AMATEUR BODYBUILDING IS ANYTHING BUT

Bodybuilders are not professional in the strictest sense but we are all professionals in this sport

COMMENT By Gary Chappell

WELCOME to frontdouble.com – the new home of amateur bodybuilding. This website has been created because there is nothing currently serving the growing community of amateur bodybuilders. Here, you are the main attraction. You are the stars of the show.

Most of us know the professional game; who won the Mr Olympia, the Arnold etc. We all hear stories of what those pros are doing, inside and outside of the gym. There are many websites catering for those people.

But the amateur game is arguably much bigger. And it is far more accessible. We are seeing teenagers as young as 14 compete. And Masters all the way up to over 60.

Not every one will become an IFBB Pro. And not everyone wants to. And the number of federations open to amateur bodybuilders now is huge. So this is why frontdouble.com was created. To be the home of amateur bodybuilding.

WE ARE ALL PROS HERE

But let us make one thing clear. None of us are amateurs. The word sometimes implies 'second rate', not good at what they do. This is clearly a case of semantics.

Look, 'professional' in the strictest sense of the word, means 'someone who earns a living from what they do'. I have been a journalist for more than 25 years. It is how I earn my living. I am a professional. Some might say otherwise depending on what I have written, but that is another story...

Even most professional bodybuilders are not professional; they do not earn a living solely from competing. They earn money from sponsorship deals and other aspects linked to their career.

Bodybuilders like us – me included – are amateurs in that we do not earn a living from competing, either.

But let me tell you this: anyone who manages to step on stage in true competitive condition needs a professional outlook and dedication like nothing else. No other sport requires such commitment in the gym or outside of the gym, to any aspect of off-season or prep, than bodybuilding does.

So while this is the home of amateur bodybuilding, remember this: We are all professionals.