2023 NPC National Championships - Results

[Humble Narcissist]

WTF !!
How has it gone from Shawn in 87 to this in 2023 😳🤦🏻‍♂️

The only sport going backwards.

[Bestia]

The only sport going backwards.

I disagree.  In general, most sports, or in this case  competitions, are going backwards.  Not in the fan following or stat lines or money - but in the quality.  Football and basketball have never had more restrictions on defenders in order to allow for eye popping offense and record breaking scoring.  And if doesn't appeal to the fans, then let's change the rules to make it easier to be successful.  Regular season NBA games now are like all star games of old - no defense and try to showboat and chuck it up from anywhere.  In the NFL, if Lawrence Taylor played today he'd be arrested on the field for attempted murder. 

In bodybuilding it is no different.  Super heavy and intense training and diet is hard and progress takes time.  Fans want weekly and daily progress checks and social media "content" so use whatever means gets quick results - and screw quality.  So you get an arms race of anabolics and SEO.

The next generation will be doing the same thing - "advancing in the name of progress" without consideration of whether or not progress really means improvement.  The future of bodybuilding may end up being contested on social media with video and still pictures with umpteen filters applied and aspect ratios galore

Meanwhile, some of us will just be trying to slay the dragon in the gym pushing iron and yearning for the old days which is all relative anyway.

[Ron]

Pictures from the 2023 NPC National Championships

https://contests.npcnewsonline.com/contests/2023/npc_national_championships

[Humble Narcissist]

I disagree.  In general, most sports, or in this case  competitions, are going backwards.  Not in the fan following or stat lines or money - but in the quality.  Football and basketball have never had more restrictions on defenders in order to allow for eye popping offense and record breaking scoring.  And if doesn't appeal to the fans, then let's change the rules to make it easier to be successful.  Regular season NBA games now are like all star games of old - no defense and try to showboat and chuck it up from anywhere.  In the NFL, if Lawrence Taylor played today he'd be arrested on the field for attempted murder. 

In bodybuilding it is no different.  Super heavy and intense training and diet is hard and progress takes time.  Fans want weekly and daily progress checks and social media "content" so use whatever means gets quick results - and screw quality.  So you get an arms race of anabolics and SEO.

The next generation will be doing the same thing - "advancing in the name of progress" without consideration of whether or not progress really means improvement.  The future of bodybuilding may end up being contested on social media with video and still pictures with umpteen filters applied and aspect ratios galore

Meanwhile, some of us will just be trying to slay the dragon in the gym pushing iron and yearning for the old days which is all relative anyway.

The quality of major sports may have gone down because of the rule changes but not because the athletes are inferior. The NFL players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever. Bodybuilders are not physically better than years past unless you are only considering mass.

[Bestia]

The quality of major sports may have gone down because of the rule changes but not because the athletes are inferior. The NFL players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever. Bodybuilders are not physically better than years past unless you are only considering mass.

It's funny - bigger. Faster, stronger but surely not more durable.  They play with more padding, more restrictive contact rules, and play less games.  Even in non contact sports - look at pitchers. 

Like I said, sometimes progress doesn't equal improvement.  Bodybuilders now are bigger and stronger, but not better. 

[Flexacon]

It's funny - bigger. Faster, stronger but surely not more durable.  They play with more padding, more restrictive contact rules, and play less games.  Even in non contact sports - look at pitchers. 

Like I said, sometimes progress doesn't equal improvement.  Bodybuilders now are bigger and stronger, but not better.

Professional sports manage elite talent better now. In the past less durable talent would be permanently broken before they had anything resembling a professional career. Only durable talent made it to the top and stayed there.

Now you see a mixture of durable and less durable at the top as they aren't pushed to their breaking point as often, especially early on in their development.

[Bestia]

Nolan Ryan = elite talent

Guy drank beer, lifted weights, and threw absolute gas striking people out with impunity.

The dude started, he closed, he went complete games and he didn't get injured to any great degree.  There is no pitcher at any level today that could do what he did.  The issue is that the desire for short time to realize results and the specialization of any athlete vs all around prowess and performance Lenda itself to limited duration and a higher likelihood of breakdown/injury.

In bodybuilding it is the equivalent of the younger generation relying primarily on specialized machines and periodized training and diet of convenience with meal replacements and protein shakes, and make up the difference with boatloads of anabolics and SEO.  Why?  Because crushing it for years building a solid muscular foundation with primarily free weights and basic movements along with diets consisting of massive amounts of real whole foods takes too long, doesn't feel good, and is just too hard.

[sway]

Anyone see this video of the Super Hwy champ? Weird, pointy lats. You can see them from almost every angle. Looks terrible, why on earth don’t judges mark these kinds of things down and penalize them?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0w2uWWJ4dd/

[Rambone]

Anyone see this video of the Super Hwy champ? Weird, pointy lats. You can see them from almost every angle. Looks terrible, why on earth don’t judges mark these kinds of things down and penalize them?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0w2uWWJ4dd/

I’m pretty sure that they penalize them in a different way after the show

[Humble Narcissist]

It's funny - bigger. Faster, stronger but surely not more durable.  They play with more padding, more restrictive contact rules, and play less games.  Even in non contact sports - look at pitchers. 

Like I said, sometimes progress doesn't equal improvement.  Bodybuilders now are bigger and stronger, but not better.

Yeah, they are less durable but that's because they are being hit by athletes who are bigger, stronger and faster. Also, these athletes and their agents do everything they can to extend careers which is why you have the pitch count in MLB.

[wes]

Nolan Ryan = elite talent

Guy drank beer, lifted weights, and threw absolute gas striking people out with impunity.

The dude started, he closed, he went complete games and he didn't get injured to any great degree.  There is no pitcher at any level today that could do what he did.  The issue is that the desire for short time to realize results and the specialization of any athlete vs all around prowess and performance Lenda itself to limited duration and a higher likelihood of breakdown/injury.

In bodybuilding it is the equivalent of the younger generation relying primarily on specialized machines and periodized training and diet of convenience with meal replacements and protein shakes, and make up the difference with boatloads of anabolics and SEO.  Why?  Because crushing it for years building a solid muscular foundation with primarily free weights and basic movements along with diets consisting of massive amounts of real whole foods takes too long, doesn't feel good, and is just too hard.

^^^^^ THIS

[illuminati]

The only sport going backwards.

Yes the quality has dropped tremendously

[Humble Narcissist]

Yes the quality has dropped tremendously

They could turn things back around simply by judging differently. Stop rewarding bad physiques.

[wes]

They could turn things back around simply by judging differently. Stop rewarding bad physiques.

Please stop making sense will ya ?   

[Taffin]

Imagine the excitement in the auditorium when the overall finalists hit the stage!