Pro bodybuilders are bigger than most people they encounter on a daily basis. They likely feel like superman because they are the Alpha male in every room they enter. They have no problem making friends because almost every man wants to ally himself with the biggest man in the room. And the girls, well, they like muscles.

Pro bodybuilders are a smelly lot. It’s true. You cannot eat 500+ grams of protein per day with some serious flatulence. And being 250+ pounds when you’re supposed to be 170 means you’re going to do a lot of sweating.

Pro bodybuilders take bigger risks with their health than your everyday joe – but they are also much more aware of their bodies than most people. Their livelihood is their body, and they notice everything. Many people just shrug off symptoms because they’re simply not in touch with their bodies.

Pro bodybuilders live just as long as the rest of us. Usually. Some will pass away from the rigors of contest dieting and dehydrating, coupled with high drug use. But some everyday joes will die of heart disease in their late 30s thanks to their McDiet. Typically, they have the same life expectancies.

Pro bodybuilders are aggressive. In business dealings, in line at the grocery store, their artificially high testosterone levels do lead to them being a tad more feisty than their more-compliant, and less muscled, peers.

Pro bodybuilders try to avoid conflict. Sure, you have your jacked, test-ridden idiot who likes to make a scene for his own insecure purposes. But most are regular people like the rest of us, and the last thing they want in their life is drama (the law) being involved.

Pro bodybuilders hate scrutiny, even though they pose nearly naked on stages for strangers to evaluate them. They are continually being evaluated in daily life, and that does take a toll.

Pro bodybuilders are people just like everyone else. They have a job without a lot of job security. They know they’ll be changing fields in a few years. They’re always looking out for the next “new” guy dying to knock them off their perch. There are no guaranteed paychecks in competitive bodybuilding. Imagine a job where only the top 20% of employees got a paycheck, and the rest came to work for free. That is pro bodybuilding.

Pro bodybuilders are not rich. The top 20 bodybuilder in the WORLD make a good living from the sport. The rest use it as a means to catapult them into other moneymaking endeavors. Many are personal trainers or endorse supplements, but many work 9-to-5 jobs like most people.

Pro bodybuilders are hard workers. Many people will utter “all drugs…” at the sight of a bodybuilder. But it really does take years of hard work, disciplined eating, and avoiding many of the pitfalls which take away muscle gains (the fun things in life). They are disciplined, save for that small group of genetic freaks who grow giant muscle by simply walking past a gym.

Pro bodybuilders are just like the rest of us. They’re just a hell of a lot bigger.

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