Bodybuilding Healthy? Or Nah?

Rough Draft #1

            The subject of body image would often concern people with society often placing standards on how people should look like, how they should dress, how much they should weigh, etc. Society carries a very judgmental persona where it criticizes people of how they should be rather than letting them be themselves. When people do not fit the criteria of society’s unwritten and arbitrary regimen of how they should look, they often get criticized or judged at first glance. There are cases where some people modify their bodies to achieve self-satisfaction where others would find them concerning and challenging the notion of what is healthy. These bodies have been exposed to extreme and strict routines to align with a healthy lifestyle due to a goal in mind wanting to be achieved.

            Bodybuilding is a form of body modification that many people have negative views on due to its looks, appeal, and the question whether it’s healthy to achieve such a physique. One person who constantly gets judged by others is female bodybuilder, Roxanne Edwards. In an interview, Roxanne mentions, “I’m just a human being who got the chance to see the world at a different vantage point.” Roxanne was able to find what she needed to be comfortable within her own skin. She utilized bodybuilding as an outlet to be happy and satisfied with her own body. Many men and women have insecurities of their own bodies where they are unhappy with themselves and they find flaws every time they look at themselves in the mirror. People who are mentally healthy would have confidence within themselves and they would always want to achieve something better. Bodybuilding is often thought of something out of the norm especially when talking about femininity. However, Roxanne addresses that femininity is about believing that she is beautiful no matter how she looks or what others think. In fact, loosing her breasts did not make her feel less of a woman. Instead she embraced it and continued to work hard achieving the “peeled” physique because that is what she finds attractive and what she enjoys doing. Roxanne’s mindset was always geared towards achieving something better. Her bodybuilding journey not only helped her become physically strong but it helped her build a strong character, which aligns with what is healthy.

            There is skepticism whether putting your body under intense stress and using supplements and steroids while bodybuilding is healthy. Most people would agree that the use of steroids could potentially be dangerous. However, Roxanne has been bodybuilding for years and understands how her body works and reacts to diet and exercise. In fact, she mentions that she is able to eat McDonalds before competition because she understands that her fast metabolism allows her to. In most cases, fast food isn’t considered a healthy dietary option at all. However, Roxanne understands the proper foods and nutrients she should take to achieve her “peeled” physique without damaging her body. Roxanne’s use of steroids would concern many people due to its negative side effects. However, she explains that she uses steroids to help her look harder during competition. She is fully aware of the repercussions that could potentially happen when she uses steroids, which is why she doesn’t use it for a long period of time. Overall, the steroids, supplements, diet, and exercise she exposed herself to wasn’t severely damaging her body at all. Instead, she made use of them to help her achieved the physique she wanted.

            Bodybuilding is not only a physical exercise but also a mental exercise. Most people who choose to go in the path of bodybuilding know that the journey isn’t easy. Bodybuilding requires a lot of dedication and stamina in order to be successful. This kind of motivation aligns with what is healthy because it does build mental strength. Kathy Acker mentions, “Bodybuilding can be seen to be nothing but failure. A bodybuilder is always working around failure.” Kathy Acker understands that in order to build muscle, she needs to break down the muscle. Breaking down muscle means that pain is inevitable and Kathy needs to be disciplined enough to tolerate it. Kathy explains that she needs to push hard and beyond her limit in order to get the results she wants. Typically, Kathy would go to the gym and try to lift as many sets as she can until her muscles can’t take it anymore. Not only does Kathy work on her endurance but she tries to lift an amount that is usually beneath her fingertips. This kind of routine tells her body that it doesn’t know what it’s in for and it adapts to which it can eventually succeed. This intense training not only tests its physical capabilities, but her mental endurance. Most people would quit because their bodies endure so much pain until they feel it isn’t worth it. However, a healthy mind would stay dedicated enough where they would reach for goals that may seem out of reach. Nothing seems more satisfying than witnessing results that have been desired for a long time.