What does it mean to be “aesthetic”, and is it possible to have an objective or universal definition of it? Obviously, there are attempts to do so in physique sport, but in society, as they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. In fact, even in physique sports aesthetic standards change constantly and new competitive divisions regularly pop up, judging standards change, and people frequently disagree. Moving beyond the possibility of an agreed-upon definition or standard, would having them even be a good thing? How do external beauty standards and pressure impact us as humans who crave social acceptance in the social media age? How can you pursue aesthetic goals and get positive outcomes? There are no easy answers, but we welcome you to join us as we discuss!

00:00 Intro: reviewing reviews

11:10 In the pursuit of aesthetics

Can you Stay Shredded? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/stay-shredded/

MASS Research Review https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/

17:55 Defining the concept of aesthetics

24:27 Discussing anabolic steroids in the fitness industry

40:35 Societal influences on aesthetic standards and the impact of your personal experiences

51:40 TRT and the pressures of obtaining and maintaining a certain aesthetic

Zhou 2020 Trends and Patterns of Testosterone Therapy among U.S. Male Medicare Beneficiaries, 1999 to 2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31928462/

57:29 Social media algorithms and other influences on decision making

Bhasin 2018 Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/103/5/1715/4939465

1:03:05 The importance of your definition of success and underlying motivations in the pursuit of your aesthetic goals

Helms 2019 Towards a Sustainable Nutrition Paradigm in Physique Sport: A Narrative Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315180/

1:17:07 The impacts of improving health and performance on aesthetics

Iron Culture Episode 95: Old School Bodybuilding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2m11U_7JmU

1:21:44 Different physique sport divisions and desired aesthetics

1:33:20 Beyond surface-level motivations for lifting 

1:46:20 Closing out