Is Bodybuilding a Dying Sport?

[kyleb]

I do find it amuzing that people who have never competed in, won anything, or even look good inregards to their own physique can talk negatively bout mens physique guys and "no legs" etc etc..I think it should b made mandatory that every1s avi is a picture of themselves...

You have no idea how good of an idea that is. I've read so much b.s. by people on forums it's nuts. Seen people who are massively overweight giving weight loss info???

It'd help to clear up who knows their stuff, and who is talking out their butt.

 

[kyleb]

FYI#2- A local female pro BB'er/judge told me that they are thinking about changing the board short's to a brief's look so leg's will be shown. We shall see.....

I'm competing in MP in 2 weeks and have been trying to ask the judges to make an exception to the rule and let me go on stage in short running shorts or another alternative to those awkward long board shorts...just to get an edge.

Hopefully in time they switch to briefs, track short, or those tight swimming trunks that water polo people wear. It'd really help the MP division gain some respect, because then people would see the whole perspective of what a physique should be, not just rated on torso up.

 

[ritchie]

After having watched the replay of the Olympia, no way can I see this "activity" grow more than it has. The crowd had no reaction when most the guys came out, I felt bad for the competitors. Then again, they're all boring as shit besides a few.

 

[Meaningless]

Its growing rapidly in my country, Ireland, both the quantity and quality of competitors is getting better every year.

 

[TNH]

Don't they have a forum over at women's fitness magazine that you can post in?

With the amount of training we do, you consider that we are not athletes?

Why don't swallow some golf balls or drive in circles for four hours. Fucking douche-bag.

wow, touched a nerve there, lol.

I just don't think that what we do takes any athletic ability. Anyone can lift weights. You don't need to have great hand eye coordination, don't even have to be in great cardiovascular condition, and don't need good balance or any of the other skills that would enable you to compete well in an actual athletic event like football, boxing, hockey, etc.
Huge bodybuilders can barely run, that doesn't sound very athletic.

If you think picking stuff up and putting it down takes a lot of talent or athletic ability, I'm not sure what to say.

Don't be so upset, there are many different interpretations of what an athlete is. I personally don't think bodybuilding fits the description.

 

[PitbullTank]

I luv BBing...however I don't consider it an athletic endevor or a "sport"... More of a dedication to a skill... Sort of like pro dart players or billiards... Yes years of training and work and competitions, yet I don't consider a pro dart thrower an "athlete" in my eyes(I'm sure sum dart players would disagree)...there is NO BBING as we kno it in past 30 years w/o illegal drugs...how can u not participate in tha competetion w/o illegal drugs and say its sum sort of "athletic ability"?? Phil, kai, jay..take away tha drugs and they eventually goto a shell of themselves... Same for you, same for me..Supreme dedication? Yes... Athletic abilty- no.... Just my opinions

For me it comes down to this- heath is now tha best BBer in tha world... If you took all tha hormones, gh, fat burners, slin, etc out of his system compltely for ONE full year, nevermind a few years, does any1 here think that he would even b able to place top 3 at a amatuer national event in 1 years time and w/o using anything illegal to prep? Hed go from tha best in tha world to non existant... When that is tha PINNACLE of this hobby, how can u consider it a "sport" and if drugs make him better at his "sport", what kind of "athletic ability" is that??

 

[fr8lnr01]

wow, touched a nerve there, lol.

I just don't think that what we do takes any athletic ability. Anyone can lift weights. You don't need to have great hand eye coordination, don't even have to be in great cardiovascular condition, and don't need good balance or any of the other skills that would enable you to compete well in an actual athletic event like football, boxing, hockey, etc.
Huge bodybuilders can barely run, that doesn't sound very athletic.

If you think picking stuff up and putting it down takes a lot of talent or athletic ability, I'm not sure what to say.

Don't be so upset, there are many different interpretations of what an athlete is. I personally don't think bodybuilding fits the description.

Your probably right, and I rescind my anger. I personally feel that many of us are athletic. There are a lot of guys that can outpace a lot of athletes; natural or juiced. A lot of guys started out as athletes and will always be athletes. Let's put on some singlets and see how long it takes to get you in a double grapevine and have you slap the mat.

 

[TNH]

Your probably right, and I rescind my anger. I personally feel that many of us are athletic. There are a lot of guys that can outpace a lot of athletes; natural or juiced. A lot of guys started out as athletes and will always be athletes. Let's put on some singlets and see how long it takes to get you in a double grapevine and have you slap the mat.

You can be an athlete bodybuilder. But just because you bodybuild it doesn't mean you are an athlete, get it?

Your first post in the thread was a childish outburst of anger.
Then in your second post you showed signs of maturity, but followed it up by threatening to physically pin me down while wearing homoerotic clothing.

I think I'll stay out of the thread for now, it just got a little too weird. You should deal with those insecurity issues, they are not healthy. It's ok, I get it, you are an athletic guy that is a great wrestler and bodybuilder. Why don't you be happy about that and not get so offended by me saying bodybuilding itself isn't athletic? Don't take things so personally.
If you are so athletic, why would you think I was referring to someone like you when I made a generalization that bodybuilders aren't athletes? It should have brushed right off your shoulders.

 

[panzerfaust]

I don't know if it's dying, but I sure hope something changes. The ridiculous amount of drug abuse in this sport is a real turn-off.

Maybe it's just my perception,but there seems to be more bro's having health problems lately and in some cases it might be the insane doses some are taking. As for women saying eeewww that's gross, they got to realize those guys are in competition shape and they don't look like that 24/7. If they prefer some fat or skinny man they are welcome to him. I think a lot of women feel inadequate when they see a guy who works out reguarly, even though they are gorgeous.I notice a huge difference in the amount of women who will flirt with me when I'm wearing lets say a tight t-shirt as opposed to a huge winter coat. Sorry for the lil' rant.

 

[flipper2012]

It is definently dying partially because the truth of what bodybuilding truly is, is out there. From the 50s-90s there was no Internet so weider could make things out to be what they weren't. Now Internet is here. Everyone knows about the drug abuse, the drug addictions, how fucked up in the head most bbers are.... Not just what you see in Muscle and Fitness or Flex

 

[MarkcusMaximus]

Female Pro's have a better build. This men's physique crap in nonsense, taking away from real bodybuilding.

 

[maldorf]

I notice a huge difference in the amount of women who will flirt with me when I'm wearing lets say a tight t-shirt as opposed to a huge winter coat. Sorry for the lil' rant.

Its funny too because women still pay a lot of attention to me, maybe even more now that I am not as muscular. It doesnt take a lot to impress most women considering the average guy today has a waistline that is just a few inches smaller than his chest! I dont hardly workout these days and still get a lot of eyes, like when grocery shopping etc.

 

[panzerfaust]

Its funny too because women still pay a lot of attention to me, maybe even more now that I am not as muscular. It doesnt take a lot to impress most women considering the average guy today has a waistline that is just a few inches smaller than his chest! I dont hardly workout these days and still get a lot of eyes, like when grocery shopping etc.

Your being too kind the average guy has that V shape, an inverted V I hate when I hear the excuse I don't workout, I'm too busy working,c'mon I know some guys have to put family first but all you got to do is throw on a pair of sneakers and run out your front door and come home and do some calisthenics. I believe in Arnolds book he said "just give me 15 minutes a day",and I believe he was speaking to the average "Joe".

 

[Elvia1023]

I think bodybuilding will always be underground in a sense. I don't think bb will die at all. Infact the more people who get into physique the more who will venture into bb imo. I just mean the more who get into training and dieting the more who will appreciate building muscle. Although I think due to physique/bikini bb will probably get pushed even more undergrond in some ways.

Physique/bikini is not going away and will only get bigger imo. All I know is I don't care who wins physique/bikini shows and never will... bb is what I am interested in and always will be.

 

[dalvare1]

just competed again this weekend and reinforced my belief that bodybuilding is NOT dying... We had 11 guys in my light heavyweight class in the Badger State championship... a state show!

anyone who competes can see that competitions are growing and the quality of competition continues to rise... just look at all these national shows and how many amazing guys are in there fighting for the top spots!

 

[earch]

I dont think that BBing is a dying sport, but more less destined to be shunned to the ungerground for all time. The reason is because drug use is really in my opinion at elite levels mandatory, anyone who gets into bodybuilding will realize this sooner rather than later.

This stigmatizes our image to the public. I think the increasing mutant/freak look of bbers from the late 80s to now is a self fulling prophecy. Guys were not getting widespread public acknowledgement and started to get that mutant look as a way of sticking their nose at the public, reinforcing to the public/society their opinions of bodybuilders.

I think physique competitions are really good for our sport/life style because the physiques represented in MP are way more attractive and ideal to the overall public. The superfreaks are at the apex, the top of the sport, but they are a minor curiosity to the public. They would rather see models, which is kind of what MP is.

Thats my take. dissect accordingly.

 

[Cito33189]

I think its growing if anything. Lets forget about the pro shows for a second. Have you gone to local shows or nationals, jr nationals, USA's? These shows are full of competition.

 

[flipper2012]

just competed again this weekend and reinforced my belief that bodybuilding is NOT dying... We had 11 guys in my light heavyweight class in the Badger State championship... a state show!

anyone who competes can see that competitions are growing and the quality of competition continues to rise... just look at all these national shows and how many amazing guys are in there fighting for the top spots!

That's not very many at all in my opinion. Especially considering that's the most common class

 

[Bertucci]

I think its growing if anything. Lets forget about the pro shows for a second. Have you gone to local shows or nationals, jr nationals, USA's? These shows are full of competition.

I think one thing to look at there, however, is the level of competition. How many of those guys come in looking really good, regardless of whether or not they have top level genetics? From what I've noticed it seems that half the guys at some of these shows go onstage and look downright pathetic. Not to dog on them or anything, but you always see those guys who weigh close to 180 lbs and have 10% bodyfat and are flat as hell.

 

[gsxr1000rp]

Yes,this is a growing sport .just look and see all the new sup. coming out along with the purses going up.