Must Watch Bodybuilding And Fitness Documentaries To Motivate And Inspire You To Get Fit

With the advent of films, particularly documentaries, our generation has shifted our attention from written outlets to visual news and information. We can say this is true for information related to fitness and bodybuilding too. Nowadays, people from all aspects of life explore ways to enhance their physical fitness for various reasons.

Documentaries appeal more than written outlets because most of the documentaries are directed and produced by people who themselves are avidly involved in this field and have decades of experience. Also, documentaries can take multiple approaches – some provide scientific facts and break down sophisticated statistics into simple language. In contrast, some documentaries narrate the personal journey of ordinary people as well as well-known personalities. If you are a fitness enthusiast, you can watch some of the best bodybuilding documentaries that can inspire you and motivate you to get fit.

Here are 6 must-watch documentaries about bodybuilding and fitness.

PUMPING IRON

This 1977 documentary features Arnold Schwarzenegger’s and Lou Ferrigno’s journey to be ready for the most glorious bodybuilding competition on the calendar, Mr. Olympia. Already considered as the first documentary related to bodybuilding, this documentary has a semi-scripted approach that allows the viewer to see the competition aspect and root for the participants. But behind all the drama scripted, we get to see that bodybuilders are not just muscled crazy humans. Instead, we see behind the flexes their work ethics and the dedication required to achieve such bodies. In addition, this documentary focuses on the competitors’ attitudes and mindsets which keeps you captivated.

Available to watch on YouTube

Run Time: 1 hour 26 minutes

AMERICAN WEIGHTLIFTING

Greg Everett wrote, directed, filmed, edited, and produced this documentary. It is a documentary that showcases the level of difficulties weightlifters had to go through without proper funding and to work odd jobs but still pursuing their dreams. This documentary will undoubtedly remove your excuse for not working out, not enough time or even your general tendency to not get up and exercise. The documentary is all about the hard work and dedicated coaches and athletes impart in developing individual lifters and the sport as a whole and their perseverance in the face of the daunting challenge of competing with the rest of the world.

Available to watch on Amazon Prime Video

Run time: 1 hour 58 minutes

GENERATION IRON AND GENERATION IRON 2

These two documentaries are like a follow-up of Pumping Iron following several prominent bodybuilders like Phil Heath and Kai Greene as they build their dream physiques. The second series presents the next generation of bodybuilders and fitness personalities for young aspiring bodybuilders as they push their bodies to the “next” level, generating mass appeal worldwide. Unlike the previous two documentaries in this list, this series involves modern methods and techniques of building muscles with proper diet and dedication.

GENERATION IRON

Available to watch on Amazon Prime Video

Run Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

GENERATION IRON 2

Available to watch on Netflix

Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes

THE PERFECT PHYSIQUE

This documentary tells the true-life routine of ten world’s top IFBB physique competitors and top fitness cover models. If you are looking for tips and advice about how to exercise, the model/actors in this documentary provide practical and scientific reasons behind various exercises. This documentary is refreshing to see that all the models share their journey, their failures, and the knowledge they have accumulated over years of dedication. You will find young models with constant determination to improve and work on their bodies.

Available to watch on Amazon Prime

Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

ProjectGYM

Fitness entrepreneur and influencer Jamie Alterton created this series. Now, as the name suggests, this series documents the journey of building your gym requirements. While the other documentaries on this list deal with competing and the importance of workout in the fitness industry, this documentary series gets down to the bare bones of someone building a fitness business from the ground up. Jamie is an engaging presence on screen and has a very motivational way of speaking as he gives us an inside look into building a fitness business.

Available to watch on YouTube

Total Number of Episodes: 12 episodes

RIPPED: INSIDE WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING

This is a new view on women’s athletics as this documentary revolves around two female bodybuilders, Teresa Popowicz and Krystia Petrossie. This documentary showcases the struggles and emotional journey of women competing at the highest levels and their sacrifices. This is a short documentary, but the impact and the message are clear and inspiring.

Available to watch on YouTube

Run time: 26 minutes

The documentaries suggested can be a gateway to motivate you to embark on a journey of Bodybuilding and fitness goals. These documentaries are diverse and vary in duration, allowing you to choose according to your preference and mood. The list is compact, but the victory behind it is immense.

Images from Pixabay