by Christian Duque
OK guys, let’s be trustworthy right here for a second as a result of lots of people within the health trade are speaking about all the cash there may be to be made by competing in bodybuilding competitions. I need to stress that the majority aggressive athletes on the high tier of the game don’t earn their cash based mostly on contest placings. In fact those that win the Olympia, the Arnold, the New York Professional and people type of reveals do make quantity of their earnings from prize cash, however the overwhelming majority of athletes that make up the rank and file don’t.
I believe that lots of people, even inside the media, are oblivious to the sum of money that’s required for a high tier physique-based athlete to prepare for only one present. I imply, let’s spell out the plain one which is medicine. Let’s say {that a} professional bodybuilder wins a contest paying the naked minimal for first place which is $10,000. $10,000 doesn’t even cowl the medicine for a traditional 16 week prep!! Particularly not after taxes!!
Furthermore, it doesn’t cowl gymnasium memberships, meals, and journey bills. Earlier than we transfer on to journey bills, that are a monstrous expense for many rivals, let’s not transfer away too rapidly from meals. Let’s not neglect that a number of bodybuilders have digestive points whether or not issues like celiac or that they need to eat natural, for instance.
Meals costs are mounting prices for high tier physique-based athletes. Then in fact there’s gymnasium memberships which aren’t low-cost as a result of most high athletes don’t practice in industrial kind gyms with on a regular basis folks. Most elite bodybuilders solely practice at members-only gyms –  that means that the membership is rigorously screened by administration. Joe Blow off the road couldn’t grow to be a member irrespective of how a lot cash he needed to place down on the desk. He most likely couldn’t even get a visitor cross. The one members allowed could be celebrities.
However let’s additionally discuss journey bills. One of many competitions which has drastically elevated its prize cash is the Dubai Professional. Do folks even know the way a lot it prices to get a aircraft ticket to Dubai? Or to Kuwait? Or actually wherever in that a part of the world?
It’s not such as you’re flying to New Jersey. It’s not such as you’re flying cross nation to Los Angeles. You might be flying all the best way around the globe. And it’s not even such as you’re going to save lots of a lot cash in case you fly primary economic system. You’re nonetheless going to be in for no less than $1500 if not $2000 and that’s only a naked airplane ticket. Overlook concerning the meals that you simply’re going to should spend on abroad, neglect about resort lodging!!
Do folks ever sit down and do the mathematics? For those who’re going to a present in Dubai you’re going to wish a resort room for no less than three or 4 nights. Resort rooms in Dubai are most likely not low-cost. Nothing is affordable in Dubai. I imply for crying out loud. They constructed a continent out of sand within the ocean only for enjoyable!! They’ve the tallest constructing on this planet. They drive round in Lamborghinis. Does anybody assume {that a} resort room goes to be inexpensive there?
I imply get actual.
So whereas I’d like to echo the feelings of a few of my fellow bodybuilding media personalities, the truth that Dubai is paying $40,000 actually isn’t something to jot down house about. Think about in case you’re inserting second or third and you need to foot the invoice for an airline ticket, a resort for per week, meals (which goes to even be monstrous as a result of who the hell eats like a bodybuilder wherever)? I imply we’re speaking about principally breaking even.
So in actuality, I believe there’s a number of media fanfare over a few of the contests providing more cash, when there shouldn’t be. It’s actually ridiculous for any media outlet to say that there’s some huge cash to be made for bodybuilders in 2024. That’s merely not the case. I imply we’re speaking a couple of sport that actually expects it’s athletes to pay for membership playing cards. No person is getting wealthy from competing in bodybuilding.
I’d love to take a seat right here and inform you that the game is doing proper by the athletes however let’s face it anyone that does a Bodybuilding present in 2024 for a high prize of $10,000 is actually being screwed over in so many ways in which I actually couldn’t even start to depend. The truth that some promoters elevate the prize cash to twenty,000 and $30,000 actually, actually doesn’t warrant a giant pat on the again. And I’m actually not going to take a seat right here and write some fluff piece to congratulate them for his or her generosity.
Promoters are being profitable hand over fist, and the folks getting screwed are the athletes. They should pay to compete and most of them will stroll away with nothing of their pocket, aside from a bunch of money owed that they may hopefully be capable of write off – offered they’ve sufficient sponsorship cash coming in or income from private coaching.
I’m sorry of us, however I simply can’t be a shill and write some bullshit article like different shops have finished. Or different video platforms have finished. It might be baseless propaganda.
I do know there’s some folks on the market saying that promoters have instantly seen the worth in bodybuilding reveals. My rebuttal to that argument could be that they’ve all the time seen the worth within the sport as a result of they’ve been selling reveals a few of them for 10, 20, 30 years or extra. They wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t worthwhile. The issue is the earnings aren’t distributed to the athletes in the identical diploma that they’re to people who promote the present and run the present. There’s a lopsided incomes scale on this sport that we have now actually bore witness to because the beginnings of it. The exceptions being the Olympia and The Arnold, however in all places else you look, the athletes are those strolling away with the quick finish of the stick.
There are the haves and have-nots and the athletes often are the have-nots. I imply this is the reason so many as soon as nice bodybuilders right now don’t have a pot to piss in and discover themselves sofa browsing at mates’ homes. Don’t even get me began on what number of bodybuilders I personally know of which can be perhaps a pair thousand {dollars} in need of being destitute.
And it doesn’t should be that approach, however sadly it’s. Some folks will say it’s as a result of bodybuilders don’t plan for the longer term, however I’d say hogwash to that.
The cash simply isn’t there.
That’s one of many luxuries that I’ve writing for Iron Journal. I by no means should whore out as a way to get an article printed. I say what I need to say, and I’ve the assist of a writer that additionally believes in freedom of expression. The truth of the matter is that bodybuilders and physique-based athletes can’t survive on contest earnings alone. I positively assume the elevated prize cash is a step in the proper course however it’s only a drop within the bucket. If we’re going to discuss actual prize cash, there may be going to should be a hell of much more of it within the pot earlier than the dialog can actually be had.
However as all the time, I depart it to you. What say you? Are you impressed with the elevated prize cash or do you assume like I do this it’s only a drop within the bucket?
