The State Of Professional Bodybuilding: What Is Being Done To Promote It?

[Fallsview]

FROM THE DESK OF FALLSVIEW:



Goodmorrow!


What is being done to promote and further the popularity of Professional Bodybuilding?


It seems nothing.

Contests are the same

Expos are the same.

How can Professional Bodybuilding reach further into the mainstream population?

Contest are boring. Sitting through these things is hard work.

To be honest Vince McMahon was way ahead of his time.


What say you?














WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

[funk51]

hard to say. in my opinion bodybuilding will always be a cult activity. VKM tried to make it interesting but he too failed in his endeavors and had to concede to weider.  VKM did cause weider to up the ante in his contests and offer contracts to some. what aspects could be changed to promote bodybuilding more into the mainstream, anyone have any ideas?

[stuntmovie]

FALSVIEW, You're wrong on all points ... except for the boring comment!

The IFBB Pro organization is and has been growing world-wide faster than anyone in-the-know has ever expected and "membership-wise" most likely now "among" the largest worldwide.

It's possible that you have been looking with your eyes wide shut.

I refer you to RON's report on the latest Romania contest.

[G_Thang]

Could 3 lame, Cutler, Heath and Roden, Mr.Os in a row be a possible contributor?

[Fallsview]

FALSVIEW, You're wrong on all points ... except for the boring comment!

The IFBB Pro organization is and has been growing world-wide faster than anyone in-the-know has ever expected and "membership-wise" most likely now "among" the largest worldwide.

It's possible that you have been looking with your eyes wide shut.

I refer you to RON's report on the latest Romania contest.

NO YOU'RE WRONG COLONEL SANDERS!

Bodybuilding is only growing in other countries that are getting looser with regulations. Who the hell cares about Romania or these Mid East Countries.

Bodybuilding in the United States IS NOT GROWING.

It is the SAME OLD SAME OLD.

Nothing has changed to make it different and entertaining.

Putting men in BOARD SHORTS was the BIG CHANGE?

The SAME POSES, SAME ROUTINES, SAME MUSIC.

The ONLY thing that made it a LITTLE interesting was when an OLD, BROKEN DOWN AND BROKE PERSON NAMED KEVIN LEVERONE decided to try a comeback.

There is NOTHING new with bodybuilding...THAT IS A CRIME.





WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

[stuntmovie]

Sorry, FALLS, I cannot walk with you regarding this subject.

Sure ... there's always room for improvement ... but I base my opinion on the world-wide growth of the IFBB Pro organization while you may be forming your opinion on a couple of contests which you have possibly never seen.

[Royalty]

FROM THE DESK OF FALLSVIEW:



Goodmorrow!


What is being done to promote and further the popularity of Professional Bodybuilding?


It seems nothing.

Contests are the same

Expos are the same.

How can Professional Bodybuilding reach further into the mainstream population?

Contest are boring. Sitting through these things is hard work.

To be honest Vince McMahon was way ahead of his time.


What say you?














WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

Bodybuilding has regressed so badly that a 42 year old man dethroned the reigning Mr Olympia

[Humble Narcissist]

FALSVIEW, You're wrong on all points ... except for the boring comment!

The IFBB Pro organization is and has been growing world-wide faster than anyone in-the-know has ever expected and "membership-wise" most likely now "among" the largest worldwide.

It's possible that you have been looking with your eyes wide shut.

I refer you to RON's report on the latest Romania contest.

Growing in competitors because of more divisions but not fans.  The average sports fan has never even heard of the IFBB.  It will always be an underground cult following but now that the magazines are gone it will continue to shrink along with the internet that reveals the truth about bodybuilding being all drugs.  When Arnold dies it will become even more unpopular as the Arnold Classic won't be the same and that's a huge bodybuilding event in the midwest.  Once it's gone or unpopular bodybuilding will be a popular thing in Los Angeles only.

[Irongrip400]

Growing in competitors because of more divisions but not fans.  The average sports fan has never even heard of the IFBB.  It will always be an underground cult following but now that the magazines are gone it will continue to shrink along with the internet that reveals the truth about bodybuilding being all drugs.  When Arnold dies it will become even more unpopular as the Arnold Classic won't be the same and that's a huge bodybuilding event in the midwest.  Once it's gone or unpopular bodybuilding will be a popular thing in Los Angeles only.

Arnold’s expo will continue because of the other fitness related activities going on there. But yes, I get your point.

[Humble Narcissist]

The other activities are actually more popular than the bodybuilding contest now.

[Primemuscle]

FROM THE DESK OF FALLSVIEW:



Goodmorrow!


What is being done to promote and further the popularity of Professional Bodybuilding?


It seems nothing.

Contests are the same

Expos are the same.

How can Professional Bodybuilding reach further into the mainstream population?

Contest are boring. Sitting through these things is hard work.

To be honest Vince McMahon was way ahead of his time.


What say you?














WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

Bodybuilding competitions are primarily geared towards entertainment. The competition aspect is most meaningful to the competitors rather than the audience, which is there for the show. About the only thing new happening are the posing routines and even then, there's a limit to the amount of fresh content. Fitness competitions are gaining in popularity, but they veer from traditional bodybuilding. However, they may be the future of bodybuilding. Keeping or growing an audience is a constant struggle in the entertainment industry.

[LurkerNoMore]

The BBer's themselves are boring.  Every video seems to be them cooking and driving around in their car.  Their workouts are boring.  Their lifestyles are boring.
The last Mr. O carried a purse, was as narrow as an ironing board and constantly whined and cried like a pussy.
Prior to that, the Mr. O - while a typical Aryan golden boy in looks, had nary a vein on his entire body no matter how hard he dieted.  And while he was known for his quads, one of them atrophied to a state of grossness.

They tried to introduce an entertainment aspect of it by letting them use props and such, but it never caught on.

[Humble Narcissist]

Bodybuilding for average people working out is alive and well as probably more young men and women lift weights than ever before just few people are entertained by pro bodybuilders.  The internet killed the secrecy of drug use that the magazines kept in the closet for decades.  Many religions have seen a downfall in statistics since the net as well because people can communicate with so many more people not in their neighborhood bubble.

[Thin Lizzy]

FALSVIEW, You're wrong on all points ... except for the boring comment!

The IFBB Pro organization is and has been growing world-wide faster than anyone in-the-know has ever expected and "membership-wise" most likely now "among" the largest worldwide.

It's possible that you have been looking with your eyes wide shut.

I refer you to RON's report on the latest Romania contest.

Back when I was first getting into bodybuilding, the night of champions was held in the Beacon theater, capacity 3800, and the night show would sell out. Now, I believe the show is called the New York pro, and it’s held in some banquet hall of a hotel in between a wedding and a bar mitzvah.

Bodybuilding for average people working out is alive and well as probably more young men and women lift weights than ever before just few people are entertained by pro bodybuilders.  The internet killed the secrecy of drug use that the magazines kept in the closet for decades.  Many religions have seen a downfall in statistics since the net as well because people can communicate with so many more people not in their neighborhood bubble.

^This

In NYC, every young guy you see has pumped up arms but you never see a guy who looks like he actually competes in shows.

[Humble Narcissist]

Yeah, the Night of Champions was a great contest.  I think there are way too many pros now.

[SF1900]

Yeah, the Night of Champions was a great contest.  I think there are way too many pros now.

I attended the 2008 New York Pro.

There was a group of guys standing outside, who were not bodybuilders but I guess they lifted, although they look like they didn't lift at all. They tried to sell me some weightlifting straps lol. It was pretty funny.

But, on that day, I met Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Kai Green, Paco Bautista, and a few others. It was the highlight of my life to stand next to those Men of Muscle.

The other weird thing, and no joke, some guy approached me and asked me for a photo shoot. He said I had wide shoulders and I would look good on camera. No joke. It was creepy. I think he may have been a schmoe. 

[Mr Anabolic]

Bodybuilding is just about dead.  The competitive field is very weak.  Most of the Mr. O dudes looked 5-8 weeks out... bloated and puffy.  The 1990's was the ultimate peak.  Even the worst competitor in the 90's was much leaner and drier than guys in the top 6.  

I didn't go, but I heard the Mr. O expo was filled with skinny millennial snowflakes with tight polyester short sleeved shirts that only train arms.  Plenty of hucksters pedaling their latest pre-workouts and protein fart powders.  Overall attendance is going down year after year.

Bodybuilding... RIP.  

[Fallsview]

I attended the 2008 New York Pro.

There was a group of guys standing outside, who were not bodybuilders but I guess they lifted, although they look like they didn't lift at all. They tried to sell me some weightlifting straps lol. It was pretty funny.

But, on that day, I met Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Kai Green, Paco Bautista, and a few others. It was the highlight of my life to stand next to those Men of Muscle.

The other weird thing, and no joke, some guy approached me and asked me for a photo shoot. He said I had wide shoulders and I would look good on camera. No joke. It was creepy. I think he may have been a schmoe. 

Not weird at all...must be the routine. I was at the beach and a old dude came up to me and asked if I was a bodybuilder. Wanted me to come to his house so he could show me some pointers on posing and put together a routine for the stage. My friend couldn't believe it...we were cracking jokes all day about it. pathetic.






WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

[SF1900]

Not weird at all...must be the routine. I was at the beach and a old dude came up to me and asked if I was a bodybuilder. Wanted me to come to his house so he could show me some pointers on posing and put together a routine for the stage. My friend couldn't believe it...we were cracking jokes all day about it. pathetic.






WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

He was walking around with a camera. I wasn't sure who he was. He told me that he takes private photos of people and is a "photographer." But, it looked like he never touched a weight in his life. 

[AbrahamG]

He was walking around with a camera. I wasn't sure who he was. He told me that he takes private photos of people and is a "photographer." But, it looked like he never touched a weight in his life. 

Was he a fellow asian?

[Natural_O]

Bodybuilding for average people working out is alive and well as probably more young men and women lift weights than ever before just few people are entertained by pro bodybuilders.  The internet killed the secrecy of drug use that the magazines kept in the closet for decades.  Many religions have seen a downfall in statistics since the net as well because people can communicate with so many more people not in their neighborhood bubble.

I agree. The sport is bigger with the competitor numbers because of all the added divisions but the audiences themselves have gotten much smaller. The ending of the magazines, the public's knowledge of steroid use in building the physiques and the judges no longer rewarding posing and great symmetry instead of massive size in the competitors has all made the sport much less popular.

[SF1900]

Was he a fellow asian?

Lolz, actually, he was an older Caucasian man.

Oh, I also forgot to add that I met the Mayor of Bodybuilding there and hung out with him for a little. I didn't know he was the MoB at that time. He was actually really cool in person and he took a few pics of me with some of the bodybuilders (with my phone). It was my first IFBB show I attended and the MoB turned to one of his friends and pointed to me and said, "Hey this guy is popping his bodybuilding cherry. Its his first show he is attending." I thought that was a little weird.  

[Humble Narcissist]

Bodybuilding is just about dead.  The competitive field is very weak.  Most of the Mr. O dudes looked 5-8 weeks out... bloated and puffy.  The 1990's was the ultimate peak.  Even the worst competitor in the 90's was much leaner and drier than guys in the top 6.  

I didn't go, but I heard the Mr. O expo was filled with skinny millennial snowflakes with tight polyester short sleeved shirts that only train arms.  Plenty of hucksters pedaling their latest pre-workouts and protein fart powders.  Overall attendance is going down year after year.

Bodybuilding... RIP.  

The judges could just start penalizing the gh guts and smooth appearance and the competitors would have no choice but to change if they wanted to win.  The gh/insulin look is rewarded so there is no reason to change.

[Primemuscle]

He was walking around with a camera. I wasn't sure who he was. He told me that he takes private photos of people and is a "photographer." But, it looked like he never touched a weight in his life.  

It must take guts to approach a random bodybuilder for a 'private' photo shoot. However, there are probably enough bodybuilders who accept the offer, specially if there's cash involved, that makes asking worthwhile.

A little history lesson regarding schmoes and bodybuilders (fitness models):

Bob Mizer - AMG

Bob Mizer’s earliest photographs appeared in 1942. Schmoes photographing bodybuilders goes back a long way.





The 1998 film Beefcake is available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Beefcake-Daniel-Maclvur/dp/B00IU7UHSU

[Darren Avey]

The general public have no idea what warrior s these men are.
What better role model for a kid than Shawn Rowden?