Are bodybuilders misguided freaks?
Brittanica’s description of bodybuilding is as follows:
“Bodybuilding, a regimen of exercises designed to enhance the human body’s muscular development and promote general health and fitness…..” And yes, despite this clear and reasonable assertion, one can discover paradigms that present themselves as paradoxes more than clear cut reflections of this definition.
Ask anyone of the modern era who they associate bodybuilding with, and you will hear names like Arnie and the Incredible Hulk, some may even include John Cena and the Rock. The one thing they have in common is their transition to the big screen.
Ask those within the bodybuilding industry and you will get names of legends from the game such as Eugene Sandow, Lee Haney, Franco Columba, Sergio Oliva, Ronnie Coleman, Sergio Nubret, Jay Cutler, Tom Platz, Frank Zane, Dorian Yates, Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, Dexter Jackson, Lee Priest and more recently Phil Heath.
Pumping Iron (Directed by Charles Gaines and George Butler and released in 1977) was the first to cast light on the industry with its documentary showing the build up to, and backstage antics of Mr. Olympia, and in more recent years – Generation Iron (Directed by Vlad Yudin and released in 2013).
Generation Iron flared sparks of interest from the two very controversial backgrounds of the frontrunners, replicating the rivalry in its predecessor. Kai Greene, being the underdog from the Bronx, who mirrored the less fortunate and radiated hope of the fairytale rags-to-riches story. And Phil Heath, being the “gifted”, who stormed the Olympia somewhat by surprise and gaining followers who admired stamina of a reigning champion, longing to see if he could match the legacies of Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney.
Mr. Olympia appeared to be making a massive comeback with a viral picture soon after, featuring “The Rock”, dwarfing the 7-time champ Phil Heath, whilst presenting him with his Sandow trophy. Quickly followed by a surprise announcement of “The Rock’s” production company – Seven Bucks, promising to team up with CBS and FINALLY broadcasting Mr. Olympia.
Unfortunately, this quickly fizzled out with the onset of a global pandemic and has never come to fruition.
Audiences revered Dwayne THE ROCK Johnson with similar adoration as Arnold himself. He was awarded ‘Man of the Year’ by the bodybuilding federation at the 2016 Mr. Olympia, and fans happily adopt the words health and fitness with the actor, yet those same fans look at our champions and scream cheats and steroids?
Dare I make the comparison of 8 years of championship wins for the Chicago Bulls and the sponsorship attached to NBA’s athletes, to that of Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney – both 8 time winners of the world’s most prestigious bodybuilding title.
Professional sports such as NBA are widely broadcast with a guaranteed weekly spot on-air. World renowned sponsors such as Nike and Adidas select from the sporting industries elites and yet bodybuilders, despite their talent, remain untouched.
Finances and Sponsorships
Now if I am to do a very brief FINANCIAL reference, using only two federations, lets break it down:
Registration starts at USD100, entry fee varies between USD100-200, with 1600 competitors attending a 2021 championship. Now, 1600 competitors, each paying at least AUD200, generates a whopping 320k in one competition alone. With 10-20 events scheduled for 2022 you are now looking at USD3-6 million dollars. Add in tans, costumes, coaching, supplements, travel and answer my question – HOW CAN MEDIA AND SPONSORS NOT SEE VALUE IN THIS SPORT, given that various commercial opportunities exist?
Global statistics show that USD673 billion is spent on diabetes and The American Diabetes Association website personally recommends that those with type 2 Diabetes, start “strength-based training, backed by scientifically proven results”. Surely, I can’t be the only person seeing the relevance here?
Now just in case those reading are still seeing bodybuilding as a phase that will diminish, it is noteworthy to recognize on the IFBB Physique America website, this federation has over 200 participating nations and was originally founded in 1946. That’s 76 years this sport has been successfully contributing to the health and fitness industry by capitalizing upon discipline, sacrifice and determination like no other. Grading the world’s best athletes. Quite literally handpicking each individual athlete and throwing them into the spotlight for sponsorship opportunities.
And yet again, bodybuilders are not gracing our screens in promotion of “health and fitness”
Clearly there is a dark and sinister stigma associated with bodybuilding, casting it as the underworld of competitive sport, possibly due to the constant (and uneducated) association of PEDs. A perfect example of this is shown in a 1975 publication by the NY Times (Bodybuilding: Is it Sport? Art? Published April 13, 1975), pictured with the late Franco Columba, and a closing paragraph stating “Critics call them grotesque, misguided freaks and contend that what bodybuilders do has nothing, to do with sports”
It is evident we lack proper coverage and sponsorship, why is yet to be clarified. I can only pose the questions – What will it take to create a new perception and respect, and reclaim the support of CBS? And is it possible to shed the stigma associated with Bodybuilding.
Author Bio: This is Tekiri’s journalistic debut, but Tee, as she is informally known, is no novice to the bodybuilding industry. Tee is an Australian trainer born into a family of bodybuilders. A past competitor herself, and certified Bodybuilding coach, Tee has always been drawn to the stages of bodybuilding. Despite being crowned Most Exceptional Model of the Year in her late teens, it was not the fashion stages that fueled her future career choices. Mother of one, but mum to many, Tee has been CEO of Tiny Tank Fitness since 2013, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
