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There\u2019s been a lot of talk in recent days from some of the biggest names in bodybuilding when it comes to the number of divisions in the sport and the number of pro cards being given out. And when I say, \u201cbig names,\u201d I\u2019m not exaggerating. When 8x Mr. Olympia Lee Haney is sounding off you know things are reaching a boiling point. Matt from Muscle Discord has also been actively making calls to arms in the hope that the Pros and the fans will react. This isn\u2019t really a novel topic, rather, it\u2019s one we\u2019ve been hearing with the advent of each new division. I can still remember a time when all we had was bodybuilding and figure. That feels like an eternity ago. I still remember the backlash that Men\u2019s Physique caused. The purists were up in arms. How could there be a physique-based division that didn\u2019t look at legs? I still remember John Romano calling MPD \u201cthe lawn dart division.\u201d Who would have thought MPD would be more popular than open bodybuilding at the local and regional level. For quite a few years, MPD kept bodybuilding alive. Now, Classic buries them both. And there was also a huge backlash when Bikini came out. I remember people thinking they were all ex-strippers or something. There were some really offensive judgments being cast, but that\u2019s pretty much the trial by fire all the new divisions had to go through. The only exception being Classic, which if you ask the purists, that should be what bodybuilding is. In any event, the question of pro cards has always been raised at the launch of each new division.<\/p>\n
Why? Because once you\u2019re a pro, you\u2019re a pro. There isn\u2019t an IFBB Bikini Pro card or an IFBB Bodybuilding Pro Card. If you turn pro in Bikini and then want to do FBB or WPD, there\u2019s nothing stopping you. This is what most of the old school people have up in arms because going pro in bodybuilding requires years of building. You must build a base, then add size, deeper and deeper cuts, etc. Most bodybuilders must invest anywhere from a handful of years to more than a decade. Then you look at guys like Ron Harris and Dave Palumbo, and despite years of being on the top of the national level, they retired without cards. Or look at Bob Cicherillo. He took a long time to go pro. Or look at Vinny Galante. These guys didn\u2019t flinch. They worked and worked and worked and worked some more until they finally got that pro status. But what about someone who maybe did a couple of shows, has little to no muscle, and is suddenly an IFBB Pro? Does that water down the value of the pro card?<\/p>\n
This is the age\u2019s old debate that rages on. With ten divisions \u2013 and more on the way \u2013 the talk around the water cooler is getting louder. So, let\u2019s dive into the action and look at it from a few different perspectives.<\/p>\n
First of all, I feel it\u2019s important to talk about muscularity. because I know that a lot of bodybuilders look down on men\u2019s physique competitors or maybe bikini competitors but let\u2019s not forget that each division calls for a certain look. The most muscular look is bodybuilding. And for a long time that has been considered to be the most difficult of all. I think that is an arguable point. I feel that Classic and Men\u2019s Physique are difficult in their own right. Perhaps because some of them have weight limits, others do not reward overly muscular looks, but in the end it\u2019s about variety. One of the things I have always applauded for each of the respective federations is that they give something for everyone. Not everyone wants to have a bodybuilder\u2019s mass. Bodybuilding is what started at all. In terms of the IFBB there is simply no argument there. Bodybuilding will always be the flagship division at the Olympia and the Arnold Classic. And for those reasons it is why it pays the most at least in terms of contest winnings. That should not mean that the other divisions are lesser divisions. As I pointed out earlier in this article, Classic Physique has literally bested all of the male divisions at the local and regional level. If you look at the old school guys and you really listen to what they have to say, many of them like Arnold, would prefer that the Classic look be the look of the mainstream sport. In any event, look at Chris Bumstead; he was classic. And he was the most popular and may continue to be the most popular physique-based athlete in the world. Does Chris Bumstead deserve less recognition than an open bodybuilder? Absolutely not. But that is kind of where the argument goes once we start talking about which divisions deserve a pro card and deserve recognition more than others.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a slippery slope because it is not the kind of argument that is going to really hold water. Bodybuilding alone is not what keeps physique-based sports at the forefront. If you go to any of the big expos around the world, you will see that what I\u2019m saying here is factual. I also think that it is safe to say that bodybuilders have the longest road to the pro card. There are fewer opportunities to turn pro, and it requires a lot more in terms of drugs, training, and nutrition. Now of course we\u2019re talking about the untested IFBB Pro League, which is the road to the Olympia. We\u2019re not talking about other federations, especially not natural federations. Natural federations do not allow drugs and are all about food, training and natural supplementation. For those federations I don\u2019t think this argument applies, but where it does apply is the IFBB. That is for all intents and purposes the most coveted pro card of all physique-based sports. And bodybuilders are starting to get a little annoyed to see newer divisions like Fit Model get the same card they earn.<\/p>\n
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