Difference between Bodybuilding and Men’s Physique by Siddhant Jaiswal

India has long known bodybuilding and fitness as a sport. Indians have enjoyed glory on the international platforms and over the years, have emerged as tough contenders in various mega bodybuilding and fitness events all across the globe. While it flourished as a sport and the number of enthusiasts has increased tremendously over the years, certain aspects of this powerful profession still remain far from being understood. Our perception of looking at Body Building and Men’s Physique is a little off the track.  We do not yet understand what differentiates one from another. However, to set things right, India’s Aesthetic King has come forward. Siddhant Jaiswal is a renowned IFBB (Indian Federation of Body Building) Men’s Physique Athlete & Fitness Model who has made quite a name for himself in the recent times. We got a chance to seek his understanding on the two forms of sport. We are sharing with you his views that will help you to get a better understanding on the two:

Minor and yet Major

Siddhant says that the difference between Body Building and Men’s Physique is small but yet a very big one. Both the sports, in spite of being different, share a number of similarities. You can say that the basis for both the sports is the same however; there is a drastic difference in the approach towards the sport. Let us look at the different aspects of both.

Similarities

Body Building and Physique both stand on the same ground i.e. symmetry. Those who do not understand what symmetry refers to in this profession, here is a brief explanation. A muscle display looks commendable when every muscle in the body is clearly visible. Be it biceps, chest, shoulder, calves and legs etc., all the muscles should be in proportion and sturdy. In order to do this, all the muscles need proper conditioning to present a flawless display. This is called symmetry of muscles and be it bodybuilding or Men’s physique; both abide by this fundamental without fail.

Differences

Muscle mass:

This is probably a very big observable difference between bodybuilding and physique. Bodybuilders tend to rely more on muscle mass as compared to the people into physique. Due to more muscle mass the body is lesser attractive as compared to Physique. There is more of vascularity i.e. appearance of veins on the muscle surface which is one of the reasons for the muscles to lose grace.

Another difference that strikes due to larger muscle mass is the mid section of the body i.e. the waist line.  Bodybuilders, due to rigorous work outs, tend to develop waist muscles as well which leads to larger and bulgier waist lines. On the contrary, Men’s Physique athletes have very narrow waistlines. They cut down incredibly on their body fat content to get a conditioned and yet a narrow physique. A bulged waist line is an acceptable trait in Bodybuilding but not in Physique.

Presentation:

This is yet another striking difference between the two sports. In bodybuilding, the approach is towards aggression while in physique the approach is rather pleasing and composed.

Poses: A bodybuilding athlete needs to work on his posing to get onto the stage. Bodybuilders have in all 7 different poses which they need to master in order to compete. However, in physique, there are no poses. They have only quarter turns like turn right, turn left, face the judges etc. In spite of this, due to lack of guidance, athletes find it difficult to compete at Physique competitions.

Appearance: A bodybuilding athlete, while striking a pose, looks aggressive as he needs to pump up his huge muscles and that requires a lot of strength. Hence, they have a fierce look on the face and some athletes even make grunting sounds while striking a pose. On the contrary, a Physique athlete will have a smiling face on the stage. His pleasing appearance is very important when he is on the stage as that adds to the overall appeal of his presence. They do not flex their muscles in any way. It is a subtle display of a chiseled physique.

Siddhant says that he has followed Mr. Olympia Mens Physique events to get an understanding of the international platforms. He says that the athlete there do not flex. They do not flex their biceps, there are no lat spreads etc. They walk in style, flaunt their muscles in a more elegant way. Hence, he says that flexing is not necessary no matter which sport you choose.

Misconception

Siddhant says that people have built a stereotype in their minds regarding the athlete in these two sports. According to the people, if a person has huge muscles he must be a bodybuilder otherwise not, something that Siddhant finds very unfair. As a debate for this he says, if only huge means a bodybuilder than what about athlete who contends in the 55kg, 65kg, and 75 kg categories. They have a normal stature but are still bodybuilders. A person’s basic stature cannot determine his alignment in this profession. He says that Indian’s genetically are not capable of having huge physiques (like Jason – two times champion at Mr. Olympia – Mens Physique, who has a 95 kg on stage weight). Indians cannot have such a stature but that does not mean we cannot be bodybuilders or fitness athletes.

He urges people to break this stereotype and understand the sport before deciding on it. We totally agree with this simple and yet elaborate explanation given by Siddhant. Be it 55kg category or a 95 kg category, a bodybuilder is still a bodybuilder. There are some differences in both- Bodybuilding and Men’s Physique; however their basis remains the same i.e. Fitness, Diet Control, Conditioning and Hard Work.

He says that no one can misguide you on this. If you need any information then it is freely available on the internet. There are plenty of you tube videos which can help you to understand the basics of both the sports. We hope that people will now understand these concepts and will look at Bodybuilding and Men’s physique as two entirely different and as equally important events.

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