by Christian Duque
OK guys, let’s be sincere 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 wish to stress that almost all aggressive athletes on the prime tier of the game don’t earn their cash based mostly on contest placings. After all 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 prime tier physique-based athlete to prepare for only one present. I imply, let’s spell out the apparent 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 opponents, let’s not transfer away too rapidly from meals. Let’s not overlook that loads of bodybuilders have digestive points whether or not issues like celiac or that they have to eat natural, for instance.
Meals costs are mounting prices for prime tier physique-based athletes. Then after all there’s gymnasium memberships which aren’t low cost as a result of most prime athletes don’t practice in industrial sort gyms with on a regular basis folks. Most elite bodybuilders solely practice at members-only gyms – which means that the membership is fastidiously screened by administration. Joe Blow off the road couldn’t grow to be a member regardless of how a lot cash he wished to place down on the desk. He in all probability couldn’t even get a visitor move. The one members allowed can be celebrities.
However let’s additionally speak about 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 anyplace 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’re flying all the best way world wide. And it’s not even such as you’re going to avoid wasting a lot cash in case you fly fundamental financial system. You’re nonetheless going to be in for at the very least $1500 if not $2000 and that’s only a naked airplane ticket. Overlook in regards to the meals that you simply’re going to need to spend on abroad, overlook about lodge lodging!!
Do folks ever sit down and do the maths? In case you’re going to a present in Dubai you’re going to wish a lodge room for at the very least three or 4 nights. Resort rooms in Dubai are in all probability 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 the earth. They drive round in Lamborghinis. Does anybody suppose {that a} lodge 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 putting second or third and it’s a must to foot the invoice for an airline ticket, a lodge for every week, meals (which goes to even be monstrous as a result of who the hell eats like a bodybuilder anyplace)? I imply we’re speaking about mainly breaking even.
So in actuality, I believe there’s loads 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 few 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 sit down 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 prime prize of $10,000 is actually being screwed over in so many ways in which I actually couldn’t even start to rely. The truth that some promoters increase the prize cash to twenty,000 and $30,000 actually, truthfully doesn’t warrant a giant pat on the again. And I’m actually not going to sit down right here and write some fluff piece to congratulate them for his or her generosity.
Promoters are making a living hand over fist, and the folks getting screwed are the athletes. They need to 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 people, however I simply can’t be a shill and write some bullshit article like different shops have executed. Or different video platforms have executed. It will 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 can 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 income aren’t distributed to the athletes in the identical diploma that they’re to those who promote the present and run the present. There’s a lopsided incomes scale on this sport that we’ve 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 normally are the have-nots. I imply because of this so many as soon as nice bodybuilders as we speak don’t have a pot to piss in and discover themselves sofa browsing at buddies’ homes. Don’t even get me began on what number of bodybuilders I personally know of which are possibly a pair thousand {dollars} wanting being destitute.
And it doesn’t need to be that manner, however sadly it’s. Some folks will say it’s as a result of bodybuilders don’t plan for the long run, 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 need to whore out so as to get an article revealed. I say what I wish 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 undoubtedly suppose the elevated prize cash is a step in the appropriate path but it surely’s only a drop within the bucket. If we’re going to speak about actual prize cash, there may be going to need to 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 suppose like I do this it’s only a drop within the bucket?
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