Why guys aren’t competing

[Fit2Serve]

You can get into competition shape, take a ton of pics, and then post them on social media. A lot more people will see your physique that way then at a show. Who goes to a bodybuilding show? People who know the competitors, and maybe a few old gay dudes?

you beat me to it.
i think lots more guys are "instagram bbers" and tbh i dont think there is anything wrong w that.
you have chances of making FAR more money on social media w a good physique than you do juicing to the gills killing yourself for plastic trophy and no one cares but you.
thats why i quit competing (some injuries too) but once i fully realized no one cares it just kinda made it not fun. i kept putting off competing and then finally said wtf is the point... the only thing it guarantees me is unneeded stress on my body and health and wallet lol.

 

[Fit2Serve]

this

and this

I am natty, and because og that people will say my physique is butt cheeks because I dont have the amount of muscle tissue as many of you here do. That said, I am also a pro in two orgs. Meaning I had to win an overall at a bodybuilding show, and then compete against other pros, at a pro show just like the IFBB guys do. It is a you vs you battle to get into competitive conditions, and ig you have never been there, regardless of what you use or don't, you don't what that mental and physical struggle entails. It is not for everyone, but those og us that love it, love it. Ant that's why we do it. People that don't understand will call it gay, and just say "oh you put on a bikini or a thong and prance around the stage like a beauty pageant?" those folks don't understand not just the mental and physical requirements but also that is not a "beauty pageant" but a revealing og a physique who have worked so hard to achieve, just like an Olympian or a pro athlete works hard to develop their abilities/talents and then goes and displays them in competitions. the competition itself is the gun part once you make it to the stage you have already won no matter where you place. As long as you know you have given it your best, left no stone unturned, and put all og your heart and soul into doing everything correctly, that is the actual competition, and that is the victory.

meh thats winning a plastic trophy.
using same said discipline and passion for staying healthy and starting a business or bad ass career and retiring with few million that is victory.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

meh thats winning a plastic trophy.
using same said discipline and passion for staying healthy and starting a business or bad ass career and retiring with few million that is victory.

but he did use his passion to create a successful coaching business?

 

[bbxtreme]

meh thats winning a plastic trophy.
using same said discipline and passion for staying healthy and starting a business or bad ass career and retiring with few million that is victory.

Would you have the ability to do those things as great without competing as a bodybuilder? Or does competing teach you that. Shelby would not be the top tier coach he is if he hadn’t gone through that.

As someone who runs a multimillion dollar company, is healthy, has all those things AND competes… I can tell you nothing tops the discipline and grit it takes to compete at a high level to win.

I built my life and business, then came back to competition. Most guys do it the other way around. I personally don’t regret my path one bit given how expensive this sport is and what it takes from you.

 

[Strongarm]

Personally, I gave up on the idea of bodybuilding because of the extent of the drug requirements to be competitive on stage. Not only are there steroids and hgh, but over the past decade of being on here insulin use seems to have gone from something that freaked people out and needed a lot of close monitoring to just part of the program now. I get more knowledge is gained over time but unholy shit at using something to treat diabetes that could result in fatality or great immediate physical harm. Then after you put on the size for actual competition you need to put yourself in a toxic state then slap in some diuretics to look lean and dry enough. I get there are worse ones and less punishing ones, but you've got some guy who probably isn't even at your comp with you telling you what to take and how to counter things, if he responds in time. Read plenty of posts where people had to make a call because they didn't hear back and thought they might pass out and not wake up. That's not bodybuilding, that's unattended chemotherapy.

Ignoring for a moment the lack of return financially, you are not getting an ROI for what you're doing to your body at contest. If you enjoy that experience or the chemistry of it, ir the thrill, fine, but what bodybuilding has become is not something I'm going to finance or subscribe to. Maybe when things change where the lives of the athletes matter, it'll garner more interest. You can make all the fame and more money and never have to take a diuretic on Social media.

I still massively respect the competitors who self sacrifice and put in the blood, sweat, tears and longevity for something they love but they don't make millions even as pros like the NFL, NBA. Etc. To me though, the sport should be doing more for the athletes and it doesn't.

I do strongman now and my only interest in competing is to be able to actually call myself a strongman and to join that brother (and sister) hood of people who lift crazy things but put it on the line in a different way. I also don't have to worry about diuretics or slin (at least no competitor or pro I've spoken to uses or has heard of anyone using it). I might eventually push to go to strongman nationals or get my pro card (masters) but it would only be to say I got there rather than to make money or garner a following, etc. Competition is about what you want for yourself. It isn't about the money, the fame, the trophy, or the title. Those things don't last and they are quick to hand it off to the next. The people who view it that way are the ones who stick with it.

 

[bbxtreme]

Personally, I gave up on the idea of bodybuilding because of the extent of the drug requirements to be competitive on stage. Not only are there steroids and hgh, but over the past decade of being on here insulin use seems to have gone from something that freaked people out and needed a lot of close monitoring to just part of the program now. I get more knowledge is gained over time but unholy shit at using something to treat diabetes that could result in fatality or great immediate physical harm. Then after you put on the size for actual competition you need to put yourself in a toxic state then slap in some diuretics to look lean and dry enough. I get there are worse ones and less punishing ones, but you've got some guy who probably isn't even at your comp with you telling you what to take and how to counter things, if he responds in time. Read plenty of posts where people had to make a call because they didn't hear back and thought they might pass out and not wake up. That's not bodybuilding, that's unattended chemotherapy.

Ignoring for a moment the lack of return financially, you are not getting an ROI for what you're doing to your body at contest. If you enjoy that experience or the chemistry of it, ir the thrill, fine, but what bodybuilding has become is not something I'm going to finance or subscribe to. Maybe when things change where the lives of the athletes matter, it'll garner more interest. You can make all the fame and more money and never have to take a diuretic on Social media.

I still massively respect the competitors who self sacrifice and put in the blood, sweat, tears and longevity for something they love but they don't make millions even as pros like the NFL, NBA. Etc. To me though, the sport should be doing more for the athletes and it doesn't.

I do strongman now and my only interest in competing is to be able to actually call myself a strongman and to join that brother (and sister) hood of people who lift crazy things but put it on the line in a different way. I also don't have to worry about diuretics or slin (at least no competitor or pro I've spoken to uses or has heard of anyone using it). I might eventually push to go to strongman nationals or get my pro card (masters) but it would only be to say I got there rather than to make money or garner a following, etc. Competition is about what you want for yourself. It isn't about the money, the fame, the trophy, or the title. Those things don't last and they are quick to hand it off to the next. The people who view it that way are the ones who stick with it.

You do know this is professional muscle… a top bodybuilding board right?

If you think that excessive levels of drugs, HGH and outside coaching aren’t involved in Strongman then just wait. LOL hate to break it to you, but it’s the same shit, different sport.

The last part though you posted above is why most people here compete. We do it for the brotherhood and because we love the discipline and challenge of beating/bettering ourselves.

How far you choose to take any sport is up to you in terms of drugs and intensity that goes for bodybuilding, football, and strongman. Everyone has their threshold and lines.

 

[Strongarm]

You do know this is professional muscle… a top bodybuilding board right?

If you think that excessive levels of drugs, HGH and outside coaching aren’t involved in Strongman then just wait. LOL hate to break it to you, but it’s the same shit, different sport.

The last part though you posted above is why most people here compete. We do it for the brotherhood and because we love the discipline and challenge of beating/bettering ourselves.

How far you choose to take any sport is up to you in terms of drugs and intensity that goes for bodybuilding, football, and strongman. Everyone has their threshold and lines.

I'm aware of what this board is, it has also changed quite a bit over the past decade. A lot of the guys posting here exemplify that. There used to be a lot more guys who competed were going for or had their pro card in bodybuilding. The number going for the open has decreased and the number of men's physique has generally taken over. Not a bad thing, just times change. The guys who were around long before me many have taken things easier now or had health issues and the pro's don't post here as much, some guy chased away.

I do agree and understand that strongman has steroids and growth, and I know the doses a couple WSM competitors take as well as what some local / their 1 guys take. As with bodybuilding it varies by genetics and time. I will say, I think bodybuilders, at least this forum, seem to be aware of how to do things healthier whereas I don't get that impression as much in strongman, so they are trailing behind a bit there. You can see it in physiques as well, some guys get sloppy but in the past 5 years more athletic builds in the open have been cropping up.


You mentioned in a previous post that you are healthy and I think mentioned a couple tests you take annually etc to track. Maybe for another thread but I'd be sincerely interested in what those things are.

 

[Strongarm]

Double post, but I also don't see as much brotherhood in actual gyms on the bodybuilding side as compared to powerlifting with crews or the small group of crazy strongmen that might train together. Guys might chat or be friendly in passing but I haven't seen bodybuilders have a consistent group or training partner in a long time, not like what was depicted in the 70s, 80s. I'm sure it happens but most keep our focus on themselves.

 

[SouthernMuscle]

So, would you say you’re for or against diuretics

Personally, I gave up on the idea of bodybuilding because of the extent of the drug requirements to be competitive on stage. Not only are there steroids and hgh, but over the past decade of being on here insulin use seems to have gone from something that freaked people out and needed a lot of close monitoring to just part of the program now. I get more knowledge is gained over time but unholy shit at using something to treat diabetes that could result in fatality or great immediate physical harm. Then after you put on the size for actual competition you need to put yourself in a toxic state then slap in some diuretics to look lean and dry enough. I get there are worse ones and less punishing ones, but you've got some guy who probably isn't even at your comp with you telling you what to take and how to counter things, if he responds in time. Read plenty of posts where people had to make a call because they didn't hear back and thought they might pass out and not wake up. That's not bodybuilding, that's unattended chemotherapy.

Ignoring for a moment the lack of return financially, you are not getting an ROI for what you're doing to your body at contest. If you enjoy that experience or the chemistry of it, ir the thrill, fine, but what bodybuilding has become is not something I'm going to finance or subscribe to. Maybe when things change where the lives of the athletes matter, it'll garner more interest. You can make all the fame and more money and never have to take a diuretic on Social media.

I still massively respect the competitors who self sacrifice and put in the blood, sweat, tears and longevity for something they love but they don't make millions even as pros like the NFL, NBA. Etc. To me though, the sport should be doing more for the athletes and it doesn't.

I do strongman now and my only interest in competing is to be able to actually call myself a strongman and to join that brother (and sister) hood of people who lift crazy things but put it on the line in a different way. I also don't have to worry about diuretics or slin (at least no competitor or pro I've spoken to uses or has heard of anyone using it). I might eventually push to go to strongman nationals or get my pro card (masters) but it would only be to say I got there rather than to make money or garner a following, etc. Competition is about what you want for yourself. It isn't about the money, the fame, the trophy, or the title. Those things don't last and they are quick to hand it off to the next. The people who view it that way are the ones who stick with it.

 

[Strongarm]

So, would you say you’re for or against diuretics

I think that the level of conditioning an athlete brings to the stage should be based on their prep and diet. JM I believe had similar views, although I think he said somewhere that he still took mild diuretics even with his on point conditioning.

Last minute chemical changes in a depleted, dehydrated state to get that extra ass striation or really bring out the Christmas tree isn't worth it to me as a fan. I'd rather still have the bodybuilders competing that I enjoyed watching the past 10-15 years that are now gone. I havent watched the Olympia or Arnold in 5 years because when I look at the guys on stage instead of being wowed by their physique I wonder if I'm going to see them next year. I used to watch the Arnold and Olympia every year and follow Muscular Development play by play on their forum for the qualifier comps. I didn't realize at that point just how bad things were for the athletes.

 

[bbxtreme]

I'm aware of what this board is, it has also changed quite a bit over the past decade. A lot of the guys posting here exemplify that. There used to be a lot more guys who competed were going for or had their pro card in bodybuilding. The number going for the open has decreased and the number of men's physique has generally taken over. Not a bad thing, just times change. The guys who were around long before me many have taken things easier now or had health issues and the pro's don't post here as much, some guy chased away.

I do agree and understand that strongman has steroids and growth, and I know the doses a couple WSM competitors take as well as what some local / their 1 guys take. As with bodybuilding it varies by genetics and time. I will say, I think bodybuilders, at least this forum, seem to be aware of how to do things healthier whereas I don't get that impression as much in strongman, so they are trailing behind a bit there. You can see it in physiques as well, some guys get sloppy but in the past 5 years more athletic builds in the open have been cropping up.


You mentioned in a previous post that you are healthy and I think mentioned a couple tests you take annually etc to track. Maybe for another thread but I'd be sincerely interested in what those things are.

I honestly can only think of a few guys on here that do physique, but a lot of the vets have retired or stepped away from being as active. And sadly, there aren’t a lot of guys stepping up to be great bodybuilders these days IMO. Probably because it’s tough as shit. I don’t disagree with that.

I’m very big on testing- I wear a whoop 24/7 to track my sleep, RHR and HRV, etc.

Monitor and check BP 3 times daily.

Every 3 months (sooner if I feel something may be off) I run bloodwork- CMP, Lipids, CBC, HSCRP, homocysteine, hormones, cortisol and thyroid. This can change as and if needed.

If you’re over 30 and bodybuild you should get a CT calcium score done or cleery. Check every 12-24 months if on cycle. It’s $99… why would you not.

Every 12 months get an echocardiogram completed.

The most important one that most bodybuilders miss- an annual CPET test. We need to see how our heart performs under exercise load and at our weight. Sure it’s 15 minutes of hell, but could save your life.

I may be missing something, but the above is a good outline for anyone. I’m big on heart testing as I have a strong family history of CAD on my father’s side.

Hope this helps!

 

[SouthernMuscle]

Nobody has a gun to anyones head. Everyone makes their own choices and reaps the consequences.

I think that the level of conditioning an athlete brings to the stage should be based on their prep and diet. JM I believe had similar views, although I think he said somewhere that he still took mild diuretics even with his on point conditioning.

Last minute chemical changes in a depleted, dehydrated state to get that extra ass striation or really bring out the Christmas tree isn't worth it to me as a fan. I'd rather still have the bodybuilders competing that I enjoyed watching the past 10-15 years that are now gone. I havent watched the Olympia or Arnold in 5 years because when I look at the guys on stage instead of being wowed by their physique I wonder if I'm going to see them next year. I used to watch the Arnold and Olympia every year and follow Muscular Development play by play on their forum for the qualifier comps. I didn't realize at that point just how bad things were for the athletes.

 

[bbxtreme]

I think that the level of conditioning an athlete brings to the stage should be based on their prep and diet. JM I believe had similar views, although I think he said somewhere that he still took mild diuretics even with his on point conditioning.

Last minute chemical changes in a depleted, dehydrated state to get that extra ass striation or really bring out the Christmas tree isn't worth it to me as a fan. I'd rather still have the bodybuilders competing that I enjoyed watching the past 10-15 years that are now gone. I havent watched the Olympia or Arnold in 5 years because when I look at the guys on stage instead of being wowed by their physique I wonder if I'm going to see them next year. I used to watch the Arnold and Olympia every year and follow Muscular Development play by play on their forum for the qualifier comps. I didn't realize at that point just how bad things were for the athletes.

I think a lot of what you’re referring to isn’t athletes being gone, but it’s athletes retiring. Lol

The average retirement age of pro athletes is 30. For the NFL it’s 28.

So to see bodybuilders still going up to 40 now on an Olympia stage is something unique itself. Most of these guys have been training since they were a teenager.

 

[Strongarm]

Nobody has a gun to anyones head. Everyone makes their own choices and reaps the consequences.

True, and while we can ignore that most people aren't very good at making the responsible / right decision, I believe it's been debated on here before that the normalization of something like diuretic use and that "everybody does it" or you HAVE to do this to be competitive sets a different expectation than "hey there's this shit that will fuck you up or might kill you but it'll get you 2% dryer if it peaks right on stage."

Look at what's happening with SARM'S and social media. Some dip said they are safer than steroids and teenagers are hopping on with no clue what the impact will be. Is the situation different because they are minors? SARM'S have been normalized in the eyes of social media so people assume it's safe, when that's bullshit. People have to be able to rely on information and experts because we can't possibly be proficient in everything ourselves. Social media relies on likes and views for validity and competitors rely on what an "expert" produces on stage (those that make it) to decide whether they know their stuff.
.

The system fails at multiple points, the promoters are aware of this, and quite comfortably profit off of people's self destruction. They could manage or monitor it, but that's a cost that no one is requiring them to bear to realize their profits. For me at least, I'm not going to fund an unethical business model.

 

[bbxtreme]

With all the critiques on here lately I thought it would be a good topic to throw out.

There are some crazy physiques on this board. Some of you have competed, some retired and others who look crazy yet never have.

I agree that if guys like Andrew Jacked are the best we get in today’s scene the sport is not what it once used to be. So why aren’t guys with killer physiques competing?

It’s no secret from the promoters that numbers are down and Lee Haney locally here is constantly trying to get people back into the sport.

This thread isn’t for the guys who are “bodybuilding fans” at home on the couch. It’s also not to start a thread on drugs and PED’s- that comes with the territory. Same for politics.

I am not the most genetically gifted bodybuilder. I love the process and discipline of prepping to step on stage the day of the show. To show what I have been doing in silence for the last 6,12 or 24 months… I don’t give two fucks about politics or think about it because I’d better look better than every guy there. Period.

So I’m curious to get everyone else’s take on this who is not a couch gym bro- why aren’t guys competing?

@Strongarm Remember what the OP said. LOL

 

[Strongarm]

@Strongarm Remember what the OP said. LOL

My bad, I was just replying to the question.

I do believe it plays a part in the reduction in competitors. That and a changing of goals or standards for the generation that would otherwise refill those ranks.

 

[SouthernMuscle]

we can't possibly be proficient in everything ourselves.

that’s where you’re wrong bucko

I don’t subcontract my well-being to ANYONE

those that don’t wish to think for themselves are free to roll the dice

 

[alfresco]

And as Justin Harris said, ‘don’t be an asshole, take your blood pressure medication’ (paraphrasing)

Blood pressure, diuretics and dehydration for contests, painkillers (NSAIDS/opiates), bad health genes, untreated OSA, and just overall self neglect/burying head in the sand IMO are the root causes of health issues that bodybuilders face

If you can’t afford the meds and blood tests than you can’t afford the bodybuilding ‘drugs’.

 

[bbxtreme]

If you can’t afford the meds and blood tests than you can’t afford the bodybuilding ‘drugs’.

So true. Any time someone ask me about going on gear my first question is “what does your blood work look like?”

It’s always “my insurance doesn’t cover it”, “it’s too expensive”, or “it’s complicated to order.”

Then proceeds to turn around and spend a grand on gear and figures out how to get it and all that goes into that. Sadly, I think it’s because a lot of these guys are just scared of what they “think” it will say.

Hate to tell them though… just because you don’t see your bad bloodwork or blood pressure doesn’t mean it’s not real.

Not trying to derail my own thread though. Compete responsibly and do it because you love it.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

I think everything in that video of Shelby is actually unrelated to bodybuilding.

- "1 bad day doesn't affect a champion, 10 bad days in a row doesn't affect a champion, you get through that"

- "What would my competition do, what would the best in the business I am in be doing"

- Working in silence, quietly chipping away, not blasting your bullshit all over media platforms. Just head down and focused on your goal.

These ideals can apply to anyone, in any field working toward a goal. Saying it is all for a plastic trophy is myopic.

Bodybuilding competitively, or recreationally, should enhance your life.