Are we a "dying breed"?

[kinglewy]

Things are too comfortable nowadays and comfort breeds weakness. Everyone is so attached to their i-pods and fancy cell phones and all that non-sense, you take these kids and throw them in the wilderness without any of their gadgets and they'd starve to death.

Attatchment to material excess will be the downfall of the recent generation.

My mentor always used to say " A real dog shits in his cage, and then pushes it aside and does push-ups".

 

[maldorf]

So like someone else said, I think a combination of a few things. Pussy ass bitch syndrome, bigger gym crowds now (planet fitness type crowds), and it depends on location and the gym atmosphere. We are still out there though.

I agree. I think one of the biggest factors in us feeling like this is because of just how many more people these days go to gyms. The gyms these days cater to the average person because thats where the money is, there are 50x more of them or more. I think back in the 80s when I first started lifting there werent as many people involved in lifting weights and the gyms seemed more "hard core", it was much more specialized. Nowadys I think if you open a new gym you have to cater to the masses if you want to stay in business very long . I would like to hear from gym owners on here about this.

 

[maldorf]

i am in my mid 30s when i was young.......7 or 8 this insane show called "conan the barbarian" came on. that was what i considered to be the ultimate bad ass! arnold! fast forward to today,not that long ago the redid conan the barbarian with a new guy.....anyone seen this joke of a guy???? hes smaller than arnolds left thigh! wtf????? today just isnt like it used to be i guess.

Good point, sign of the times. I remember seeing the original Conan in the movie theater and that too was when I started to desire to look like that.

 

[maldorf]

Ive noticed that even the clothes today are tailored for skinny ass pussies. Its hard to find normal shirts because there all slim fit. This generation is pathetic.

Heck, most of the crap I end up having to buy is cut for fat guys, shirts huge in the waist so that you have to flip the shirt over and double it up in the back. Shirts start looking like you have a damn parachute in the back. The pants are all sized one size too small too, I think they want you to believe your are skinnier than reality. If you have a 36 inch waist you have to buy 34s.

 

[Creed428]

you think as it goes on those guys will keep stepping it up till we get to the point where they are coming in with a Frank Zane type physique....the physique class turning into almost an "golden age BB'ing" contest down the road...what do ya think? Might be interesting...

you took the thought right out of my head, I do think this will happen just like bodybuilding slowly progressed with guys getting bigger and bigger i think the same will happen with physique the judges will start looking for little bit more muscularity slowly and slowly until something Zane-like is the ideal

 

[Wolfsanglerune]

ive said my bit about this issue.
again, the country is getting fatter and weaker.more estrogen.the job i started in 2008 was something of a wake up call about young men under 30 these days.i had not been around so many on daily basis before.
most young men now are into watching tv sports and most of all playing video games.some like bikes or firearms but no hard activity like weight training or playing a sport or exercise of any kind.
being a "geek"is chic now im told.
many of you are fortunate and have friends and associates that understand some of this.but most of society is going in the other direction.

 

[AlphaMaleDawg]

Good point, sign of the times. I remember seeing the original Conan in the movie theater and that too was when I started to desire to look like that.

Times have changed. For me, it was seeing those MTV Spring break shows back in the day and seeing a couple of really jacked dudes getting all the vag. But fuck it, I am grateful for whatever motivated me

 

[ajdos]

Our society on a whole is dominated by an "easy button" mentality, technology has made incredible leaps forward, now your phone is a handy pc/tv/information gathering tool. I can still remember fucking rotary phones as a kid.
This technology is advancing quite quickly...people I have noticed thing that losing weight, and gaining muscle is all about some easy trick, they see someone who has muscles or is fit and they think, so they must have some fitness app, or short cut drug, somehting Dr Oz suggested must really be working for them.
By the way I hate Dr Oz, he fills the fucking lazy peoples heads up with ideas that this African Mango or this Saf Slim will take off years of lard gathering at the local yougurt shop or burger joint.
Really thats the thing, the human body is not a technological thing its a biological one so people want to feel like a more attainable physique is within reach.
Technology is advancing at break neck pace the human body is practically standing still, milenia of evolution and were still not that far from paleolithic people. People think because technology has advanced and gotten easier to use that the human body must have gotten easier to get in shape...as we all know, wrong!
People want Something EASY, way easier than being 240 with 3% bodyfat for sure.

Honestly bodybuilding is not a sport for everyone and Im glad that it isnt. Personally I believe that bodybuilders for the most part have a unique perspective, drive, passion and dedication. Bodybuilders have the work ethic that most people dont have anymore, they are the opposite of lazy, they are possessed in some cases with a singular goal.
I look at the people out there who have nothing, they get up every day like some drone and follow the same monochromatic lifestyle everyone else they deem 'acceptable' does. They are either to scared or too lazy to be different.

Bodybuilders are different by choice. I like that people dont get what I do, I dont give a shit what they think honeslty.
They think all I do is drugs, and that I am some meathead good for them.
Because I watch them wallow around like beached walruses every day shoving shit down their throats killing themselves with a much worse poison than any steroid will ever be.
A dying breed? Maybe. Thats fine by me, I'll die along with it, but I refuse to be like them.

 

[thatbloke]

My opinion

Bodybuilding has become more about drugs, and how much you can afford

the younger competitive guys today (in there 20s) are bigger then the older generation bodybuilder

however with the cost of AAS, GH, insulin, etc etc, all a essential in modern bodybuilding, the onyl people who can afford this are the older generation becoz they have stable higher income jobs so they can afford the drugs required

just my thoughtd

 

[Ruhlfreak55]

Honestly bodybuilding is not a sport for everyone and Im glad that it isnt. Personally I believe that bodybuilders for the most part have a unique perspective, drive, passion and dedication. Bodybuilders have the work ethic that most people dont have anymore, they are the opposite of lazy, they are possessed in some cases with a singular goal.
I look at the people out there who have nothing, they get up every day like some drone and follow the same monochromatic lifestyle everyone else they deem 'acceptable' does. They are either to scared or too lazy to be different.

Bodybuilders are different by choice. I like that people dont get what I do, I dont give a shit what they think honestly.
They think all I do is drugs, and that I am some meathead good for them.
Because I watch them wallow around like beached walruses every day shoving shit down their throats killing themselves with a much worse poison than any steroid will ever be.
A dying breed? Maybe. Thats fine by me, I'll die along with it, but I refuse to be like them.

Amen....couldn't have said most of that better myself.

 

[jt4330]

I really think you guys are taking this out of proportion. I mean if you live in minnesota of course you will see a lot less big lifters/bbrs than lets say California, or florida. Its all about where you live at as well. I really don't see how this generation is any different than some other ones. The one true generation I admire the most was the 30s/40s/50s. These people put everything aside for our great nation. That is a generation(s) to admire.

 

[nitomax]

Dam, I have been thinking the same thing every time I go to the gym now. It's a different kind of training people are into. it's more about functional fitness now. Cross fit, Palattis, 300. everyone come out with the new routine. some get in great shape and work hard. The skinny dudes always head straight for the pull up bar and jump rope. the fat dudes lay down on the bench press. LOL!

 

[myosaurus]

shake weights are taking over BB!

 

[chrisrivers]

Our society on a whole is dominated by an "easy button" mentality, technology has made incredible leaps forward, now your phone is a handy pc/tv/information gathering tool. I can still remember fucking rotary phones as a kid.
This technology is advancing quite quickly...people I have noticed thing that losing weight, and gaining muscle is all about some easy trick, they see someone who has muscles or is fit and they think, so they must have some fitness app, or short cut drug, somehting Dr Oz suggested must really be working for them.
By the way I hate Dr Oz, he fills the fucking lazy peoples heads up with ideas that this African Mango or this Saf Slim will take off years of lard gathering at the local yougurt shop or burger joint.
Really thats the thing, the human body is not a technological thing its a biological one so people want to feel like a more attainable physique is within reach.
Technology is advancing at break neck pace the human body is practically standing still, milenia of evolution and were still not that far from paleolithic people. People think because technology has advanced and gotten easier to use that the human body must have gotten easier to get in shape...as we all know, wrong!
People want Something EASY, way easier than being 240 with 3% bodyfat for sure.

Honestly bodybuilding is not a sport for everyone and Im glad that it isnt. Personally I believe that bodybuilders for the most part have a unique perspective, drive, passion and dedication. Bodybuilders have the work ethic that most people dont have anymore, they are the opposite of lazy, they are possessed in some cases with a singular goal.
I look at the people out there who have nothing, they get up every day like some drone and follow the same monochromatic lifestyle everyone else they deem 'acceptable' does. They are either to scared or too lazy to be different.

Bodybuilders are different by choice. I like that people dont get what I do, I dont give a shit what they think honeslty.
They think all I do is drugs, and that I am some meathead good for them.
Because I watch them wallow around like beached walruses every day shoving shit down their throats killing themselves with a much worse poison than any steroid will ever be.
A dying breed? Maybe. Thats fine by me, I'll die along with it, but I refuse to be like them.

Hell yeah!!! I hope BB,PL,Strongman, go more underground. Fuck the mainstream, they'll never understand us.

 

[Marvin Martian]

I'm 39 and lucky to have a few friends in the 20's who train hard, and are a good example to the other youngsters. And a coupe grizzled old bastards showing how it's done.

I agree about most not training very hard though. But I think BBing has done this to itself. Back in the day, we could identify with Zane and Arnold and Nubret. They were beautiful and athletic and their physiques seemed reachable, even if we know now, that was over confident of us to think so. These guys look up to fitness models and skinny actors because they look like their look can be achieved...and women like it.

Nowadays, even most of the hardcore among us don't want to look like a modern pro (not that we could). But these kids seem to fear that it's gonna happen by accident. LOL

YES - It blew my flippin mind the other day when I heard a kid at the gym say that "OMG if I do that many reps my arms might grow like Heaths" - If I hadnt pissed myself and had to leave to clean up I would have had a sit down with ole boy to ease his mind and let him know that he may "be lucky" and not be forced to endure a life handicapped by arms like Phil Heath???????? WTF


As far as women "liking it" - I am married now so this is the DISTANT past - but its been my experience that women only prefer "skinny" guys until they have a guy with some meat... I refuse to sound like a meathead douche but suffice it to say I have never had a woman say " OMG you have just TOO much muscle and not nearly enough fat for my taste" - or even that " you are way bigger than..... "actor" and I like that better

 

[Ehren]

I really think you guys are taking this out of proportion. I mean if you live in minnesota of course you will see a lot less big lifters/bbrs than lets say California, or florida. Its all about where you live at as well. I really don't see how this generation is any different than some other ones. The one true generation I admire the most was the 30s/40s/50s. These people put everything aside for our great nation. That is a generation(s) to admire.

Good point. It also depends on the state or even country and their tradition of work and sports as part of the lifestyle.

In central/eastern Europe, I get a lot more positive attention that I do in the US. Women LOVE big lean guys. You can be as big as you want as long as you're lean-ish. Sports of every kind are a part of the lifestyle. Not BBing, necessarily. But rock climbing, biking is huge, running, walking, rollerblading, soccer, MMA, and winter sports are huge because it's fucking winter here all the time. I'm around a lot of 20-25yo people at work and almost all of them are into some sport, so bodybuilding is not that weird. And the dudes here are generally big-foresty types, so being a different type of big is not so bad.

My Girlfriend's father for example has a very successful business, but he's also the town's Gamekeeper, a member of the Fire Auxiliary and sometimes just takes off for a 50 mile bike ride after work, for fun. In Boar season he goes hunting 4-5 days a week, at night.

Point is, sometimes a change of environment is what's needed to see that there are still active people in the world and that they take fitness as a lifestyle fact, not an exception.

 

[Bad Fox]

Times have changed indeed.

The wife and I were at our gym last night and after we were done benching we went to the dumbell area. There were 2 women that had their stuff spread over 3 benches and uprights. They had 6 sets of dumbells scattered around and were sitting there talking.

Then one of them would lay in the floor right in front of the dumbells and mirrors and stick her arm in the air with a 5lb dumbell for about 30 seconds. I really wanted to grab some 150s and do a set right next to them and drop those suckers........... alas..........I was spent from hitting a pr on the bench.

 

[Bigmanjws]

It's the generation gap, I consider myself a tweener right now. I am getting ready to turn 28. Younger guys dont get it, its always he's on steroids.....Oh really, Ill give you 4 bottles of test so you can get huge. But yet your sorry ass will come lift 2 maybe 3 times a week....... I catch alot of shit from people where I train giving me a hard time. They are like I believe he's cheating, hard to tell what he takes, wish I had his money blah blah blah. It's fucking simple to me. I see it like this......When I was in here on Friday night where you? The movies/bar. What about Saturday for AM fasted cardio? Oh you slept til 2pm. What about Sunday when I came in? Oh yeah you were hungover and getting Mcdonalds breakfast....

There is no other justified reason than HARD WORK and Diet! Period, No way but the hard way. Take all the supps, aas, gh, slin whatever the you want. But if you cant be dedicated, train 5,6,7 days a week, recover, eat right, do cardio when needed. NEWSFLASH, you wont be shit! This shit aint free, nothing is.

I got a little of topic on my rant but it is the truth. I may not be the smartest, biggest, strongest, fastest, most athletic and so on. But I wont be outworked!

 

[ChuckSm00th]

I wouldn't go to the extent to say we are a dying breed but I understand your point.
There are bodybuilders today and there will still be bodybuilders in the future.
The difference is more younger Guys are taking gear just to "look good". Society is to blame with body image and it's effect on young men and young women.
Men are compelled to look like Brad Pitt etc like someone previously mentioned in an earlier post and young women are felt to be super skinny.
Look at Angelina Jolie for instance, take her 10 years ago and now look at a photo of her today, she's literally half the size she was.
The same with guys, most young guys wanna look like the twilight kid because that's what girls seem to like.
For me I want to be as big and ripped as I can get and no view of society can change that, this is who I am. I am a bodybuilder and love doing this.
Bodybuilding is not for everyone an neither is looking like a twink with abs for that matter. But most guys don't want to carry a fucking cooler everywhere they go and give up alcohol and the bar scene like most bodybuilders do or gain the dreaded off season weight cause it's too important to be 6-8% bodyfat year round.
Now to add to the problem gyms frown upon bodybuilders cause we are stereotyped in being ignorant meatheads and gyms nowadays are being taking over by the weekend wannabe trainer ppl who "take a cycle bro" and get shredded. But who am I to say that's wrong. I have my own goals and it's obviously much different from theirs.
Now competitions have become overcrowded with men's physique because anybody with ok genetics can compete (no disrespect either). But thats the way it is.
So no were not a dying breed, we still have numbers and will continue to but there will be more of the above mentioned physique builds now and for years to come.

 

[AlphaMaleDawg]

I don't think you guys are a dying breed. Was bodybuilding really that much more popular 20 years ago? I have a feeling bodybuilding will stay the same as it is now for a long time. It will never be mainstream because steroids are worse for you can cocaine and heroin according to the general population. It will always be underground with little payoff at the end as far as making money goes.