Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the practice of Resistance training, progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's skeletal muscle, muscles via muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to a ...

for an

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. F ...

and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB Pro, IFBB Elite Pro or WNBF Pro League or Wabba International Pro Card. A professional bodybuilder may be one who earns his or her primary income from bodybuilding. It is possible, though difficult except at the highest level, to earn a reasonable income purely from competition winnings. It is much more likely that a particular athlete will be sponsored by local companies and supplement manufacturers. Many bodybuilders use their newfound fame and knowledge to pursue business ventures such as higher-level personal training or opening their own gyms. Guest posing and public appearances also support income. In 1946, Canadian brothers Joe and Ben Weider created the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB), which subsequently split into the

IFBB Professional League The International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness Professional League (IFBB Pro League) is the largest international Professional sports, professional sports governing body in the world for professional bodybuilding, physique, fitness, figur ...

and IFBB 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 the

Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanct ...

—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.

status is regarded as the elite level federation in professional bodybuilding. In order to become an IFBB Pro, a bodybuilder must first earn their IFBB Pro Card. A bodybuilder looking to do this must first win a regional contest

weight class Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. Weight classes are used in a variety of sports including Rowing (sport), rowing, Weightlifting#Weightlifting sports, weight lifting, and especi ...

. 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, the National 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 use performance enhancing substances such as

steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter mem ...

do natural bodybuilding. The IFBB does some urine drug testing, but, critically, not out-of-competition randomised drug tests. Performance enhancing drug use is rampant because every bodybuilder knows exactly when they are going to be tested. Testosterone propionate, oxandrolone, and

stanozolol Stanozolol (Abbreviation, abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is a synthetic androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American ph ...

tablets stay in the body for three weeks,

ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and sympathomimetic agent that is often used to prevent hypotension, low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred ...

for ten days, testosterone decanoate soft gel for seven days, and fat burning agents such as clenbuterol and Cytomel for five days, so competitors can stop taking these and other drugs a few weeks before a competition and then pass a test. Similarly,

human growth hormone Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...

is undetectable in urine tests, New developments in the illegal provision of growth hormone for “anti-aging” and bodybuilding. S Jay Olshansky, Thomas T Perls. JAMA 299 (23), 2792-2794, 2008 and some diuretics are still undetectable or not yet on the "Prohibited List".⁰f_444

References

{{Reflist Bodybuilding

See also

References