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In the most straightforward terms, the Natural Olympia is a drug-tested bodybuilding contest held annually<\/strong> by the International Natural Bodybuilding Association and Professional Natural Bodybuilding<\/a> Association, more commonly referred to as the INBA\/PNBA.<\/p>\n Intended as a venue for elite bodybuilders<\/a> who master their craft under strict tests for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, the Natural Olympia is tied to a larger mission of the INBA\/PNBA: to promote a version of the sport that could one day be recognized by the Olympic Games<\/a>. Here\u2019s how the show came to be:<\/p>\n According to<\/a> the league\u2019s website, the INBA\/PNBA has roots in a publicity event. In 1977, architect-turned-entrepreneur Denny Kakos opened Mt. Olympus Health Spa in California and sought to attract membership by holding a local bodybuilding competition right there in his gym.<\/p>\n\n [Related: Underrated Golden Era Bodybuilders You Should Know About<\/a>]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n It made a lot of sense to capitalize on the bodybuilding fever gripping pop culture at the time. This was the same year that a young Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a> lit up screens in the seminal documentary about the sport, Pumping Iron<\/em><\/a>. For Kakos, associating a club with bodybuilders could likely generate buzz for the new gym.<\/p>\n The strategy paid off, as Kakos continued holding more contests as the years went on. He soon turned to the National Physique Committee (NPC) in the early 1980s to promote the California Natural Bodybuilding Championships, which attracted 135 competitors, all of whom the organization said were \u201cdrug-free.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Finding a market in natural bodybuilding<\/a> shows, Kakos and a few partners created their own competitive league in 1988 called the American Bodybuilding Association (ABA). That soon led to the creation of a professional league called the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) in 1990, which served as the pro league that elite ABA competitors qualified for.<\/p>\n The PNBA soon replicated the global aspect of the much larger (and longer-established) IFBB<\/a> Professional League. Within a few years, the PNBA had its own international events, adding the INBA to the PNBA acronym.<\/p>\n By 1998, the league had enough momentum to hold their first Natural Olympia in Corinth, Greece, as a seeming nod to their stated goal to eventually promote bodybuilding as an Olympic sport. Bodybuilder John Hansen<\/a> won the inaugural show.<\/p>\n\n [Related: 12 of the Biggest Men\u2019s Bodybuilders of All Time<\/a>]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n While the Natural Olympia offers a spot for the typical bodybuilding divisions found during the IFBB\u2019s Olympia weekend \u2014 including Men\u2019s Open<\/a>, Classic Physique<\/a>, and Bikini<\/a> \u2014 there are quirkier amateur categories like a Men\u2019s Ink\/Tattoo class and \u201cformal wear\u201d divisions where the men come decked out in suits and women strut on stage in an evening gown.<\/p>\n The biggest difference, however, remains the drug testing protocol in place for the PNBA\/INBA. The leagues \u2014 and, by extension, the Natural Olympia contest \u2014 follow the testing protocols put forth by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This agency tests for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and its list of prohibited drugs<\/a> ranges from dozens of anabolic androgenic steroids to diuretics and masking agents. (1<\/a>)<\/p>\n The drug testing protocol for IFBB Pro League shows \u2014 like the Olympia \u2014 is not readily available through the league\u2019s website. In 1990, there was mandatory drug testing at the Mr. Olympia show that made headlines, but since then, protocols have been less clear.<\/p>\n In 2017, The New York Times<\/em> reported<\/a> that a spokesperson for the Olympia told the outlet that drug testing is random but is not conducted during the contest itself. Over the years, IFBB Pro League bodybuilders like six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates and eight-time Mr. O Ronnie Coleman<\/a> have openly admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during their careers. And in September 2022, current IFBB Pro competitor Hunter Labrada<\/a> acknowledged the role steroids play in bodybuilding on his YouTube channel.<\/p>\n [Related: How Strong Was Arnold Schwarzenegger?<\/a> We Look Back at the Oak\u2019s Short-Lived Powerlifting Career]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n According to the PNBA\/INBA, their competitors get \u201cblood or urine\u201d tests on-site at shows and random tests outside of competitions. Athletes also pay a portion of these test costs with each contest entry fee.<\/p>\n Penalties for a failed test range from a yearlong suspension to a lifetime ban from competition, depending on the results of the tests. Those athletes then have the ignominious honor of appearing on the INBA\/PNBA Wall of Shame<\/a>, which spotlights dozens of competitors who, according to the organization, failed one or more drug tests. Whether this is a righteous or juvenile move is up to the individual, but it feeds into the league\u2019s strict views on drug use.<\/p>\n The league\u2019s rules make it clear, however, that athletes can appeal suspensions within 10 days of a failed test by providing (at the athlete\u2019s expense) a second test to confirm or refute the findings. False positive tests \u2014 where an athlete who was not doping has a test that comes back positive for reasons other than PED use \u2014 do happen occasionally with any<\/em> drug tests. (2<\/a>) Though some evidence suggests blood testing remains the most accurate, no method is perfect. (3<\/a>)<\/p>\n The Natural Olympia has taken place nearly every year since 1998. In recent times, it typically runs in Las Vegas every November, around the same time as the IFBB\u2019s Olympia.<\/p>\n In 2021, the total prize pool was $65,000, with one division winner also receiving a Harley Davidson motorcycle. That\u2019s compared to the $1.5 million<\/a> total prize pool at the IFBB\u2019s Olympia in 2022.<\/p>\n\n [Related: These Bodybuilders Had the Most Impressive Olympia Debuts in History<\/a>]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nHumble Roots, Noble Aspirations<\/h2>\n
The Creation of the Natural Olympia<\/h2>\n
Sort of the Same, Sort of Different<\/h2>\n
The Natural Olympia Today<\/h2>\n