A Brief History of Bodybuilding

The importance of a good physique is nothing new to modern times. Certainly, the cavemen with the best bodies were more successful than their bespectacled, math geek counterparts. This is actually hard wired into people. If you stop to think about how a species progresses, you look at the male’s role as a “bread winner” and protector, while the female bears children and nurtures. This isn’t trying to be anti-feminist; it’s just scientific fact.

So, think of the ideal man in this situation. Even though nowadays, the image of a nerdy guy might conjure up some feeling of admiration (because these guys represent intelligent, self-made entrepreneurs), the natural inclination of a woman interested in a mate would be a lack of attraction to him. Rather, she would be interested in one of the strong alpha males. This is because men represent a basic need for power, superiority, and strength.

Based on cavemen thinking, women like men who are strong and powerful, because in the end, those guys will survive and the scrawny ones will get their skulls bashed in or get chased down by a saber-toothed tiger. As for women, the most attractive women got the attention of the most powerful man, and their children continued to represent the alpha males and the attractive women.

In terms of bodybuilding, this is where the need to be strong came from. Bodybuilding itself is much more recent, of course. It started roughly between 1880 and 1930. Before this, it did not exist as an art form or a sport, but the ancient Greeks are a good example of men who were focused on having strong, attractive bodies.

If we had to choose a single person to credit with the “founding” of bodybuilding, it would be Eugen Sandow from Prussia (modern-day Germany), now referred to as the father of modern bodybuilding. He was the first person to pioneer the sport of displaying well-defined physiques. At the time, strong men were more concerned with showing off what they could do with their muscles, rather than showing off the muscles themselves. Sandow became famous for his posing and flexing routines, and this served as a precursor to modern bodybuilding.

In more modern times, icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger have brought bodybuilding into the mainstream. People who hadn’t even thought of bodybuilding were mesmerized by Schwarzenegger and his strength, swagger, and masculine drive. He won seven Mr. Olympia titles, and is now regarded as one of the most successful and influential bodybuilders of all time. Even though he left the field of bodybuilding to pursue a career in Hollywood and politics, he left behind a great number of people hoping to make it big in bodybuilding and become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bodybuilding is just as important as it was a century ago, if not more important. Despite some changes and some new challenges, the history of bodybuilding has led up to a world that respects and admires bodybuilders for their mastery over muscle and the human form.