Are there too many IFBB Pros out there today?

When it comes to competing in any athletic endeavor there’s no doubt that a certain amount of pain and sacrifice has to be doled out. When competing professionally there’s no doubt that those elements are heightened ten fold. There’s a big difference between training in the gym for everyday aesthetics and actually prepping to get stage ready.

Bodybuilding is all about being meticulous, about adhering to a strict program in order to see the best results. If you have hopes of winning a major competition then it means you have to put your best foot forward, train hard, and diet like a madman.

But now with the inclusion of so many new divisions such as physique, fitness, and figure – there seems to be a few pros out there that believe getting a pro card is easier than ever. Gone are the days when the IFBB pro card was something mythic… a true testament to surpassing unreal challenges among the masses. Some even believe many of the new bodybuilders entering into the pro ranks have been given a far easier road than those who came before them. It’s controversial to say the least, but not something completely unfounded.

Jose Raymond is a competitor in the 212 division with a great deal of promise. The bodybuilder has accomplished a great deal during his IFBB career and as the 2015 Olympia approaches, the 212 standout has a lot on his mind. Muscular Development caught up with Raymond to tackle the issue of the ease in which new pros are receiving their pro cards:

“I’m not even 40, but I come from a different time/era. Being an IFBB Pro used to mean something. It was a title to be respected and earned. Today it seems like everyone and anyone has it in front of their name on Facebook, and I’ve never even heard of half of them. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a hater and I’m happy they have reached a goal, but how satisfying was it really to get it after only one or two years of competing or in some cases in their second show ever? There used to be a pecking order where you were groomed and forced to “pay your dues.” By the time one turned pro, everybody knew your name already and that included men’s and women’s bodybuilding, Fitness and even the early days of Figure. Today I have no clue who most of these pros are or even what division they compete in. Still, I congratulate them on their achievements. I just personally wouldn’t get overly excited about something that 55 other people also achieved that same day in the same show!”

– Jose Raymond speaking with MD.

What do you think? Do bodybuilders have easy go of it these days? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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CJ Cummings could be a future Olympic lifting champion.

Bodybuilding is all about putting up weights, having a strict diet, and remaining dedicated to your overall goal. When it comes to competitive bodybuilding, all of that is ramped up to the next level. Competitive weightlifting is an endeavor that’s pretty similar to bodybuilding as well. It requires a pretty high level of dedication as well, except the focus is on building strength rather than just building muscle.

One of the major differences between competitive bodybuilding and weightlifting events like Olympic Lifting is that one has a much longer road until true greatness can be attained. Bodybuilding is all about building up muscle maturity, constantly improving your body until you’re stage ready. But true achievement in bodybuilding can take a great deal of years until you’re able to compete on a professional stage. Until obtaining a pro card, most amateur bodybuilders are looked on as impressive prospects that could go far.

Olympic lifting in contrast can produce stars at almost any age. Since the sport is focused on building strength rather than building muscle, the focus is completely different. The time it takes for an individual to build some impressive strength can come about as early as their teen years while most bodybuilders don’t begin to make major development until they reach into their twenties.

For instance, take CJ Cummings, a fifteen year old Olympic lifter that looks to be on the road to greatness. The numbers he’s able to put up at his age are pretty rare and remarkable. Recently the teenage Olympic lifter had an impressive showing that proved that great strength can be attained even at an early age. Cummings is putting up numbers that are more impressive than many long time lifter’s personal bests. Take a look.

Are you impressed with CJ Cummings’ feat of strength? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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Knives. His only weakness.

This one actually happened a few months ago – but it’s starting to make rounds around the internet now and is so ridiculous that we can’t not talk about it. Look, we all like to use big words when it comes to our gains: massive, mammoth, rock-hard, impenitrable… it helps explain how powerful we feel after lifting some heavy-ass weights and getting that pump. But the truth is we are NOT inpenitrible no matter how strong we may feel or even look.

But it looks like someone didn’t get the memo. On February 15th, a Russian bodybuilder was critically stabbed right in the gut by a party guest after claiming he has “knife-proof abs” that couldn’t be penetrated. The Russian Interior Ministry reported:

“The owner of the home got a big kitchen knife and asked his guest to stab him in the stomach. [The guest] refused at first, saying he was afraid he would kill the host. However, the host said that in his childhood he was involved in martial arts and the knife could not penetrate his abs.”

A stab and a bunch of blood later, the bodybuilder was rushed to the hospital and treated for the wounds. Needless to say a good amount of alcohol was probably thrown in the mix during this wonderful decision making process – but let this be a lesson to all bodybuilders. We may be massive but there’s a fine line between a bodybuilder and Superman – even if the two kind of look similar.