Bigorexia (or Bigorexia Nervosa), also known as muscle dysmorphia, is quite literally regarded as an unhealthy obsession with building muscle or gaining muscle mass (i.e., getting big). While the medical field considers it to be a psychological disorder… Is it genuinely bad, or, more specifically, is it counter-productive to building more muscle? My personal experience on the topic may provide some helpful insight. Here it is.
At the Beginning
Initially, when bodybuilding (i.e., training to build muscle), most lifters tend to do it the wrong way; they eat too much of everything, drink too many (or too high a dosage of) protein powder shakes, and exaggerate the amount of weight used during workout sessions. It’s all excessive, likely due to our limited knowledge. This was definitely the case with me when I first started. I remained natural, but my methods were still somewhat extreme. In other words, what began as a passion quickly became a detrimental series of actions that often left me injured, bloated, and/or irritated.
I needed to take a step back, and I did, thankfully, or, rather, luckily. I was fortunate enough to talk to the right people at the right moments. I went lighter following a conversation with a previously skinny natty claiming to have bulked up after just easing up on the weights. It then worked for me as well. As a bonus, I felt more rested/relaxed — so less irritated overall. In fact, I had developed a calm demeanor from that point forward. When you exert less energy (or the right amount of energy, rather), you find balance within yourself… A cheesy statement, but one no less true.
Objectivity
Bigorexia is somewhat a disease of the mind. It removes practical thinking, replacing it with severed connections to emotions associated with getting swole, as they say. The idea of looking, being, and feeling strong is only made real following an objective approach to muscle-building… and that gets lost (particularly when the idea becomes significantly more powerful). You will get big so long as you eat, sleep, and train regularly — but the potential results become limited when focusing too hard on the objective itself.
Maybe this is because the end goal isn’t really viable after all. I mean, it can’t be defined, at least not easily. It’s okay to continually seek progression, to want it, and to envision it daily. However, the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment must thrive for you to foster growth, especially literal physical growth. And the latter can’t be accomplished if there’s a stronghold on what needs to be done (hijacked only by a level of respect towards your body beyond the usual egotistical, desirable outcome). In sum, don’t over-concentrate on how good you’ll look when you do so-and-so. Instead, do the so-and-so, and enjoy your life (including this and every other part of your journey).
Be Your Best
A friend (and hardcore bodybuilder) once said to me, “It’s about being your best”. To me, and until now, this simple message has served as an important reminder. You’re not, in essence, meant to outperform others. Bodybuilding (whether competitively or recreationally), like most endeavors, is about excelling to your best abilities.
We’re all dealt certain cards, and with that, there will be times that either allow or require you to do more or less of what you’re capable of. Sometimes you move forward, sometimes you move backward, and other times there’s a very necessary stagnation of results. So what? Who cares? Well, you likely do, and it’s perfectly normal. Everything’s relative, so comparison is naturally how we measure our level of success.
But when you obsess over achieving what others before you have achieved (or are currently achieving), that’s when it becomes dangerous. That’s when it begins to lead down a destructive path of making bad choices. But you don’t need to. You can accept your genetics and that your body can & will change for the better over time, regardless of whatever circumstances you’re experiencing at every given moment.
But you also need to accept that you don’t know everything. When you make someone else’s goals your own, you’re limiting what you can do. Sure, you may never be as big as some bodybuilders (and lifters in general). Heck, you may never even be what’s considered in the sport as above-average in terms of size. But if you allow yourself to be unique and accept who you are, a whole world could open up.
You might find your calling as a fitness studio or center owner. You might be a super-lean influencer, with a physique that appeals to the majority of the population, a potential catalyst for your own brand of nutritional or strength equipment products. Or you might enjoy the gym more and appreciate the camaraderie that comes with it. Whether you’ll be using your muscle-building gifts to lend a hand to the next generation of lifters, or for being more present in other areas of your own life, always remember to loosen that grip whenever necessary. If you do, you’ll be a happier, arguably bigger person.