bodybuilder

A bodybuilder is a person who engages in bodybuilding, a sport and lifestyle aimed at developing the muscles of the body to maximize size, symmetry, and conditioning. Training emphasizes progressive resistance work, often with the goal of presenting a muscular, well-proportioned physique in competitions or for personal fitness.

Training typically involves regular resistance sessions using free weights and machines, with emphasis on progressive overload, periodization, and variety. Programs may include split routines, compound lifts, isolation exercises, and cardio. Competition prep often includes staged reductions in body fat while attempting to preserve lean mass, a process known as cutting.

Diet and supplementation support muscle growth and fat loss. Bodybuilders commonly consume high-protein diets, manage total calories and macronutrients, and time meals around workouts. Supplements such as whey protein, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids are widely used, though results vary and strict medical guidance is advised for extreme regimens.

Competitions are organized by federations such as the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB) and national bodies like the NPC. Events feature divisions including men's bodybuilding, classic physique, women's bodybuilding, figure, and bikini. Judging focuses on muscularity, symmetry, conditioning, and presentation, including posing routines.

The sport has roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with figures such as Eugen Sandow shaping modern bodybuilding, and gained mainstream visibility through figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Olympia series. While celebrated for discipline and aesthetics, bodybuilding raises health considerations around extreme dieting, supplementation, and substance use, leading to ongoing regulation and medical guidance.