Bodybuilding is a sport or not is driven by many amicable arguments. It’s surrounded by a wall of opinions between supporters and sports committees.
Bodybuilding is developing the body through diet and strenuous exercise, which correlates with the meaning of sports, an athletic activity that requires skills and physical prowess.
An active bodybuilder follows a regimen of exercises specifically to train and enhance the body muscles. The activity relies on the aesthetics of the body which experts define as pronounced muscle mass, symmetrical shape ( vividly shaped in X shape), and other aesthetically pleasing effects.
On the day of the competition, the bodybuilders must display their extensive muscle care by using devices such as dumbbells, barbells, and other resistance-building machines. This sports activity is often used under the mechanism of sports training to build a well-shaped body to garner attention to each of the strained body parts.
Despite many arguments explaining why bodybuilding is a sport, some experts criticize it as an athletic activity based on aesthetics. While, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and The Olympic Planning Committee (OPC) suggest a completely different view on why they don’t recognize Bodybuilding as a Sport under Olympic stature. The major argument by the committee is not having ‘athleticism’.
The bodybuilders undergo immense training and follow the athletic exposure throughout training but must show sturdy activity during the competition. The final judgment is made on the physical attributes and how the body appears, leaving the athletic presentation.
Further, the committee explains the ‘subjective judgment for Bodybuilding’. For example, a recognized sport like the long jump can be evaluated objectively of who jumped the longest distance. But it cannot be said for Bodybuilding as the judgment here is taken on specific key points such as the physique of the bodybuilders. Thus, the decision can be subjective, and be evaluated differently by every single person.
Moreover, the response is the point here, the audience considers Bodybuilding as a sport like gymnastics and ice skating. Irrespective of the arguments and criticism, this physical sport thrives even in between all the objections and gains support from its audience.
