The Language Of The Body

There is a concept in society that bodybuilders should not be regarded as a mentally fully developed people. Kathy Acker’s article and Roxanne Edwards interview are explaining a main idea beyond the concepts of bodybuilding. I have been working out my body almost three years and I know what it is like to become obsessed with something that seems to be so dull and repetitive; however, Kathy Acker uses the word “repetitive” as a way to explain the important elements in bodybuilding. As she says, repetition is part of the body language that cannot be explained by any language. From my own experience, I agree Kathy Acker’s idea that repetition creates meditational feeling for many people who work out. It sounds senseless that one feels emotionally cleansed when lifting heavy weights; it would make more sense that people feel more uncomfortable as they try to do a heavy duty. On the other hand, I personally forget my life problems and responsibilities whenever I go to gym to work out. Working out until failure is the only way to build the muscles and there is a joyful experience when a failure is successfully reached as it challenges more of one’s character strength than one’s body capabilities. The principle of repetition and striving towards “failure”, as Kathy Acker explains, serves as a distraction from a world one lives in and makes one care about things that happen only in gym.

Roxanne Edwards, who has spent 10 years of her life as a bodybuilder, clearly answers Kathy Acker’s question about what body language supposed to mean. Instead of talking about a general idea, she talks about her personal experience. She thinks that her body has to be a reminder for women that they should find their own place in their life. She explains that she chose to be hated by many people, but her decision to become a bodybuilder brought her more friends and happiness than she ever had. She believes that her life has never been so great and wants to prove other women that they could also break any social or traditional rules in order to reach happiness.

Roxanne’s character generalizes the idea of why people try to “waste” their time in bodybuilding. People have their own definition of a body they create. They give it a meaning whether it is supposed to express someone’s strength or freedom from social boundaries (As it is for Roxanne’s case). They build their bodies so their body language, that has a meaning, could revolutionize the concepts that people see differently. My personal view on this subject is that my daily routine of going to gym 5-6 day a week has changed my life. I now see myself as more organized person who is able to keep himself healthy and more prepared to life struggles that require body strength. By reading and listening both information, I have realized that there is more meaning in bodybuilding that bodybuilders try to show others, but the socially accepted idea will never understand these concepts as it is governed by those people who never tried to do any physical activities in their life.