When did bodybuilding/IFBB lose it's "magic" for you?

[JIsaiahE]

when Kai wasnt compared to Phil and Jay and that "Teacher vs student" bullchit.. and following olympias/post olympia shows.. perfect scores my ass..

This, this, and this. When this happened espically after Jay's bicep "situation," it cemented the Olympia into a loosefit script to an wanted end result

[JanesLastResort]

Late 2013. Not really due to anything happening in the sport though. Just my perspective changed on a lot of things at that point.

[flangmasterj]

Late 2013. Not really due to anything happening in the sport though. Just my perspective changed on a lot of things at that point.

In before rap album.

[gilesmiles1]

Cared a bit when Dorian was winning, as a Brit..

Apart from that, never get that bothered by placings, the only interest for me is seeing guys like ramy emerge, or maybe a ced at 100%... Regardless of their placing

And the definitive answer is Kevin English at the ny pro

[jcrobles92]

Jay retiring and Kai not even able to get a point the past years have been whats killed it for me, that and the little amount of coverage we receive, its almost as if they pay them to stay in the shadows

[JanesLastResort]

Plus it's like what is there to even discuss? Whenever there's a discussion we just repeat the same posts in different ways, and then at the end of the day it just comes down to who prefers what. Not to knock anyone who likes to discuss that, but i got tired of it. That kind of carried over to everything related to the ifbb in general for me.

[WizardsOfAus]

For me, it all went downhill when stealth_swimmer started posting on this forum.

[x-trainer ben]

In my early 40's here and have been following since Haney was winning, so i guess the better part of 3 decades. It hasn't lost it for me because i am not emotionally involved in placings. I just admire and understand what these guys go through to get the results( Dexter) that they do! Most of the things in America seem to be pre-determined and you will see that if you already have not. Bodybuilding (see old thread about a dying sport) needs to stay relevant so at this point is probably just to trying to keep alive.

[Oxus007]

I'm relatively new to following the sport. I started watching in 2011, when a friend told me to watch Jay Cutler's videos. I got hooked by watching the daily life and routine of a guy in the mix for Mr. Olympia. I then started watching everyone's videos/documentaries and it really inspired me to train.

Now there are no videos and no coverage. When videos are released, it's 4 minutes of them working one body part with super loud music in the background.

I don't understand how less access to the athlete's is good for business? Watching Ronnie and Jay for hours was amazing, I got to know them and had personalities to root for. Even Kai's "train with kai" videos are great. It seems like marketing 101 says they should put themselves out there more, but it feels like we see less each year.

I really don't get it.

PS: Kai getting no points last year really sealed the deal.

[baco_bacon]

same OP, 2007 made me realize the best physique does not win. Then, it seems, judging just became mostly based on who was the most well known or had the best contract.....

Interest was lost in the IFBB as a legitimate org

Que the fitness fad explosion beginning with Zyzz in 2008-2009 and now everyone just wants attention, money, is a "personal trainer" (lol), a bunch of followers, etc...so I began to loath the whole front line scene. Dleted all social media except this account and only compete for myself and the process. I really could care less about placing or exposure as long as i grow as a person through the experience, as should the rest of you.

Oh I didn't read the title properly. It lost its cool when every Tom, Dick and Zyzz started going into the gyms, training for two months, began cycling then started posing in the mirrors like it was totally acceptable.

I like to think of myself as a gym hipster. I started lifting before it was cool. When finding a copy of Pumping Iron meant ringing around the video stores asking who had a VHS copy rotting away somewhere.

Now you have casual lifters calling themselves "athletes" on ********. It used to be about grinding away in the background and not drawing attention to yourself apart from when the time came to get on stage and show off your hard earned physique. These days it's in your face 24/7. It's ****ing sad.

Too much reality

[ss4vegeta1]

I used to like the competitiveness of Ronnie vs Jay but in my opinion I look back to old time bodybuilders more. Guys like Larry Scott, Vince G., Arnold and Serge Nubret.

[fishnbrah]

I lost interest when the rivalry for the top became 1 dude who is flashy and cocky like a wannabe Floyd mayweather, and the the other dude insists on bringing bondage and S&M into his posing routines.

[XCriticalBenchX]

I lost interest when the rivalry for the top became 1 dude who is flashy and cocky like a wannabe Floyd mayweather, and the the other dude insists on bringing bondage and S&M into his posing routines.

LMAO.. not a fan of kai myself.. either.

[ZBlacktt]

When conditioning became the most important thing ever on stage. Just adding a post, lol.

[flangmasterj]

Oh dear that arm difference. Compton's making Branch look like ****e too.

[AdamantiumYoke]

I had first started following Bbing in 2010, after I was awe-struck by Jay's 2009 form. I haven't actually "lost interest"in IFBB/Pro bbing as such , as I am not much of a fan of any present top5 bodybuilders so I don't expect much already. I am still positive that in 5-10 years, we are gonna get a new breed of small waists, good mass and great conditioning. And I follow some other federations too, which actually have better physiques in some contexts , so things are never boring for me.

Roelly should have placed higher at atleast AC Australia. He should start working with aceto/hany/farah/chad... dry Roelly with no gut is top6 O material easily. Tons n tons of mass...
ZBLACKTT what has been Roelly's response to all this lately [ all the post-injury showings ]? Are you still in contact ?

[Fire8085]

same OP, 2007 made me realize the best physique does not win. Then, it seems, judging just became mostly based on who was the most well known or had the best contract.....

Interest was lost in the IFBB as a legitimate org

Que the fitness fad explosion beginning with Zyzz in 2008-2009 and now everyone just wants attention, money, is a "personal trainer" (lol), a bunch of followers, etc...so I began to loath the whole front line scene. Dleted all social media except this account and only compete for myself and the process. I really could care less about placing or exposure as long as i grow as a person through the experience, as should the rest of you.

Oh I didn't read the title properly. It lost its cool when every Tom, Dick and Zyzz started going into the gyms, training for two months, began cycling then started posing in the mirrors like it was totally acceptable.

I like to think of myself as a gym hipster. I started lifting before it was cool. When finding a copy of Pumping Iron meant ringing around the video stores asking who had a VHS copy rotting away somewhere.

Now you have casual lifters calling themselves "athletes" on ********. It used to be about grinding away in the background and not drawing attention to yourself apart from when the time came to get on stage and show off your hard earned physique. These days it's in your face 24/7. It's ****ing sad.

i agree with everything u said but especially this. 99.9% of the time, and seasoned pro will look nearly the same as last year. notable exception was '12 kai



exactly. makes me want to blow up and have them mire

although i started in 09 hehe, but i have no book of the face/instagram/twaddle, and am pissed when i hear everyone is a person trainer and every girl who works out posts pics everyday of the struggle in the gym and selfies then they go out with the juiced up guy who only started working out 6 months ago

It's this essentially.

I feel I've been done out of something that made me a little different.

Now instead of been ostracized for being a weirdo who's into bodybuilding (which I loved). I'm lumped into this bracket of a trend following wanker. To the point people don't like me based on first impression because they have a pre determined view on these IG loving bastards who are ruining something I really loved.

The worst part is once this fad vanishes, like these things do, we will be left looking like people trying to coin a look that was 'so last year'.

Makes me sick.

So yeh hipster lifter checking in...or out.

My god...you all know exactly how i feel.

I was proud starting at 125-130 lbs and getting where I am natty. Now it's all about attention.

What happened to putting on ****ty pants and a t-shirt to go work out?

Now it's all about showing everyone your latest 85$ pants and 60 dollar shirts you workout in at the gym.

Hell even the big mother ****ers at my old gym (back in 2008) would give me tips on putting on size and actually help me out with stuff (even if it was broscience). Now it's just like...everyone is just scrambling for as much attention as possible.

[TouaregV8]

The controversial placings never bothered me. The sport is so subjective that one could pose an argument on why a lot of the pros place where they do. The thing that bothers me most is the rising popularity of the men's physique and women's bikini categories, and the fact that the IFBB seems to be handing out pro cards to every Tom, Dick, and Harry. It's really diluting what it once was. Bodybuilding has always had a niche following, but you can really see it starting to get pushed to the side in favor of these other divisions that appeal more to the "masses" than bodybuilding does. I've always been a bodybuilding fan because of the freak factor involved in it. There's no freak factor for a 175lb guy in board shorts that doesn't like training legs, or a 19 year old girl with a tight body that looks good in a bikini. Giving these people the title of IFBB pro is an insult to the sport and something I find very offensive.

[backisassuk]

After Ronnie lost(Olympia not 2002 show of strength) then retired the following year, just something about him stepping on stage and the anticipation was incredible for me.

[chrismac365]

Anyone in this thread...

If your posting in the IFBB section of the BB.com forums... then you're still feeling the IFBB Magic!!

Maybe its a little more like Pro Wrestling than NFL - but you even after you figure out wrestling is fake you still watch RAW on a Monday night, LOL.

[Wazbanga]

I'm old and I got back into this way back in 1980 when I was a kid and Muscle and Fitness had the 80 Olympia on the cover. I knew who Schwarzenegger was and just got hooked on it until the mid 80's and then lost interest. Regained it when Dorian was winning as it was pretty cool to see a guy from the UK on top and he was pretty mysterious and then lost interest again until the last year of Ronnie's reign. It's just one of those things you come back to from time to time but I do think the physiques on display these days are pretty crappy. I like Dex and think he's achieved some amazing stuff for a smaller guy but some of the bodies on display at the smaller shows are just lazy in the conditioning dept. Getting bored of it again now so will probably get back in to it after the Phil era is over.

[featureless]

When Kai was not compared to Phil because he looked better (not because he was being too aggressive like we are led to believe).

When Phil is taken out of lineups altogether at the Olympia.

[TheGame76]

I'm with you OP, I remember posting with you quite a bit back in the day on this forum. I was obsessed and thought bodybuilding was so cool when I first got into it. Then the deeper I got into it the more I got turned off by it. And yeah, now I think it is just a complete joke. From the idiotic training methods and diets to the culture and mindset of the competitors and fans. Funny, I remember being the biggest Phil Heath fan when I first moved out to Colorado. Now I could care less that he is Mr. Olympia, I wouldn't give two ****s these days if he was training in the same gym as me. But hey, best of luck to these guys with their health in the future. I couldn't be more thankful I got out of the drug game! Sorry for the negativity, but I'm just being as brutally honest as the OP.

[203mh]

Another thing was Branch winning the Arnold. not knocking his work ethic/determination but you know.

I think Aceto nailed it when he said comparing Dex and Branch is like comparing a Mercedes-Benz to a dented up Ford F -150

[B3AU]

probably within the last year, the 'fitness fad' explosion all over social media has made me almost embarrassed now to say "im a bodybuilder".. that used to be something i was proud of..because it made you different..it made you stand out.

now i almost cringe when i say it.. the social media fitness explosion has really shown how shallow and empty so many people are.. when literally all they can talk about is their last meal and their next workout..desperately taking selfie after selfie to get more 'likes' from strangers..seeking validation from people they'll never meet..

personalities seem to have vanished in the industry..now it's all "nobody trains harder than me"..."im a freak, i go hard"... its now just sad and embarrassing to be associated with

since i started working full time after university i realised bodybuilding/training/dieting is a hobby..its not a career path..it should be done for enjoyment and it's nothing to brag about...

[Gorky88]

Everyone has their opinions and can lose their interest or beliefs in the IFBB and its judging...


However, let me say that I am baffled by the responses in this thread and also disappointed which are my opinions just like anyone here. Majority talks about things like Kai vs Phi or Victor vs Jay etc. Dont get me wrong these are popular ones due to the title name Mr.Olympia and also popular athletes. I want to believe that people post in pre-after shows and also take part in prediction challenges. IFBB's at the very best questionable and biased judging towards their loved athletes makes you want to puke at times and they can always stay behind by saying s.it like "paying dues", "not grainy" etc.

A somewhat of a challenger to the title Dennis Wolf on stage last year with Bob Chic says that, he cannot beat Phil Heath unless he is much much better than him. A little bit better is not enough to perform this so called "knock the champ out". So you have to be at your 100% but him at 90% is still not enough. Bob also confirms this. It is just utter bullcrap.

However, if you want to see real injustice you should check smaller shows where friendships and other kind of disgusting business deals or god knows whatever is going on is detrimental to the judging anywhere from Europa shows to npc qualifiers to bikini shows or 212s. It can be absolute utter bull**** or things like where Ramy loses to Jay or Branch because he didnt pay his dues.

[stealth_swimmer]

The show was over the moment Phil walked out in 2013. Sorry you feel so butthurt about it.


Again, it was close in 2012. You could've tossed a coin to decide if Phil or Kai should've won that year.

This, this, and this. When this happened espically after Jay's bicep "situation," it cemented the Olympia into a loosefit script to an wanted end result

What "situation"? Kills me that people still allude to it like that or even explicitly say it was a messed up injection site. He said it was a tear, but even if you don't take his word for it - you could LITERALLY SEE IT in pics that were taken after the contest that were done close-up. You can see where the fibers were torn exactly where he said they were - by the origin near the shoulder joint.

[flangmasterj]

The show was over the moment Phil walked out in 2013. Sorry you feel so butthurt about it.

It was over when Kai walked out looking blurry with his 'I've ****ed up again' face.

[Bankruptt]

I'm a new fan (2012) but I can see a lot of what you guys are saying. Working out became a way to cement yourself as being better than people in a condescending way. A lot of things just became too meme-y and far from genuine.

It's funny because I used to be a huge Kai fan and now I feel like he's just become an inflated version of his former self.

I like Ced and Ramy type of guys who don't talk so fkn weird like they're characters playing a role.

[Helcaraxe]

When instagram personal trainers appeared and everyone and their grandma jumped on natural bodybuilder bandwagon while lying straight up.