Classic bodybuilding brings back many images, from 19th century muscle men. The unoffficial era lasted about a century, but is very different from the modern form of bodybuilding that has exploited since the 1980s. Commercialisation and science made bodybuilding turn from a fringe novelty into a multi-billion dollar, international industry.
The main difference between modern and classic bodybuilding is related to aesthetics. Those old photos remind us of large and very strong men, but the muscle definition is different from the modern athlete.
Classic bodybuilders were characterised by huge weights that they were able to lift, but also for mammoth intake of foods, so they were very different from what modern nutritionists would recommend.
Classic bodybuilders diet included red meat, a lot of eggs and also high-cholesterol foods. Today, bodybuilding promotes lean protein, such as chicken and fish, as well as a balanced approach involving a large proportion of vegetables and fruits.
Additionally, modern bodybuilders are more informed and know exactly what is going on in their bodies.
Nutritional supplements are also an important element of the modern bodybuilding. In the past, bodybuilders believed that only workout regimens and diet would increase their muscle mass.
Today diets are also supplemented with protein shakes, multi-vitamins and also illicit substances such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormones to achieve the results that bodybuilders couldn’t dream in the era of classic bodybuilding.