Author Topic: Classic Physique - A New World for Bodybuilders (Read 27233 times)

stuntmovie · « **on:** October 13, 2016, 05:59:01 PM »

Competitive BodyBuilding Haters, It’s time to unite and maybe even change your attitude!

After many years of adverse comments regarding professional bodybuilding as it stands today, and Heath and Palumbo, and even Levone and a good number of hard working officials among many others; there’s an event out there that may be more to your liking.

Or maybe NOT! Some of us gotta hate just for the sake of hating.

But for many of you GetBiggers who think or say that …. "Bodybuilders were better in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or anytime prior to the present age!" ... when contenders appeared somewhat more symmetrical or aesthetic …. the NPC and the IFBB now offer you CLASSIC Physique.

I’d also add plain old Physique events to the above but too many GetBiggers already dislike/hate the ‘physique uniform’ because it hides the contender's leg development.

It could be remotely possible that the NPC Officials read this GetBig Board on a regular basis and have decided to make an attempt to satisfy every worldwide GetBigger on this GetBig planet.

SO they added Classic Physique!

But that ain’t gonna happen because we all realize that haters gotta hate for their own personal reasons.

So Classic Physique is just another event that will get the 'hatred kindle' fired up.

But hatred can be a double edge as it is so evident on this GetBig Board. Just make adverse comments about someone on this Board you dislike and sure enough that disliked individual will become extremely popular and possibly even a GetBig Legend.

So regardless of how we feel and what we think and say, Classic Physique is going to be a major success for all concerned .... the contenders, the families, the fans, and even for the haters who will have just one more thing to hate about.

And it will also be very successful for the IFBB and the NPC.

So with that said .... I'd like to maybe offer this 'space' where GetBiggers can offer some intelligent comments regarding this new NPC division and keep one and all up to date on whats happening with it.

I'm not an insider, nor do I attend contests outside of the USA Championships,but I do converse with contenders in any and all divisions both NPC ad IFBB ... so a lot of what I have to write about could be purely SCUTTLEBUTT!

More to follow.....

Joe Pietaro · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2016, 06:26:14 PM »

Classic Physique could have been avoided if the judges rewarded the aesthetic ones. And the mass monsters would be relegated to the 'freak wow factor' like Markus Ruhl. Adding yet another category merely made already torturously long shows even longer.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2016, 06:32:40 PM »

As most GHetBiggers already know, Danny Hester won the Oly Classic Physique at this years (2016) Mr Olympia Expo.

Some who were not in attendance that afternoon felt that Danny did not deserve the overall title as the first Olympia Classic Physique Champion.

I was also NOT in attendance but I was very glad to hear that Danny won it.

I've known Danny casually for a good number of years now and he has always impressed me as the perfect gentleman and an interesting conversationalist.

And he has also been in and around the NPC to the best of my knowledge for a good number of years which I think helps a lot wen it comes to judging an event.

ANd I can say that honestly with no insinuation that the judging was anywhere near biased in Danny's favor.

Many years ago there was a requirement in which all contest contenders had a few minutes to express themselves before the judging panel. The exact and official reason for this I have forgotten but Danny would have passed this prejudging phase with flying colors.

And for that reason alone ... I am glade won.

ANd I would hate to judge any contest results by looking at photos taken at that event.

Next up .... Australia's Calum and Canada Chris as Classic Physique contenders at the 2017 Olympia?

6 Reps · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2016, 06:37:39 PM »

I think the Classic Physique will become very popular with the competitors. Perhaps for many reasons but certainly a major one would be less PED's

I overheard someone at a contest say that the idea behind Classic Physique was to bridge the Physique category with the Open Bodybuilding category. With Open Bodybuilding being based on weight classes and Physique based on height classes, it was only sensible that height and weight be combined, ergo Classic Physique.

I have read several places on this board where posters think that now with Classic Physique that Open Bodybuilding will disappear just as Women's Bodybuilding disappeared.

I disagree with that. I think there will always be an appeal for the bigger and freakier muscle, so Open Bodybuilding will remain. It may have the least number of competitors as compared to Physique and Classic Physique, but it will remain the crown jewel of bodybuilding, a la Mr Olympia. I do think the Classic Physique category will put pressure on the Open Bodybuilding category to look sharper.

As for the shows being long, they are torturously long NOW! They'll have to be divided up.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2016, 06:39:45 PM »

JOE, Thanks for your comment .... BUT you gotta remember that you don't have to stay for the whole event. The promoters are getting pretty damn good now letting one and all know what time each event will start.

And that is super-important for the contenders. The 'hurry up and wait' factor is slowly easing away.

ANd regarding the 'freak wow factor' .... it kinda, sorta, grew into that over the years with nothing ever written down when it first started about how it was supposed to be.

Or something like that.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2016, 06:51:28 PM »

REPS, I agree with every word you stated above.

And I once mentioned on this Board or another Board that there was a missing "gap' between Bodybuilding and Physique .... so I was not surprised when Jim announced the initiation of Classic Physique which I sometimes mistakenly call CLASSIC BODYBUILDING.

And I did have a short conversation with Jim at the most recent USA Championships and I can assure you that BODYBUILDING will continue without demise. He was very adamant about that.

And YES the shows are way too long but the facilities in which they are held are expensive to rent on a daily basis so they do their best to 'compress' the events and the promoters are doing their best to let one and all know the approximate time in which each event will start up.

But I did notice that the most recent North America held in Canada was a three or four day event possibly due to the number of contenders and the fact that an NPC event was held in conjunction with the IFBB NA Championships. Could be wrong regarding that though!

stuntmovie · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2016, 07:05:41 PM »

OK, Getbiggers ... Here's the TMZ (only saw that TV show twice) slice of this topic.

All of the following is official scuttlebutt and is only based on two thoughts ....one thought on what Calum Von Moger (Australia) had to briefly state on one of his internet sites....

He sort of asked his fans if he should enter the 2017 Olympia Classic Physique Contest and most replied, "Definitely".

The other thought is concerning CHRIS BUMSTEAD who was exceptionally noteworthy when he competed in and won his class (hvywt) at the most recent North America Championshis held in Canada.

His bodybuilding contest photos have been posted somewhere on this Board and I have been told that he weighed in at 224 lbs which most likely put him on stage at a solid 230. (A wild guesstimate.)

In my humble opinion, Chris was very esthetic and definitely deserved his win and as a result he got his IFBB PRO Card..... But in order to continue his IFBB competition as a Pro bodybuilder he most likely would have to gain a shitload of additional bodyweight (muscle mass) to even stand out in an IFBB Pro Bodybuilding lineup ....

So I rightly or wrongly assume that Chris may decide to simply trade over into IFBB Classis Physique Competitions without bulking up in an effort to stand out among the bodybuilding pros.

So ... Do you think that either of them or both of them will be competing in the 2017 Oly Classic Competition?

It will be an interesting 'battle' if they arm up and compete within the same class as both are considered to be among the best at present within the game, but neither of them has yet to reach his full potential.

I think that they will both be on that Oly Classic Physique stage in 2017. A fair 'guesstimate" I think.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2016, 05:33:43 PM »

Chris Bumstead (21 year old Canadian IFBB Pro and college student) makes his decision and will compete in Classic Physique this month (Oct 22, I believe the event will be held in Florida) according to his latest YouTube video.

Check it out for further details.

I will be surprised if he does not win the overall.

Howard · « **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2016, 06:37:16 PM »

Quote from: 6 Reps on October 13, 2016, 06:37:39 PM

I think the Classic Physique will become very popular with the competitors. Perhaps for many reasons but certainly a major one would be less PED's

I overheard someone at a contest say that the idea behind Classic Physique was to bridge the Physique category with the Open Bodybuilding category. With Open Bodybuilding being based on weight classes and Physique based on height classes, it was only sensible that height and weight be combined, ergo Classic Physique.

I have read several places on this board where posters think that now with Classic Physique that Open Bodybuilding will disappear just as Women's Bodybuilding disappeared.

I disagree with that. I think there will always be an appeal for the bigger and freakier muscle, so Open Bodybuilding will remain. It may have the least number of competitors as compared to Physique and Classic Physique, but it will remain the crown jewel of bodybuilding, a la Mr Olympia. I do think the Classic Physique category will put pressure on the Open Bodybuilding category to look sharper.

As for the shows being long, they are torturously long NOW! They'll have to be divided up.

Good post. I'm a fan of classic physique and Zane is my favorite Mr O physique.
You're 100% correct that the open mass freaks will always have fans.

However, the reason for lengthy contests is due mostly to the figure and especially bikini divisions.
At most NPC national events, 70-80% of the entrants come from bikini and figure.

In my opinion, we only need bodybuilding, cpd, WPD and female fitness.

Joe Pietaro · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2016, 07:06:23 PM »

Quote from: stuntmovie on October 13, 2016, 06:39:45 PM

JOE, Thanks for your comment .... BUT you gotta remember that you don't have to stay for the whole event. The promoters are getting pretty damn good now letting one and all know what time each event will start.

And that is super-important for the contenders. The 'hurry up and wait' factor is slowly easing away.

ANd regarding the 'freak wow factor' .... it kinda, sorta, grew into that over the years with nothing ever written down when it first started about how it was supposed to be.

Or something like that.

I hear you own the events and how the categories are broken up, time-wise. I don't even bother attending shows any more and the expos are more important for what I'm doing with my company, anyway. 1,000-plus competitors and most of them being men and women's bikini made me tap out.

I personally love the freaky mass monsters and don't give a shit if they win shows or not. The industry is going away from the competition aspect, anyway.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2016, 07:25:50 PM »

JOE, Thanks again for your latest comment. I don't know what your company is involved with regarding the expos so your expo and contest experience may be more knowledgeable or valid than my own .... but although I have to agree with you that the length of the contests have caused many to "tap out" ... the sheer number of contestants entering all these events now-a-days are bringing many more in than the number of those tapping out.

And that means that the NPC and the IFBB are more profitabe than ever.

SO I don't think that we will ever see a change in that regards.

And at the present time ... I don't see, nor do I foresee, that the industry is leaving the competition aspect .... unless I misunderstood what you meant by that statement.

The fitness expo industry appears to be bigger and more popular than ever .... even worldwide ....which gives a lot of the top contenders the opportunity to travel worldwide and return home with a decent paycheck .... although I have no idea if that paycheck is adequate enough for those participants outside of the top Mr Oly contenders to sustain a decent living.

Thanks for your input, Joe!

Howard · « **Reply #11 on:** October 14, 2016, 07:37:15 PM »

Stunt, for me the problem is that 80% of most contests feature NON-bodybuilding divisions.
MPD, figure and especially bikini are swim suit beauty pageant events.

I want to see (mostly) bodybuilding when I attend a bodybuilding contest.
The reality is bodybuilders ( open and cpd) are the smallest part of current contests.

As I remember the original mission statement of the IFBB and NPC was :
" to feature bodybuilding as a feature, stand alone sport"

what happened?

stuntmovie · « **Reply #12 on:** October 14, 2016, 07:51:09 PM »

Howard, It appears that you liked things the way they used to be.

And I think that Joe Weider felt likewise.

So ... "WHAT HAPPENED? ... is that Joe passed away ...... and the baton has been passed to new and capable hands.

Since Joe's death ... things have changed immensely as you know damn well. And even though many hate those changes they have been extremely successful!

Some don't like those changes and some think that those changes are the greatest thing to happen since sushi and poke.

You can see that by the number of contestants on that stage.

It used to be 12 to 40 contenders, but now it's 100 - 653 and a half PLUS. And make that an extra big plus!

This big change is apparently making big profits for both the NPC and the IFBB.

SO why make any change that will decrease the bottom line? That's not good for business..... and the NPC and the IFBB are big business now thanks to the 'bosses', the contenders,and the fans who pay big bucks to see their sons, daughters, gym members, etc. up there on that stage.

I'd add a balancing elephant act if it would make the show more financially successful.

SquidVicious · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2016, 08:51:02 PM »

Why don't you just combine all of your posts and make a book that no one will read instead.

Tennisballz · « **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2016, 08:51:47 PM »

I don't think adding more classes is the answer. There should be 2 classes in the whole world. Men's bodybuilding and womens physique. Everything else is useless. Women shouldn't be bodybuilding and men shouldn't be parading around in some physique or classic class. As for judging, it should be on aesthetics and flow, not sheer mass. And on the womens side of things, they should be somewhat lean but not dieting down to skeletons. This whole industry is one big bowl of mental illness.

Chidoman · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2016, 09:05:33 PM »

stuntmovie · « **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2016, 10:23:50 AM »

TENNIS, We'd have to time-machine back to the 1960's through the early 70's to accommodate your idea of what bodybuilding events should be.

That's just about the time of 12 to 15 contenders and possibly 80 - 120 people in attendance and a fistfull of dollars for the Olympia winners.

Look at it that way and you just might agree that things have changed for the better.

Disgusted · « **Reply #17 on:** October 15, 2016, 10:29:49 AM »

Quote from: Joe Pietaro on October 13, 2016, 06:26:14 PM

Classic Physique could have been avoided if the judges rewarded the aesthetic ones. And the mass monsters would be relegated to the 'freak wow factor' like Markus Ruhl. Adding yet another category merely made already torturously long shows even longer.

Why reward aesthetics when you can create a new cla$$

Disgusted · « **Reply #18 on:** October 15, 2016, 10:32:13 AM »

Quote from: stuntmovie on October 13, 2016, 06:32:40 PM

As most GHetBiggers already know, Danny Hester won the Oly Classic Physique at this years (2016) Mr Olympia Expo.

Some who were not in attendance that afternoon felt that Danny did not deserve the overall title as the first Olympia Classic Physique Champion.

I was also NOT in attendance but I was very glad to hear that Danny won it.

I've known Danny casually for a good number of years now and he has always impressed me as the perfect gentleman and an interesting conversationalist.

And he has also been in and around the NPC to the best of my knowledge for a good number of years which I think helps a lot wen it comes to judging an event.

ANd I can say that honestly with no insinuation that the judging was anywhere near biased in Danny's favor.

Many years ago there was a requirement in which all contest contenders had a few minutes to express themselves before the judging panel. The exact and official reason for this I have forgotten but Danny would have passed this prejudging phase with flying colors.

And for that reason alone ... I am glade won.

ANd I would hate to judge any contest results by looking at photos taken at that event.

Next up .... Australia's Calum and Canada Chris as Classic Physique contenders at the 2017 Olympia?

Who cares about his personality. All that matters is if he deserved to win.

Ronnie Rep · « **Reply #19 on:** October 15, 2016, 10:40:33 AM »

Stunt, I think classic physique should be broken down into 2 height classes. Up to 5'9", 5' 10" and over. Then let them battle it out for overall.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #20 on:** October 15, 2016, 11:12:02 AM »

I'm also glad that he won it, but there are many who felt otherwise.

But since I did not see this contest personally I have to hold judgement regarding who may be right or who may be wrong.

But I can ALMOST guarantee ya that those who say he did not deserve the win .... were nowhere near the Expo on that particular day.

And there has seldom ever been a contest in which the results satisfy the family, friends, and most of all ... the fans ... who judge a contest by looking at the pictures.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2016, 11:23:07 AM »

RONNIE, I think you're thinking forward and that could possibly happen eventually if it will solve any problems that the NPC observes as a result of too many wt/ht classes within this new Classic Physique event.

Here's the way I see it ..... In smaller Classic Physique events such as those events below the state championships level ..... it is definitely a possibility that there may not be a sufficient number of Classic Physique contenders to fill each wt/ht division.

In such a case it just might be possible that the smaller events will be held exactly as you so stated above ..... TWO separate wt/ht classes with the winners of each batttleing it out for the overall.

Or in exceptionally small events ..... there could be the possibility of just one Classic Physique division only.

You just might be thinking ahead of the game.

The Scott · « **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2016, 12:11:16 PM »

I don't see the 70s and earlier type of physique making a return to the dais. So long as the mentally ill fetishists control the judging, the squatty, overbuilt carapace-gut, muscularly obese, thongolian trend will continue ad nauseam. Bodybuilding has become schmoe & tell.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #23 on:** October 15, 2016, 12:18:31 PM »

SCOTT, That is most likely why Classic Physique is being NPC/IFBB sanctioned. And I don't foresee any changes within the judging of bodybuilding events.

stuntmovie · « **Reply #24 on:** October 15, 2016, 05:08:53 PM »

RONNIE, I just noticed on an official NPC Classic Physique information page that promoters can promote a two-division Classic Physique contest

One division for any contender up to and including 5'7" with a bodywt of up to and including 170 labs

And the second division for all contenders over 5'7 with a bodywt over 170 and up to and including 270 lbs.

If the above is correct it appears that all Classic Physique contenders within a two-division contest will find it much more difficult to place better than if they were in a 17 division contest as 150lb- contenders will be competing against 170 lb contenders and 171 lb contenders may find themselves competing against 270 lb contenders.

Yes..... there can be up to 17 Classic divisions based on ht/wt in a large Classic Physique contest ..... which will most likely only occur in a national Classic Physique contest.

if there are any changes forthcoming, the NPC will most likely base those changes on the Classic Physique 'weigh-in' (wt + ht.) criteria.

And it seems pretty damn evident that the event promoter would not be able to know how many of the 17 divisions will be contested until the Classic Physique weigh-ins are completed.

If anyone is confused ... Please join the club.

But I can guarantee ya that the NPC officials will have the situation well in hand.

My big question at the moment is ... who receives the Pro Cards within a Classic Physique event?