what is bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes over functional ones, distinguishing it from similar activities such as powerlifting, which focuses solely on increasing the physical load one can exert. In competitive bodybuilding, competitors appear onstage in line-ups and perform specified poses for a panel of judges who rank them based on various criteria such as conditioning, muscularity, posing, size, stage presentation, and symmetry. Bodybuilding requires significant time and effort to reach the desired results, and it offers a wide range of health benefits, including improved self-esteem, reduced stress, and enhanced physical health