Is bodybuilding a sport?

The Oxford dictionary definition of sport is:

"An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment "

So it seems that to meet the criteria of being a sport, an activity must demonstrate a level of skill and a level of physical training. It must involve a contest and it requires a winner and a loser.

I believe bodybuilding is unequivocally a sport. It meets the dictionary criteria but somehow it falls into the grey area of acceptance by the general public. The irony is, formula 1 and boules are sports which are readily accepted as such.

I'm a newcomer and not an expert in the field of bodybuilding by any means, but it would seem to be a discipline which requires great mastery of the body and mind.  To sculpt a physique requires great skill, physical training, discipline and....er eating a lot of protein! Bodybuilding is not exactly a conventional sport but it is very much a competitive sport. You have to get up on stage and be able to "display" your physique in a line-up with your competitors. It is a display of physicality but also confidence - faked or real! The posing is a skill as I have learned and takes time to master. It is where you can really show off what you have. It's about being able to hold isometric contractions and to understand "illusions" and how to really make the most of your body. The posing is also where you can have the edge on your competitors and where competitions can be won or lost.
I have had one posing lesson so far and was mortified at how hard it was. If you can imagine the epitome of grace and elegance..... and then there is me - the opposite where I looked like rigor mortis had just set in after running a marathon.

To me, bodybuilding is a sport and it is a sport at the highest level because there don't seem to be any perfunctory athletes. It's a very self selecting sport and very difficult to do half baked without 100% dedication and commitment. I have yet to see a stage ready competitor with muffin top or bingo wings.

Level of competition equates to level of preparation

Speaking from being someone that excels at being a "jack of all trades - master of none!",  I have an understanding of the level of preparation one can or cannot get away with in various different sports at different levels.

There is no way in hell I am going to get up on a stage in front of spectators not looking like I at least belong there at any level! I expect that's also true of the other ladies, so it creates a strong competitive environment. The level of competitor therefore dictates my level of preparation. Unfortunately I have chosen a federation, the UKBFF which seems to feature only championship events over the next few months so I'm expecting the level of competition to be quite high. It also unfortunately means I need to be in really good shape!

This is quite different to turning up to a fun run slightly hungover, where you can rely on a good dose of adrenaline to 'up the ante'. There doesn't seem to be a "fun run" equivalent in bodybuilding, as I have found out!

Be very clear about what constitutes success

Being clear about personal objectives and what would constitute success for you is a question I believe you have to be clear about from the beginning, as this will dictate the level of preparation or dedication you are prepared to give.
I remember having to take up swimming as rehab for a hamstring injury and thinking nonchalantly "oh I know...I'll do an open water swim race" - it's just about taking part after all. In truth, I can't swim to save my life. I turned up without a wetsuit and of course, came pretty much last without coming absolute last, so I didn't even get the "lantern rouge"! I emerged with hypothermia and very unfulfilled because my perceived expectations did not match at all with my hard wiring! I was in truth not happy to come last at all, despite "taking part" being the objective at the start. So I walked away from that having enormous insight into my mentality - being competitive matters to me.

My personal goal posts have moved throughout this process. When I first started training, I was happy to have the validation of my hard work from just getting up on stage - that was the end goal; but as I have gone through the training process and seen changes to my physique and mindset I want to feel like I can be competitive with the other ladies on stage in my category. It's therefore my choice to choose a show and a time frame that allows me to be in the shape I would like to be in, in order to be competitive in a line up. This feels like it would align with my honest and true expectations.
My lesson learnt with this show is the time scale it takes to create a body that will fit my chosen category (physique). That extra level of muscularity and leanness just takes a lot more time to achieve. Perhaps it is slightly ambitious category for a first show but it is what it is! It is a hard graft which is never linear. Rate of change is not at all constant and in no way reflects amount of effort put in! It also gets much much harder the closer you get to your goal "ideal".

In retrospect, knowing what I know now, I would give myself 12 months to get ready for another show! Time, patience and understanding of your body are real weapons in this sport.

Is bodybuilding a path to self-awareness?

You can't have wisdom without pain

This blog was never meant to be me proclaiming in any way to be an expert at any of these projects I have undertaken, but an opportunity to honestly share my experiences. Quite frankly with bodybuilding, I haven't got a clue. I am walking this path very much on my own. It is most certainly a journey. One that has seen the demise of my romantic relationship, eroded and rebuilt my sense of self over and over, reinforced good relationships, destroyed others and built a steely determination I didn't know existed in myself. It has exposed a raw vulnerability I usually will always protect and shield at all costs. Yet, in spite of all this, I have never felt so compelled to finish this journey. It has tested me unlike any other physical challenge and I feel even if I get up on stage looking like Shrek, the wisdom I have acquired will be worth it. Unfortunately, it most definitely comes at the cost of pain.

I know my journey won't be the same for others, but I thought it might be interesting to share some of the mental battles of doing a first time bodybuilding show.

Mind Control and Coping mechanisms

The range and enormity of moods and emotions I have experienced in the last few months is quite scary and can change multiple times over hours and minutes let alone days and weeks. I'd like to get this post completed in the next hour! so there is at least some consistency of thought process! A lot of this can be attributed to diet and fatigue but also the anxiety of doing something unknown that really pushes you. These things are always "evolving".


The requirements of bodybuilding prep, means....discipline. It also means that "normal" coping mechanisms for an "uncomfortable mind" are off limits! No comfort food, drugs, alcohol, partying.... of course there is TV for distraction or taking on extra work but I'm so tired from training I can't even manage to watch TOWIE! So the coping mechanism for unhealthy rumination is therefore to tackle it face on. I have found my coping mechanism is to learn to detach from emotions by practising mindful breathing. It is such a useful skill and just  allows you to focus on one thing - your breathing. It allows you to experience emotion and then sift the chaotic from the useful ones. Some emotions serve a purpose, they are there to tell you something. Others are quite frankly usually just nonsense -a response to an unreal fear.

Lessons learnt

The one lucky thing I have going for me in all of this, is my unfaltering motivation to do the show. It's not the self image that is the motivator, as you will never think you are perfect. I also don't think perfection is beautiful, but to complete a task that really tests your body and mind is something that will stay with you for a long time. I feel very lucky that this desire to want to complete this has never waned the whole way though.
Everyone's motivation will be slightly different and probably deeply personal but there will be lessons learnt along the way for every single person regardless, for every show.

A first-time show is essentially a giant experiment. Understanding how your body and mind responds to training and diet. I have had so many set backs through illness and overwhelming fatigue. Diets have gone wrong, too much, too little cardio can play havoc with achieving the right body composition. Bodybuilding is such a precise sport and these little things really matter. Everyone will have an opinion. I believe, listen to it all but in the end you have to take responsibility and choose wisely what you decide to implement. It's a constant, exhausting, steering and tweaking of progress and direction. The anxiety is overwhelming, because you foray so far into the unknown. I didn't expect it to be so consuming of my mental energy. I didn't expect a lot of things!
I will feel an immense sense of achievement when I get up on stage. I will not be thrilled with the posing or bikini wearing! but surviving any journey that has really really tested you, arms you with a sense of confidence that is unshakable - that belief you can survive anything. Physically, over the years I have trained my body to cope with pain and I'm grateful everyday, it does a wonderful job in and out of gym. This challenge is more about the mind. It has put me so far out of my comfort zone I have nothing else to compare it to. It has most definitely brought me to my knees, but I truly believe it will make me stronger too. For what is perceived to be such a "vain" sport, I think there is a huge pool of mental strength ebbing and flowing through the bodies of these competitors. I have every respect for them and the sport.

Ketogenic diets - when carb cycling fails

Plan A rapidly accelerates into Plan B 

I had anticipated using a carb cycling diet during my contest prep; essentially a low carb diet with intermittent high carb days. The goal is maximising fat loss whilst preserving lean muscle, so you go into the show with a hard, lean look. I must also add, a "protein appreciation class" really should be added to the skills one must acquire for this sport, due to the gargantuan intake of this particular macro nutrient. I don't consider chocolate whey isolate a treat anymore!

In theory, carb cycling sounds really sensible and effective and there is no doubt this works for many people. However, I seem to always be the minority that responds to a completely different strategy. I really didn't fare well on this diet plan. To add insult to injury, I started really easy with two days low carb (65g/day) followed by a medium (98g) or high carb day (183g) and then back to two days low carb. (Protein was kept high throughout).


Aside from a cascade of "woman" flu and every conceivable respiratory "-itis", I found the "hunger" on the high carb days completely intolerable. This was followed up with a healthy dose of headaches and general sense of grumpiness. Now don't get me wrong, my tolerance for suffering is fairly good but there was an awful lot of negative side effects with very little change to body composition. The sum of the parts has to equate to some benefits being accrued, but on this diet, in this format I didn't get any. High carb day was a day to be feared. The day I would grow horns and turn into a devil.


So.. moving on - into Plan B

The ketogenic Diet

This is another widely used diet for cutting and contest prep and seems to have good efficacy in the short term. It is a high fat (low saturated fat), high protein, very low carb diet with no high carb days, designed to induce nutritional ketosis.
I haven't done it before so we shall see how this goes. Ultimately there has to be a permutation of a diet that works for you. It has to resonate both with your physiology and also psychology.

Ketosis

Ketosis is essentially a condition where there are elevated levels of ketone bodies - a consequence of fat metabolism in the absence of (or very low) glucose concentrations. By limiting carbohydrate levels, this "redirects" metabolism to primarily use fats as a substrate and therefore enhance fat metabolism.

During lipolysis, triglycerides are metabolised to fatty acids and glycerol. In a process called beta-oxidation, the fatty acids get converted into acetyl-coA, a molecule which can be used in the citric acid cycle. During prolonged carbohydrate depletion, acetyl coA in the liver is converted to ketone bodies. 

Some of these ketones can be used for energy including, acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate. In fact, heart and kidneys are thought to have a preference for ketone bodies as a fuel source. Although glucose is the preferred substrate for the brain, ketone bodies are small enough to pass the blood brain barrier and be used as a fuel source. Any good biochemistry textbook will give a good description of these pathways. 

Assuming you still have a deficit of calories and are consuming enough protein, this should be a fairly anti-catabolic diet, resulting in preserving hard earned muscle mass and decreasing body fat. 

A schematic of fat metabolism and ketone body production

Calculating macronutrients

The short of this is answer is - outsourcing!! 

The below "keto" calculator seems relatively comprehensive in terms of calculating macro nutrients. It also gives the options of setting your own levels of carbohydrate, protein and fat within the realm of achieving ketosis. 

http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

For your individual body weight, height, body fat %, you will get a recommended nutrient intake. The below is an example from my calculations, which should equate to approximately 2lb/ month fat loss. 

         2110kcal Daily Calorie Intake

• 25g Carbohydrates (5%, 100 kcal)
• 118g Protein (22%, 472 kcal)
• 171g Fat (73%, 1538 kcal)

These figures can be manipulated depending on whether you choose to have a slightly higher level of carbohydrate. I was recommended by other competitive bodybuilders to use 1g of good fat per 1lb body weight so you can keep a slightly higher carbohydrate intake to fuel workouts. 

I haven't talked about micronutrients here on purpose. That's a whole other topic but I'm still not convinced of the value of taking quite so many vitamins and minerals. Again, I expect each individual will find a concoction of supplements they can not do without. Mine is Agnus Castus and Evening Primrose Oil - it keeps the "rage" away. 

Low carb is not the same as no carb

The negative health consequences of ketogenic diets are always being hotly debated and challenged. It is my personal opinion that a very low carb diet works well in the short term but I would probably reign in the enthusiasm for sustaining such a diet in the long term. There is a lot of published research on the favourable impact of a ketogenic diet on body composition and to risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and obesity. The following is quite an interesting read:

Low carbohydrate diet review: shifting the paradigm

Despite all of this, I can't help thinking that there is little research on the long term effects on athletic subjects that are already very lean, so I'm going to apply the minimum effective dose to this diet. 

The category of "low carb" diets will include both ketogenic diets and non-ketogenic diets. The latter will have enough carbohydrate to produce but minimise ketone body accumulation. This may well be sustainable long term and there are good examples of this in indigenous populations such as the Inuit and the Sami. They have a low incidence of morbidity  and do very well on it. These indigenous diets of what I can see, still contain 20% carb as a rough estimate and the quality of meat is likely to be very different from what we are exposed to in Salisbury's. This higher level of carbohydrate maybe just enough to minimise ketosis and make it sustainable. Lifestyle factors will confound effects from diet and factors such as activity levels, sleep, social cohesion will feature highly in contributing to the overall health of these populations. Determining the effect of diet alone is therefore a slightly tricky one. Of course, humans are masters of compensation -we adapt; but although the negatives of a ketogenic diet are always being challenged, documented side effects include: constipation, low-grade acidosis and hypoglycemia (initial few days). A week in, I can report a little brain fog and tiredness but that's nothing new! 

Tim Noakes, the South African sports scientist, controversially advocated a low carbohydrate (approx. 50g/day), high fat diet, even for endurance athletes. He maintains that this diet for a pre-diabetic or carbohydrate resistant person works well long term - as in for life. This is a letter he wrote for Runners World, defending his hypothesis. 

http://www.runnersworld.co.za/nutrition/novel-dietary-ideas/

All across the Internet, there will be tails of different diets that work for different people. There are lifestyle choice diets for long term health and then there are short term extreme diets for a particular goal. Being clear about the goal may make selection of a diet clearer and then it's just trial and error. 

Individualization

What really has been a lesson learnt, is how in this sport not listening to your body really can cause a problem. A little bodily intuition goes a long way. Of course, managing fatigue and muscle soreness is part of the process but understanding what diet and training modalities are going to work for you both mentally and physically is really an individual thing. Nobody can tell you that. 

The initiation into this project has most definitely had teething problems. My usual temperament would have thrown me headfirst into a project, but feeling slightly out of my comfort zone, I've sourced advice, heeded the advice, tried the advice and some things work, but a lot has not....so I've come back to my own sense of self and designing the training from what I objectively think will work for me. (This is where keeping a training journal works a treat!) So far, trialling lower rep ranges and more cardio (varying intensities) in the preliminary phases of prep is working well.

Sometimes one just has to have the courage of conviction in ones own ideas even whilst swimming with the sharks. 

My courage most definitely does not roar-more like a geriatric cat.