Can A Bodybuilding Hobby Lead To A Dangerous Muscle Building Addiction?

Weight training is a hobby that takes dedication and consistency in order to produce dramatic muscle gain, with weight lifters committing themselves to regular workout sessions, consuming strict meal plans, and attempting to achieve sufficient rest each evening. For those who have the time to conveniently perform a weight lifting session several times per week, and who are able to observe the proper meal plan without difficulty, bodybuilding does not become a major chore, but certain weight lifters lack any organization whatsoever, and find themselves struggling to integrate life with effective weight lifting and diet techniques, yet they feel so attracted to producing muscle building or fat loss results that they begin abdicating responsibilities in other, far more critical areas of life in favor of their bodybuilding pursuits.

This is why scheduling is of paramount importance to bodybuilding success, as having a specific time devoted to bodybuilding, as well as portions of the day where meals are consumed, will ensure that there is no constant struggle to choose between bodybuilding workouts and family or work. Yet, even those who plan weight lifting and diet around a daily, specific regimen many times will encounter unexpected scenarios that force them to rearrange their day, and for those who become obsessive over muscle gain, this can create intense internal stress, to the point where other far more vital aspects of life are ignored in favor of a workout. For most, proper scheduling is sufficient to avert any regular occurrences that encourage skipped meals or abandoned weight lifting workouts, but life has a way of offering unexpected inconveniences, and when bodybuilding begins to take on a far more important meaning in life than that of its true classification (a hobby), relationships and our obligation to helping those around us can suffer substantially, leading to a loss of proper perspective on the meaning of our very existence.

Bodybuilding in and of itself is innocent, and does not need to become a narcissistic pursuit used to define self worth, yet for many, this is exactly what transpires, and bodybuilders begin valuing themselves based upon the type of attention they experience from others, which is linked directly with the amount of muscle mass that they carry on a given day. Steroids complicate this issue further, as a bodybuilder establishes a standard that is based on drug abuse, and to continue receiving the same type of superficial attention from others, steroids need to remain a constant, and this leads to a powerful psychological addiction, both to drug abuse and the bodybuilding lifestyle.

Many families are destroyed by addictions of all types, including drugs, alcohol and pornography, but while few consider physical fitness to be a dangerous pursuit, bodybuilding is a hobby that can generate obsessive feelings that will alienate a weight lifter from others, to the point where life begins to revolve around a mere workout and diet plan, with all else occupying a lower priority. This skewed psychological framework destroys marriages, causes a level of obsession with appearance that eventually leads to infidelity, and will result in a level of sadness and grief that can lead to feelings of depression and a wide range of addictions, such as those I highlighted earlier.

To avoid such one dimensional thinking, a bodybuilder must make sure that he or she can place the hobby in proper perspective, knowing that a meaningful existence is based upon how we love God and others, with making those around us feel special and wanted ranking far above whether we have a large biceps muscle or ripped abs; giving of ourselves is what promotes true happiness. Yet, this does not in any way suggest that bodybuilding is contradictory to a well adjusted, selfless existence, as the vast majority, with disciplined scheduling, can easily integrate a potent bodybuilding routine into their lifestyle without negatively impacting relationships or daily obligations, yet for this to successfully occur, organization is of utmost importance. Those who refuse to follow a structured timetable towards daily activities feel overwhelmed with what they must accomplish, but if carefully analyzing their day, will find that significant time was squandered specifically due to haphazard living.

Therefore, to reduce the chance that bodybuilding will conflict with life's more pressing concerns, choose specific weight lifting workout and diet times that do not adversely impact family, friends or work, and do so knowing that if unexpected distractions surface, you will rearrange your schedule to address the most critical concerns first, so that bodybuilding enhances a happy, well adjusted life, as opposed to destroying the peace and harmony that we all aim for.

Francesco Castano authors MuscleNOW.com, a weight training program for muscle building without supplements or drugs. He also owns IncrediBody.com, an online fitness superstore selling fitness equipment at guaranteed lowest prices.