Is bodybuilding a sport is a question that has divided opinion for decades. On the surface, it clearly involves competition, discipline and physical effort. But unlike traditional sports, bodybuilding is judged on appearance rather than performance, which is where the debate begins.
WE have done it! We've made it through the 352 days of January. Phew, it’s been a long, cold and rather skint month for us all.
With Christmas almost a distant memory, I'm sat here reflecting on the rather wonderful time I had celebrating with friends and family. Christmas Day was a particular highlight for me as it was spent with my kids, my partner and my parents. We went out for a slap-up traditional Christmas dinner at a local restaurant.
During the festivities, among a piles of brussels sprouts, pigs in blankets and FAR too many Quality Street, the conversation at the table turned to sport. My stepdad (henceforth known as SD) is an avid sports fan and I truly mean that. Cut him and he would bleed blue and white (he's a fully fledgedTottenham Hotspur fan). He and my mother even have two separate lounges, one where my mum will watch her soaps and docusoaps and the other where my SD will watch wall-to-wall sport. I think this is what has kept their marriage a happy one...
In between mouthfuls of turkey and stuffing, I asked him if he considered bodybuilding a sport. The answer was a resounding no. I'll admit to being slightly taken aback. This man is a HUGE sports fan. He watched pretty much every discipline during the Olympics, from boxing to badminton, archery to athletics. Ask him about practically any sport and would be able to hold a well-educated conversation about it. This is why I value his opinion and asked him in the first place.
When I probed further, his reasoning is that 'it's a glorified beauty pageant, one which is based on personal opinion'. He argued that not all weight lifting sports are pageants. He is a fan of strongman and power lifting as they are quantifiable, with regards to how they are judged.
We then got to talking about what makes an athlete. I asked him, 'would you consider me an athlete if you don't consider bodybuilding a sport'? Again, the answer surprised me. No, he does not consider me an athlete.
Just for a bit of context, I am an IFBB Pro women's bodybuilder. I have competed for roughly 10 years (have been bodybuilding for 16 years). I have competed in 21 bodybuilding competitions and my medal tally is; 16 1st places, three 2nd places and one 3rd place. The rest were top five.
Totally perplexed by this revelation, I asked him to define an athlete. In his words, he told me it was a person who competes in a competitive sport. As he does not consider competitive bodybuilding a sport I, based on that metric, cannot be an athlete.
Let’s consider this for a moment. The BBC's Sports Personality of the Year had only been broadcast a few days before our conversation. The runner up of the title for 2025 was Luke Littler, above, the 18-year-old who is now the reigning PDC world champion after winning the 2025 World Championship. An incredible achievement, especially given his young age. I asked SD if Luke was an athlete, he answered yes. More of an athlete than me? SD pondered this, obviously seeing where I was going with it. But ultimately he agreed that Littler was more of an athlete as he considers darts a sport – by virtue of the fact it was included in the BBC's Sports Personality contest.
Now, I have to say I disagree with all his opinions. Let’s dissect this. If we are to define a sport purely on the fact it has a place in the Olympics, then figure skating, synchronised swimming, break dancing and dressage are also sports. These are individually judged competitions that are awarded points due to hitting the criteria of that practice. How is bodybuilding different from that?
And if a darts player who, I would suggest, has little to no basic athleticism can be considered an athlete, where serious and pro bodybuilders who live and breathe correct training, nutrition and sleep regardless of whether they are on or off season cannot, how are we to accurately define an athlete?
Webster's definition of an athlete is: "A person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility or stamina". By that definition alone we could argue bodybuilders are athletes as they train at least four to five times a week. They are well trained in exercises, they require physical strength to create muscle and aesthetics and a lot of stamina is needed to actually perform the mandatory poses on stage as part of the criteria of their class.
The following video was put together by Mark Taylor, the partner of Louise Plumb, and is further evidence of just why she is undoubtedly an athlete.
Let’s go back to Webster's dictionary. Their definition of a sport is "a physical activity that is done for enjoyment". So by that definition alone, bodybuilding is a sport.
A quick survey of my 'civilian' friends showed that most thought bodybuilding is a pageant of sorts and NOT a sport. What I could gather from this was that they are very unaware of the criteria that is expected in competitions. The amount of effort, physical and mental strength that is needed to compete at any level, let alone the pro level. And lastly, the criteria to which they are judged.
I had the privilege of being a head judge for a federation for a good number of years and as such I have judged many bodybuilding shows, from regional qualifiers to British Finals. Let me tell you this, bodybuilding is judged (when judged fairly) on a very strict set of criteria that differs depending on the category you are competing in. So the point scoring is very different for a bikini athlete than a female bodybuilder. Every marker the athlete hits is a point awarded. Every mandatory pose is scrutinised and compared between the guys/girls on stage. We take our time ensuring the winner of each class is the one that represents the criteria as closely as possible. Personal tastes or relationships are (and should absolutely) not a part of the judging.
I pondered on all these points as I mopped up some gravy with a roast potato. It could also be argued that one of SD's favourite sports has a similar scoring system to bodybuilding. Boxing is a wildly popular sport. But unless there is a knockout, or the fight is stopped by the referee, the decision lies with the judges. They do not always align, so a degree of personal opinion also comes into play. And yet that is never held as a reason as to why boxing shouldn't be considered a sport.
Let’s also argue that dressage or break dancing are very subjective sports to judge and score. Personal opinion and seeing the small details others can’t is what makes the judging so hard. But ultimately no one argues that they are sports.
So what makes bodybuilding a sport, unequivocally (in my opinion)?
1. The training is intense and physically/mentally extremely difficult. I could write an entire article about how it’s one of the toughest (if not THE toughest) sport to compete in.
2. There is very little riding on natural talent. The more work you put in (practicing, refining), the better you are at competing. This covers all aspects, not just the size and shape of you, but your posing, your routine etc. Yes, we can argue that some people are naturally gifted with their physique, but they are few and far between. The vast majority must work very hard for a good number of years to bring up lacking areas.
3. The judging system. The scores are based on the criteria of the specific class you are competing in. Bikini/Men's Physique is largely based on stage presence and overall marketable aesthetic (as well as poise, shape and muscle tone). You have figure, classic and bodybuilding, where marketability does not enter the judging and you are judged based on size, proportions, symmetry and leanness. Most classes have different poses that need to be mastered and each class is judged accordingly.
To quote Adrian Kind in his research article 'Journal of the Philosophy of Sport' on tandfonline.com: "Since its inception, bodybuilding required not only similar training dedication as other weightlifting disciplines but also a focus on skillful posing to highlight muscular features. While originating from a sport, whether bodybuilding is a sport or art form is controversial."
It may be controversial to some, but to this bodybuilder the answer is simple. Bodybuilding not only IS a sport, but it’s one of the toughest ones out there. Oh and we are also 100 per cent athletes.
Loved this article, so thought provoking as I have considered it a sport. As stated the dedication and commitment required to achieve a body like this is one that i couldn’t achieve so I take my hat off to you as I look in awe of what is achievable.
Leave a Reply