It’s a fact, that some fitness centers don’t hire bodybuilders, but why? Just because during the preparation for competitions athletes don’t feel very well and don’t hide it. Bodybuilders can’t smile, are often unsatisfied with everything, aggressive, they permanently chew something – all these are myths about bodybuilders and such beliefs may interfere in the normal life of any person. Let’s break them and explain others, how bodybuilders in reality are! Today we are publishing an interview with Rolf Hausmann, a bodybuilder from Germany – just one of you. Rolf helped us a lot in breaking those unfair myths about bodybuilders.
Q.: Hello, Mr. Hausmann, to begin with, please, tell us about yourself in brief.
Hello, I live in Germany, Munich, I’m now 34, I have a beautiful wife, a charming daughter of 4 years. I used to work in the fitness center for a few years, but 6 years ago I decided to build my body too and to look like all those trainers in the gym. Well, as you see, I managed to do this. Bodybuilding has become my way of life since then.
Q.: Today the attitude to bodybuilders has become worse, and there are many people thinking, that bodybuilders are stupid and think only about how to eat something and how to train – nothing else interests them. How could you comment on that?
I would tell those people: do you remember “Pumping Iron” with Arnold Schwarzenegger? If not, take time to watch it again and you will see, that Arnold is always smiling, cheerful and sociable. This person has achieved a lot in personal life, sports and career. And this is the fact. With the status Arnold has now can he be called stupid? I don’t think so.
Q.: Do bodybuilders have time for other activities except workouts in the gym?
Bodybuilding is great. Working out in the gym doesn’t prevent you from doing other things. You may study, work and perform a whole range of other activities. You don’t need to focus only on workouts and counting calories. Just plan your day in advance. Bodybuilding is not only workouts, it’s an interesting and eventful way of life.
Q.: Lots of people think, that muscles of bodybuilders are very big, but not that strong, is that true?
Just think about the following thing: any pro lifts tones during their workouts. For instance, I can bench 265 kg (584 lbs). There are pros, who’s barbell squat is 370 kg (814 lbs) for five reps. I suppose, this impresses. So, can’t it be called “strong”?
Q.: You’re right, it seems to characterize a person as strong. Another popular belief regarding bodybuilders is that most of them are impotents. Is that true?
Oh, sure, I was waiting for this question. I want to tell everybody, who has nothing to do with bodybuilding, that this is just a myth developed by some envious or uneducated people. Show me at least one bodybuilding pro, who doesn’t have children. I don’t know such. However I know a lot of people, who are not fond of physical activities and who can’t have children. Being able to impregnate is a genetic predisposition, which has nothing to do with working out in the gym.
Q.: And what about sexual impotence as a side effect of steroids, which are often used by bodybuilders?
This is the fact, that steroid abuse can indeed have such side effects as impotence, but normally they are temporary. Besides, one must be pretty stupid to take that much of steroids to become impotent. If you take steroids once, it doesn’t mean, that you are going to become impotent the next day. You may ask any doctor about this.
Q.: What would you recommend bodybuilders to improve the attitude to them?
I think, that in order to change that negative attitude to bodybuilders we should change ourselves – let’s focus not only on having an attractive body, but also think of your inner beauty. Any myth arises due to the lack of knowledge, including that popular myths about bodybuilders. However every singe athlete can contribute to the way the attitude to bodybuilding in general forms.
This was the opinion of Rolf Hausmann from Germany, just one of you. Please, feel free to add other myths about bodybuilders and bodybuilding and especially to break them in the comments below.