Building the ‘ultimate’ male body

How does muscularity define masculinity in young male bodybuilders?

A team of Queensland researchers investigated men’s identification with a subculture based around muscle-building. The aim was to find out the various factors involved in the quest for young men to achieve the ideal masculine body image, especially as it is defined by muscularity. The researchers were motivated by the increasing numbers of young Australian men who follow strict training and eating plans in order to gain high muscle-mass and low body fat, and who use steroids and performance-enhancing substances to achieve their goals. Interviews were undertaken with 14 young men who (a) weight-trained more than three times a week, (b) took bodybuilding supplements daily, and (c) used/had used steroids and/or other performance and image enhancing drugs. Interview analysis determined some precipitating (e.g., low self-confidence), perpetuating (e.g., social media pressures), and other factors related to strict adherence to a regime, including the use of recreational drugs at the same time as training. The array of influences lend support to a sociocultural framework for outlining the development and maintenance of striving for a muscular ideal body within this group. Having a greater awareness of the elements that drive the attainment of a muscularity-defined body image is key given some of the potentially dangerous health behaviours young men may enact to reach their physical ideal.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12451