Nick Scott details how pro wheelchair bodybuilding is judged and why the kind of injury each athlete has matters.
Nick Scott wants to get one thing clear – Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding is not about pitying the athletes and their injuries. It’s about being a sport just like any other for those in wheelchairs who have a passion for bodybuilding. That being said, when Nick Scott announces each athlete for their posing routine, he explains the kind of injury each person had sustained to end up in a wheelchair. There’s a reason for this. It’s to give the judges the best information possible to best judge each athlete fairly. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Nick Scott details exactly how Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding is judged in comparison to other divisions.
During our conversation with Pro Wheelchair bodybuilder and promoter Nick Scott, we asked him how the judging is different compared to other divisions. His answer was quick at first – it’s not very different. At the end of the day, the judges are looking for the same things as Men’s Open competitors. Who can bring the best package of muscle and conditioning? That’s always the goal.
Of course, there are some tweaks. Much like now Men’s Physique don’t get judged on their legs under the shorts, Pro Wheelchair bodybuilders won’t get judged based on most of their lower half.
But each injury and each situation for a wheelchair athlete is different. Some have more motion in their midsection than others. Due to this, the judges need to take into consideration the kind of injuries each wheelchair athlete has when scoring.
This is why when you watch Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding, you’ll see Nick Scott introduce each athlete by describing their injury. There’s actually two reasons for this. On one hand, it brings more of a story to the athlete you see on stage. It humanizes them and brings more interest and entertainment to the proceedings. The second reason is more technical, as mentioned earlier, it helps the judges know what to look for on each athlete.
This is to prevent advantages between each competitor. For instance, one competitor might have more control of their midsection – allowing for stronger conditioning in their abs. Another competitor might not be able to condition their midsection due to lack of movement in that area. Even further, another competitor might have a weaker midsection, but have full control of the area. That’s when the judges know to score lower for lack of conditioning.
Ultimately, the rest of the proceedings are the same. The judges look at each individual bodybuilder in their routines. Then they line them up for comparison rounds to see how each physique stacks up to each other.
During our interview, Nick Scott also details how he brought the Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding division into the Arnold Classic competition. Scott is a major driving force in bringing more recognition to this growing division and getting the division present at the Arnold Classic was a big step in that.
You can watch Nick Scott’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
