The pre-competition era in bodybuilding starts around the early 1800s, a time when weightlifting was in the focus so much that the practices of it even seemed archaic.
It was around this time that we began to see an archaic incarnation of modern resistance training - the use of dumbbells and weights to grow bigger and stronger muscles.
By the 11th century, the Greeks ideal found its way into Indian culture. Even though at this time the athletes were not using any form of resistance training to shape their bodies, they relied on a battery of physical exercises to improve their skills and reach new records in their sports.ĭuring later years (6 B.C.), a crude form of resistance training was developed and promoted as a way of establishing a sound physique.Īs time went by, a concept of the ideal physique was gradually developed. This is officially referred to as the true start of bodybuilding. Back them, bodybuilding was seen as a way of developing the body and establishing new records in the so-called gymnasiums, where the athletes would train, prepare and develop their bodies. The earliest record of bodybuilding dates back to the ancient Greeks, long before it was a sport. Ancient Era (From Greek times to the 1800s) What follows is a listing of all the important eras in bodybuilding, starting from early history and continuing forward through the foundation and growth of the sport. The History of Bodybuilding in Different Eras In the next part, we will overview the main era of bodybuilding, from its infancy to the latest and most modern incarnations, including both male and female bodybuilding. Yet, as we said above, bodybuilding was present even before its official classification as a sport which is why we need to start from the very first historic cases.
The person that engages in this kind of activity is therefore referred to as a bodybuilder.Īs a sport, bodybuilding is focused on a number of athletes that are displaying their physiques to a panel of judges who assign points based on their appearance. "A process of maximizing the muscle hypertrophy with a combination of different exercises (weight training, specific caloric intake and rest)." Still, a broad definition of bodybuilding exists one that the entire history of the sport can relate to: Obviously, the current meaning of bodybuilding (as a sport) is very different from what it used to be when it first appeared. What is Bodybuilding? The Meaning of Bodybuilding Over Time
GOLDEN ERA BODYBUILDING BOOKS SERIES
This was the place that the bodybuilders of the golden era congregated to start the first chapter in modern bodybuilding.But before we start listing the different eras in bodybuilding, let's define the term bodybuilding as the main criteria to which we will be guiding in these series of posts. This was the place Arnold built his biceps and started his acting career. The guys associated with the golden era, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger or Frank Zane, possessed the bodies that we strive for ourselves. While their work ethic is highly impressive and their commitment is nothing but admirable, the physiques of today’s top level professionals is simply not the type of body the overwhelming majority of bodybuilders/weight lifters actually want to look like.
As I’ve outlined in previous posts, the bodybuilders of today are just monstrous. In this post, I want to present you with the photos and videos that show exactly why the 1970s in the US was the peak of bodybuilding.īefore I start the media title wave, I just want to clarify why It’s called the golden era of bodybuilding. A time before smartphones and laptops, before the Internet itself! I’m talking about the 1970s: the golden era of bodybuilding. A time before excessive use of steroids and human growth hormone. This post will take you back to a time before the Ronnie Colemans and the Jay Cutlers of today.