The Foundation Principles
The big gut has not escaped the notice of the leadership of the IFBB who recently posted a mandate dictating a change in judging criteria.1 Recalling the founding principles on which the sport of bodybuilding was created, the IFBB is reaffirming the significance of balance, proportion and classic attributes such as the “V”-taper and a flat, muscular abdomen. The mandate didn’t state what pressures may have incited the de facto change in judging criteria, but noted that distended abdomens and distorted muscles negatively impact symmetry and natural aesthetics, detracting from the overall physique.

As the mandate clearly comments on the proliferation of distended abdomens and the distorted muscles that have become the hallmark of contemporary bodybuilders, it’s important for competitive bodybuilders to understand the potential causes for this appearance. There have been numerous message board discussions debating the relative contribution of a number of factors, some with merit and others without. Muscle distortion likely refers to the unnatural lumps and bulges appearing in the muscle bellies from the use of inflammatory compounds such as nolotil and synthol.2,3 Injecting these compounds causes the muscle tissue to swell around the area of the injection depot. Done properly, this can lead to significantly enlarged muscle, but poor technique can lead to unsightly lumps, suggesting a golf ball-sized tumor is growing in the deltoid or biceps.

Abdominal distension is a completely separate issue. Younger followers of bodybuilding may not be aware of the classical appearance, which personified the golden era of the sport. Bodybuilders used to appear as heavily muscled athletes, gracefully portraying the images adorning Greek temples or the fantasy artwork of Boris Vallejo.4 During the later half of the 1980’s, changes began to appear in the professional bodybuilders’ physique, culminating in the look now dominating the field of competitors.