Andre Ferguson believes the sport of bodybuilding has grown because of divisions other than Open.
Men’s Physique bodybuilder Andre Ferguson has been an IFBB Pro for over a decade now and has shared many opinions on bodybuilding during that time. He has seen the sport grow over time and believes that his division, along with Bikini, are major reasons why. During a recent conversation, Ferguson credited divisions outside of Open for growing the sport.
“Men’s Physique, Bikini, Wellness keeps the lights on. The league wouldn’t be here without Men’s Physique or Bikini.”
Ferguson began his IFBB Pro career in 2015. He quickly earned a spot in the Olympia in his first year after winning the Europa Atlantic City Pro. Since then, Ferguson has totaled over 20 victories and has competed on the Olympia stage 10 times.
It has been another busy year for Ferguson. He most recently won the Men’s Physique title at the Masters Olympia. This was his fifth victory in Masters divisions of the year. Ferguson most recently competed at the Olympia in 2023, where he finished 14th. Last year, Ferguson finished fourth in his only competition — the New York Pro.
Andre Ferguson Talks Growth in Bodybuilding
Andre Ferguson began his career back in the early 2010s and has seen a lot of changes within the sport of bodybuilding. As it has grown over the years, Ferguson has credited divisions like Men’s Physique and Bikini, along with the growth in Wellness, for the amount of competitors that show up.
“When I jumped into bodybuilding, this was a dying business. Go to the shows. Bodybuilding has about five people in each class. Men’s Physique, Bikini, Wellness has about 30-40 people in each class. So which one is paying the bills? It’s not bodybuilding paying the bills.”
The issue of prize money in bodybuilding has also been a topic of discussion. Shows like the Arnold Classic and Olympia continue to raise the bar each year with a large majority of the purse going to Men’s Open.
Ferguson shared that he has no problem with the Open division earning the biggest prize but does not believe it should be as much more as it is.
“Do I think the money if f*cked up? Yes. Do I think the Open should get more money? F*ck yes they should. But not 25 times the amount.”
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