With all this Olympics stuff going on I was thinking: Wouldn’t it be cool if bodybuilding was in the summer Olympics? I mean, not IFBB (hate those fuckers). But it would be virtually drug free because it would be monitored by the WADA and the IOC. Then people could really see what determination and hard work could really produce, without excessive drug use (obviously they would get away with some). What do you think?
Next someone will want a Miss America type beauty paegent in the Olympics. Let’s not pollute one of the oldest known athletic competitions with posing and other narcissistic antics. Combine it with a real athletic event, such as Olympic Style Weightlifting, and turn it into a biathlon type event and it might be worthwhile…nah, still rubs me the wrong way.
Someone tell me why activities like ballroom dancing & bridge (yes the card game old ladies play) are on the olympics? Isn’t the Olympics about faster higher stronger? That sort of stuff just mocks the whole concept of the Olympics IMO. I thinkk I’m with AR. We don’t need any of his narcississtic antics.
Maybe it could be an idea to come up
with an event that combined several
sporting activities that would reward
strength, an aesthetic-type build,
and athleticism.
Perhaps a combination of powerlifting
lifts, Olympic lifts, bodyweight dependent
activities such as perhaps a climbing
event that was hands-only, sprinting, and some sort
of gymnastics. Maybe 10 events.
But not posing oiled-up in trunks.
Virtually Drug Free??? Ha!! Bollocks!! The IOC is all talk and very very little action with regards to drugs. Go forth and read “The Lords of the Rings”…and “The New Lords of the Rings” both by Andrew Jennings, that’ll give you a whole new perspective on the IOC.
The Olympics is anything BUT drug free, unfortunately. (As for bridge being an event, I just about keeled over when I heard that, give me a break!!!) Granted, people like Coleman and Komeni would never make it in - they have to keep up some level of ‘drug testing’ but I agree, let’s keep it out of the games.
A bodybuilding contest with out drugs? That’s like a sandwich with out bread…Anyway, I would like to see it, but the IOC needs to get thier shit strait, other wise only russian bodybuilders would win. Besides I’d say a good half of the athelets that are there used steriods to help them get there, even if they are not on them now.
Bodybuilding competitions are lame as it is right now, if it was an Olympic event it would be even lamer.
Bodybuilding is not a sport. There is no actual phsycial performance to be judged upon. It’s based on how you look. Curling is more of a sport than bodybuilding. Hunting is also not a sport. The other side doesn’t know it’s competing:)
Bodybuilding in the Olympics would just be stupid everyone would take drugs like crazy and the judging would be just as corrupt if not more so than figure skating, I can already see the french and russian judges now…
I suppose my idea is a bit idealistic, i like bill roberts’ idea of combining an aesthetic bodybuilding type thing with strength and other things. However, i think that it would give bodybuilding a much needed facelift as people would think of the ‘Olympic Bodybuilders’ instead of those freaks in the pro’s more often.
that would be great for the olympics drug free image, thought the epo-tour de france scandal was bad…how about juiced to the gills bodybuilders cramping up on stage from illegal diuretics
Actually, my idea wasn’t to combine
judging of physique along with athletic
events (which by the way was done
in earlier AAU bodybuilding events, until
Weider started events that left out the
athletic element) but rather to have
an Olympic sport that comprised ONLY
athletic events, but ones that required
great strength and also ones that would
tend to favor aesthetic physiques,
e.g. sprinting and gymnastics, possibly
swimming.
I’d be impressed with a guy who could
post impressive lifts in the DL, bench
press, C&J, while posting good times
in the 100 meter dash, some swimming event,
and doing well in some gynastic events.
His physique would almost undoubtedly
be something one would want to attain,
and bodybuilding and strength
training techniques would go far towards
helping him win.
Bill, it sounds like you want a new version of the pentathalon… not a bad idea!!
Thanks, Michelle!
On further thought, I’d drop the swimming. I put it in the last post on the spur of the moment, thinking it was a sport that tended to favor aesthetic physiques, but on further thought it doesn’t make sense. We wouldn’t want
to see a competitor who performed excellently in lifting events, sprinting, and gymnastics,
but who was a poor swimmer, be beaten by someone who was mediocre in the first three
sports but superb in swimming. It’s just not too relevant: I’d suppose every event should
be power, strength, and speed related.
Well, I love them Strongmen contests and the Women’s Extravaganza - so all they need to do is combine certain events in these and you’ve got it. However, the IFBB most likely (since I belive BB has rec’d recognition from the IOC), is to create a new qualification process for the Olympics. Maybe a new Team Universe -type contest for the National level and each country would have this new Team Universe type contest that would have class winners qualifying for either World Amatuer or Olympics. And the numnuk who said BB was not a sport - the sport is in the gym - but it is a very unique sport that combines art (if done right), science (nutrition and excercise) and entertainment (posing round). The most challenging sport I’ve ever partaken - and I’ve participated in ALOT of 'em. If the IFBB plays it’s cards right, BB in the Olympics would be very interesting.
Patricia, I feel that training for bodybuilding is a sport and athletic endeavour, but shaving, oiling up, wearing
skimpy trunks and posing on stage is not.
The problem is, how in the world do you
judge and award medals on someone’s training,
as opposed to final appearance?
The final appearance says relatively little
about the quality of the training itself,
so it’s a poor criterion for judging the athletic aspect.
Mr. Roberts, thanks for taking the time to reply to my statement. I understand the confusion when it comes to categorizing competitive bodybuilding as a sport. I believe many of the competitors feel the same way. But I also believe that BB has now been split into two different sports - natural and drugged to the gills. But what is “natural” anymore, also? I take creatine and will be trying some of the Biotest products for preparation for my next two shows. I understand the “banned substance” list - but hey, these new supplements seem pretty potent - but this is a whole different discussion. Anyways, the judging of BB contests is based on “end product”. Of what is achieved after the training, diet, etc. First let me say this, I personally hate the direction of BB in both men and women. I believe in 1988 - 1989 Women’s bodybuilding hit the mark of what a muscular woman should achieve. They (pros and amatuers) resembled beautiful statues - except carved from hardwork in the gym. Even the men weren’t all drugged to the hilt then. Okay, bodybuilding has a different purpose than strength training - I know you’d agree with this. If I was to train solely for strength, it would be detrimental to me once I hit the stage. I do know some competitors who have tremendous natural strength and train heavy up until the day of a show. Like I do. Now, they have their little “shoe box” (our term for drugs…long story) - and I don’t. But I think when you guys on this forum talk or make reference to bodybuilding, you’re thinking of the druggies - not the ones who are indeed training hard, naturally, day in and day out. My goal, when preparing for a contest, is improve my symmetry and proportion, maintain that hard earned muscle and be able to display it to it’s fullest come contest day. Naturally. And then after that, if my goal is to be able to finally bench 180lbs, I’ll traing specifically for that - or to improve my overall strength. Or if I want to get into a tournament and kick ass - it’s back in the dojo and back to pounding a heavy bag regulary. I believe in sport specificity training. And I do believe competitive bodybuilding is a unique sport. One more thing, if you don’t train hard in the gym in the first place, you’ll have no muscle up on stage. Pure and simple.
beauty and dance contests imo dont really belong in the olympics, whether on the ice or on the stage…
I like Bill's concept of an event or series of events that display feats of power, strength and speed. I would add one more element and that would be an agility event. I don't know what that event would be, perhaps some type of timed shuttle run or something. It would be a true pentathlon or even decathlon and It could be called something like the "ultimate athlete". I use this title as that is basically what athleticsm is all about, power, speed , strength and agility. Many sports have a high degree of one or two of these components, but I can't think of one that incorporates all four. I really believe the indivdual who could win the gold medal in this sport would be the world's ultimate athlete.