Pumping Iron

Pumping Iron is without a doubt one of the most important films of its time, bringing bodybuilding to the mainstream and spurring the fitness craze of the '80s. It also propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger into stardom, allowing him to land his wildly popular roles, such as the T-800 from "The Terminator".

It would be a redundant exercise (no pun intended) to drone on about how influential the film was; everyone already knows that. The real interest lies in how the film holds up today; after all, a lot has changed regarding physical health and our culture regarding body image since that time. 

I want to start by saying that I understand the film is not a pure documentary, but rather a docudrama. While the bodybuilders, and the competitions, were real, there was a significant amount of content that was staged or otherwise framed to produce a more compelling narrative. Arnold had his charismatic personality ballooned up to make a more charming yet villainous character, while Lou Ferrigno had his softer personality amplified to make a reserved underdog. Scenes were scripted, stories made up, and Ferrigno even had his training regimen altered; he was originally going to train at the same gym as Arnold. 

That all being said, that is not what I want to focus on. Plenty of others have already examined this topic. All I have to say regarding it is that while I do see how it might have been damaging on the men involved, I ultimately get why it was done. Bodybuilding was not at a popularity point where an entirely honest and technical approach was feasible. Audiences needed that dramatic hook.

45 years later, on a personal level, I found the film to still be highly effective despite its age. While watching it I found myself hitting sets of pushups and planks, and afterwards, I went to the gym for the second time that day, inspired by what I had watched. It is easy to see why bodybuilding went mainstream following its release. 

Of course, times are different. There is criticism to be levied at a film like Pumping Iron. For one, it is understood that the hulking, uber-vascular physiques these men sported are excellent for show, but not so much performance. In fact, that is understood even about much less monstrous builds like Brad Pitt's in the film Troy. There is a reason real-world special forces aren't walking mounds of muscle like Major Dutch, portrayed by Arnold in the film "Predator". 

The second is that by and large, those physiques are virtually impossible to naturally achieve. Beyond extreme training routines and diets, PEDs are basically a requirement to reach that size. The risk of taking drugs like steroids are well-known now, and overall the lifestyle required might not be the healthiest. 

The third follows from the second, in that it gives an unrealistic body image for men. Given that the average guy is never going to look like that, the argument follows that will destroy many's self esteem and make society look down upon them. Additionally, there is the worry that some may try to engage in dangerous methods to increase their size, like taking aforementioned PEDs without understanding the risks.

I can see the perspective of all these points. However, I would make a few of my own counterpoints. 

For all the dangers Pumping Iron poses to young men watching it, the benefits I believe have been much greater. If it inspires people to become better, to get off the couch and into the gym, then it is overall valuable. Sure, there are going to be men who take things too far, but those are going to be extreme cases. Now, with so many other fitness programs and such out there, it can just serve as a motivator rather than the only ideal.

Besides, the alternatives our culture now offers are much more dangerous to young men. We have a society that is addicted to weakness. It discourages strength and pushing boundaries, and instead promotes comfort and passivity. Pumping Iron can easily be seen now as too masculine, but that mindset is just as, and probably more, damaging for males than seeing it as an ideal. 

Bringing it back to me, when I see Arnold and Lou hitting their reps and posing, I am inspired to be a better version of myself. I know that I am not going to ever look like that and even if I could that it wouldn't be the best for me. But I am going to push my body and try my best to maintain my health, and Pumping Iron has reinforced that desire in me. We have lost the ability to strive to be like heroes who are superior than our capabilities. The understanding now is that if it is something unachievable, then it is dangerous to look up to. That is such a backwards view. Heroes are supposed to be unreachable paragons that inspire us to try our best. The denigration of heroes have made us complacent with not improving ourselves.

Balance does need to follow. As the pendulum swings and films like Pumping Iron come back into the cultural consciousness, men should be encouraged to do so safely. Men like Noel Deyzel are critical in this; he represents that muscled archetype Arnold did. But he offers genuine fitness advice, and is fully transparent that he takes PEDs and advises his viewers not to take them. That kind of model is going to be vastly superior to one who says it's okay to eat and do whatever you want.

Overall, Pumping Iron is an interesting film to contrast with modern culture, and is still relevant. I am sure to rewatch it, and would recommend it to anybody. It isn't perfect, but it is a valuable experience in a day and age where self-improvement is being undermined by our culture.