 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Professional bodybuilding" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Professional bodybuilding orpro bodybuilding can refer tobodybuilding for anincome and/or possessing qualifications such as anIFBB Pro,IFBB Elite Pro or WNBF Pro League or Wabba International Pro Card.
A professional bodybuilder may be one who earns their primary income from bodybuilding. It is possible, though difficult except at the highest level, to earn a reasonable income purely from competition winnings.[1] It is much more likely that a particular athlete will besponsored by local companies andsupplement manufacturers. Many bodybuilders use their newfound fame and knowledge to pursue business ventures such as higher-levelpersonal training or opening their own gyms. Guest posing and public appearances also support income.[2]
In 1946, Canadian brothersJoe andBen Weider created the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB), which subsequently split into theIFBB Professional League andIFBB Amateur League, which are no longer affiliated and run as two completely separate entities despite both retaining the IFBB name. In 1965, Joe went on to start theMr. Olympia—the first IFBB professional competition. Originally, Mr. Universe was known as the most prestigious and elite of competitions; however, an individual could only win this contest twice, whereas the Olympia was created to be won as many times as possible. The IFBB and the Olympia were created as a way for elite amateur athletes to further their competitive career and earn money. In 1966,Larry Scott received$1,000 for his Mr. Olympia win. In 2006, there were over 40 IFBB professional competitions and the total prize money topped $1.6 million.
IFBB Professional League status is regarded as the elite level federation in professional bodybuilding. In order to become anIFBB Pro, a bodybuilder must first earn theirIFBB Pro Card. A bodybuilder looking to do this must first win a regional contestweight class. When a bodybuilder wins or places highly, they earn an invitation to compete at their country's National Championships contest for that year. The winners of each weight class at the National Championships will then go head-to-head in a separate contest to see who is the overall champion for the year. Depending on the federation, the overall champion will be offered a Pro Card. Some federations offer Pro Cards to winners of individual weight class champions. This can mean that more than one bodybuilder earns a Pro Card each contest depending on what contest it is.
In the United States, theNational Physique Committee (NPC) is affiliated with the IFBB Pro League and awards IFBB Pro Cards to the winners of its best competitors. Some events held by the NPC where a bodybuilder can earn a pro card are: Nationals, The North American Championships, The Universe Championships, and The USA Championships.
Bodybuilders who do not want to useperformance enhancing substances such assteroids donatural bodybuilding.[3] The IFBB does some urine drug testing, but, critically, not out-of-competition randomised drug tests.[4] Performance enhancing drug use is rampant because every bodybuilder knows exactly when they are going to be tested.Testosterone propionate,oxandrolone, andstanozolol tablets stay in the body for three weeks,ephedrine for ten days,testosterone decanoate soft gel for seven days, and fat burning agents such asclenbuterol andCytomel for five days, so competitors can stop taking these and other drugs a few weeks before a competition and then pass a test.[5][6][7] Similarly,human growth hormone is undetectable in urine tests,[8] and some diuretics are still undetectable or not yet on the "Prohibited List".
| Professional bodybuilding federation | Female bodybuilding included? | Untested (excluding branded natural contests) or tested? |
|---|---|---|
| International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness Professional League (IFBB Pro League) | Yes | Untested |
| National Amateur Body-Builders' Association Professional Division (NABBA Pro Division) | No | Untested |
| World Fitness Federation Professional Division (WFF Pro Division) | Yes | Untested |
| World Amateur Body Building Association Professional Division (WABBA Pro Division) | Yes | Untested |
| National Gym Association Professional Division (NGA Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |
| International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Elite Pro (IFBB Elite Pro) | No | Untested |
| Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) | Yes | Tested |
| World Nantural Bodybuilding Federation Professional Division (WNBF Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |
| I Compete Natural Professional Division (ICN Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |
| Physical Culture Association Professional Division (PCA Pro Division) | Yes | Untested |
| Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders Professional Division (OCB Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |
| American Natural Bodybuilding Federation Professional Division (ANBF Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |
| Natural Fit Federation Professional Division (NFF Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |
| United States Bodybuilding Federation Professional Division (USBF Pro Division) | Yes | Tested |