quickest person to go pro

[Mush]

Wasn't Tom Prince quite young also?
In the Fit Show interview with Bob Chic he talks about how he was a pro while still in college.

[JEM123]

Although not particularly young yates turned pro after only 4 shows.

[Guardian]

you think every one has the genetic potential to reach the zize yates and coleman have reached?

it doesn;t matter where they started having the genetic potentiel to get where they are has a lot to do with genetics.

somoen who doesn;t have the genetics cann shoot all the steroids and juice etc..but their muscles will only get so big woudn;t you agree?

They both have great genes, but in comparison to alot of there competition I wouldnt rate them the top of the ladder. If you look at guys like Nasser and Wheeler now those are guys with the best genes out there.

I think a fair amount of people in the population could reach the mid two hundreds with enough diet, drugs, and years of training. The biggest issue most people would have is structural flaws, dedication, and ability to hold mass when dieting.

[Glenn Gould]

Lee Priest got his pro card at 18 or 19, but he started training at 13 - 14.
Other famous "teen prodigies" are: Jeff King ( a monster at 19 ), Shane DiMora (pro card at 19) Casey Viator (Mr. America at 19)
But the fastest rise to the top award surely has to go to Mohammed "Momo" Benaziza. He represented Algeria in his first ever contest, and not only won it, but qualified for the Olympia* as well! (that contest being the Mr. Universe) So his 1988 Olympia appearance (where he beat big name pros like Shawn Ray, Phil Hill, Robby Robbinson, E. Kawak, Albert Beckles and Mike Ashley) was his 2nd EVER contest!!

*Rules regarding the Olympia qualifiers may have been different back then.

[apaitaris]

who was the quickest, as in least time(years) spent to turn pro? just intrested

Well....i would certainly like to know...i turned pro in only 2 contests...won the 2012 southern states middleweight and then the 2012 national middlweight...would like to know where i stand in history

[Loctus]

Well....i would certainly like to know...i turned pro in only 2 contests...won the 2012 southern states middleweight and then the 2012 national middlweight...would like to know where i stand in history

Well, two shows is obviously the least amount of shows needed to turn pro, which you have already figured out. So in that relation you obv know how you stand in history (you stand on top since it's not really possible to do better in that regard).

Thus I have to assume that since you know the answer to that part of the question; you're asking about actual time spent bodybuilding (or something else?), in which case I can't figure out why you don't say how long you've been lifting for.

[apaitaris]

who was the quickest, as in least time(years) spent to turn pro? just intrested

well i would like to know where i stand in history...i turned pro in only 2 contests...i won the 2012 southern states middleweight and then the 2012 nationals middleweight....i kno seth feroce did it in 2 comps too...anyone else?

[patbanya]

Well....i would certainly like to know...i turned pro in only 2 contests...won the 2012 southern states middleweight and then the 2012 national middlweight...would like to know where i stand in history

You're definitely up there. Good job!

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/bio/430782/

Anthony Paitaris

well i would like to know where i stand in history...i turned pro in only 2 contests...i won the 2012 southern states middleweight and then the 2012 nationals middleweight....i kno seth feroce did it in 2 comps too...anyone else?

Actually, Seth turned pro in 3 contests.

1. Kentucky
2. Pittsburgh
3. Nationals

So, once again, you have him beat.

[gixxer1000]

The fastest is 21 yr old dallas mccarver .. 18 months!!!

[patbanya]

The fastest is 21 yr old dallas mccarver .. 18 months!!!

I think he's the youngest, but I don't know how many shows he did, and won prior to winning the North American's. 2 contests is the quickest route.

1. You do a national qualifier, and place in the top two of your class in order to qualify.
2. Win a national level pro qualifier on the first try.

The quickest, and most impressive fashion you can turn pro is to win overall titles in two contests.

[Loctus]

The quickest, and most impressive fashion you can turn pro is to win overall titles in two contests.

Not really. It most likely just means that you've been lifting and abusing hormones for a long time before you decide to step on stage.

Let's say that we have two guys:
A. Been bodybuilding for three years. Does five competitions, turns pro.
B. Been bodybuilding for ten years. Does two competitions, turns pro.

I'd say that guy A has turned pro in a more impressive route than guy B has. I guess I could be alone in thinking that though.

[jahaa]

Kevin has to be up there. Trained for like 1-2 years and got a pro card from his second show beating some impressive people (flex,demayo,ronnie,cromier etc)

[XClassic10]

Not really. It most likely just means that you've been lifting and abusing hormones for a long time before you decide to step on stage.

Let's say that we have two guys:
A. Been bodybuilding for three years. Does five competitions, turns pro.
B. Been bodybuilding for ten years. Does two competitions, turns pro.

I'd say that guy A has turned pro in a more impressive route than guy B has. I guess I could be alone in thinking that though.

I agree with that. A lot of guys could have been training for like a decade somewhat recreationally and doing it for fun, until enough people convinced them to compete in bodybuilding because they have the size already and potential. More impressive IMO if you're committed to the bodybuilding lifestyle from the start and turn pro after just a few years of training, regardless of how many contests it took.

[patbanya]

Not really. It most likely just means that you've been lifting and abusing hormones for a long time before you decide to step on stage.

Let's say that we have two guys:
A. Been bodybuilding for three years. Does five competitions, turns pro.
B. Been bodybuilding for ten years. Does two competitions, turns pro.

I'd say that guy A has turned pro in a more impressive route than guy B has. I guess I could be alone in thinking that though.

That's one way to look at it, assuming you actually know what people do to look the way they do. So, what exactly is an indication of drug use and/or abuse that you can apply to every situation? It's usually when it's too late, when people experience health problems, that we look back with hindsight and talk about all the signs. If it were as simple as judging by appearances, then drug testing in any sport would become irrelevant. There's visual cues like gynecomastia, but that also occurs naturally, so it's never 100% conclusive.

I was speaking from a statistical standpoint, to determine who turned pro in a more unanimous, uncontested manner. I think it's the most objective way to talk about bodybuilding as a sport, rather than a matter of opinion. The fact is, we all have opinions on who takes what, and how much they might use, and those conversations never prove anything. However, if we refer to the actual facts, the known contest history, then we can have an intelligent, objective discussion.

Also, let's keep in mind that 10 years of training doesn't equate to 10 years of continuous, noticeable progress. A person could make the majority of their gains in 2 years, and look relatively the same for the next 8 years before having the ambition to compete. If someone has a pro caliber physique, at a lighter body weight, it's much easier to maintain without having to push the envelope. Think of all the people who turn pro as bantam weights, light weights, and welter weights, but we never hear anything about them afterwards.

We could use any number of hypothetical, or real life scenarios in which two people of the same height turn pro in different weight classes. The person that turns pro in the heaviest weight class isn't necessarily the one that has been training or using the longest. Like someone has already mentioned, Dallas McCarver became a pro earlier this year, with minimal experience, at 21 years old. Likewise, Stephen Frazier, another super heavyweight, turned pro at the USA's after 8 years of competing at the national level. Now, we can look pictures, and compare their physiques, but unless they're onstage at the same time, it doesn't matter.

There's more than one way to skin a cat, and going from A to B (amateur to pro) can be a different journey from one person to the next. I think what matters the most, especially in the long run, is the summation of a person's contest history. For instance, Ronnie Coleman holds a special distinction among all the Mr. Olympia winners for not only the most pro wins, but also the most loses. So, basically, he took his licks and kept on ticking, and it was his persistence, plus many other qualities, that led to his legacy.

BTW, I posted around 2pm, and it took you a little over 2 hours to come up with that response? Hmmm, I think you're slipping.

[LaurieSchnelle]

I'm no bobybuilder, but I won my pro card after one year of competing and only 1 1/2 yrs of ever lifting weights!

the best is yet to come! I'm under construction

[flahexer]

....

[TTimmerman]

I'm no bobybuilder, but I won my pro card after one year of competing and only 1 1/2 yrs of ever lifting weights!

the best is yet to come! I'm under construction

indeed, no bodybuilder.

[LaurieSchnelle]

indeed, no bodybuilder.

Yea! No accomplishment at all! I suck I don't even lift! I give up!

[Jaixs]

Yea! No accomplishment at all! I suck I don't even lift! I give up!

You cant really compare yourself to someone who needs to put on 90 lbs of muscle to be competative.

[Loctus]

I'm no bobybuilder, but I won my pro card after one year of competing and only 1 1/2 yrs of ever lifting weights!

the best is yet to come! I'm under construction

You're way behind, Laurie There's a bikini chick who turned pro after like 3 weeks in the gym (srs) and won a pro show a couple of months later lol.

[TTimmerman]

You're way behind, Laurie There's a bikini chick who turned pro after like 3 weeks in the gym (srs) and won a pro show a couple of months later lol.

and didn't a 14 year old win a pro show or something last year?

[Riflemancho]

Kevin has to be up there. Trained for like 1-2 years and got a pro card from his second show beating some impressive people (flex,demayo,ronnie,cromier etc)

Kevin was massive before starting bodybuilding. He was a powerlifter. Nuff said.

[mrusa85]

and didn't a 14 year old win a pro show or something last year?

Yeah, that puts things in perspective. Can you imagine a 14-year-old guy getting his IFBB pro card?

[TTimmerman]

Yeah, that puts things in perspective. Can you imagine a 14-year-old guy getting his IFBB pro card?

maybe a russian 14 year old

[SammyJr]

Kevin was massive before starting bodybuilding. He was a powerlifter. Nuff said.

How come theres not a single pic of Kevin before he was a BB?

Besides that one of him as a kid with his dog