Nov 29  - Factbox on bodybuilding which made its Asian Games debut in Pusan, South Korea, in 2002 and will feature for the second time during the Doha Games from December 1 to 15:

WHAT IS BODYBUILDING?

Bodybuilding is the art of sculpting the human body through a combination of physical exercise, diet and rest. At a competitive level it is all about impressing a panel of judges, who are looking for the most aesthetically pleasing and balanced physique.

HISTORY

Bodybuilding developed as an aesthetic sport in the late 19th century. The "perfect physique" is judged by its closeness to the proportions of ancient Roman and Greek statues. In 1901 Prussian-born Eugen Sandow organised the first bodybuilding contest and he is regarded as the father of modern bodybuilding.

The Mr. Olympia contest started by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness in 1965 is the most prestigious title in bodybuilding. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger won seven Mr. Olympia titles between 1970 and 1980.

RULES AND SCORING

- Strength has no relevance to bodybuilding. The judges look for overall size and shape. The focus is on muscularity, definition, proportion and symmetry.

- Contestants must pass the elimination and pre-judging rounds before five of them qualify for the final. Finalists first perform free posing routines to music. This is followed by a set of compulsory poses as a group where judges assess specific muscle groups after which the bodybuilders display their best poses.

- Judges rank candidates in order of preference, giving a score of one to the best performer, two to the second best and so on. The athlete with the lowest final score is the winner.