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| No | 86% | 347 votes | Total: 405 votes | |
| Yes | 14% | 58 votes |
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Add to FavoritesShould bodybuilding be made compulsory for students?
Bodybuilding is the process by which individuals develop the muscular shape of their body through resistance (or weight) training and a well-balanced nutrition program. Resistance training is used to isolate individual muscles or muscle groups in an effort to maximize size. The nutrition aspect compliments the resistance training program by supplying the optimal nutrients for muscle development while reducing overall body fat. Bodybuilding, when performed properly, encompasses four of the five health-related fitness components (strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility), which makes it a valuable option to those looking for activities to contribute to a healthy and active lifestyle.
Given the potential benefit that bodybuilding has as a physical activity, a debate has been opened as to the whether it should be a compulsory part of a student's education. To address this issue, it is important to have an understanding of the purpose of physical education and the role it plays in the school setting.
Physical education programs provide students with the knowledge, attitude and ability to lead healthy and active lifestyles. As part of these programs, students are introduced to varieties of physical activity that can lead to such lifestyles. Since individuals have a tendency to continue participation in activities that are of the most interest to them, students should be provided with options to select the activities that appeal to them. Bodybuilding should not be a compulsory part of students' programs as it may dissuade them from pursuing other activities that may provide more appeal.
There exists a wide variety of sports and activities that can enhance the physical well-being of students. Some individuals may find that bodybuilding allows them to maintain a physically active lifestyle in a way they enjoy. If this is the case, these students should have the option to enroll in a bodybuilding course made available to them. In contrast, other individuals are more motivated by participating in team-oriented sports or endurance activities, such as walking or bicycling, and should have the option to participate in those activities.
The school setting provides the opportune environment for students to pursue their interests in a safe and well-supervised manner. If students are allowed to explore the choices that are most appealing to them, they have a higher likelihood of finding enjoyable fitness activities that they may pursue for a lifetime, thus avoid many of the sedentary diseases later in life that have become commonplace in our nation.
While bodybuilding does provide health-related benefits for physical fitness, it is important that students be encouraged to pursue the fitness activities that they find enjoyable. Compulsory bodybuilding, or any other specific physical activity, should not become part of a school's policy.
Learn more about this author, Jeff Bird.
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Yes
To most people bodybuilding and weight training are synonymous; however, there are significant differences. For this title, I believe that weight training may have been the intended topic.
Bodybuilding is a sport in and of itself. It consists of a very strict (bordering on dangerous) diet, grueling weight training sessions, never ending cardiovascular workouts and often require controversial diet supplements to achieve the lean, overly muscular physique required for competition. The demands placed on a person's body far exceed anything that should be allowed in any school age program.
Weight training, on the other hand, is invaluable in its physical and emotional benefits and should be compulsory, along with a cardiovascular fitness routine and nutrition classes, for students in the grades 10 through 12. Weight training is an important component of any fitness regimen.
Obesity is attacking our children at alarming rates. We not only need to teach our children that fitness is important, but we need to give them the tools they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. Weight training, done properly, increases bone density, fights osteoarthritis, increases the body's overall metabolism (in turn increasing the body's ability to burn calories)and gives the body a lean, strong look.
Most kids are going to find their way into the gym on their own, either for sports conditioning or because they want to look more fit. No person should begin a weight training program without proper training and the last thing that you want is one untrained child teaching another untrained child. Poor form, lifting more weight than is controllable and over training can all lead to serious injury, the kinds of injuries that cannot be healed without surgery. Nowhere is proper education more important than when a person is beginning something new. Bad habits are difficult to break and I see bad lifting habits in the gym all the time. Learning the correct techniques and principles from the onset will allow your body to get the most benefit from each training session and provide the foundation for a healthful life.
Weight training along with cardiovascular conditioning and nutrition basics should be compulsory for our children. Most kids are going to find their way into a gym on their own and need to be armed with the knowledge to use the equipment safely and efficiently. Furthermore, it is important to give all kids the education and training they need to live long, healthy lives.
Learn more about this author, Victoria Sullivan.
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