Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control and develop the muscles through hypertrophy, and a person who does this is called a bodybuilder. It is undertaken mainly for looks rather than function, which separates it from activities such as powerlifting and calisthenics. In competition, bodybuilders appear on stage in line-ups and perform set poses, later adding individual posing routines, while a panel of judges ranks them on conditioning, muscularity, posing, size, stage presentation and symmetry. Competitors prepare by training and cutting non-essential body fat, finishing with carbohydrate loading and dehydration for maximum definition and vascularity, and most also tan and shave before competing. Progress takes years of steady effort, and gains slow after the first two years. Some bodybuilders use anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs despite serious health risks and a ban in most competitions, and the National Physique Committee, the leading amateur federation, does not require drug testing. The IFBB Mr. Olympia winner is recognized as the top male professional, and the NABBA Universe Championships have been the top amateur contests since 1950.