| While for many people who are not into bodybuilding, | | | | for personal achievement, recreation or as a |
| the whole idea is probably something of a mystery, | | | | competitive 'sport'. |
| there are millions of individuals all over the world for | | | | However, one of the first areas of dispute between |
| whom bodybuilding is a major part of their lives. | | | | those who practice bodybuilding and those who are |
| The best place to start this investigation of natural | | | | less enamored of it concerns whether bodybuilding is a |
| bodybuilding is to define what bodybuilding is. According | | | | genuine sport or not. The contention that it is not a |
| to the Wikipedia definition of bodybuilding, it is: "the | | | | sport is based on the fact that there is no athletic |
| process of maximizing muscle hypertrophy; an | | | | activity involved, as the whole basis of judging |
| individual who engages in this process is referred to as | | | | bodybuilding competitions is the appearance and |
| a bodybuilder". | | | | aesthetics of the contestants. |
| Muscle hypertrophy is a scientific term that is used to | | | | It is for this reason that despite many attempts to |
| refer to the growth and increase in size of existing | | | | have bodybuilding included in the Olympics, these |
| muscle cells, as opposed to the formation of new | | | | attempts have been continually rebuffed, and will |
| muscle cells. | | | | probably be similarly dismissed in the future. As |
| In short, bodybuilding is the process of adding extra | | | | suggested, there is no athletic activity involved in body |
| muscle mass to the body by extensive working out | | | | building, so it is not to be confused with strongman |
| and control of diet. It is something that is done either | | | | contests or weightlifting competitions. |