| The ability to develop one's muscles through | | | | steroids as a legal, healthy alternative. |
| progressive resistance exercise to enhance the | | | | The International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) |
| appearance of man has enjoyed varied popularity | | | | begun in 1946 by Ben Weider whose brother Joe was |
| over the years. | | | | a bodybuilder. Competitive bodybuilding enjoyed more |
| Bodybuilding really came to the attention of the | | | | popularity in 1964 when Joe Weider founded the Mr |
| masses with the widespread use of photography. | | | | Olympia contest, drawing competitors away from rival |
| Eugen Sandow was the first famous bodybuilder and | | | | Mr Universe. |
| many postcards featuring him wearing little more than | | | | One of these competitors was world famous Arnold |
| an imitation fig leaf were circulated. | | | | Schwarzenegger who originally made his name with |
| He did indeed, have a fine physique although nowhere | | | | his massively built up physique. After he left the |
| near the size of present day bodybuilders but they do | | | | profession for Hollywood, it is claimed that there has |
| have the benefits of bodybuilding supplements as well | | | | been no bodybuilder with the same charisma and the |
| as more insight into the workings of the human body. | | | | 'sport' has taken a downturn among everyone apart |
| Sandow toured the world in shows billed as the | | | | from the most avid follower. A little ironic that he is |
| 'Worlds Most Perfectly Developed Man'. He made his | | | | now governor of California. |
| fortune from this as well as his magazines, diets, | | | | The willingness of the bodybuilder to risk his life by |
| contests and exercise devices like the spring grip | | | | taking anabolic steroids led to this substance being |
| dumbbells. | | | | banned. Although it can still, like any drug, be bought on |
| Before Sandow died in 1925, the contest for most | | | | the black market, any competition worth being in will |
| perfectly developed man in America had been won by | | | | test competitors. Ruling out anyone that has taken |
| an Italian immigrant by the name of Angelo Siciliano, | | | | illegal substances makes for true sportsmanship. |
| also known as Charles Atlas. | | | | In their quest for the best body, bodybuilders have |
| By the 1930's, the worlds bodybuilding hotspot was | | | | been responsible for the research into legal, natural |
| centred on Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California | | | | substances that can enhance their muscles, stamina |
| where bodybuilders would congregate to show off | | | | and performance. This has resulted in the bodybuilding |
| their abilities to onlookers. Among the performers at | | | | supplements of protein and creatine powders. |
| Muscle Beach were many names who later became | | | | These are natural products found in the body and |
| famous such as the founder of Gold's Gym, Joe Gold | | | | have been reproduced into powder or liquid form. |
| and Harold Zinkin, inventor of the Universal Gym. | | | | Creatine monohydrate is the best bodybuilding |
| Anabolic steroids were in use in the medical world by | | | | supplement you can take legally, 95% of which is |
| 1930's and soon made it into bodybuilding circles, | | | | stored in the muscles. It will increase energy levels, help |
| creating an unnatural growth of muscles to an | | | | bulk out muscles and delay muscle fatigue. |
| extreme. This can be seen when comparing the | | | | Along with a balanced, nutritional diet bodybuilders are |
| photos of bodybuilding competitions from the 1920's | | | | encouraged to use these bodybuilding supplements to |
| and later. | | | | support muscle tissue. It can have added calories to |
| More information was coming through regarding the | | | | help increase body mass or without calories to aid fat |
| benefits of controlled diets and proteins but it would be | | | | loss. |
| a while before bodybuilding supplements would replace | | | | |