Embedded Files
Frank Zane, three-time Mr. Olympia
In the modern bodybuilding industry, the term "professional" generally means a bodybuilder who has won qualifying competitions as an amateur and has earned a "pro card" from their respective organization. Professionals earn the right to compete in competitions that include monetary prizes. A pro card also prohibits the athlete from competing in federations other than the one from which they have received the pro card.[13] Depending on the level of success, these bodybuilders may receive monetary compensation from sponsors, much like athletes in other sports.
Due to the growing concerns of the high cost, health consequences, and illegal nature of some steroids, many organizations have formed in response and have deemed themselves "natural" bodybuilding competitions. In addition to the concerns noted, many promoters of bodybuilding have sought to shed the "freakish" perception that the general public has of bodybuilding and have successfully introduced a more mainstream audience to the sport of bodybuilding by including competitors whose physiques appear much more attainable and realistic.
In natural contests, the testing protocol ranges among organizations from lie detectors to urinalysis. Penalties also range from organization to organization from suspensions to strict bans from competition. It is also important to note that natural organizations also have their own list of banned substances and it is important to refer to each organization's website for more information about which substances are banned from competition. There are many natural bodybuilding organizations; some of the larger ones include: MuscleMania, Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE), INBF/WNBF, and INBA/PNBA. These organizations either have an American or worldwide presence and are not limited to the country in which they are headquartered.
Men's Physique
Men's Physique
Due to the number of people who found bodybuilding to be "too big" or "ugly" and unhealthy, a new category was started in 2013. The first MR. Olympia was Mark Wingson, which was followed by Jeremy Buendia for consecutive years. Like bodybuilding, the federations in which you can compete in are all the same, there is natural and regular as well but the main difference between the two is that men's physique pose in board shorts rather than a traditional posing suit. Bodybuilders are much larger than the men physique competitors as well as have an extensive routine when posing while the Physique category only gets judged by the front and back poses. Many of the competitors are not freakishly large and have a bit of a more attainable and aesthetic physique in comparison to bodybuilding. Although this category started off slow, it grew tremendously in the past 5 years, now Men's Physique seems to be the most popular class to be in.
Classic Physique
Classic Physique
This is the middle ground of both Men's Physique and Bodybuilding. The competitors in this category are not nearly as big as bodybuilders but not as small as mens physique competitors. They pose and perform in mens boxer briefs to show off the legs, unlike Mens Physique which hide the legs in board shorts. Classic physique has only been around for 3 years now as it started in 2016. Danny Hester was the first Classic Physique Mr. Olympia and now Chris Bumstead is the 2019 Mr. Olympia.
Pro female bodybuilder Nikki Fuller performing a side chest pose.The first U.S. Women's National Physique Championship, promoted by Henry McGhee and held in Canton, Ohio in 1978, is generally regarded as the first true female bodybuilding contest—that is, the first contest where the entrants were judged solely on muscularity.[14] In 1980, the first Ms. Olympia (initially known as the "Miss" Olympia), the most prestigious contest for professionals, was held. The first winner was Rachel McLish, who had also won the NPC's USA Championship earlier in the year. The contest was a major turning point for female bodybuilding. McLish inspired many future competitors to start training and competing. In 1985, a movie called Pumping Iron II: The Women was released. It documented the preparation of several women for the 1983 Caesars Palace World Cup Championship. Competitors prominently featured in the film were Kris Alexander, Lori Bowen, Lydia Cheng, Carla Dunlap, Bev Francis, and McLish. At the time, Francis was actually a powerlifter, though she soon made a successful transition to bodybuilding, becoming one of the leading competitors of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In recent years, the related areas of fitness and figure competition have increased in popularity, surpassing that of female bodybuilding, and have provided an alternative for women who choose not to develop the level of muscularity necessary for bodybuilding. McLish would closely resemble what is thought of today as a fitness and figure competitor, instead of what is now considered a female bodybuilder. Fitness competitions also have a gymnastic element to them. A study by the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that female bodybuilders who are taking anabolic steroids are more likely to have qualified for substance dependence disorder, to have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, or to have a history of sexual abuse.
E. Wilma Conner competed in the 2011 NPC Armbrust Pro Gym Warrior Classic Championships in Loveland, Colorado, at the age of 75 years and 349 days
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse