Making bodybuilding a mainstream sport

[Cornfed]

What do people think should be done to make the sport of bodybuilding more mainstream? If it goes on the way it is, it seems to me that it will become ever more of a fringe sport and laughing stock.

One change I would make is to have the major associations ditch the women's competitions, which seem to be a bit of a joke and detract from the seriousness and dignity of bodybuilding. The figure competition in particular has to be the silliest "sport" imaginable. As many bodybuilders have pointed out, you could go to any top-line strip club and find women who could place in such competitions who had never touched a weight in their lives.

The drug issue is quite tricky. On the one hand, the distorted physiques of serious juicers tend to alienate most of the public and discourage potential future competitors. On the other hand, it is unlikely that many people would get excited about a show knowing that they themselves could get bigger than the winner by using steroids. The only solution I can think of would be to draw some (arbitrary, I suppose) line whereby certain drugs were banned and the ban were strictly enforced while other drugs were not tested for.

[jono]

honestly there is no solution. it will never be a mainstream sport. (its just too far from the norm) the issue about banning drugs doesnt work either because drugs can still have a lasting affect while they cant be detected.

[Pseudonym]

I might play devil's advocate on this one... you know, the women's Figure class is by far the class with the most contestants!

But I know what you mean, Cornfed. I'd like to see the Fitness category become more popular - I also think it's easier for the general public to understand.

Having said that, the ideal physique is changing... Soon bodybuilders' physiques will be more "normal". (Of course, that may mean that bodybuilders are pushed out into further extremes, but that's another story)

[Growth]

Im with jono on this one, i dont belive there is anything that cn be done to bring bodybulding into the mainstream sporting arena.

Ive always looked up to the biggest bodybuilders across the world, but i think that when the average joe sees a bodybuilding comp on the tv, that they find it visually discusting, that they are nothing but freaks, and that the 'sport' is a bit of joke.

On the one hand, the distorted physiques of serious juicers tend to alienate most of the public and discourage potential future competitors

I think this is one of the biggest reasons why bodybuilding will never be mainstream. People shun bodybulding, and indeed potential future bodybuilders probably belive that this kind of phyique is not in the realm of possibility.

Another thing that i think helps deter the public is that its not a quantitatively scored sport. People like to watch clear cut sports, rugby, cricket, definitvely won. To me watching a sport were the winner is chosen based on the opininons of a few people isnt that appealing. Its like a buety pagent or something, you may have your own opinon of who should win then the judges chooses who THEY think should win, its all a bit of a joke.

Drugs will always be a factor in bodybuilding, i just read the other day about the uncovering of a new drug 'desoxy methyl testosterone', which is just the latest of many designer steroids being used that are undetectable.

There are many drugs in which you dont have to be off them for long and they are no longer dtectable anyway. Test prop is no longer detectable after just 2 weeks.

I dont think bodybuilding will be a mainstream sport any time soon, and i dont think there is alot you can do about it.

[Marcus]

I agree with you guys, I don't think it will ever be mainstream.

I think the sport in NZ is growing however, which is great. But I believe the pro community is ruining the sport. Steroid use has gone way to far, & the judges continue to play the "mass" game. As long as they do, the pro's will just continue to strive to be the biggest man on the planet (no matter about symmetry or flow) & the sport will forever be primarily associated with drugs.

[Cornfed]

I might play devil's advocate on this one... you know, the women's Figure class is by far the class with the most contestants!

Of course. They don't have to do anything. It's just an excuse for women to participate in a beauty contest while pretending to be participating in a sport (beauty contests not being politically correct any more). The profit for the organizers comes not from the fans, of which there are hardly any, but from the contestants' fees. I suppose one should admire this cynical scamming of money from female vanity, but having such a spectacle associated with serious sports really does detract from the latter.

I'd like to see the Fitness category become more popular

While the fitness competition at least qualifies as a sport of sorts, it seems like a strange hodgepodge cobbled together to provide a competition for female bodybuilders who didn't want to use too much steroids. There doesn't seem to me to be much justification for its existence.

The same goes for women's bodybuilding. The whole idea of a female muscularity competition is absurd - like a male breast competition. Male bodybuilding would probably gain more traction if it were disassociated from all of the above.

[Cornfed]

Drugs will always be a factor in bodybuilding, i just read the other day about the uncovering of a new drug 'desoxy methyl testosterone', which is just the latest of many designer steroids being used that are undetectable.

There are many drugs in which you dont have to be off them for long and they are no longer dtectable anyway. Test prop is no longer detectable after just 2 weeks.

Random testing, where contestants have to agree to provide samples for officials who knock on their door at any time, could make the sport somewhat cleaner. As stated, I don't propose that the sport should be made completely clean but that the worst of the drugs, such as insulin and GH, should be eliminated. At least that would be less hypocritical than the current situation.

Another thing that i think helps deter the public is that its not a quantitatively scored sport.

Especially if its rigged. Perhaps there would be some way to make the process more objective.

[Marcus]

As stated, I don't propose that the sport should be made completely clean but that the worst of the drugs, such as insulin and GH, should be eliminated. At least that would be less hypocritical than the current situation.

I agree here. GH & insulin are ruining the physiques of many of the top pro's. When you look at the old days drugs used to supplement brutal training & diet. Nowadays it almost seems like training is supplementing the high drug use. It's all based on drugs.

I think for the majority of people out there, whenever one thinks of bodybuilding the first word that pops into their head is steroids. Until this mindset changes bodybuilding will never be mainstream.

[Pseudonym]

We're in a good situation in NZ when it comes to drugs and competitions. We have two main organisations - one that drug tests, and one that doesn't (correct me if I'm wrong on that). So theoretically you should be confident your competitors are natural, if that's the organisation you choose. I say theoretically, because there's always going to be some tosser who thinks it's cool to juice, then compete against naturals. :roll:

Hopefully, though, that's going to get harder this year since I hear the NZFBB are tightening the testing procedure. Instead of being randomly chosen from the whole pool of athletes, those being tested will only be selected from those that receive a placing. Also the overall winners in each class will be tested as a matter of course.

As for objectivity, a new "open" scoring system was introduced for the last Mr Olympia... it will be interesting to see if they can bring the same system into the smaller comps.

[JoBaybee]

Andrew, you are correct in what you are saying about the NZFBB. Although it is not the NZFBB. It is Sparc who control the testing and how they do it and when, where why etc.

I had a friend of mine, a figure girl who last week was just going out for a walk with her husband and wee girl, 8pm at night, when there was a knock at the door. You got it, drug testing agency. This girl has not trained nor competed since the Nationals, so there is no chance that she would be taking drugs, of the sport kind anyway, so what a total waste of money. That test would of just cost SPARC $600.00. And it was a waste of time on the familys part.

So yes, it has been said that what you have written is the way they are testing from now on, the overalls from every class and also and randomly the top 3 of each class. But until it is put in paper and the changes made on the constitution etc etc, it will still be random testing either at home, gym or contest. Hopefully it will change in the next few months.

Oh, and I am just writing as an athlete who just happens to sleep with the president of the NZFBB. hehe

P>S> I was marched off stage rather hastilyand drug tested pretty damn quick at the Nationals, no chance to get away, and I returned a negative test. So I agree with testing whole heartedly.