Will I embarrass myself too horribly if I tell you that I have long worshipped bodybuilders? When you say you have a respect for bodybuilders, I definitely mirror that, and raise it up to another level.
And yet, I think you’re right that what 90% of people do when they go to the gym is in fact (some crappy and watered down imitation of) bodybuilding. And THAT is what I “love to hate”! The people who are excellent, knowledgeable, dedicated bodybuilders are a joy to watch, while the ding-dongs are freaking
painful to watch.
Bodybuilding know-nothings are in the gym isolating tiny muscle groups because it makes them feel cool. (Wrist curls, anyone?)
They also do movements with incredibly poor form, to the point of being a useless movement that does not even hit the muscle they should be using. (Lat pulldowns are a nightmare to watch; also when uncoordinated people try to do tricep pushdowns — they are a total mess!)
“Gym morons” (ha, pardon the harsh term!) also have no idea of the range of motion that they should be shooting for, so they often fall far short of the mark. For example, if you wish to train your ab muscles, visually, then you shouldn’t just do plank exercises every day of the week — you should also use a “crunching” motion much of the time.
I know goood form when I see it, and also know horrible execution when I see it. And yet, I do not do any strength training for my own body.
Basically, I fill all my gym-time with the thing I like most, which is walking. And if I am missing out on something (like more rounded shoulders, which are supposed to be pretty on women, if that is an aesthetic that appeals to you!), I am fine with that!
That’s as far as my workouts go for now, although that is subject to change at any time!