The sport of bodybuilding is certainly not for the weak. It demands a lot of dedication, determination, and consistency by an athlete to excel in this sport. After all, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to go through painfully intense workout sessions daily and follow a strict diet for weeks, in order to get shredded. The sport of bodybuilding highly relies on conditioning. But what is conditioning? 

Despite having a ton of muscle in your body, it is almost useless for a bodybuilder if he is carrying a high fat percentage. It is extremely important to get lean and shredded in order to display your years of hard work on the stage. Simply put, conditioning refers to the overall level of muscle definition and visible vascularity achieved through a combination of weight training, resistance training, cardio, and a good diet. Sure, the idea is simple but there are complicated elements to it, that make it extremely challenging.  

Importance of conditioning

‘Cutting’ is an important element in a bodybuilder’s lifestyle, as this is the time when the truth actually comes out about how much muscle they gained in the off-season. To get a lower body fat percentage, an athlete has to cut down his calories, sodium intake, water intake, add cardiovascular activities, etc. This helps them by improving their conditioning, getting paper-thin skin, getting vascular, and achieving a striated physique. However, the process can also lead to muscle atrophy if not done right. The process of achieving conditioning requires a lot of discipline from the athlete’s end, as each and every grain is measured and calculated.

The changing standards of conditioning

The realm of bodybuilding has been continuously evolving over the years. What was once considered an amazing physique is often seen as an average or below-average physique in today’s time. During the Golden era of bodybuilding, for example, one of the most prominent bodybuilders of that era, Arnold Schwarzenegger would arguably find it difficult to compete with modern open-class bodybuilders. The reason behind this is simple. Back in the 60s and the 70s, the athletes were not focused that much on getting leaner. However, the standards of the sport changed over the years.

The 80s and the 90s saw athletes focusing much more on the ‘aesthetics’, which meant getting leaner. The bodybuilders focused much more on getting leaner and getting paper-thin skin. But the major change came much later, during the 21st century. Bodybuilders hopped on the concept of getting ‘shredded to the bones.’ Athletes like Ronnie Coleman were the first ones to bring about this change. Slowly, the sport which was once about health and wellness started becoming one with an increase in casualties and a few fatalities among athletes. 

The role of diuretics in a bodybuilding contest

Diuretics are banned medications that countless bodybuilders rely on to flush out water from their bodies so that they can appear jacked and shredded on the stage. These medications do so in various ways, including increasing urine production in the body to flush out water and sodium from the body. However, the best decision when it comes to diuretics is to not take them. These compounds can often lead to severe consequences, including death. Using diuretics can lead to extreme dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, or rebound water retention at times which can be extremely dangerous for an athlete. 

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There have been multiple instances of people facing the consequences of joining the dark side. In 1988, pro bodybuilder Albert Beckles collapsed and convulsed while on stage. He was subsequently resuscitated by paramedics and found to be suffering from diuretic-induced dehydration. Another unfortunate case happened in 1992 with Mohammed Benaziza, who died after competing in a contest in Europe. 

Thanks to the internet and social media, people have created unrealistic expectations in their minds, and when those goals do not get accomplished, people often hop on gear. The advent of social media has shaped the standards of conditioning massively. Fitness creators and online coaches, being a ‘fake natty’, often tend to influence people, especially teenagers, to use steroids and diuretics to get lean. After all, there is only a specific point where a person can drop his fat percentage. Maintaining or even achieving a single body fat percentage for most individuals is next to impossible. 

But conditioning is not everything!

Despite athletes and bodybuilders trying to get lean and well-conditioned, the sport of bodybuilding is all about creating the perfect balance. Apart from conditioning, size, symmetry, proportions, and genetics also play a crucial role in competitive bodybuilding. While a well-conditioned physique might earn you a few points, there are other areas that an athlete needs to nail as well in order to earn the title. 

The perfect example of this was Mr. Olympia 2023, which recently wrapped up. Despite being well-conditioned and lean, the reigning champion Hadi Choopan was dethroned by 212 champion Derek Lunsford. While the results were too close, Derek won the contest because of his overall physique. The competition was proof that the IFBB judges like to see a perfectly balanced physique rather than an insanely ripped one. 

Read More: Why Is Hadi Choopan Storming off Stage Making Everyone Mad? 5 Instances When Mr. Olympia’s Stage Was Disgraced by Bodybuilder’s Pride

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