Originally posted by: mazdamazda:
is bodybuilding really necessary for staying healthy?

No John, it is not necessary. To be honest, bodybuilders (serious ones at least) are even more prone to illnesses since the body is stressed tremendously all the time. That's why supplementation is often used with BB coz the body really needs a lot of nutrients to recover from all the microtrauma BB presents.

That's also why "regular" folks think that the stuff we eat, take and do are excessive. What our body is going through isn't the same. It's being presented with a lot of stress compared to regular, everyday activities. If we don't take things in excess, relative to a normal person, we'll surely be wasting our efforts and will get sick from doing all this.

it seems that a lot of time & money is required for bodybuilding and not all people are able to do this - or find it worthwhile their time (like me).

Very true, it's a hobby just like any other sport. Parang, if you ask basketball players why they don't play soccer or vice versa, the answer is simple, it's your choice. BB is not the only way to get fit and stay healthy. Which brings us to your next Q.

or would regular cardio exercises & a good diet suffice?

Definitely. There are three things that all humans need to have in balance. Sleep (recuperation), Diet and Exercise. Have these three things covered, then you're most likely to stay healthy and in good overall shape. But there is a statement in your question that is incorrect, or should I say, insufficient. Cardio is NOT the ideal way to stay fit, lifting weight is. Cardio helps your aerobic ability but it also taxes your muscles a lot. Without muscles, you will be weak and will have an extremely slow metabolism. Read the sticky about "why women should lift weights", it applies to men as well, it's just that most women think that lifting weights automatically equates to getting big muscles.

Seriously now, if only they know how hard it is for BB to gain a single pound of muscle. Look at how we punish ourselves to get half an inch of bicep added, 2 inches to our chest, etc... The effort is enourmous. Circuit lifting with moderate weights will not make you big, it'll strengthen and MAINTAIN your current musculature while you continously increase your metabolism.

btw, what happens when you stop bodybuilding? does your muscles shrink back to their normal size?

Ahh, glad you asked. In addition to your shrinkage question, there's also the "tataba ka lang kung tumigil ka" myth.

Muscle is muscle, bone is a bone, fat is fat. One CANNOT turn into another. So for the second myth of muscle turning into fat after you've stopped BB is totally B.S. and shows one's ignorance.

When we get fat, how does it look like if you're viewing it from the inside? You'll see your bones wrapped with muscles, then muscles are wrapped or layered with a layer of fat for insulation and protection. As you get fatter (whether you dont follow a good diet, don't exercise, etc etc.) The layer of fat continues to pile up ON TOP OF your muscles.

If you see thin contruction workers baring their 6-pack abs, it's not because they're muscular, it's because they have little body fat to cover up the muscle underneath.

The reason why people think they got fat is simple. Your muscle grew when you were BB, so naturally you got bigger (that's your goal in the first place, right?). So let's say you started off as a skinny guy with 11" biceps. You worked hard for 3 months and your arm grew to 13". You were relatively lean when you got that 2" extra. Then you decided to stop and forget about dieting and all. Naturally you got fat. The fat then layers ON TOP of your 13" biceps, now it's 14".

Technically, you got 1" of fat ADDED to your existing muscle frame. Your muscle didn't get fat, you ADDED fat on top of the muscle.

Makes sense?

About shrinkage. It's partially true. Muscles are made up of fibers, the fibers either grow larger to adapt to the stress of weight lifting or recruit more fibers (hypertrophy and hyperplasia). It's our body's natural response. The more you require a muscle to get stronger, the more it will force itself to do so.

Conversely, if you stop using a muscle for an extended period of time, you are inviting catabolism to occur. Muscles fibers will shrink over time. Just like how old people get smaller as they grow older. The lesser use you subject a muscle to, the lesser the reason why the body should maintain that bodymass. It's that simple.

Have you ever noticed how relatively fat or sedentary people have relatively harder calf and forearm muscles than the rest of their body? It's simply because these muscles are being worked almost the whole day. Our calves carries our whole walking weight everyday and it hardly gets sore unless you worked it out real good (like I did, 400reps, 80kg ouch hehe)

There's nothing as "normal" size. Normal is what your body needs for your current lifestyle. As long as you want a toned body, you'll need to lift weights (resistance).

HTH

-- Edited by theveed at 19:56, 2004-12-10

That I don't know bud, I hope there's a doctor in the house to answer that....