| Bodybuilding is a spectator sport where the aesthetic | | | | successful. The winner was chosen on the basis of |
| look of the body muscles are displayed and adjudged. | | | | symmetric and balanced development of body and |
| The history of bodybuilding can be traced back to 11th | | | | good health. The winner was presented with a statue |
| century India. Men in India have been lifting stone | | | | of Eugen Sandow by Sandow himself. |
| weights called Nals to build up their health and increase | | | | Today, the winner of the prestigious Mr. Olympia |
| their stamina. There was no physical display of the | | | | competition gets the same trophy. |
| body. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians also | | | | The period between 1930 and 1970 has come to be |
| underwent weight training to build up an aesthetically | | | | known as the golden era in the history of bodybuilding. |
| beautiful and refined muscular body which can be | | | | The Second World War inspired more young men to |
| seen in their sculptures. | | | | be stronger and aggressive. The rise of technology, |
| Bodybuilding as we know it now is a fairly recent sport, | | | | better training and nutrition resulted in the increase in |
| less than 200 years old. | | | | bodymass of bodybuilders. The Amateur Athletic |
| In fact the first bodybuilding contest, called 'The Great | | | | Union for amateurs and International Federation of |
| Competition' was held in 1901. It was organized by | | | | Bodybuilders formed by the Weider brothers for |
| Eugen Sandows, who judged the contest along with | | | | professionals in the sport organized Bodybuilding |
| Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Charles Lawes. | | | | competitions in America. The National Amateur |
| The history of body building can be divided into 3 eras. | | | | Bodybuilders Association formed in 1950 started a Mr. |
| In the period before 1930, men built up their physique to | | | | Universe competition in the UK. |
| show off their strength and muscle poweress to the | | | | With the advance in technology and medicine, the size |
| public. They were called strongmen who would | | | | and body weight of bodybuilders increased greatly |
| challenge each other to contests where they would | | | | after the 1970s. The use of health hormones and insulin |
| try to out throw each other. | | | | gave them greater body mass and larger shapes. Use |
| Eugen Sandow was a Prussian strongman who had | | | | of other drugs followed, the disturbing effects of which |
| an attractive, symmetrical and heavily muscled body. | | | | can be seen in the declining health of former |
| He popularized bodybuilding and is known as the | | | | champions. Many athletes and movie stars like Arnold |
| 'father of modern bodybuilding'. He actively promoted | | | | Schwarzenegger, Carl Lewis and Frank Zane gave |
| the building up of a shapely body resembling Greek | | | | the sport great publicity. |
| statues and was very successful in that. The very first | | | | Bodybuilding is not yet an Olympic event mainly |
| bodybuilding contest organized by Sandow was very | | | | because of the rampant use of steroids in the sport. |