Why guys aren’t competing

[1fst400]

I'm shocked at how many people truly thought there was a lot of prize money for winning shows, when that's never been the case. Just, wow...

 

[Beef_Stu_97]

We don't get paid fucking SHIT, that's why.

the investment into drugs, coaching, travel, food, hotels, etc is NOT going to be made back from prize money alone. If you're raking in money from social media, sponsors, coaching, etc, there's no direct incentive to compete.

I mean, I'm kind of a hypocrite cuz I was doing this for 100% free until like a year ago. Most people who compete do the same, including pros. But it's just mind boggling to me that the IFBB has the gall to call themselves a professional sports organization, and then demand that the ATHLETES pay to be part of it.

Rant over.

 

[bbxtreme]

I think if we started a thread on “how much do competitors spend a month on this sport” it would blow people’s mind. I’ll leave that to someone else. LOL

We aren’t talking hundreds. We are talking thousands a month and not at the low end some months and during prep.

 

[b-boy]

I think if we started a thread on “how much do competitors spend a month on this sport” it would blow people’s mind. I’ll leave that to someone else. LOL

We aren’t talking hundreds. We are talking thousands a month and not at the low end some months and during prep.

Actually...NO! Hardly any money at all spent on this sport thanks to the opportunities that @Big A has provided me through his board over the years.

 

[luki7788]

the truth is most do not compete because bodybuilding is not their passion so they are not consistent and will never be able to build enough muscle or get to very low body fat

let's be honest - I've been training at the gym for 20 years - I know guys from the gym who train as long as me and still look the same - they wear gasp clothes and if you say the word DC training or 5x5 labo MYOreps it's like you say something in a foreign language lol they they have no idea about anything related to bodybuilding - as someone wrote, they don't even know who is Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler

to sum up - only enthusiasts compete (I'm talking about bodybuilding not about the category of men's shorts because there are a lot of influencers counting on social media fame by recording vlogs and recipes for protein cookies on YT)

 

[bbxtreme]

Actually...NO! Hardly any money at all spent on this sport thanks to the opportunities that @Big A has provided me through his board over the years.

Sorry I should have clarified. People like you and top pro’s are the exception. But those outside of sponsorships and opportunities absolutely spend a lot.

 

[Beef_Stu_97]

I think if we started a thread on “how much do competitors spend a month on this sport” it would blow people’s mind. I’ll leave that to someone else. LOL

We aren’t talking hundreds. We are talking thousands a month and not at the low end some months and during prep.

Dude, I don't even want to think about that kind of accounting I think it would just make me sad.

I think the IFBB is fine with this whole setup because obviously they're making plenty of money, and when you have a bunch of amateurs who turn pro, they're used to paying full freight for EVERYTHING. Why would they make it any easier for you? you're just a dollar sign to them.

Especially with the massive number of pro cards they give out nowadays, it would be genuinely impractical to support all the competitors in some way. Cuz you'll have a bunch of jokers who really don't belong on a pro stage doing the show and if they're entitled to getting their rooms comped, tan comped, etc, that would add up real quick TBH.

IDK. The sport is setup the way it is to benefit the promoters and the league. Not the competitors. Because of that, nothing will change.

 

[Beef_Stu_97]

the truth is most do not compete because bodybuilding is not their passion so they are not consistent and will never be able to build enough muscle or get to very low body fat

let's be honest - I've been training at the gym for 20 years - I know guys from the gym who train as long as me and still look the same - they wear gasp clothes and if you say the word DC training or 5x5 labo MYOreps it's like you say something in a foreign language lol they they have no idea about anything related to bodybuilding - as someone wrote, they don't even know who is Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler

to sum up - only enthusiasts compete (I'm talking about bodybuilding not about the category of men's shorts because there are a lot of influencers counting on social media fame by recording vlogs and recipes for protein cookies on YT)

those people are super important though. they're the ones buying the clothes, the supplements, they're casual fans of the sport. they keep the industry funded essentially. it's just that a lot of that money never makes its way to the competitors.

 

[bbxtreme]

Dude, I don't even want to think about that kind of accounting I think it would just make me sad.

I think the IFBB is fine with this whole setup because obviously they're making plenty of money, and when you have a bunch of amateurs who turn pro, they're used to paying full freight for EVERYTHING. Why would they make it any easier for you? you're just a dollar sign to them.

Especially with the massive number of pro cards they give out nowadays, it would be genuinely impractical to support all the competitors in some way. Cuz you'll have a bunch of jokers who really don't belong on a pro stage doing the show and if they're entitled to getting their rooms comped, tan comped, etc, that would add up real quick TBH.

IDK. The sport is setup the way it is to benefit the promoters and the league. Not the competitors. Because of that, nothing will change.

this! The NPC and IFBB view competitors and people as products. It’s like the music industry shifting over artist not making any money over their own songs.

 

[luki7788]

those people are super important though. they're the ones buying the clothes, the supplements, they're casual fans of the sport. they keep the industry funded essentially. it's just that a lot of that money never makes its way to the competitors.

of course, I agree with you 100% that such people are needed because if it wasn't for them, I would, for example, have to go to a regular job instead of sitting at home and earning very good $ for choaching online or having money from my sponsors' discount codes

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Where would the money come from? Meaning, how do the pros generate the money? How is money generated from the show?

Amateur shows make money because amateurs pay to compete. The audience is mostly friends and family. Nobody goes to a bodybuilding contest without knowing someone.

Could a group of 12-15 pros make their own show, step on stage, and make enough to live on? Probably not.

If you look at the revenue streams, it just wouldn’t make sense to pay pros huge money. The amateur organizations would almost have to donate money upwards to the IFBB to pay prize money.

The Masters Olympia paid $20k top prize.
In Romania.

How big was the audience? It seems as if they did the whole production just to have photos online. Who in Romania wants to see this? Was it 100-200 people?

 

[bbxtreme]

Where would the money come from? Meaning, how do the pros generate the money? How is money generated from the show?

Amateur shows make money because amateurs pay to compete. The audience is mostly friends and family. Nobody goes to a bodybuilding contest without knowing someone.

Could a group of 12-15 pros make their own show, step on stage, and make enough to live on? Probably not.

If you look at the revenue streams, it just wouldn’t make sense to pay pros huge money. The amateur organizations would almost have to donate money upwards to the IFBB to pay prize money.

The Masters Olympia paid $20k top prize.
In Romania.

How big was the audience? It seems as if they did the whole production just to have photos online. Who in Romania wants to see this? Was it 100-200 people?

I’ll be fair and conservative. Here’s the 2020 Olympia media kit:

https://mrolympia.com/sites/mrolympia.com/files/Olympia%20Deck%20-DS%20-%202020-2.pdf

Tickets cost up to $230 per day and event. Then we have the livestream.

One tiny booth tucked away at the Arnold will cost a company $10k for the weekend. What do you think RedCon or MegaFit Meals pay or bigger energy drink brands? Or Europa…

There’s money… just going in the wrong direction. Why should they pay their athletes more? Because CBUM alone has 6X the social media followers than the reach of the Mr. O 2020 media kit numbers. LOL

I agree college football makes far more than the O, but there’s money and could/should be done much smarter.

But as someone else said earlier in the thread we need to adapt to the new ages with social media.

 

[b-boy]

Where would the money come from? Meaning, how do the pros generate the money? How is money generated from the show?

Amateur shows make money because amateurs pay to compete. The audience is mostly friends and family. Nobody goes to a bodybuilding contest without knowing someone.

Could a group of 12-15 pros make their own show, step on stage, and make enough to live on? Probably not.

If you look at the revenue streams, it just wouldn’t make sense to pay pros huge money. The amateur organizations would almost have to donate money upwards to the IFBB to pay prize money.

The Masters Olympia paid $20k top prize.
In Romania.

How big was the audience? It seems as if they did the whole production just to have photos online. Who in Romania wants to see this? Was it 100-200 people?

Don't most shows have live streaming now? That is some money generated, although they don't charge much it's still money for viewing their shows.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

Do you guys believe competitive bodybuilding as an enterprise is at its all time high currently? Or was there a time it was better?

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

Don't most shows have live streaming now? That is some money generated, although they don't charge much it's still money for viewing their shows.

While I Agree with you, seems like outside the Arnold and Olympia not even “hardcore” bodybuilding fans are dropping 50$ to watch lower tier shows? Maybe I don’t have a pulse on it, but am actually a fan of professional competive bodybuilding. I didn’t feel compelled to spend $49.00 and arrange my weekend plans around streaming the Tampa Pro. If I had a personal connection to a competitor in some way I would be more inclined. I paid to stream the Olympia last year and will do so again this year.

 

[bbxtreme]

While I Agree with you, seems like outside the Arnold and Olympia not even “hardcore” bodybuilding fans are dropping 50$ to watch lower tier shows? Maybe I don’t have a pulse on it, but am actually a fan of professional competive bodybuilding. I didn’t feel compelled to spend $49.00 and arrange my weekend plans around streaming the Tampa Pro. If I had a personal connection to a competitor in some way I would be more inclined. I paid to stream the Olympia last year and will do so again this year.

I don’t, but know some hardcore guys who do.

If it were me I would make the livestream free to drive up viewers and lean into the sponsorship and marketing opportunities from the brands backing bodybuilding. Sponsors already pay up to $10k for a local show. Get numbers up for viewers in the IFBB and brands will pay more. Simple math.

 

[Scuncknuts]

Wearing a thong on a stage flexing with a bunch of dudes is not exactly appealing to most people.

This

 

[Swifto]

If anyone wants free steroids and HGH for life, build one of the largest websites in the world for PED information and watch the email offers come in

 

[SouthernMuscle]

If anyone wants free steroids and HGH for life, build one of the largest websites in the world for PED information and watch the email offers come in

I don’t get it

 

[bbxtreme]

If anyone wants free steroids and HGH for life, build one of the largest websites in the world for PED information and watch the email offers come in

We can’t all be you.

But I do think guys in bodybuilding underestimate how easy they could earn free gear and sponsorships if they’re aiming for national/pro level.