Who feels bodybuilding has ruined strength training in America??

[SofaGeorge]

But then again, I've NEVER heard of ANY powerlifter signing a contract valued at over 200,000 dollars/yr., let alone MILLIONS.

I work on the other side of the coin. I hire actors and models for comemrcials and infomercials... print ads... etc...

You will never see anyone signing a million dollar contract in bodybuilding or powerlifting for a simple reason:

TV-Q

There isn't anyone in powerlifitng or bodybuilding that has TV-Q... or TV-B for that matter.

Now let me guess... every person who has read this post at this point is saying, "What is TV-Q?" (Except Spatts. She is saying, "What the f-ck is TV-Q?")

TV-Q is an enormously important characteristic that we look at in advertising - it is the recognizability factor. Arnold Swarzenneger has a huge recognizability factor. Almost everybody in the world knows his face. Oprah is another high TV-Q... everybody knows her.

The problem with bodybuilding and powerlifting... you could take the top person in the field and put them on TV and not 2 people in 100 would know who they are.

I couldn't put Ronnie Coleman on a 60 second commercial to sell protein powder. Who cares if a big muscular guy that nobody has ever heard of (or trusts) says to use it.

On the other hand - if Oprah said she just lost weight using my protein powder I would sell out in a day. (That is because along with TV-Q she also has TV-B. TV-B is the believability factor - people trust her and believe what she says.)

There is no money for people in endorsements unless they ahve TV-Q... and hopefully TV-B. Everybody knows and loves Michael Jordan. Hence, he makes 60 million plus a year in endorsements. Everybody knows George Foreman... hence he cut a 200 million dollar deal for his barbeque grills.

I could make more money selling protein powder using Jim Carrey than I could using Flex Wheeler in a million years. Why? It doesn't matter that Jim is a tooth pick. In my ads he would be a tooth pick who decided to get into shape.

Hmmm... actually that might work.

Bottom line is - it's all about TV-Q. If an athlete has TV-Q the money will follow. If he doesn't... there is no pay out.

And unfortunately, sports like bodybuilding and powerlifitng don't develop recognizable stars... there is no way to generate interesting TV coverage of the events. There are no Monday night games.

 

[casualbb]

Besides, I never really cared for the distinctions, and didn't see why powerlifters couldn't ALSO be bodybuilders and vice-versa. Why the dichotomy?

Champion powerlifters are selected for strength genetics. Champion bodybuilders are selected for "my muscles look pretty" genetics. That's why they don't generally crossover. It's beyond rare that someone will have good genes for both.

 

[c3ntrifug3]

I just have to post a couple observations/opinions:

ThaiBox: Body building is not easier than powerlifting. Period. I'm sorry, but neither can be quantified or compared in any substantive way. I straddle the line between the two: I'm 20 years old, 230 pounds at around 10% bf. I've tried my hardest to get down to 10% but getting down to 5% or less? I honestly think it would be impossible for me and that's why I have so much respect for guys that can do that.

As for powerlifting, I've hit good lifts on bench, deads and squats but I can't imagine benching 800 pounds. It's just not possible to compare them.

And as for the popularity of each, I have to say that BBing is a little more practical than powerlifting. Up until about 200 years ago, physical strength played a very substantial role in everyday life, but that role has slowly dwindled until, today, it's almost nonexistent except in sports or a very few vocations.

I'd have to say that natural bodybuilding is probably also the more healthy route to take and is, generally, more forgiving on joints, tendons, ligaments and arteries.

But like many people have said...to each their own. Let's just not have an "us versus them" war where we have all the powerlifters calling the bodybuilders "homosexuals" and all the bodybuilders calling the powerlifters "fat asses". That kind of stuff isn't productive and doesn't help advance the science of either sport - it just breeds discontent.

 

[revexrevex]

nicely put

 

[Shark01]

You come on here and insult everyone with your rude generalizations so I gave you one back, unfortunately that went over your head.

I am through with your ignorant comments, if you would like to continue to get out your Napolean frustrations then do via pm.

This whole thread is about generalizations. I stated my opinion just like the guy that started the thread, you were the one playing the homo card like a little baby when you couldn't come up with a legitimate comment. Now sac up, act like a man and think rationally.

Like I said, bodybuilding at the highest levels isn't a great career choice either. Crappy money, stuffing yourself with every drug you can think of, guys dropping dead by the age of 40, having to kiss weiders ass to get anywhere, fixed contests. It hasn't gone anywhere since the mid 70s it seems. They used to televise the Olympia on major networks, now you can't even catch it on ESPN at midnight. Its more underground now than anytime since the 50s.........hell, they don't even have a human playing the Hulk anymore

About 10 years ago, I thought the Worlds Strongest Man series would lift strength training and exhibition to a new level, but if Americans aren't dominating America isn't interested. If Tiger Woods was Japanese, the golf tour would still be paying the $250k first prizes they were 10 years ago.

But blaming BB for strength training unpopularity is rediculous

 

[sk*]

Back at college, I have seen guys look and fix their hairs for over 1 HOUR in the mornings. That should answer a few questions ...

Most girls don't care how strong you are, and most guys train for female attention (at least that's why they start). Usually the motive changes after a little while, but who here can argue that the majority of the people in the gyms didn't start training just to look good? (A few exceptions are athletes as they are told to do so by their coaches)

-sk

 

[spatts]

The problem with bodybuilding and powerlifting... you could take the top person in the field and put them on TV and not 2 people in 100 would know who they are.

....and only one of them would care.

 

[c3ntrifug3]

IronLion, Shark...both of you are doing the exact same thing you're criticizing the other person for doing. The internet's not about bravado, guys...it's about ideas and thinking.

Please just drop it because neither of you is going to prove anything.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Real men would settle this with knives.

 

[revexrevex]

no knives, back to basics, fist fight