Individual aspect of bodybuilding appealing
“Growing up, I was a boxer. It was me and my older brother. We traveled around New England. We fought all over the U.S. We went to Canada, Mexico and Europe to fight. He was a standby for the U.S. Olympic team. I fought for the U.S. Army boxing team. I had 12 professional fights, and I only lost one.
“When I decided not to fight anymore, I thought about my stepfather. He was a bodybuilder. Everywhere we’d go, people would gawk. He was this big, muscular dude with long blond hair like Fabio. So I was like, maybe I’ll get into lifting weights.
“I liked it, so I entered my first bodybuilding show. I ended up winning the Maine state championship. That same year, I won the Georgia state championship. Then I went to Florida and won there, too. I’m still competing.
“What I really like about bodybuilding is what I liked about boxing. It’s so individualistic. It’s all on you. If you cheat on your meal or get lazy and miss that workout, and you get on stage and lose, you only have yourself to blame. For me, that makes it much more worthwhile when you do achieve success. You know you truly earned it.
“Bodybuilders are pretty sensitive types of people. You’re constantly studying yourself and thinking, ‘How are they perceiving me? How can I look better?’ Because it’s very subjective. You’re always on stage in your underwear, and people are judging you. It’s like the worst scenario ever, right?
“People probably think these guys who lifts weights all the time are just big meatheads. But bodybuilders are some of the smartest people on the planet. Especially because they know the science behind what they’re doing: how the muscles and tissues work, how they get repaired, and how nutrients play a role in that.
“These people could be scientists. They’re building their body and changing it. They’re their own experiment.”
— Zack Field
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