Classic bodybuilding was unscientific and focused on aesthetics, with bodybuilders consuming large amounts of food high in fat and cholesterol. Modern bodybuilding is a multibillion-dollar global industry that emphasizes lean proteins, balanced diets, and nutritional supplements, including illicit substances such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.
Classic bodybuilding conjures up a variety of mental images, from muscular 19th century men in striped trunks to Arnold Schwarzenegger pumping iron in the 1970s. This unofficial classic era, which lasted for nearly a century, differed greatly from the modern form of bodybuilding that has exploded since the 1980s. Factors, such as science and commercialization, have helped turn bodybuilding from a fringe fad into a multibillion-dollar global industry.
One of the biggest differences between modern and classic bodybuilding, and perhaps the key distinguishing feature between the two eras, relates to aesthetics. Old photographs of bodybuilders from around the turn of the 20th century reveal big, clearly strong men, but not the kind of muscular definition that is so characteristic of the modern athlete. Organized competition and international organizations have promoted more rigid definitions of what successful bodybuilding should look like, and this unified goal has been the catalyst for many of the other developments made in the sport.
A more complete understanding of how the human body converts exercise and nutrients into bigger muscles has largely informed the state of modern bodybuilding. The classic approach to bodybuilding, when viewed in the context of 21st century methods, seems unscientific and almost haphazard. Although the basic principles of lifting weights repeatedly and consuming a large number of calories had been around since the 19th century, they were imprecise, and positive results were achieved largely through trial and error. Many other strategies were also employed that, in retrospect, appear at best apocryphal and at worst outright dangerous.
Classic bodybuilders, for example, were not only known for the immense weights they were capable of lifting, but also for the enormous intake of food that would make modern nutritionists cringe. Dozens of eggs and copious amounts of red meat, and other foods high in fat and cholesterol, were staples for many classic bodybuilding legends. 21st century bodybuilding emphasizes lean proteins, such as chicken and fish, and, above all, a balanced approach involving a large proportion of fruits and vegetables. Modern bodybuilders are often scrupulous about their diets and know exactly what’s going on in their bodies.
Another way in which the modern sport has changed from classic bodybuilding is the use of nutritional supplements. In the past, bodybuilders relied exclusively on training and diet regimens to help promote muscle growth. Their modern counterparts, with access to the latest in nutritional and chemical advances, incorporate a much more precise and scientific approach to maximizing muscle gain. Exact diets are supplemented with protein shakes, multivitamins, and sometimes even illicit substances such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormone to achieve results undreamed of in the age of classic bodybuilding.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
