Chris Bumstead says bodybuilding is built on vanity and comparison, with judges' shifting preferences creating constant anxiety. He argues chasing external validation backfires. Instead, focus on personal improvement and building a physique you're genuinely proud of.
Bodybuilding is a very egocentric sport. It's very vain. It's just like intense. And there's like almost like a stereotype that's very accurate of the way people are, like trying to be better than the next guy, comparing to this guy. It's a comparison sport. It's subjective. It's a pageantry. You're on stage being judged. And I think a lot of bodybuilders before me, they were like, you gotta be on stage, you gotta be stepping on there saying you're gonna beat this guy. You see him, you know you're better than him, be like that. It didn't make me feel like I was getting better. If anything, it stressed me out. It made me anxious. I was comparing myself to others. In bodybuilding, where it is so subjective, you have no control of what the judges do. So if you're trying to beat them or do what the judges do, and then the judges switch what they want, then you're just pissed cuz you didn't do what you want. So you might as well just be doing it for yourself, creating the body that you are proud of, that you think is the best, and being the best version of yourself. And there's no way to continuously improve unless that's your goal.
