The World of Professional Body Building – Do You Aspire to Go Pro?
Body building is a very extreme sport requiring a lot of discipline, careful planning and nonstop preparation and conditioning. Although exercise, nutrition and rest are the 3 cores that make up a good athlete, there is one thing that separates the pros from the regular lifters – genetics. Not everyone has the propensity to build muscle regardless of how sound their program is. Do you have what it takes?
Tips from a Pro Body Builder
The first thing that every body builder has to realize is that not everyone can become a pro. Only 1 out of every 10,000 individuals are genetically endowed to build and keep muscle, burn fat, last through intense workouts and recover fast enough. Great examples are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva and Jay Cutler. Even though there are thousands of mesomorphs around the world, their bodies can only acquire so much muscle mass, even with the use of anabolic drugs.
All pros have weaknesses, particularly because of genetic traits. Some are blessed with 22-inch arms, others with 8-pack abs and others with full round muscle bellies and small joints. Others have to deal with small lagging calves, wide hips and high lats.
These are just some of the aspects that cannot be changed except through drastic surgical measures. It is a fact among professional body builders that almost everyone uses anabolic steroids. If you are aspiring to go pro, you should be ready to face the reality that you may not win contests.
Steroids have gotten more potent through the years, which is becoming a concern among enthusiasts. Champions are sacrificing symmetry and shape in exchange for mind-blowing mass. Compared to athletes in the past, recent exhibitors are showing almost-impossible proportions such as 24-inch arms, 60-inch chests and bloated stomachs because of internal organ enlargement.
Show Secrets
The main idea behind body building contests is that whoever has the most strengths and least weaknesses, or whoever presents a well-rounded muscular physique and excellent symmetry at the same time wins. There are 7 mandatory poses that display all the muscle groups wherein contestants will be judged. Criteria for judging usually include muscle separation, conditioning, muscle mass, presentation or how well the athlete poses and, at times, audience impact.
Some of the events include special performances which require a lot of charisma and style. Body building is a sport highly involved in other social affairs as well. Winners or champions are usually invited to be spokespeople for programs or products.
Top pros earn a lot of money from shows, exhibitions, guest posing and product endorsements. In contests, the top 6 contestants can earn anywhere from $5,000 to $250,000 a show depending on their placing and sponsors. Additional prizes may be included such as a brand-new vehicle or watch.
Shows require a lot of preparation which often results to mental and physical fatigue. Strict dieting and intense routines are used by every serious body builder to hopefully get to their target weight. This is the time when daily caloric intake is counted accurately and special supplements bring out the best definition and condition possible.
Athletes need to make sure that water gets to their muscles and not under the skin to prevent a flat and smooth appearance. Other preparations include practicing for a performance (if required), tanning and shaving.
How to Qualify
The IFBB is the top pro body building federation in the world. To become a pro, one should enter a NPC USA competition. There are 6 weight classes in the NPC Men’s National Championships namely the bantamweight, lightweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight and super heavyweight.
The winners of each class may request professional status. Pro aspirants may enter the IFBB World Championships, wherein winning a class makes a contestant eligible in the pro ranks. The same applies for the IFBB North American Championships.
There are qualifying contests to make one eligible to join the NPC Championships. The most prestigious pro body building contest of all is the Mr. Olympia, followed by the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic. Only top-ranking pros in qualifying contests can earn invites to these major events. Winners or those in the top ranks are considered to be the best in the world.
