Trading Places: Bodybuilding vs MMA.

In the world of bodybuilding many athletes believe that the endeavor is harder than any other athletic undertaking out there. To an extent this is true. It can’t be denied that bodybuilding has it’s fair share of challenges and requires a dedication that sometimes borders on infatuation. And really, if you want to be in great shape you’re going to have to sacrifice and that’s something a bodybuilder knows better than anyone else. Where athletes from other sports get some down time, can pig out at will, and allow their bodies to rest for a prolonged period of time, bodybuilders, professionals and amateurs alike, have to adhere to a strict schedule of bulking and cutting until they achieve the desired result. That’s a year round process that never truly stops.

But despite the difficulties that bodybuilders face in their attempt to achieve the ultimate physical form, it can’t be denied that other sports require the same amount of diehard dedication. Take mixed martial arts for example. It’s not simply about learning how to throw a proper punch or kick. You must learn wrestling offense and defense, grappling techniques, and generally become a jack of all trades in order to excel at the sport. Like bodybuilding it also requires a strict diet in order to make weight for fights or even just to fuel up for a hard training session. A mixed martial artists schedule is every bit as hard to manage as a bodybuilder’s, eating small meals through the day and finding time to rest and recover.

With all this talk of bodybuilding and MMA, the logical next step is to wonder, which one of these athletic endeavors are more difficult than the other? Could a bodybuilder handle the rigors of MMA training? Could a MMA athlete take on the training regiment of a season bodybuilder? The video below illustrates the results pretty nicely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FSSRcWxquY

Would you ever step out of your comfort zone and train in mixed martial arts? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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