What Is Natural Bodybuilding?
Ever heard of Chester Yorton? He’s the bodybuilder who beat The Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger in the NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe competition in 1966. Chet, as he was known to his fans and loved ones, is also known as the “Father of Natural Bodybuilding”.
Yorton started speaking out about the dark side of bodybuilding after becoming aware of steroid use in 1964 and learning about the myriad of nasty side effects from his doctor. Chet advocated for the natural approach his whole life, launching the NBA (not that NBA – the Natural Bodybuilder's Association) in 1975. Amazingly, the NBA was the first bodybuilding federation to test for drug use at all of its competitions. Six years later, he started a publication titled Natural Bodybuilding, which showcased steroid-free bodybuilders, and educated the public about the dangers of their use. Chet’s ethos laid down the blueprint for natural bodybuilding as it’s practised today and he is still revered for his iconic physique. A modern-day Adonis, all put together through sheer dedication.
"Surely all bodybuilding is natural?" you might ask. Well, as nice as it would be, unfortunately, doping is rampant in bodybuilding – from amateurs at the local gym to the highest levels of the professional domain. Time and time again, some of the sport’s most respected competitors have been found to be juicing, casting a dark cloud of suspicion and scepticism over the sport itself. Even so called “natty” bodybuilders, who profess to live a pious commitment to the natural lifestyle have been exposed as frauds in drug tests.
What is Natural Bodybuilding?
Natural bodybuilding is defined by its exclusion of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), such as anabolic steroids, insulin, diuretics, growth hormones, or other banned substances. Avid followers commit to the notion that an appropriate diet and proper training are all you need to achieve increased muscle mass, strength, and overall fitness.
For many of its pumped up disciples, natural bodybuilding is truly a way of life. Many “natty” bodybuilders live by a strict moral code, opting for a more considered approach to building muscle mass, rejecting the allure of shortcutting their way to rapid gains. Governing bodies (such as the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation) utilise urine analysis, blood tests and even polygraph (lie detector) tests to confirm competing athletes’ drug-free status.
However, online, there are constant debates, and revelations, on platforms like Reddit about “natty” bodybuilders who are known to be juicing or have failed drug tests in the past. Scepticism and suspicion about who really is as natural as they claim are rife. Online skeptics scour images for signs of gyno (gynecomastia – the development of breast tissue in the pecs), a telltale indicator of steroid use. Condemnation of bodybuilders who claim to be 'natty' but use PEDs is widespread.
Our Fitness Director says: Over the years, this has almost devolved into an online witch hunt. The dubious practice of claiming 'natty' when you're not – using a PED-built physique to push supplements and training plans – is undoubtedly wrong. But the flip side is that people are becoming so quick to cry 'steroids!' at the sight of any reasonably developed body. This could lead impressionable young men to believe that steroids are necessary for even moderate success in the gym. Fully tested, natural competitions, whether bodybuilding or strength-related, serve as shining examples of what’s possible without pharmaceutical assistance.
Additional speculation is fuelled by the fact that some comps don’t employ random testing in between events. Which means there’s a good chance that competitors could be juicing on the sly and never getting caught out. Besides the potential for doping in between competitions, natural bodybuilding has also come under scrutiny from critics who point out the “unnatural” amount of food that needs to be consumed to achieve muscle gains.
Health Benefits of Natural Bodybuilding
Let’s face it, steroids can mess you up, and the payback for using them really isn’t worth the risk. Natural bodybuilding, practised correctly, offers all the health benefits you’d expect from consistent, committed exercise.
At its foundation, you’ve got regular high-impact resistance training which triggers hypertrophy. This improves your overall strength, and bone density, enhancing functional fitness for daily activities and standing you in good stead for when you start knocking a bit, later in life.
Natural bodybuilding also supports the body's hormonal balance: testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin. All of which have a myriad positive effects on your health.
Working on building muscle mass increases the body's basal metabolic rate (BMR), which helps burn more calories when you’re at rest. Perfect for weight management and the dreaded battle with fat loss.
Though lifting isn’t a traditional cardio exercise, it still has the benefit of improving cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, improving circulation, and reducing the risk of heart disease.
With its central focus on unwavering commitment, the discipline required for natural bodybuilding means you’ll be better equipped to deal with life’s challenges, with increased mental fortitude, resilience, focus, and improved self-esteem.
The physical exertion and routine releases feel-good endorphins, which can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Our Fitness Director says: Resistance training of any sort has been proven to add years to your life. The type of training that natural bodybuilding involves significantly reduces your chances of developing lifestyle-related ailments and also enhances the quality of life in later years. You don't have to step foot on stage in a pair of budgie smugglers to reap the benefits of healthy, natural lifting.
How to Start Natural Bodybuilding
Before you even start it’s essential to get yourself in the right mindset. If you want the best results, you need to be honest with yourself and figure out if you have the time, energy and motivation to commit to the lifestyle. Getting 'hench' and ripped naturally is no joke, and the often rigid lifestyle can be isolating.
Determine what you want to achieve from the outset, with a clear intention. Is it muscle growth or fat loss? Are you going to stay amateur or aim to compete in contests? Set yourself simple, realistic goals, don’t overcook it and this will set your training and nutrition plan on the right course.
Strength Training: Any bodybuilder worth their salt will emphasise the importance of mastering compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Classic movements that target multiple muscle groups, leading to greater overall muscle development and strength. Compound movements are the bread and butter of any successful bodybuilding routine.
Progressive overload: This involves gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in your strength training routine. Steve Cook says, 'To keep growing, you need to continually challenge your muscles. Progressive overload is the key.'
Mind to muscle connection: Ulisses Jr. advocates for developing a strong mind-muscle connection during workouts. He says, 'Feel the muscle working, focus on the contraction, and make every rep count.'
Consistency: Train regularly, typically 4-6 times per week, depending on your recovery capacity and goals. Jeff Nippard stresses the importance of consistency in training over trying to perfect every aspect. He states, 'Consistency in hitting your workouts, even if they aren’t perfect, is far more important than occasional perfection.'
Recovery: This is a vital element of bodybuilding, and often overlooked in pursuit of gains. In line with the natural bodybuilding ethos, no less than seven hours sleep per night, active rest – light exercise such as walking – and full rest days.
Protein: Dr. Layne Norton highlights the critical role of protein intake in muscle growth. He advises, 'Aim for around 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, distributed across four to five meals.'
You’ll also need to get a handle on adjusting your caloric intake based on your goals – consume a caloric surplus for bulking and a deficit for fat loss cutting. Thankfully, there’s an abundance of online calculators which will help you get a gauge on your requirements based on your body type. Purists and detractors may say otherwise, but supplements can also be a crucial part of the natural bodybuilding process.
Our Fitness Director says: Although old-school bodybuilders (and even some hardheaded new-school ones) still swear by the practice of consuming massive amounts of calories to "bulk up", followed by drastically cutting those calories to drop body fat, most evidence points to the fact that massive calories surpluses aren't necessary. A combination of hard training and adequate protein intake is a far better method for making progressive, sustainable gains.
Lastly, get yourself some natural bodybuilding pals. The often rigid lifestyle can leave you feeling isolated if you’re not connected to others who are following the same path. Pushing yourself can be so much harder when you’re working in isolation, so do yourself a favour and join a community to get that social and moral support that’s essential to maintaining discipline. Whether you get stuck into your local gym or online forums and groups, don’t go it alone. Build yourself an extended family of natural bodybuilding advocates, who will not only support you but also offer advice, encouragement and insight.
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