Bodybuilding Is an Individual Sport: Are Bodybuilders Introverts?
When you look at sports we watch on television, the majority of them are TEAM sports. We have things like baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and lacrosse to name a few. Sure, we have golf, tennis, and bowling on television that are individual sports, but more are team sports. With that being said, when you go to the gym, it’s not a team effort. It’s you against the weight. Some may argue that if you have a training partner or trainer that it’s a joint effort, but it’s truly only the individual working towards his or her own end goal with a support system similar to fans cheering from the stands. So, it raises the question if bodybuilders are introverts?
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How did all of this possibly come about for some bodybuilding competitors? Let’s take a look under the hood for some plausible reasons that some bodybuilders may be introverts.
What Makes People Introverts?
Introverts are influenced by a mix of biological, genetic, environmental, and psychological factors:
- Biological Factors:
- Brain Activity: Higher activity in the prefrontal cortex, leading to a need for less external stimulation.
- Neurotransmitters: Sensitivity to acetylcholine, promoting calmness and focus, as opposed to extroverts’ dopamine-driven need for external rewards.
- Genetic Factors:
- Heritability: Introversion is about 40-50% heritable, suggesting a significant genetic component.
- Evolutionary Perspectives: Introversion may have evolved as a survival mechanism favoring reflective behavior.
- Environmental Factors:
- Early Experiences: Childhood experiences shape social tendencies.
- Cultural Influences: Cultural norms can encourage or discourage introverted traits.
- Personality Theories:
- Carl Jung’s Theory: Introverts are energized by solitary activities and internal experiences.
- Big Five Traits: Introversion is low extroversion, marked by reservedness and a preference for solitude.
- Behavioral Tendencies:
- Energy Sources: Introverts recharge through alone time and feel drained by extensive social interaction.
- Social Preferences: Prefer deep conversations over small talk and may feel overwhelmed in large groups.
- Cognitive Processing:
- Information Processing: Introverts process information deeply, leading to reflective and deliberate responses.
Introverts Personal Reasons Put Them in the Gym
While not the case for every situation, some bodybuilders found early in life that they simply didn’t fit in. They weren’t the athletic type to play basketball or football with friends. They weren’t the funny guy of the group making everyone laugh. They were simply there in the moment and nothing more — kind of like introverts of the sort without knowing what that was at the time. This isn’t taking a shot at anyone who’s like this, everyone is different and acts differently when around groups and when alone.
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For those who felt as if they didn’t truly fit in or maybe they were bullied at one point for being smaller than everyone else around them, they eventually found their way to the gym and began falling in love with the weights and the results they are getting from the work they put in. This was almost a gateway drug for many of them to eventually dip their toes into bodybuilding and competition.
Whether they felt they were an “outcast” of the sort, extremely shy, or they weren’t the athletic type, they’ve found a way to be competitive in a different way with the you vs you mentality that we all face when we go to the gym. Some people enjoy the environment of the gym where they are surrounded by friends and like-minded people. And then there are bodybuilders who put on their headphones, flip their hoodie up over their head and get to work like introverts. They aren’t there to talk… they’re there to crush their personal bests.
Prepping for the Stage
Bodybuilders (like introverts) tend to seclude themselves from society when in prep mode (even some the entire year). That isn’t a bad thing and for many, it’s a good way for them to not become distracted or allow temptation to break their will. Some competitors will basically lock themselves in their homes if they aren’t leaving their house to strictly hit their workouts and then come right back.
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