Bodybuilding : trajectories of involved young male bodybuilders

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to explore how young males, aged 19 to 30, experience their career trajectory of bodybuilding. It will explore the onset, the escalation and the perceptions of their commitment to their chosen sport. It will talk about the motivators during their career trajectory. More specifically, the study will attempt to shed a light on the contingencies why youths engage in this hobby, focusing on psychological, sociological and cultural influences and implications. A qualitative design was employed. Data was based on semi-structured interviews with six male bodybuilders. The constant comparative method was employed to analyse the resultant data. The major propositions of the study indicated that there are clearly distinct features of the onset, the commitment, and the escalation stages of the career trajectory of bodybuilding. Contingencies which bind a bodybuilder to his career are psychological, social and cultural in nature, and progress in the field is not linear. Similarly, motivators are dependent on an intricate interplay between personal and social factors. It is clear that bodybuilders are members of a sub-culture, which has defined criteria for membership. Recommendations for future research concluded the dissertation.