The Nude Bodybuilder

by Carlson Wade

Nudism is the ideal way in which to do bodybuilding and exercises. After all, is it comfortable to perform health giving physical rituals while wearing binding straps, tight garments, constricting shorts? Freedom for bodily movement is possible only in a state of compatibility with Nature.

Some time ago, at a small gymnasium, a group of well-muscled youths were performing handsome exercises. Their bodies were sculpted and magnificent. Youth radiated. One young bodybuilder came out wearing a pair of athletic supporters or a jockstrap. It brought a few muffled gasps of surprise, when he turned to expose his well-developed buttocks. In the midst of everything, the straps broke and he was in a state of Nature.

There were many red faces and embarrassed exclamations. Who was least concerned? The young bodybuilder. In fact, he was probably grateful to be rid of this confinement. It all illustrates how shame and prudery exist solely in the discolored minds of prudes. Now, suppose you, as a nudist, want to do some exercises. Here are answers to a few questions that are probably bothering you.

QUESTION:

Will activity in a vigorous workout at the end of a day’s mental work help reduce fatigue?

ANSWER:

No. Strenuous nude exercise helps produce additional tissue waste products. But diversion from mental activity into physical outlets will help decrease fatigue caused by too much “brain work.”

QUESTION:

Since I do heavy muscle building, is a high meat (protein) diet my only source of energy?

ANSWER:

Not exactly. The other chief source of energy is from carbohydrates such as starches and sugars.

QUESTION:

Someone said that a good exercise for development of stomach muscles is to touch the floor with my fingertips from an upright position.

ANSWER:

Not necessarily. Gravity will pull your trunk forward and downward when your hip and back muscles are relaxed. You raise your body by contraction of your hip muscles plus other muscles grouped at the back of your thigh. These have little to do with abdominal strength.

QUESTION:

At nudist camps, I see other healthy young athletes with very hairy bodies and chests. Is this a sign of masculinity or greater virility?

ANSWER:

Definitely not! Hairiness is hereditary and there is no connection with vitality or virile potency.

QUESTION:

Is my body physique partially inherited and susceptible to slight change by environment?

ANSWER:

Yes! Anthropologists have learned that you may inherit either of these three physique types: 1. soft and round, 2. muscular definition, 3. thin and lean type. As for environment, this includes exercise and can improve or change your body type.

QUESTION:

Does endurance accompany speed and strength all the time?

ANSWER:

Not quite! You need endurance in basketball; but football requires speed and strength together with endurance. Although all three powers are desirable, they are not always accompanied by each other unfortunately!

QUESTION:

Will exercise cause injury to a normal heart?

ANSWER:

Definitely not! If exercise is suitable to your age and physical condition, there is no risk. Besides, your skeletal muscles would stop contracting before any heart injury is possible.

QUESTION:

On a hot day, should I enter cold water for a nude swim by suddenly diving in fast?

ANSWER:

NO! NO! NO! Your body temperature is higher than cold water. A sudden plunge shocks your nervous and circulatory systems. First stand in cold water at about 10 inches depth. Bathe your arms, wrists, elbows and back of neck slowly. Give your metabolism a chance to adjust to the cold water.

QUESTION:

If I do breathing exercises in the open air, will it increase the amount of oxygen that I now have stored in my system?

ANSWER:

Not quite. Your blood maintains an oxygen balance and this quota cannot be exceeded. The ability to absorb more oxygen and utilize oxygen more effectively is improved by exercise.

QUESTION:

What effect does exercise have on the appetite?

ANSWER:

Exercise stimulates your appetite and requires more liquid-d r i n k i n g and aids in food assimilation, thereby increasing your weight.

QUESTION:

Good posture and strong stomach muscles are interrelated. Is this true?

ANSWER:

Surely! Strong stomach muscles keep your pelvis and abdominal organs in good position, relieving strain on tissues in that region and relieving strain on the joints of your lower back.

QUESTION:

Will playing games help in muscular development?

ANSWER:

Yes, because running aids your circulatory system, heart and respiratory (breathing) tract.

QUESTION:

Often I experience a pain in the back of my neck. Is this caused by holding my head in one position for a long time?

ANSWER:

Yes, it happens to most nude bodybuilders, too. Relieve the pain by letting your head drop forward for a rest, at intervals.

QUESTION:

After exercise, I feel physically fatigued. What can I do for relief?

ANSWER:

Exercise causes your glucose (energy) source in your muscular tissues to be used up, leaving acids and an increase in pulse rate. This fatigue may be relieved by resting for 90 minutes in a reclining position.

QUESTION:

Someone said that a good stomach exercise is to sit erect from a lying position on the back. Is this true?

ANSWER:

Your nudist friend is correct! The stomach muscles are forcibly contracted when you raise your trunk to a sitting (right) angle.

QUESTION:

What is the best time of day to exercise? When I wake up?

ANSWER:

No since exercise causes a f a t i g u e-producing emotion, you’ll only exhaust yourself for your day’s work. The late afternoon, about 2 hours before dinner, is best. And, rest for 60 minutes after exercise, before eating.

QUESTION:

I’ve heard about “second wind,” also called “respiratory relief.” What does this mean?

ANSWER:

After the first exertion you feel naturally tired. Your breathing and pulse rates are slower and you feel less nervous. This makes it feel that you have “second wind” but take care not to overexert yourself.

QUESTION:

Is energy required in doing serious mental work?

ANSWER:

A form of “mental” energy is needed but physical energy needed is very slight.

QUESTION:

What muscular power is given by emotional excitement?

ANSWER:

During fear, excitement, anger, etc., there is an excess secretion of epinephrine into your bloodstream.

The American Sunbather
ISSUE: Number 2, April 1967
Publisher: The American Sunbather and Naturist Review