Drug Administration doesn't regulate supplements. Most companies don't fund studies of their products because they don't want their claims to be proven false.
Richmond says bodybuilders often spend $50 a month on supplements but they result in less than a one percent increase in muscle mass. People want a magic pill and will take anything to get bigger, stronger and faster, he says. "If you have the money and are willing to spend it, plenty of people are willing to take it from you," he says.
Reaves is willing to spend the money on supplements because he wants people to notice the bulging muscles, veins and ripples that cover his body. He shaves his arms and chest to show off the definition more clearly. Bodybuilding makes Reaves feel more confident and he likes the results, but he receives mixed reactions from other people. "A lot of people think it looks freaky, but plenty of people like it," Reaves says.
When people hear that Klein spends 10 hours a day driving a truck but still works out in the gym for a least two hours every night, they think he's crazy. Klein was hooked on bodybuilding the first time he saw a well-cut muscle forming on his body.
Twenty years of hard work formed Klein's muscles, but he doesn't want people to think he's showing off when he goes out in public. "I don't use fitness as a means of trying to express who I am," Klein says. The reactions he receives when he enters a room, however, often spark comments from others. Klein says some people are jealous while others will stop him and ask for his name and how long he's trained. For Klein,
the reactions aren't important. What he cares about is that he is 41 but feels like he's 25. For both Klein and Reaves, it is important how bodybuilding makes them feel about themselves.
Sometimes bodybuilders are too concerned with making themselves look and feel good. Bodybuilding can become addictive, says Brian Morris, a personal trainer at Quivira Sportsclubs. Morris, who has helped run health clubs for 11 years, says bodybuilders can see the results of their labors as new veins and ripples appear on their bodies. If they stop lifting the definition starts to fade. Most bodybuilders strive to build more muscle mass, but in their minds they can never reach a point where they are finally big enough.
Chris Bohannon agrees that most bodybuilders never think they look good enough. Bohannon believes they have an almost compulsive desire to push harder and make their muscles more defined. For many bodybuilders, complete satisfaction is unattainable. There are some extreme cases where an obsession with bodybuilding leads to illness.
A little-known disease, muscle dysmorphia, afflicts some bodybuilders. Richmond describes it as an illness that causes people
photo: Brent Carter
to think they are too skinny and never big enough. The problem with diagnosing this disease is that it is difficult to distinguish between someone who is enthusiastic about weightlifting and someone who is obsessed. A bodybuilder may recognize that he is strong, but still sees room for improvement. While someone
may point at the big guy standing in the corner and comment on how freakishly huge he is, that guy may wonder why he is so small.
Reaves says that after five years of bodybuilding, he's still not happy with the results. He doesn't think he ever will be but he's glad he feels this way. If he did feel satisfied he fears he would become complacent. For Reaves, big enough just doesn't exist. He plans to continue bodybuilding and hopes that someday he can be the big guy — just like his dad.
- Melissa Frankel can be reached at mfrankel@kansan.com.
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