Arash Rahbar reflects on the recent untimely deaths in bodybuilding and talks about the potential dangers of the sport.
Over the past decade, we have sadly lost a handful of bodybuilders too soon. One of the most recently ones to cause a tragic splash was the death of Luke Sandoe. While that seemed to be linked more closely with his mental health (though never fully confirmed), he is but one of a sadly too many young bodybuilders who have lost their lives. Is there a commonality between these deaths? Has bodybuilding become more dangerous of a sport as its evolved? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Arash Rahbar discusses bodybuilding, depression, and the dangers of the sport.
Bodybuilding is an extreme sport. There’s no way to dance around it. Like many other pro level sports, bodybuilding isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, the sport requires a certain amount of risk. But as Arash Rahbar states very clearly in our latest interview segment – no one forces a person to be a bodybuilder. No one lies about what it takes to be a top level pro competitor. Just like any other sport – the attempt to become great might involve sacrifices that many aren’t willing to make.
That being said, death should not be a part of that sacrifice. Over the past decade, many bodybuilders have lost their lives much too young. But we are not doctors – we don’t know if these deaths have any direct result to the lifestyle of bodybuilding. Perhaps it’s just a very unfortunate coincidence. Unless in-depth studies are conducted, we’ll never truly know.
But the fact remains that these deaths did happen and seem to keep happening each year. It’s caused many in the industry to question – has bodybuilding become more dangerous? We posed that question to Arash Rahbar during our video interview.
Watch our latest GI Exclusive segment with Arash Rahbar above!
At its core, bodybuilding and fitness are about health. The desire to improve your physique, endurance, and ability are all healthy things to want. But when taken to the extreme, when trying to push the body into mass monster territory, the outcome starts to change. Being near 300 pounds is never fully healthy regardless if it’s muscle or fat.
But most importantly, the drugs that some bodybuilders will take to advance even further has risks. Some might think those risks are no where as dangerous as others claim. But the fact remains that these substances are put into your body and have an effect. That effect, when abused, can cause health problems in the long term.
So is bodybuilding more dangerous now than it was in past eras? Arash Rahbar isn’t completely sure. He does acknowledge that advancements in science with drugs have changed the sport. And perhaps with social media – the expectation of how much drugs to take has been distorted.
That’s why Arash Rahbar emphasizes how important it is to do you research. You should know what you are putting in your body. That doesn’t mean a simple google search. That means real research. Knowledge is a very important part of bodybuilding. It’s often overlooked in the conversation due to the focus on training and motivational videos. But nearly all of the most successful bodybuilders had a deep knowledge of what they were doing. They didn’t just listen to some guru on the internet.
Ultimately, Arash Rahbar admits that all bodybuilders must know the risks of trying to become a successful pro. He urges all people who are focusing on a career in bodybuilding dig deep and ask why they are doing it. It should be for pure passion of the sport and nothing else. If you’re bodybuilding to get famous, or to make a million dollars, or to score chicks – then you should stop. It’s not worth it and it can lead to miscalculated decisions. The kind of decisions that could one day cost you your life.
As we stated at the top, bodybuilding is an extreme sport. Don’t be flippant with your health. Arash Rahbar suggests to look at bodybuilding like a lifetime career choice. Look deep into the future and all of the possible outcomes and see it’s something you feel confident you can handle. If so – go for it.
You can watch Arash Rahbar’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
