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As
a bodybuilder, I have always strived
to share my message of ultimate health with the public.
Despite my good intentions, however, some individuals
have distorted or misinterpreted my words and actions
in other bodybuilding forums. Others have also criticized
my bodybuilding career because I have not competed.
I want to clear up any misconceptions about my career
and my philosophy—not to boost my ego, but instead
as a way of letting my fans know that I am committed
to helping them. My fans should not be misled when others
attack me without justification or provocation. All
I want my fans to know is that when I get at the true
essence of the sport of bodybuilding, and when I understand
what it is truly about, I realize that the material
trappings associated with it mean very little in comparison
to the holistic, mental and spiritual benefits.
My
fans have always been very loyal to
me because they agree with my philosophy which positions
bodybuilding as part of a complete and healthy lifestyle.
Like me, these people believe that true bodybuilding
is not just about going on stage and exhibiting a person’s
physical appearance in order to earn trophies and inflate
an individual’s ego. True competitive bodybuilding
instead focuses on holistic health, and requires a balance
between body and mind.
Rather
than focusing on competing against others,
bodybuilders should instead compete with themselves,
pushing themselves and striving to be their very best
rather than focusing their energy on defeating others.
I do not compete because I want to live a life of ultimate
health, in which I feel good about myself; I do not
have to defeat others to feel fulfilled. I am reminded
of Bruce Lee, who gained a massive following in the
martial arts, but who never competed professionally
because he viewed his sport as a spiritual art. Like
Bruce Lee, I prefer to compete within myself rather
than against others. Unfortunately, bodybuilders often
try to master something or someone outside themselves
rather than looking to master themselves first.
My
criticism of the bodybuilding establishment
and the bodybuilding lifestyle has always been motivated
by a genuine desire to help those who waste or destroy
their lives by achieving fleeting fame through unhealthy
means. It pains me to see these individuals struggle
and suffer with their insecurities and low self-esteem.
If these bodybuilders cannot love and feel good about
themselves, how can they expect to love others? Healthy
interpersonal relationships comprise an essential component
of ultimate health. Some individuals unwisely compromise
their family relationships—as well as their health,
dignity, principles and character—to achieve fifteen
minutes of fame and have people tell them how great
they are.
Many
bodybuilders live a life that defeats
the essence of the sport, and that kills their spirit.
Bodybuilders have been treated like livestock and reduced
to objects by the establishment. They tend to be seen,
but not heard from. Nobody values what bodybuilders
have to say, but instead such people expect bodybuilders
to build muscle and otherwise remain silent. Some bodybuilders
accept the objectifying perceptions that others project
onto them, and willingly throw away their family, health
and freedom to achieve fame and secure their ego. In
order to secure sponsorships, individuals will prostitute
themselves to the bodybuilding establishment. I do not
refer to prostitution here in the sexual sense, but
rather to the extent that bodybuilders are devalued
as people, subjugated to the will of others, and are
objectified and dehumanized by the establishment.
In
such an unhealthy competitive environment,
many bodybuilders focus on themselves; the bodybuilding
community lacks cohesion because so many people think
of themselves first. Motivated by jealousy or other unsavory
ulterior motives, bodybuilders spread false gossip and
vicious rumors about others. Such backbiting serves two
purposes: bodybuilders attempt to pull others down while
they attempt to make themselves feel better. Like a victim
of domestic violence, many bodybuilders refuse the well-intentioned
help of others who want them to escape their unhealthy
lifestyle. Bodybuilders will turn against those who try
to liberate them from the bondage imposed upon them by
the establishment. Such bodybuilders hate themselves more
than those who prostitute and exploit them. When individuals
harbor such a negative sense of themselves, they are not
living a life of ultimate health. Many bodybuilders in
the sport do not know when or how to get themselves out
of the lifestyle, yet those who have achieved the greatest
success in the sport, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, stopped
competing at a relatively young age to pursue other goals,
while continuing to live a life of complete health. Some
competing bodybuilders cannot pull themselves away from
the lifestyle; even if they do manage to pull themselves
away, they inevitably return. Because some bodybuilders
remain motivated by self-interest and retain a myopic
view of the sport and its establishment, these people
can never band together to form a union or come together
as a unit to collectively better themselves.
I
am not surprised that my critics have
attacked me for not competing, because bodybuilders
such as myself that do not compete never took the bait
offered by the establishment. I did not fall into the
trap set by the establishment and refused to live a
lifestyle that contributed to my spiritual, mental,
and physical deterioration rather than ultimate health.
Rather than live a life imposed upon me by others, I
live in a way that provides me with complete health.
I am dismayed by the way in which the bodybuilding establishment
destroys the lives of countless misguided and insecure
individuals. Bodybuilding should constitute part of
a healthy lifestyle; this is the only message I have
ever wished to convey to anyone willing to listen.
I
do not understand why the bodybuilding
establishment should attack me for having good intentions,
except that they must be angry with me for the potential
profit they have lost from having me compete. I am not
stating this with any arrogance, but I know from my
years in the sport that I have many loyal and dedicated
fans who have provided me with great support. I will
not focus on the ephemeral benefits of the unhealthy
bodybuilding lifestyle forced on others; I am thoroughly
committed to sharing my message with all of my fans
and helping them to achieve their fitness goals. I realize
that my resistance to the establishment might have closed
off some opportunities for me that bodybuilders willing
to conform to the system have received, but I feel enriched
and rewarded by the experiences I have had in living
a life in which I can feel fulfilled and enjoy health.
In compromising the well-being of bodybuilders, the
establishment treats these bodybuilders like race horses.
These races, as manifested in bodybuilding competitions,
might be fun for the spectators, but they are not so
fun for the horses. True bodybuilding, as I practice
it and benefit from it, focuses on finding balance and
health in a person’s life. Individuals should
incorporate bodybuilding into a lifestyle that also
emphasizes family, principles, dignity, health and freedom.
Only then can a person enjoy ultimate health. I hope
that my critics will realize my good intentions, and
cease these unfounded attacks upon me. I thank all my
fans for their continued support. I look forward to
continuing my mission and sharing with others the benefits
of ultimate health.
Vic
Richards
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