Subculture Of Bodybuilding

Subcultures exist all over America. Some are accepted, while others are not. An interesting subculture I came across was bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is “a type of weight training applied in conjunction with sound nutritional practices to alter the shape or form of one's body” (Bodybuilding.com). Bodybuilding is a sport that can be either recreational or competitive. This subculture stood out to me because I have been seeing it across social media within the last few months and was interested in learning more about this group. Bodybuilding is said to be originated from India and can be traced as far back to the eleventh century (Edinformatics.com). Men would compete by lifting stones to see who had the most stamina. It was not until the late

Some bodybuilders may go every day or even twice a day. Typically they meal prep. By doing this, they prepare all of their meals on one day to last the whole week. They package the food away and heat or cook it each day. Most of the time they eat lean and healthy meals, but on occasion they are allowed “cheat meals,” meaning they can have something outside of their diet. Bodybuilders generally do not go out and party and they stay away from alcohol because bodybuilders really value their health. Besides valuing health, I asked Alicia what she valued as a bodybuilder. She stated, “I think we value ourselves more and our dedication and heart for the sport. Were so committed to this lifestyle and have so much motivation that when we see our hard work pay off, you know you can do anything.” Each subculture has their own special language, including bodybuilding. Some words or sayings they may use are: gym rats, pumping iron, cutting up, freak, guns, 1RM (1 rep max), pump, and shredded (Getbig.com). While collecting data from multiple websites, there were numerous images of bodybuilders. The typical male bodybuilder will wear a speedo in a competition, and a female will wear a bikini. In the gym, men will wear muscle tanks and shorts, while females have no specific style. There are many protein and bodybuilding companies that have their own clothing line that both genders wear and promote in the