| Working out for the pure and simple love of the sport, | | | | banned performance enhancers and dodgy or |
| for the quiet thrill of seeing that extra inch on the tape | | | | dangerous practices. Competitions tend to maintain |
| around your biceps or the pleasure of glimpsing those | | | | much of the gravity and seriousness of pro events but |
| washboard abs in the mirror is the heart and soul of | | | | are, by the same token, more relaxed and laid back |
| bodybuilding. One question that gets asked frequently | | | | and more fun and enjoyment is had overall. Because |
| by casual enthusiasts though is when does hobby gym | | | | of the lighter competitive nature of amateur |
| work give way to amateur bodybuilding status? | | | | bodybuilding, camaraderie and co-operation abound |
| The answer to that question is complex and not very | | | | and tight, long standing friendships are common. |
| well defined. Amateur sportsman and women are | | | | These issues aside, very little difference can be found |
| considered to be every bit as good as their | | | | between the methods, routines and diets of amateurs |
| professional counterparts and with the exception of | | | | and professionals. Disciples of amateur bodybuilding |
| not making a living from the sport are fundamentally no | | | | take their sport very seriously and workout regimens |
| different. They take their sport as seriously and the | | | | are just as strenuous and sustained as those |
| standards used to gauge their performance are just | | | | practiced by the professionals. As mentioned |
| as stringent as those applied to professionals. The | | | | previously, the only notable difference being in the |
| difference between hobby enthusiasts and amateurs | | | | smaller incidence of banned substance use. |
| is a little easier to pin down. Amateurs tend to spend a | | | | Bodybuilding is also well represented with several |
| lot more time, effort and money on the sport and | | | | recognised associations regulating and protecting the |
| regularly take part in recognised amateur bodybuilding | | | | interests of the sport. As such, amateur bodybuilding |
| contests. Beyond that, the results tend to speak for | | | | gives very little away to the pros and offers a lot |
| themselves. One does not often find casual gym rats | | | | more structure and prestige than that found in casual |
| with the kind of form exhibited by amateurs. | | | | bodybuilding. For those bodybuilders who want to |
| Amateur bodybuilding is also perhaps the best of both | | | | maintain professional standards without the many |
| worlds when compared to professional bodybuilding. | | | | pressures of the pro circuit, amateur bodybuilding is the |
| There is less pressure to perform and, quite frankly, | | | | smart choice. |
| less incentive to step over the line when it comes to | | | | |