A Surprising Connection
What Does Religion Have in Common With Bodybuilding?
More Than You May Think.
By SunJoo Choi, B.B.A., M.Div.
 "And in my opinion, bodybuilding and religion share just as many similar characteristics as apples and oranges do." Comparing bodybuilding with religion, one might say, is like comparing apples with oranges. But you may be surprised how much they have in common. After all, apples and oranges are both fruits, grow on trees, taste sweet, are nutritious, have their own natural covering, etc. And in my opinion, bodybuilding and religion share just as many similar characteristics as apples and oranges do. Let me explain...
What do I know about bodybuilding and religion?
Quite simply, they both are part of my daily life. I've been a Christian for most of my 39 years on this earth. In 1993, I entered seminary to pursue a master's degree in theology. During this time, I also began working out on a regular basis. As my interest in theology grew, so did my interest in exercise and nutrition. In my graduate studies, one of the most valuable lessons I've learned was that my interpretation of a given text should be a result of drawing out the information from the source and not based on my own bias or presupposition. In Greek, this is called "exegesis" (ex-e-jee-sis).
Then I discovered Muscle Media. As I read the articles about various nutritional supplements, such as whey protein and creatine, I discovered that the authors were doing the same thing I was doing—drawing out the information. They were applying the principle of exegesis in the field of nutrition as I was applying it in theology.
Over the past 13 years, I've preached over 200 sermons and worked out three times a week on a consistent basis. During these years, I have observed a close parallel between bodybuilding and Christianity. But I want to make it crystal clear that I am not saying that bodybuilding is a religion (or a religious experience) or that religion needs bodybuilding. What I am saying is that the two disciplines share certain characteristics. Also, since I am a Christian, Christianity is the only religion I am comparing to bodybuilding. Thus, no other religion is mentioned or implied. The following are observations I have drawn out from my own experiences between these two disciplines.
 The Importance of Proper Feeding
 "Christians require proper feeding as well. It comes not in the form of carbs and protein, but in the form of the Word..." Bodybuilding
You can hardly open a fitness magazine without reading an article emphasizing the importance of nutrition. I once asked a friend about supplements, and he said, "Eat whatever you want and just work hard in the gym." Even though I was fairly ignorant about nutrition at this time, I intuitively knew this was wrong. I knew proper nutrition was important if I wanted to build muscle and lose fat. Proper nutrition cannot be consumed in one meal; it must be steadily entering into your system throughout the day, every day. Without faithfully feeding the body the proper nutrition, it is unreasonable to think you will gain muscle mass and lose fat.
Christianity
Believe it or not, Christians require proper feeding as well. It comes not in the form of carbs and protein, but in the form of the Word; that is, the Bible. It is considered to be water1 and nourishment for the soul2. As with bodybuilding, this type of nutrition is designed to be "consumed" on a perpetual basis. In fact, the Bible describes anyone who does this as wise, who will grow to be strong3. What this means is that we shouldn't simply have the Bible read to us in church once a week, but we should be reading it on a regular basis, actively reviewing it, and allowing it to be absorbed into our hearts and minds. When we do this, it strengthens our faith, and the benefits are manifested in how we live out our lives, especially when adverse situations arise. The Word tells us how to deal with various circumstances, encourages us to persevere, and reminds us of the faithfulness of the one whom we worship—God—and how He had guided others through similar hardship. Without faithfully feeding on the Word, it would be impossible to grow and mature as a Christian.
The Context for Growth
Bodybuilding
Muscle growth is the result of your efforts in the gym. I was reading a Q&A section of a popular muscle magazine and a reader wrote about how his personal trainer claimed he would grow muscle mass in the gym. The author, a very well-respected man in the bodybuilding world, explained that muscle doesn't grow in the gym. The resistance workouts only stimulate the growth process. When you work out, muscle tears and then it needs to be repaired, which requires proper nutrition. So muscle is repaired outside of the gym, not while you are working out.
Christianity
Spiritual growth is the result of worship. The fallacy that muscle grows in the gym is similar to what most people think about going to church. Most people believe that going to church every week will make you more spiritually mature. Going to church to worship is like going to the gym to exercise: it will stimulate the growth process, but you won't fully grow within that context. Spiritual growth occurs when we take what we've learned within the context of worship and then apply it in our everyday lives. Someone once said, "Going to church doesn't turn you into a Christian any more than going to McDonald's turns you into a hamburger." No one gains muscle simply by going to the gym: you have to exercise. Likewise, no one grows spiritually without actively worshiping. In the context of worship, spiritual growth is sparked, but actual growth occurs outside the church.
 "...no one grows spiritually without actively worshiping. In the context of worship, spiritual growth is sparked, but actual growth occurs outside the church." A Radical Change in Lifestyle
Bodybuilding
The initial decision to work out will be ignited either by an external influence, such as a friend, or an internal influence—something within yourself, such as a deep desire to be fit. Whether you embark on the road to health and fitness through a transformation program or on your own, you will be required to make a dramatic change in your lifestyle by doing things you may not have done before.
You will have to start exercising on a regular basis; you will have to eat more whole foods and eliminate junk food; you will have to consume more protein; you will have to eat smaller, more frequent meals; you will have to start drinking more water per day than ever before; you will have to start educating yourself on issues of training and nutrition and continue to do so. If you are not currently exercising on a regular basis, I'm willing to bet that this does not describe a typical week in your life. It certainly didn't describe mine before I started working out regularly.
Christianity
Becoming a Christian may also involve an external influence but it is primarily guided by an internal influence. Most people become Christians as a result of attending church or a church function a friend invited them to. But I know of one guy who converted simply by reading the Bible. He was a philosophy major in college and became curious about what the Bible contained. It was something in his heart that aroused his curiosity and not something external. Either way, one must make a radical change in one's lifestyle.
You will have to attend church on a regular basis; you will have to eliminate all of the negative influences that may discourage or hinder your spiritual growth; you will have to read the Bible on a regular basis; you will pray daily; and you will, increasingly, apply its moral and ethical principles into your life. Is this lifestyle different from your current lifestyle?
Comment
If you are not currently working out on a regular basis, you may be turned off by the changes you need to make. Similarly, if you are not a religious person, you will be equally turned off (if not more so) by the idea that you will "lose" your Sunday mornings to go to church. But if you have applied the principles in either discipline, you will know that what you gain far outweighs what you "lose." If you have experienced either, you already know that in committing yourself to the discipline, you gain far more than what others consider a sacrifice.
Challenges from Others
Bodybuilding
A couple of years into working out on a regular basis, I became more and more interested in supplements such as protein powders. One day, I went to a mall with a friend and we stepped into a GNC. She thought I was simply looking around but when she realized I was there trying to make a serious decision on which protein powder to purchase, she started to scold me. "Why are you wasting your money? You're never going to use all of that anyway!" Then she told me about a friend of hers who bragged about working out and bought a bunch of supplements but still had a lot left because he never followed through.
My friend didn't believe I was serious about training consistently. If you read essays from some of the competitors of transformation programs, you will see that they've had similar experiences when they decided to change their lifestyles.
Christianity
I've heard many people publicly tell their story of how they became a Christian. Quite often they will say how their friends or family members didn't take them seriously. They would laugh at them or even become angry at them for becoming a "religious freak."
One young man, a former gang member, came to my church to give his testimony and told of how his fellow gangbangers laughed and ridiculed him for months once he became Christian. But after they saw that he was truly converted and was serious about dedicating his life to it, they respected him for it and no longer patronized him about his decision.
Comment
It's interesting, isn't it? When we make a decision, even a positive one, those around us don't seem to take us seriously. In one sense, I can understand. They know us. They know our history and our personality. It is in this context that their reactions are based. However, their reactions are also based on what they know (or don't know) about the discipline to which we've committed. "Bodybuilding? Religion? Are you kidding me? You're falling for that load of garbage?"
Unfortunately, this type of reaction is based on their biases and not on having examined the discipline. The good news is, once they see the results of our dedication, they often want the same thing.
 "But the commitment, not the emotions, should have determined whether or not they continued lifting weights." Everyone Wants the Results, but Few Are Willing to Put the Necessary Effort into it
Bodybuilding
Losing fat and building muscle takes dedication and hard work. People know this in principle, but when they experience even a taste of what is truly required to achieve their fitness goals, they realize they're not as determined as they thought they were. Sean is someone who experienced this firsthand. He said he wanted to build arms like mine, so I walked him through my arm workout. Afterwards, for about a week, he could hardly move his arms to brush his teeth. He never worked out with that intensity again.
Another friend, Steve, said he couldn't turn the steering wheel in his car after our workout. He also quit. As much as Sean and Steve wanted their bodies to look a certain way, they weren't willing to put the necessary effort into achieving their desired goals. The main reason for this was because they no longer felt the motivation after the pain.
But our feelings should not be the benchmark by which we make our decisions because our feelings are always the consequence of something. Sean and Steve didn't feel the motivation after experiencing the pain from the workout. But the commitment, not the emotions, should have determined whether or not they continued lifting weights. Not everyone who begins to work out will continue to work out.
Christianity
There are many reasons people stop going to church. One reason is because they no longer feel the same way—the initial feelings diminish within a few weeks. The enthusiasm, the motivation, and the interest aren't at the level they used to be. Because they no longer feel this way, they stop going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc.
Imagine your friend coming up to you to break the news that he is divorcing his wife. If you ask why, he says he no longer feels the same way for her. But then you ask him about his commitment to his wife, the vow he took at the wedding ceremony. He says, because he doesn't feel the same for her, he can't get himself to keep that commitment.
Christians experience the same thing in their commitment. You may not feel like reading the Bible or going to church, but when you make the commitment to be a Christian, you enter into a relationship with God. Sure, the feeling may diminish after a period of time; I've gone through it. But that doesn't mean the relationship and the commitment should end. Since we've committed to this relationship, we need to persevere in it. Otherwise, it shouldn't be called a commitment.
Unfortunately, most people quit because they associate their feelings with the commitment and believe that when the feeling diminishes, so does the commitment. Sadly, not everyone who goes to church will continue to go to church.
 "What I mean by "finished well" is this: setting one's eyes on a goal, implementing the steps to reach that goal, and enjoying the results." A Diehard Determination to Finish and Finish Well
Bodybuilding
If you've read enough muscle magazines in the past several years, you probably have noticed that the typical period for a transformation program is 12 weeks. A lot of the individual participants are portrayed in magazines and websites with their before and after photos. What you see in the after photos are those who have persevered through a radically different lifestyle from what they were used to previously.
They set their minds on the twelfth week, didn't allow anything to hinder or deter them from their goal, and finished well. What I mean by "finished well" is this: setting one's eyes on a goal, implementing the steps to reach that goal, and enjoying the results. Because the competitors held onto the diehard determination to finish well, they were able to proudly have someone snap the after photo. I don't think anyone who sees the after photos can say the competitors didn't finish well.
Christianity
Although Christians set their minds on something eternal and not something 12 weeks from now, the principle is the same. We need to be determined to finish well. What we aim for is a relationship with our Creator that is untainted and pure in every possible way. We implement this goal by turning ourselves to exercising good characteristics such as patience, kindness, understanding, purity (in all areas of life), etc.
Sure we may slip and fall throughout the process, but we pick ourselves up (often getting help from others). And in the end, we all long to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."4 This is our "after photo." Once this occurs, we then enjoy the rewards of the results, not with a check but with a prize that lasts for eternity and never loses its value.
Conclusion
These are the characteristics that bodybuilding and Christianity share as I have observed them over the years. (I could have mentioned others, such as the significant role of the mind, the importance of community, and hypocrites but couldn't because of space limitations.) Drawing out information is how I approach almost every aspect of my life, whether it's studying the Bible, a news story, performing my job, etc. Sure, I have my own presuppositions, but I don't allow them to determine the conclusion at which I arrive. I let the data speak for itself. When you let the data speak for itself, the end result can be quite interesting. I mean, who would have thought bodybuilding and Christianity would have so many parallels?
Fill out the no-obligation form below to TAKE your free issue of the printed version of Real SOLUTIONS Magazine now! Still not sure? Click here to listen to a special audio welcome from our editor, Stephen Adele. |
