For those who are new to bodybuilding, it might be a good idea to know how an athlete competes for the title of Mr. Olympia – bodybuilding’s highest honor. How does a bodybuilder compete with the best in the world?
I’ll tell you, but first I have to preface this with this article to be clear: While the Olympia today consists of 11 divisions and most of the qualification requirements to compete in them are the same, my focus here is on the original Mr. Olympia open men’s competition that the entire fitness industry rests on.
While what I discuss here applies in many ways to other IFBB divisions, subtle conditions can arise and push some limits. Accordingly, it is about them – the basic element – and the process by which one stands to find one’s way between them.
Like competing in any world championship in any sport, The first thing you need to do is to qualify. And in bodybuilding, it’s the culmination of everything you’ve been through the years – forgiveness, suffering, dieting, sacrifice, heavy training after heavy training, fatigue and hunger, without a second. Because if you did, someone else would move up and pass you. Bodybuilding is a great option that leaves no stone unturned. In our world, these stones are the size of gravel and are large enough to pave a circular road. Every single one of them counts, and if just one of them fails and goes bad, the whole row of dominoes will fall.
Therefore, the dwellings on Mount Olympus are thin. Since Larry Scott first won the title in 1965, the title has been contested a total of 62 times, producing a total of 19 champions. To put it another way: in 61 consecutive years, only 19 people have won the title of Mr. Olympia. This makes The Sandow Cup is the rarest prize in modern sports– and you want.
Win Amateurs, Earn an IFBB Pro Card
Well, when you make some room on the mantle, you better make some room for a bunch of other prizes you have to win first. And this is just for the fans. Once you dive into the pros, you’re just starting to climb to the top.
Olympia is the world’s most famous bodybuilding championship. It is as high as it gets and there are no other contests at its level – it is the peak of Everest. Zenith of all body sports. Critics will criticize the Arnold Classic along with the Olympia, the honor being the same. But this is not. It is not alone. Mr. Olympia is the historical center of our universe. Every kid who dreamed of being a bodybuilder dreamed of becoming Mr. Olympia. Now, you can get Arnold to qualify for the Olympics, but not the other way around. It’s not two sides. This is Mr. O.
In this regard, those who want to improve the scene have to start somewhere. In IFBB pro bodybuilding, that means getting a pro card—your ticket to entry. As ubiquitous as the pro card is these days—it’s entirely possible that the beer-bathing girl at the trendy pool bar is an IFBB Bikini pro card lifter—it doesn’t make the card any easier to get, especially among the men chasing Sandow. Specifically for the Men’s Open, to “get” your pro card, you must win the US Championship, NPC Nationals, Junior Nationals, North America or Universe. There are also international tracks through the Arnold Amateur in Ohio and other international Arnold events, IFBB World Championships and NPC Worldwide qualifiers in various countries.
The road to Olympia is narrow with heavy traffic
But before you can compete in one of these shows in the US, you must qualify by winning a national qualifier. These days, many of the state level shows are national open competitions.
Here you can fight for years to get out, or you can take the fast track. If you take your time and wait to compete until you’re ready – until you’re Olympia caliber – you can actually win a state level show, sometimes even just in your weight class, which qualifies you for an NPC national show. Win there and you get your pro card. If you are an aggressive and talented monster who gets the hint of the federation, you can immediately enter your first show – an Olympic qualifying tournament, win it and qualify for the Olympia. No one has done it, but it could happen. The way is there. But you’d have to be a previously invisible freak to walk away.
No matter what kind of monster you are, you have to win the Olympic qualifiers to compete in the big show. Besides the Arnold, there are many events in the US – New York Pro, Tampa Pro, Toronto Pro, Pittsburgh Pro, to name a few. There are also few held around the world – for example, recently the British Arnold was a qualifier for the Olympics.
I made it look easy, but it’s not. While there are and are outliers who come out of nowhere and shoot for the top, for most it’s a high pitch. I know guys who have spent a decade or more trying professionally. It is not easy – especially today. Competition is as fierce as ever, especially among professionals. A lot of guys turn pro and you never see them again.
To add more pressure to the equation, qualifying for Olympia is also a strategic consideration in managing your professional career. Should you try to get as soon as possible after the Olympics or as close to it as possible? How do you manage your condition better? It’s one of the many gambles athletes take when competing in the Olympics. Some guys blow it, don’t make it and have to try again next season.
Competing in the Olympics is serious business. Nothing is allowed to slip. If you have any doubts, remember: In 61 years, only 19 people have been crowned Mr. Olympia. Out of eight billion people in the world – only 19 people.
What does that tell you?
