. This sport became a global hit, wherein even the teenagers dive-in to have their satisfaction. Some of the prominent stars in the Hollywood also did bodybuilding to improve their performance and marketability.  As for the bodybuilding industry, a balanced physique was not the only focus today, but a more explosive and massive body while maintaining a balanced physique must be achieved to win the title. As the number of new bodybuilders increase, the competition becomes tighter due to modern routines in exercises and good information about nutrition.