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**calstate23** · 11-03-2012, 01:35 AM

Okay, I'm on another rant...Sorry for posting in the wrong section but little hammered and wanted people to see it....

Is it just me or do people NOT understand the CONCEPT of athletic ability?

Bodybuilding is one of my favorite sports, but is it athletic? Do you need athletic ability to lift weights? Personally, I say hell NO! I question to even call it a sport and I love it. To me it is not a sport, it's a mental game and THAT IS IT...

Somehow everyone confuses size and strength vs. athletic ability....

Athletic ability means you are versatile and can adapt to any physical activity and do it well...

It does not take ATHLETIC ABILITY to be a line backer....It takes size, strength and the ability to block someone...Everyone can block, correct? Everyone can run, correct? It truly is about size and strength MUCH LESS then ATHLETIC ABILITY...

Can a linebacker shoot a free throw? Can a line backer play tennis well? Can a line backer do a diving catch and then throw someone out at first base? Come on, obviously not...

A true athletic person should be able to throw a baseball with ease, throw a football with ease, kick a soccer ball with ease....

And don't confuse jumping HIGH as an athletic ability either..It's not ATHLETIC to jump...It's genetics and also how tall you are..Everyone can jump...If you jump higher then someone else THAT IS NOT ATHLETIC..Because EVERYONE AND THEIR GRANDMA CAN JUMP! Jumping higher then someone else is a physical trait of strength and genetics (Not Athletic Ability)...Just like if someone is bigger and more ripped then someone in the gym...Does that make them MORE ATHLETIC? Obviously not, they are just more dedicated..

Let's not confuse size and strength and the ability to play one sport well.....Please tell me your views...

**Bonaparte** · 11-03-2012, 01:41 AM

Athletic ability is just the ability to play a sport well. Whether that involves trained coordination or freakish genetics, it is all "athletic ability". Sounds like you just want to talk about coordination.

**calstate23** · 11-03-2012, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by Bonaparte

Athletic ability is just the ability to play a sport well. Whether that involves trained coordination or freakish genetics, it is all "athletic ability". Sounds like you just want to talk about coordination.

Yes, that is true...I have known MANY people that can play one sport well. Swimming for instance....But everyone can swim right?? We all can, it's NOT ATHLETIC to swim...It's just they trained harder then others at it...

So, technically no, I wouldn't call being able to play a sport well athletic ability...Because #1 swimming takes NO ATHLETIC ABILITY and I have tried to play sports with a swimmer and it just can not be done...He couldn't do sh*t...

Athletic ability is to be able to play ANY SPORT and play it well...

**Metalject** · 11-03-2012, 02:10 AM

I've always liked bodybuilding, but referring to bodybuilders as athletes might be a bit of a stretch. There are plenty of BB's out there who have as much athletic ability as a dirty diaper just as there are some great athletes who couldn't win the novice class at a amateur BB show.

The genetics to build a lot of muscle and carry it at a low body fat DOES NOT require athletic ability. It requires genetics to build a lot of muscle and carry it at a low body fat.

I used to be on the other side of the fence of this argument. I liked the idea of BB's being called athletes. It was like it gave it a bit more credibility. But BB is simple BB.

**calstate23** · 11-03-2012, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by Metalject

I've always liked bodybuilding, but referring to bodybuilders as athletes might be a bit of a stretch. There are plenty of BB's out there who have as much athletic ability as a dirty diaper just as there are some great athletes who couldn't win the novice class at a amateur BB show.

The genetics to build a lot of muscle and carry it at a low body fat DOES NOT require athletic ability. It requires genetics to build a lot of muscle and carry it at a low body fat.

I used to be on the other side of the fence of this argument. I liked the idea of BB's being called athletes. It was like it gave it a bit more credibility. But BB is simple BB.

Perhaps you misread what I said...I did not claim bodybuilders to be ATHLETIC...Quite the opposite really...If you read again

**songdog** · 11-03-2012, 03:13 AM

Yes I can see wat you mean.I for 1 have always said Nascar drivers golfers and bowlers werent athletes.

**calstate23** · 11-03-2012, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by songdog

Yes I can see wat you mean.I for 1 have always said Nascar drivers golfers and bowlers werent athletes.

Yes, major ATHLETES...I don't know if that is sarcasm or you're being serious....

Just in case, driving is not athletic..And 90% of the drivers that ARE PROFESSIONAL is because their dad was professional...So was it really ATHLETIC ABILTY, or just knowledge they received?

Believe me, driving a car is NOT THE BIG POINT! It's how your car is running, the crew behind it, knowing when to pull on someone...Nascar isn't about "Driving a Car", it's about minor sh*t, mostly knowing certain tracks and how to take the bank...

**dren** · 11-03-2012, 05:34 AM

in this day and age anyone who does something that the norm dont do is an athlete for example a pie eating competition

but when you look at the origination of where athlete came from it was all "physical fast moving sports"

i hear ya on the BB, Golf, Race Car ect ect.

**calstate23** · 11-03-2012, 11:42 AM

And to add to my topic, this is where people confuse ATHLETIC ABILITY AND STEROIDS ....Steroids don't make ANYONE more athletic, it's impossible..Athletic ability you are born with and you can practice to make yourself better...

All steroids do is make one bigger, stronger, faster and the ability to recover faster....And are these athletic abilities? No they are not, they are physical traits...AND this is where people get it wrong...

For instance, a baseball player can take as many steroids as he wants but it will not change the fact that his batting average sucks...Why? Because the act of hitting a baseball has to do with being athletic not about size and strength...

Steroids can't ALL OF A SUDDEN MAKE YOU HIT A BALL BETTER, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE...All it can do is when you do hit a baseball it will go farther.....

**Lunk1** · 11-03-2012, 11:48 AM

Well...not to argue the point of a BB being or not being athletic but, your anology of a linebacker is WAY off. Linebackers are not blockers lol. College and pro level linebackers are EXTREMELY athletic. To be that size and to still have the speed and athletasizm to run with a reciever, catch an interception or run down and tackle an elusive quarterback after shedding a block from a 400lbs lineman. Yeah...those guys are most definetly athletes!!!!

**calstate23** · 11-03-2012, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Lunk1

Well...not to argue the point of a BB being or not being athletic but, your anology of a linebacker is WAY off. Linebackers are not blockers lol. College and pro level linebackers are EXTREMELY athletic. To be that size and to still have the speed and athletasizm to run with a reciever, catch an interception or run down and tackle an elusive quarterback after shedding a block from a 400lbs lineman. Yeah...those guys are most definetly athletes!!!!

Notice though, I did not mention wide receivers or other positions because some positions require more athletic ability....

The thing is linebackers aren't truly doing anything miraculously hard...What you just mentioned are physical traits again...RUNNING, SPEED, AND SIZE ARE NOT ATHLETIC TRAITS. The position is more about size and practicing a lot....

Anyone can run, jump, and chase people down it's not really athletic to do that. A TRUE athletic person could play ANY SPORT. A baseball player could be a line backer with EASE...But they just don't have the size to do it, which is a physical trait not athletic ability...

But a linebacker can't play other sports well...Well at least 99.9% of the ones I've seen...

**Lunk1** · 11-03-2012, 12:13 PM

MOST college and pro ball players from quarter back to defensive tackle have gotten to those levels because they possess athletasism that others do not. Consider the anount of big, strong and fast guys that WANT to hit the next level. If speed, size and strenght were the only factors needed then many of us would be playing pro ball. We arn't because we dont possess the true athletic capability of these guys. MOST of them were 4 sport letter winners in High School and often times played more than one sport in college. There are pro lineman that played 4 years of college basketball.

Your anology using football players to show lack of athletisism is way off.....

**Metalject** · 11-03-2012, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by calstate23

Perhaps you misread what I said...I did not claim bodybuilders to be ATHLETIC...Quite the opposite really...If you read again

I was agreeing with you. Bodybuilders are not athletes.

**badmoon1** · 11-03-2012, 03:27 PM

I'm not a bodybuilder, but I would say there are athletes. If you get off the couch and do something physical, on a regular basis, that's better than most. The weightlifters in the Olympics are athletes. It's cool to be an amateur and do it for fun and fitness in my opinion.

**Chx beach 79** · 11-03-2012, 04:10 PM

I consider bodybuilding athletics for life in general! It helps you learn to be healthier, stronger, and have much more mental discipline in life. I don't lift just to look good. I lift to feel good, and be disciplined!

**cherrydrpepper** · 11-04-2012, 01:09 AM

I think its dangerous to lump bodybuilding in with nascar, golf, bowling, table tennis, paintball, etc. You keep talking about running and jumping. If you run like bo jackson and jump like michael jordan (in their primes) is that not inherently athletic? Or perhaps they are athletic because they take an activity like running or shooting a ball and coordinate their muscles to create the outcome they desire while using their mind to select the best possible scenario in a millisecond out of multiple possibilities. Is that athleticism? If that is athleticism, how is it that different from a bodybuilder creating a mind-muscle connection that produces the most growth in the desired parts of his body while making the choices that will assist this goal (short term, high intensity and getting out the last rep, long term, correct food and conditioning)?

ath·let·ic
[ath-let-ik]
adjective
1. physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports: an athletic child.
2. of, like, or befitting an athlete.
3. of or pertaining to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic sports; athletic training.
4. for athletics: an athletic field.
5. Psychology . (of a physical type) having a sturdy build or well-proportioned body structure. Compare asthenic ( def. 2 ) , pyknic ( def. 1 ) .

**wesh** · 11-04-2012, 01:26 AM

Number 1. Your saying athletes can play many sports. Ive seen hockey players that could play hockey but not anything else. They sucked at whatever else they tried. Sure that there are people born with gifts but there isnt. Good genetics is the best gift you can receive. They still have to practice for years and years to get good. You think if gretzky would have waited till he was 25 to start playing hockey he would be who he is hell no. No diff than bodybuilding. Anyone can walk into a gym and press 15lb dumbells or 5 min on a bike. It takes a lot of training to get to those 150lb dumbells and 1hr intense cardio. So bb are absolutey athletes