Men's Physique controversy at the 2025 Arnold classic

[SlipKnot7]

Most of the popular BBing podcasts ( Fouad, Baidi Farl, RX Muscle, etc ) have been discussing & debating the controversy regarding Arnold's comments ( and the complaints from the competitors that they deserve more prize money.... ) regarding the Men's Physique division.

Most fall into one of two camps:

• The prize money reflects the general interest, available sponsorship dollars, and tickets sold. And, as it's a free market, the prize money is based on a) how much prize money the promoter is willing to offer, and b) what this division is worth to the respective promoter and sponsors.
• The promoter ( Arnold ), ultimately has the final say on what prize money will be offered ( solely at his discretion ). And given it's an invitational, they should consider themselves lucky to be even be a part of the show ( as opposed to the other divisions that are not even offered participation in the event ).
• If they don't like the prize money, they don't have to participate in the show.

Or...

• There is a significant imbalance between the prize money for the open men and men's physique. And it's overdue for an adjustment.
• Men's physique has become hugely popular on the amateur level, and is responsible for why the sport is now more mainstream, and is responsible for a significant percentage of revenue for the industry.
• Given that this event is an invitational, the promoter ( Arnold ) intentionally selected Men's Physique to be part of the event. Therefore, if it's desired and good for the event, why not compensate them better ?

What side are you on ?

 

[Fleezy]

did the competitors know the amount of money that was being offered as a prize before they signed up to compete?

if they competed knowing full well what was being offered... complaining about it afterwards is weird to me

 

[Cdubw44]

He was complaining about the taxes taken out from what I can tell.

 

[K Bomb]

First camp.

Men’s physique is an entry level division. Competitors without the size or legs to compete in classic or 212/open start there
(obviously some stay to remain competitive without having to make the improvements necessary to transition). The division is hugely popular for amateurs as a result, but men’s open will always be the big ticket and epitome of bodybuilding.

 

[Orville Shreddenbacher]

To come out in board shorts with no legs ? They should give then all participation ribbons and send them on their way . There's a guy at my gym that purposely doesn't train legs just to sandbag the physique class with minimal effort too lazy to do open or classic .... not a fan

 

[mytreefiddy]

 

[gauge22-v2]

did the competitors know the amount of money that was being offered as a prize before they signed up to compete?

if they competed knowing full well what was being offered... complaining about it afterwards is weird to me

Kind of like the WNBA

 

[aDw32]

They need to remove men’s physique . That is not bodybuilding . I don’t know why they even made that division in the first place . Let be honest every one makes fun of them

NPC is a business like any other, and you should consider it as a business.

Porsche was on the brink of bankruptcy while staying true to the brand’s idea and character.
Releasing the Cayenne went against this idea, and fans worldwide were outraged.
However, it was the Cayenne that saved Porsche from collapse

 

[Orville Shreddenbacher]

NPC is a business like any other, and you should consider it as a business.

Porsche was on the brink of bankruptcy while staying true to the brand’s idea and character.
Releasing the Cayenne went against this idea, and fans worldwide were outraged.
However, it was the Cayenne that saved Porsche from collapse

Or was it the piece of shit cheap version of a Porsche, the booster that ruined it's credibility ? Men's physique is the boxster of the NPC

 

[buck]

How many more tickets are sold now than years ago when the Arnold didn't have classic in the line up?

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Two things can be true.

The Physique doesnt just get to have more money because they feel its unfair. There are less US 212 shows than there are Physique shows. They can bitch all they want but the draw for Pro shows IS muscle...its BBing, not guys in boardshorts. Its that simple. The only reason its held on for so long is because its the beginner entry level to becoming a competitor in the NPC, that's it.

BUT...i do think that talking shit to a Physique competitor's face is a bad look. These guys push themselves, diet hard, suffer, all the same shit BBers do. They do deserve respect...but equating that to more $$$ as a prize isn't happening.

 

[bbxtreme]

People come to see the open guys. Classic saved the sport. Physique allows more guys to compete.

Everyone is paid accordingly and in that order based upon their value to the sport. And that’s not to discount any division as they all are bodybuilders.

 

[control]

If the competitors aren't happy with the money they're making, the solution is obvious. They should all just start their own clothing lines. If there's one thing the bodybuilding world always needs, it's more clothing lines.

 

[TripppleP]

I thought the controversy was that Arnold called out the dumb board shorts while complimenting the competitor’s developed legs and the winner of physique had a hissy fit saying he was disrespected. And then went onto complain about the prize money.

I could name only two physique competitors yet could name nearly every MrOlympia and the top ten for the past twenty years.

I have tremendous respect for all competitors but this reminds me of the female soccer fiasco years ago when they female USA team challenged why they were not getting the money the men were. It comes down to business and money. No one pays to see physique they pay for the superhuman physiques.

 

[SlipKnot7]

did the competitors know the amount of money that was being offered as a prize before they signed up to compete?

if they competed knowing full well what was being offered... complaining about it afterwards is weird to me

correct

 

[Big A]

[*]Men's physique has become hugely popular on the amateur level, and is responsible for why the sport is now more mainstream, and is responsible for a significant percentage of revenue for the industry.

The sport is way LESS mainstream now than it was 30 years ago. The NPC pro qualifiers and the Pro shows used to be shown live on TV during prime time, world wide.
Various bodybuilders had their own personal shows on TV weekly.
Mainstream advertising used to use bodybuilders in a positive light, not just as goofs.
Even look at the top movie stars in those days compared to now. Muscles were MUCH more accepted and mainstream in those days.

 

[SlipKnot7]

The sport is way LESS mainstream now than it was 30 years ago. The NPC pro qualifiers and the Pro shows used to be shown live on TV during prime time, world wide.
Various bodybuilders had their own personal shows on TV weekly.
Mainstream advertising used to use bodybuilders in a positive light, not just as goofs.
Even look at the top movie stars in those days compared to now. Muscles were MUCH more accepted and mainstream in those days.

ah , "way less mainstream " than in the 90s ? Are you sure ?

In the sense that in the 90s there was attention on ESPN ( the famous American Muscle TV series, annual coverage of the Mr Olympia, Arnold classic, MuscleMainia, Nationals & USA, etc ). And even before the 90s, you could find major networks covering highlights from the international competitions ( example: Wide World of Sports series ). And yes, it's true, action stars with muscle ( Arnold, Stallone, Dolph, Barbarian Brothers, etc ) was way more of a thing in Hollywood back than as compared to today.

So , if you use that as your only metric, then yes, it appears to be more mainstream during those years.

Here is the difference...

1st, back then, the coverage on TV was largely ignored with VERY low viewership ( industry insiders can confirm how low the ratings actually were... with bowling and skate boarding getting higher ratings sadly... ). So, any live TV coverage in prime time was mostly used as "filler", just to have "something" on their channels that whoever was still watching to see.

2nd, the TV coverage back in the 90s and early 2000s was really more of an "attempt" to promote the sport to the mainstream, that ultimately failed. And most of the blame for why it was largely unpopular in the mainstream was because it was strictly BBing back then ( no physique , no classic , no bikini , etc ), of which was perceived to be too niche of a sport that was largely unrelatable to the average viewer ( and naturally dismissed by the public as a " steroid fueled " narcissistic freak show ).

3rd, the newer divisions such as Men's physique, bikini, wellness, fit model, and even classic to some extent have been way more accessible to a larger segment of the population interested in competing. And no doubt opened up the sport to those that find hardcore BBing too extreme, not appealing, and largely out of reach to the average trainer in the gym.

Lastly, most ppl today observe the world through the internet & phone ( streaming platforms, social media, etc ), with legacy TV channels becoming a dying medium. So, measuring how mainstream the sport is today based on the coverage of the sport from major TV networks or ESPN i think is just no longer relevant anymore.

I would instead rely on simply comparing 1/ the # of ppl competing at the shows, 2/ the audience turnout ( ticket sales ), and 3/ the head count at the related fitness expos as a " how mainstream it is " metric as opposed to how often the Arnold classic appears at 3am on ESPN for 30 mins a week.

 

[Sectør]

I don’t think any of the divisions should be hated on. Kind of a bad move on Arnold’s part making those comments when he could have gathered even more support around the sport and divisions instead.

That said— It’s a business, not a charity. You’re paid proportionately to the money you bring in. Some divisions bring in more than others, and are paid as so.

Now should one single person who obviously has some bias be the sole arbiter of the pay scale? That’s a different discussion. A panel would make more sense in this regard

 

[SlipKnot7]

I don’t think any of the divisions should be hated on. Kind of a bad move on Arnold’s part making those comments when he could have gathered even more support around the sport instead

That said. It’s a business, not a charity. You’re paid proportionately to the money you bring in. Some divisions bring in more than others, and are paid as so.

Now should one single person who obviously has some bias be the sole arbiter of the pay scale? That’s a different discussion. A panel would make more sense in this regard

agree 100%.... the sport has struggled for decades with public recognition and general acceptance. The last thing the sport needs is for those involved to become internally divisive and demoralizing to anyone else interested to be a part of the sport or industry.

It seems the whole point of having these new categories is to offer " something " for everyone. Do i agree with all of it ( or do all the categories appeal to me ) personally ? No ..... but at the same time... it's not my place to judge the preference and interests of others.... as the tent should be large enough for everyone...

 

[td]

People come to see the open guys. Classic saved the sport. Physique allows more guys to compete.

Everyone is paid accordingly and in that order based upon their value to the sport. And that’s not to discount any division as they all are bodybuilders.

It seems bodybuilding is stuck in the 1990's. There's orders of magnitude more dollars available in streaming than seats. The streams are an after-thought.

Consider the UFC. The product is the pay-per-view.

If I put on a show (and I've thought about it), I'd make sure it was in an auditorium, not a hotel conference room. Black back drop. No sponsors signs detracting attention. I'd ensure that the lighting was perfect. No night show. Pre-judging is the show and people would get dismissed from call-outs. The final 5 would be lined up and moved accordingly. The winners would be announced live. Everyone else is a did not place.

You could get men's physique, classic and open done in under 3 hours.

Live streaming would be the highest quality. And afterwards, I'd have lots of video editing for reels and tiktoks.