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Not good for bodybuilding...

Flex

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Since I first got into the bodybuilding scene in the year 2004, I've heard so many fans preach "bodybuilding will soon go mainstream!!"......but if you ask me, the sport is worse than ever in those regards. Bodybuilding has always relied on the billion dollar supplement industry for endorsements and advertising. Ten years ago you open up a muscle magazine and it's unlikely you could flip 2 pages without seeing a top IFBB pro in an advertisement. Whether it be Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, or all the others at the top of the sport. Now however, the supplement companies seem to be endorsing NFL football players, MMA fighters, Men's physique competitors, and other models over IFBB bodybuilders. I've been a long prescriber of Weider magazines (because I get them really cheap).....I scrolled through an entire Muscle & Fitness recently and found only 2 or 3 IFBB pros for advertisements. This is not good for bodybuilding....

IFBB shows used to be covered on ESPN......then eventually was covered by Pay-Per-View.....now you're lucky to have 1-2 shows streamed online a year. It really is at a new low.....and fans should come to realization by now that it will never be mainstream.
 
dilatedmuscle

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I never believed it would be mainstream and i hated when people "tried" to make it main stream. Bodybuilders are a rarity and an oddity that is involved in drug stigmas, that alone makes it impossible to be main stream. Bodybuilding is for us, the people who appreciate the nuance and the entirety of the bodybuilding world. Those of us who admire muscularity and strive to attain it. Bodybuilding is at times an acquired taste, i remember being disgusted by Ronnie Coleman before i started working out.. Most people find it more gross than an overweight person. Its not accepted well and it would piss me off when people tried to make it main stream by toning it down, why does refinement have to be toned down so that more people can enjoy it?

Think about a beer you love if you're a beer enthusiast. Imagine there is a very rich dark beer that you like to drink slowly and appreciate. That beer doesnt sell very well so the company makes it a light watered down low calorie beer so that more people can stand it and buy it. Wouldn't you be pissed that your favorite quality beer, which matches your refined acquired taste is changing so it can be more "main stream"? If people don't like bodybuilding then **** them, It doesn't change my ambition and my efforts in the gym. Bodybuilding will never be mainstream unless it becomes a watered down version (Mens physique)... That being said, Bodybuilding will never die, The quality of competitors is rising and getting closer to the level of the 90's.

I don't know whether the chances of it becoming mainstream have lowered or whether we, ESPN, and supplement companies realized that it will just never become mainstream so they migrated towards a more lucrative market. Although it was on ESPN people probably didn't appreciate it anyways which resulted in dismal views. Actors are becoming more muscular and the skinny boy heartthrob phase is dying down. The Rock and Mark Wahlberg are going to be in a movie in which they both play bodybuilders as well as they have gained mass through bodybuilding for the part (the movie may show bodybuilding in a negative light who knows). Will it be mainstream? i dont think so. Is bodybuilding dying down? i dont think so, it may even be coming up. The changes/ that appear negative may not relate to bodybuilding but mostly relate to companies finding more marketable subjects. Only time will tell but as i look around through media, i see more and more muscular men.
 
Natzo

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Couldn't have said it better dilated..

and as far as I know, tickets for the Arnold in Madrid are flying fast, all he hotels I wanted to stay in are already booked for that weekend and those two days only. it's crazy. So I guess it is not dying, it is following its own path I guess.
 
pakiman

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I'm not saying this because of the (lack of better word) differences we've had on different subjects here but you really have a fixation with BBing dying ... I've been into this sport since 1989 and I'm here to tell you that we've ALWYAS had people who have
One or two shows being streamed live... one its more than that and 2 Dude in the late nineties at the bloody peak of this "internet revolution" we had to wait two to three days to even get first pics of MR Olympia!
I knew someone personally who was competing in IFBB World Championship in early 2000 and was desperate to find out how he did ONLY to be greeted by a notice on IFBB.COM that Dr. Rafael Santonja was travelling and website would be updated with World Companionship results in a couple of days when he returned to office!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We've come far... really have... look at MD, Bodybuiling.com, Team-andro, Flex Online, Rx Muscle these sites are doing an awesome service to BB community.
Athletes are doing great... years gone by only and I mean ONLY top 5 or 6 pros used to earn enough through BBing to pay their bills... so many were reported to be engaging in sex trade to support their BBing careers! These days we have so (too many for my liking) many cases where supplement companies have backed & sponsored even Amateur BBers ... FOR YEARS! The number of BBing shows have increased heaps... money being shelled-out is impressive too!
Europ, Arab world and recently India has shown great potential for supporting the sport of BBing... dont judge the health of BBing from the number of BBing pros appearing in a magazine that has LONG detatched itself from hard-core BBing and took a more "fitnessy" angle on things...
We are doing fine... take it from someone whos been following this for 24 years!
 
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dilatedmuscle

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Damn Paki you've been following bodybuilding for almost as long as ive been alive.
 
Flex

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Yes......it's no secret that I'm a fan of bodybuilding.....but I don't think highly of it at all.....

And I believe men's physique is on the rise, while bodybuilding is on the downward.
 
pakiman

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I hope that doesnt happen in my life time... I dont want to anger anyone (and by anyone I mean Dilated specifically :vsign:) but mens physique is gay as Elton John, I hate it!
 
Clint

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I, like Flex, don't think very highly of bodybuilding at all. It consumes peoples lives to the point of being solitary robots. Personally I don't know why anybody would ever want the bodybuilding lifestyle. Life is too short to be entrapped in something so boring and monotonous. Magazines and advertisers know this too. Why else would they stray away from no name meat heads who don't have any other aspirations in life other than bodybuilding. They go for MMA fighters, athletes, and celebrities because they're all accomplished people who have worked so hard for their achievements. Making them the face of supplement companies is much better advertisement. That shows children and others that "wow, these people worked hard in several aspects in life and have achieved various things." Not just some buff guy who has never had anything better to do than workout and take steroids.

Pakiman, I wouldn't say bodybuilding has come far either. The internet has come far, thus allowing more discussion about the same thing you guys were talking about 24 years ago. Forums are dying. Look at the activity level of any bodybuilding forum now and 5 years ago when forums were still popular. This forum is a great example.

You also mentioned money being paid out. I have a question for you then, how much were tickets for a male beauty pageant, excuse me, a bodybuilding contest 10 years ago? 15 years ago? 20 years ago? I've seen the price to watch a bunch of 3/4 naked men prance around flexing like fools. You have to be a fool just to pay to watch muscle bound fools in my opinion. Also, think about how many supplements are being bought for that weekend? Think about the total tickets sold for the weekend expo. Think about every single cent the consumers spend. The supplement companies make more in a weekend than they have to pay out. They love taking advantage of the ignorant bodybuilding types.

You say bodybuilding is doing fine, it is, but no better than it was doing 10 years ago. It will never do better, which is why Flex is on to something when he hints towards it going downhill. Bodybuilding cant go anywhere but down.
 
Natzo

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Clint why are in a bodybuilding forum?
 
pakiman

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@ Clint
The only thing I agree with you on is that yes I do believe BBing consumes peoples lives like no other sport... BBing is all they can think of. I dont know which book or interview but Arnold gives an example saying that if BB falls into a ditch he doesnt think of getting out but rather thinks where his next meal is going to come from and what its going to be... he meant it as a compliment but in real life that "dedication" is not something I admire personally....... being from a third world country when I see BBers here eating kilo of fish/chicken a day while their families struggle to eat one fourth of that (if lucky) .. I've got no choice but to agree with you. In most cases BBing turns them into self centered morons BUT that has always been the case... its not something new or something that can be used as a point in a case for BBing's decline/demise... that sad aspect is just what it is A SAD ASPECT OF BBING!
The rest of your points are not valid I'm afraid... BBing as a sport is thriving. It has expanded very successfully into new markets while the NA market is also doing better than it was in the days gone by... the ever increasing number of BBing shows in US and the number of participants in the same is a testament to the fact that BBing as a sport has larger following than ever before.
 
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Samoan-Z

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I love watching bodybuilding shows, I love hearing their opinions, I love seeing them work out but I could never ever be a bodybuilder. For the many many reasons is because at heart im a power-lifter/strength athlete, I get mistaken as a bodybuilder frequently but that by ignorant people who really don't know what a body builder looks like and I love cake I know it's a terrible thing to admit but I love cake and sweets and soda and while I don't consume enough to get fat I certainly eat enough to never shred to body builder standards. However I will always respect and revere the sport.
 
Flex

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Clint said:
I, like Flex, don't think very highly of bodybuilding at all. It consumes peoples lives to the point of being solitary robots. Personally I don't know why anybody would ever want the bodybuilding lifestyle. Life is too short to be entrapped in something so boring and monotonous. Magazines and advertisers know this too. Why else would they stray away from no name meat heads who don't have any other aspirations in life other than bodybuilding. They go for MMA fighters, athletes, and celebrities because they're all accomplished people who have worked so hard for their achievements. Making them the face of supplement companies is much better advertisement. That shows children and others that "wow, these people worked hard in several aspects in life and have achieved various things." Not just some buff guy who has never had anything better to do than workout and take steroids.

Pakiman, I wouldn't say bodybuilding has come far either. The internet has come far, thus allowing more discussion about the same thing you guys were talking about 24 years ago. Forums are dying. Look at the activity level of any bodybuilding forum now and 5 years ago when forums were still popular. This forum is a great example.

You also mentioned money being paid out. I have a question for you then, how much were tickets for a male beauty pageant, excuse me, a bodybuilding contest 10 years ago? 15 years ago? 20 years ago? I've seen the price to watch a bunch of 3/4 naked men prance around flexing like fools. You have to be a fool just to pay to watch muscle bound fools in my opinion. Also, think about how many supplements are being bought for that weekend? Think about the total tickets sold for the weekend expo. Think about every single cent the consumers spend. The supplement companies make more in a weekend than they have to pay out. They love taking advantage of the ignorant bodybuilding types.

You say bodybuilding is doing fine, it is, but no better than it was doing 10 years ago. It will never do better, which is why Flex is on to something when he hints towards it going downhill. Bodybuilding cant go anywhere but down
Well said.

Nobody really gives a **** about bodybuilders outside of the moment where they are on top. Steve Blechman for example, he'll sign a select few right after a HUGE victory when it seems like he/she is on top of the world. Then the days pass, people start forgetting, it later gets to the point that hardly anyone remembers that particular show or who won it. Once this bodybuilder gets into their offseason and attempts to "grow," Blechman drops them from MD and basically says "**** off, we don't care about you until you are on top of the world again."

Getting back to my point, remember the days when every 2 pages of FLEX was a Ronnie Coleman BSN advertisement. Now BSN sponsors mostly MMA and NFL players. EAS doesn't sponsor bodybuilding in any way anymore (that I know of.....their booth at the Arnold is basketball/baseball/football only). MuscleTech, almost all their advertisements are now fitness models (their booth at the Arnold was a JOKE).
 
Flex

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And it's funny that you list successful sites like Bodybuilding.com Paki....

Because even BODYBUILDING.COM has been straying away from bodybuilding. Go to their website, there is almost nothing to do with IFBB or NPC bodybuilding (if anything at all). It really seems like bodybuilding is being wiped off the map, with the exception of very few fans that want it to live on.
 
dilatedmuscle

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Clint, one name discredits what you said about bodybuilders : Arnold Schwarzenegger. He enjoyed life to the fullest, dedicated himself to bodybuilding to the fullest and was successful in many different ventures using the 100% dedication of bodybuilding as a launching pad. Not only because of his genes but because of his work ethic, he applied the same formula to bodybuilding as he did to various aspects of his life and was successful in so many aspects of his life. Just because he is a rarity doesnt mean you cant live your life by similar principles and aspire to do bodybuilding to the fullest as well as experience life to the fullest. Bodybuilders don't necessarily have to live their life that way but they choose to. Look at Lee Priest and David Henry they both love having hobbies and they both did things outside of bodybuilding while being the best bodybuilders they could be. Just because many CHOOSE to eat, breath and dream bodybuilding doesnt mean they cant eat breath and dream of higher or a wider variety of aspirations.

Flex, I disagree. People do give a **** about bodybuilders when they are at the bottom. My friend and employer is a competative bodybuilder and the whole town knows and admires him because of that, if he remained the skinny average dude he used to be people wouldn't have given a **** about him. I never had a girlfriend up until i started developing muscle. Im at the bottom of the totem when it comes to bodybuilding yet more people are interested in me because of bodybuilding. I dont find it shallow because its typical, people who get to know me in a deeper level get to know a person with different philosophies and aspirations of life yet bodybuilding opened the door since more people are interested in a good looking person than not. Bodybuilding not only has consumed my life at times but it has also expanded my life and, just like my boss, expanded my position in society. Bodybuilding is not a hindrance on ones life, the problem is that people allow or chose to make it a hindrance.

There are people out there who live with their horse blinders on and live like ants and an ecosystem with a minimum of free will. Most of their choices are simply manipulations of what society convinced them to believe is the right way to live.The "happy" american dream. Look around you and im sure you can list a hand full of people who made choices in their life to attain the generic husband, wife, 2.5 kids, dog, white picket fence life and you look at them and ask yourself "are they really happy? Do they live for their passions or are they simply part of an ecosystem in which they do what they need to do to support their families and attain more materials they believe will grant happiness?". Look around you, the majority of people live such dull lives and the only passion they have in life is watching their favorite team win the super bowl/ Stanley cup/world cup/ whatever... People who say "WE WON" when all they did was kick back some brews and watch the colors change on a display. THAT is what i call a ****ty life and that is the majority of individuals in this world, you cannot deny it because you can simply look around you and realize that's the majority of society. Knowing that, you guys are going to see bodybuilding in a negative light? As narrow as bodybuilders live, they live for and through their passions. If bodybuilding hinders them from living the generic life then there's not much wrong with that. The mistake you guys are making about your view on bodybuilding is that you say its not looking so great in the greater scheme of society... but when the greater scheme of society is a bunch of generic motha****ers being manipulated through a capitalistic society, who gives a **** how they perceive bodybuilding and bodybuilders?

Bodybuilding is special. I agree that it will never be as prestigious in society as other sports but who cares? As long as its prestigious to you and to the athletes. Everything is relative, I dont give a flying **** about tennis yet there are more people who love it more than bodybuilding but what does that have to do with bodybuilding? I still beleive Mr Olympia is a more prestigious title because its relative to what i love. People who CHOOSE a life of minimal income and maximum work simply because of a passion is far more commendable to me than a privileged child being brought up through money so they can play and be good at a sport in which people may be too poor to play. Clint whats the difference between men prancing around in bikini's and a sailor winning a sailboat race? Its all relative to your interests and your passions its NOT relative to the overall scheme that society and its popularity.

A too common misconception about life is that people believe there is a specific goal in life and when you reach that goal you will attain happiness and that's total and complete bull ****. You ride out your life how you chose to/are able to until you die and that's it. There is no goal of happiness. Is it terrible that a bodybuilder lives through what YOU BELIEVE is an unworthy lifestyle? Thats why they are dedicated bodybuilders and you are not, because you have different outlooks on life. Some bodybuilders live with a constant passion and aspiration. Even if they never become famous or rich, even if society shuns them, they live a life that's driven by passion as opposed to a life that's driven by a family orientation or materialistic lifestyle. If bodybuilding makes your life feel fulfilling and good, then pursue it regardless of what society says and if you see life differently and bodybuilding makes your life feel hindered and unhappy then dont do it, its as simple as that. Thats why i never cared about bodybuilding going mainstream of being worldwide. Bodybuilding will be infinite, there will always be a place for the freaks. It will always be a niche, it may not grow and it may slow down but it will never go away.

Jason Huh LOVES bodybuilding. You guys understand what love is right? Love is relative, love is the same as a fat bastard watching his favorite team win the super bowl, love is loving your spouse, love is a crackhead loving crack cocaine. Its all love its all relative. Jason Huh has that love for bodybuilding, how does society believing he lives a shallow and narrow life because he is a dedicated bodybuilder affect the fact that he lives life for what he loves. During an interview with Dave Palumbo, Jason literally cried talking about bodybuilding and how he sacrifices so much but in the end its something he loves and has 100% passion for and the sacrifices are worth it. Whats the difference between him crying in that interview, a Basket Ball player crying because he won a Championship, a soccer player crying because he won the world cup, a mother crying because she just gave birth and is holding her new born child? What is the difference? The only difference is the eye of society but the feeling of love is exactly the same regardless of whether YOU as an individual feel it or not, Jason feels it.

Get 100 artist, give them all the same picture to paint, i guarantee you every single one of those artists will paint a different picture. They all have two hands, two eyes and a brain but they see things differently. Just like you and society and a dedicated bodybuilder all see's things differently. I may or may not ever dedicate myself 100% to bodybuilding but i commend and appreciate those who do regardless of what 6 billion people think.
 
dilatedmuscle

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"Mens Fitness is on the Rise and Bodybuilding is downhill"


"Bodybuilding cant go anywhere but down"


You guys are talking about society which is irrelevant to the relative love and passion of an individual with a different outlook and experience in life.
 
Natzo

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Exactly like Dilated said.

you guys are picturing bodybuilding evolution in the mainstream LIKE it WAS PART OF THE MAINSTREAM already.

Bodybuilding will never be mainstream, and it'll never grow in to that direction.

to analyze bodybuilding's growth you can not look to the evolution towards mainstream but in bodybuilding itself. Number of shows gone up, number of competitors gone way up, Prize money at the Oplympia will be $1 000 000 this year for the first time.

Bodybuilding is growing in the bodybuilding market - this sport is a niche.
 
Flex

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You just repeated my point, that bodybuilding has no chance of being mainstream. You guys are smart enough to figure that out, but many bodybuilding fans aren't.

As for the shows getting larger and larger. I've been hearing that for years too, but I'm thinking that's because of the other divisions such as Men's Physique, Women's physique, bikini, and the growing of figure.
 
Samoan-Z

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The main reason bodybuilding is not going to go mainstream is because the moment they do people are going to generate that train that is never late. The Steroid Stigma, then question it then argue it then try and persecute it then after it's all done they'll compare lifestyles, dig into the bodybuilders lives question them morally, financially, and how it's selfish to generate that mount of dedication, food, food, food, and supplements for the self rather than a community or a team.

Personally until the steroid stigma is gone and away, Bodybuilding will never go mainstream it's ultimately bad for the sport.
 

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