can bb ever become popular again?

[madmullah]

is there any way in which bodybuilding can become as popular as it was in the 70s and 80s.

[brianX]

Bodybuilding has never been "popular".

Hope this helps.

[Mars]

Who cares.

[madmullah]

i don't know about your neck of the woods but here in england there were bb  (area)   contests taking place everywhere in the 80s and gyms were full like never before.may be you were not involved in bb then.

[phyxsius]

i don't know about your neck of the woods but here in england there were bb  (area)   contests taking place everywhere in the 80s and gyms were full like never before.may be you were not involved in bb then.

Meltdown

[Samourai Pizzacat]

Meltdown

the definition of meltdown has become rather diffuse it seems......

[doison]

I was involved in bbing in the 80's.  One thing I can guarantee is that bbing was NEVER "popular." 

Everyone gets nostalgic for "their time," and likes to think things were better then, but bbing has always been a sub-culture. 

In 30 years, som jackass will be on whatever communcation device is popular at that time asking "will bbing ever be popular like it was in the 90's and 00's? 

People already blab on about how the 90's were so much better...just like older people do about the 80's, and even older idiots do about the 70's. 

[timfogarty]

while bodybuilding was never very popular with the fans, there use to be a lot more amateurs competing.   in So Cal in the early 1980s, between the AAU and the NPC, there was a contest pretty much every weekend.

[onlyme]

Well it's going to get a fresh start in the penil system.

[sarcasm]

Well it's going to get a fresh start in the penil system.

hahahahahaha.

[Eric2]

Sure, get rid of all the short cocky bastards and whinners. Get rid of all the fake tanning ( like they are really worried about skin cancer they take fuking roids!!)
   Get rid of women bodybuilders. Get rid of all the thongs, gay dancing, and most of all the gay thumbs up constantly flexing pose bullshit.
   Also get rid of ben and joe wieder and 90% of the bs supplements that proliferate the magazines.
   In other words take all the $$$$$$$ away from it thereby allowing only those who love it to get involved.
    Promote a more positive anti roid message by running realistic training programs. Show more comraderi in the ranks instead of all the drama high school crybaby shite.
   Only put pretty women in magazines not these he-slut bitches with tits that could cut concrete.

[sarcasm]

Sure, get rid of all the short cocky bastards and whinners. Get rid of all the fake tanning ( like they are really worried about skin cancer they take fuking roids!!)
   Get rid of women bodybuilders. Get rid of all the thongs, gay dancing, and most of all the gay thumbs up constantly flexing pose bullshit.
   Also get rid of ben and joe wieder and 90% of the bs supplements that proliferate the magazines.
   In other words take all the $$$$$$$ away from it thereby allowing only those who love it to get involved.
    Promote a more positive anti roid message by running realistic training programs. Show more comraderi in the ranks instead of all the drama high school crybaby shite.
   Only put pretty women in magazines not these he-slut bitches with tits that could cut concrete.

so basically get rid of the whole industry.

[Below Me]

so basically get rid of the whole industry.

Sounds good to me.

Shitcan all of it. 
Start fresh in 2006 with all new shit to sell that provides an instant 10% gain in strength. 
A professional organization that has judging standards that are followed.   
And a "drug" testing program that carries three strikes and you're out.

[Mr. Intenseone]

Bodybuilding was TOTALLY ruined starting from the early to mid 90's, thanks to the judging criteria!

[Dan-O]

Bodybuilding has never been "popular".

Hope this helps.

I beg to differ, back in the 80's bodybuilding did enjoy some degree of popularity.

There was at least one TV sitcom set in a gym, and gyms were featured in many other TV shows and soaps.

Of course as has been mentioned before, back then bodybuilding contests such as the World Amateur Championships and the Arnold Classic were featured in ABC's Wide World of Sports on a regular basis, as well as on ESPN.

ESPN featured their program "American Muscle Magazine."  Tom Terwilliger hosted "Muscle Sport USA."

There was another news program called "PM Magazine" which regularly ran features on bodybuilders.  I remember once they did a feature on Clarence Bass, for example.

You had Diana Ross singing "I Want Muscles" featuring bodybuilders in her video.

I could go on but you get the point.

[doison]

ahhh... the good ole days, you had Lee Haney's workout at 5:30am.  You had "Amerian Muscle Magazine" on every 3rd month at some random time on a tuesday.  Later, Flex magazine workout would even see a run on ESPN 2 during it's first year at 6am...

Again, bodybuilding was never popular.  Those shows at those time slots didn't make much money then, and they won't make much now.   You just had people willing to produce the shows in hopes of making some dough.  Now everyone knows they don't make money, so you won't see them anymore. 

There have been plenty of shows aired that didn't make money.  Just because they were on TV doesn't mean they were popular at the time.  It just means that someone was convinced to put up some money in the hopes they would land.   

People know better now.

[madmullah]

one reason bb went into decline was due to the ripped look.no need for definiton or balance.the average bodybuilder was pushed out due to the extreme diet needed to achieve this condition.

[brianX]

I beg to differ, back in the 80's bodybuilding did enjoy some degree of popularity.

There was at least one TV sitcom set in a gym, and gyms were featured in many other TV shows and soaps.

Of course as has been mentioned before, back then bodybuilding contests such as the World Amateur Championships and the Arnold Classic were featured in ABC's Wide World of Sports on a regular basis, as well as on ESPN.

ESPN featured their program "American Muscle Magazine."  Tom Terwilliger hosted "Muscle Sport USA."

There was another news program called "PM Magazine" which regularly ran features on bodybuilders.  I remember once they did a feature on Clarence Bass, for example.

You had Diana Ross singing "I Want Muscles" featuring bodybuilders in her video.

I could go on but you get the point.

Yes, I'm sure Lee Haney was a household name back then.

[Dan-O]

Yes, I'm sure Lee Haney was a household name back then.

Well actually smartass, he was a lot better-known back then than Dorian or Ronnie are or were in their respective eras.  And if you go back, you'll notice I wrote "some degree of popularity," not that it was universally popular or anything.

Back then I had a pair of Lee Haney workout gloves.  My mom got them for me one Christmas and she didn't even know who the hell Lee Haney was.  They were made by some sporting goods manufacturer, I forget who.  Why don't you see if you can find a pair of Ronnie Coleman workout gloves in your sporting goods store?

[DIVISION]

Well actually smartass, he was a lot better-known back then than Dorian or Ronnie are or were in their respective eras.  And if you go back, you'll notice I wrote "some degree of popularity," not that it was universally popular or anything.

Back then I had a pair of Lee Haney workout gloves.  My mom got them for me one Christmas and she didn't even know who the hell Lee Haney was.  They were made by some sporting goods manufacturer, I forget who.  Why don't you see if you can find a pair of Ronnie Coleman workout gloves in your sporting goods store?

Andy Kaufman > Lee Haney

First, Last & Always......

The man on the moon.......

God bless the dead.





DIV

[Richard2004]

Duhhh...uhhh...bodybuild ing (a.k.a. "recreational bodybuilding") is very popular worldwide and has millions of practitioners/"followers" currently!  Why, health clubs, gyms, YMCA's, home gyms, schools, rehab centers, etc., are literally "bustling"/"packed" with serious, dedicated, weight-trainers/bodybuilders!!

Don't just focus on the national BB mags. with their articles on the MINISCULE few pro. BB FREAKS and their miscreant, illegal drug-using/trafficking, lifestyles, that the mags so glibly cover-up!!

There exists an apparent never-ending confusion as to the meaning/definition of the term “bodybuilding”!  Bodybuilding (BB) really should be defined as including all individuals who weight-train to improve their appearance, health, strength, and athletic ability.  Of course, using such a definition of BB would include several million practitioners, worldwide!

With the advent of the Weiders mag "propaganda", and their heavy commercialized articles/ads/contest-reporting in recent decades, the term “bodybuilding” has been subverted to focus only on professional bodybuilding.  Of course, pro. BBers make up only a very SMALL fraction of the legions of millions of bodybuilding practitioners (hardly even 1%, I am sure)!

Like any discipline/lifestyle/“sport”/activity, you are always going to have a few miscreant practitioners who give every other clean-living, drug-free/natural, accomplished, good-citizen, law-abiding, bodybuilding practitioner a “black-eye” with their socially unacceptable behavior…e.g. illegal drug use/trafficking, burglaries, gang-activities, murder, etc.!!

Yet, despite… the blatant lies and drug-use cover-up, perpetuated by the bodybuilding mags.; the pro. BB male chemical monsters and “she-he’s” receiving heavy mag. publicity;  the ‘roid-rage psychos running loose in society-some even posting to Getbig; illegal drug dealers/users, murderers, other criminals, etc., who practice BB and receive sensational media/press… these serious negative aspects associated with BB are greatly overshadowed by the highly POSITIVE aspect of having millions of successful worldwide practitioners and supporters-of/believers-in BB!!

These millions of socially-responsible, “good-citizen”, estimable, recreational, BBers use BB as a regular tool to help live more productive, healthier, stronger, longer, lives, with a greatly improved relative physical appearance, generally speaking, when compared to the non-bodybuilding, non-exercising, general public.  In other words, using BB as a means to a worthwhile end(s), and not just an end in itself!!   

[slummin]

it's funny to watch kids that are probably in their 20's telling how "not popular" bodybuilding was once upon a time - hiliarious to read.

Keep it up 

[brianX]

Well actually smartass, he was a lot better-known back then than Dorian or Ronnie are or were in their respective eras.  And if you go back, you'll notice I wrote "some degree of popularity," not that it was universally popular or anything.

Back then I had a pair of Lee Haney workout gloves.  My mom got them for me one Christmas and she didn't even know who the hell Lee Haney was.  They were made by some sporting goods manufacturer, I forget who.  Why don't you see if you can find a pair of Ronnie Coleman workout gloves in your sporting goods store?

You've gotta be kidding me. Lee Haney was not significantly more popular than Ronnie Coleman. NOBODY outside of the bodybuilding/fitness industry has ever heard of these guys. Oh wow, so he manufactured some workout gloves. Big deal.

No bodybuilder has ever achieved any real fame through bodybuilding. Arnold and Lou became famous because of their movies. Even Arnold was almost completely unknown until the early 80's.

[Dan-O]

You've gotta be kidding me. Lee Haney was not significantly more popular than Ronnie Coleman. NOBODY outside of the bodybuilding/fitness industry has ever heard of these guys. Oh wow, so he manufactured some workout gloves. Big deal.

No bodybuilder has ever achieved any real fame through bodybuilding. Arnold and Lou became famous because of their movies. Even Arnold was almost completely unknown until the early 80's.

wtf, how old are you?  Don't tell me how it was because I was there and I remember!

[Thin Lizzy]

In a way both of you guys are right.

Bodybuilding was never "mainstream" popular, but it did have a fan that was much larger and more passionate  than it is today.

I used to go to the Night of Champions when it was held at the Beacon Theatre (3000+ seats) and guys like Robbie Robinson and Danny Padilla were competing. The place was always packed. Today, I don't see the Beacon selling out for that event.