How can bodybuilding be fine art?

Jun 18
18:47

2011

Sarah Haines

Sarah Haines

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In this article we look at the similarities between bodybuilding and art, this article will be of interest not just to aspiring bodybuilders but also anyone who enjoys the sport of bodybuilding and anyone who is mystified as to why these individuals spend so much time achieving a look that some consider to be bizarre.

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Bodybuilding isnt all just weights and whey protein. There are many people who would be quick to define bodybuilding as a fine art. Certainly,How can bodybuilding be fine art? Articles there are those who would disagree with this, but for the enthusiasts who take it incredibly seriously, there is no more impressive form of art.

It has been said that the human body is one of the most impressive structures found in nature. This statement is difficult to argue with given the complexities of everything our body contains and is capable of. It has also been said that it is one of the most difficult structures to modify and shape to your will. It is with this in mind that many see body building as sculpture.

It is a lot easier to take a brush to a canvas and create a piece of art over a space of days. In contrast bodybuilding requires a huge effort and upmost dedication over months and years. It is a 24-hour-a-day process for the most dedicated. It is one of the most admired forms of art possible: human accomplishment.

The technicality involved in sculpting the body in such a manner is extraordinary. At a competitive level, they must be sculpted to within an inch of what is deemed perfect. Calves must be in the exact correct alignment with the quads, which must be in just the right proportion and symmetrical between sides. The waist should be so small that it practically vanishes with just the right twist. The abdominal section requires a very specific amount of separation. Too far apart and you will marked down, if the separation isnt enough you are carrying too much water weight. Back muscles need to be so defined that they are visible not only from the back but from the front and side. The chest area must be huge yet perfectly refined as well as the shoulders which should appear as boulders atop the bodybuilders arms.

Not only do bodybuilders have to sculpt their bodies to these standards, they also have to compete against others. They must offer something greater than everyone else there. This is where a true artistic nature takes place as they must meticulously refine and carve their work, chiseling away to create muscle definition and separations that set them apart from the rest.

If this level of detail on the surface wasnt enough there is also vascularity just below the skin. These make the sculpture look alive and show the blood coursing through each part of the body. This demonstrates to everyone just how much work and sacrifice has gone in to defining your body to such an extent.

The final level, and one of the highest degrees of accomplishment in bodybuilding is striations. These are the small lines within the muscle that reflect the highest form of definition.

To work so slavishly in search of a goal can only be seen as true artistry. To keep the body in such a state requires constant devotion over a long period of time. In an age where science is striving to modify the human form, such a feat of endurance should be considered a marvel.

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