PCA Masters Championships: Pro Cards not limited to overall winners
The federation says the number of Pro Cards will depends on the size of the event and quality of athletes
By Gary Chappell
THE PCA has suggested that more than just overall winners at its new Masters Championship could be awarded pro cards.
The contest, to be held at the Connexin Live Arena in Hull on October 3, will be the federation’s first event dedicated exclusively to Masters competitors.
While it was already understood that this show would be a pro qualifier for the PCA's Masters Pro Division, the exact number of cards had not been clarified. However, the PCA has now made clear that there will be no fixed quota and that the final decision will rest with the judging panel on the day.
Speaking to Frontdouble, the federation said: “The total number of Pro Cards awarded will depend on the size of the event and the quality of the athletes competing. There is no set quota and the final decision will be made on the day by our head judges.”
The PCA also stressed that Pro status would only be awarded when the standard justifies it.
The federation added: “PCA is committed to maintaining the prestige and exclusivity of its Pro Status by awarding it only to the most deserving athletes. The Pro Card will never be granted automatically or by default.”
The wording suggests that Pro Cards may not be restricted solely to overall winners at the PCA Masters Championships, as is often the case at amateur bodybuilding shows. In fact, PCA Pro Cards are only usually awarded at its flagship events, such as the Universe, British Championships, Worlds and UK Open.
Instead, it appears that individual class winners could potentially earn Pro status if the standard is high enough, giving more Masters competitors a genuine opportunity to turn professional.
The PCA Masters Championships is expected to attract strong interest from older competitors across the UK – with the show already 25 per cent full.
With the number of Pro Cards ultimately dependent on the calibre of athletes who step on stage, the message from the PCA is clear: earn it on the day.
This season's full UK bodybuilding show calendarHERE.
This season's bodybuilding results from recent PCA shows can be found HERE.
Should IFBB Masters Pro Card winners only compete in Masters?
The new IFBB Pro League dilemma
By Gary Chappell
WHEN the dust settled in Milan at the NPC European Masters last month, a handful of athletes walked away with something bigger than medals: IFBB Pro League cards. For most people, this is the pinnacle of an amateur bodybuilding career – the ticket to the big league.
But in the days following the show, a quiet debate has begun around bodybuilding scene:
If you win your Pro Card in a Masters-only event, should you only compete in Masters? Or does earning that card give you the right – and the expectation – to step into the Open?
This is not an abstract discussion. It's already affecting athletes who stood on that stage in Milan. And those who did not.
What Is an IFBB Masters Pro Card?
An IFBB Masters Pro Card is awarded to competitors who win their class at age-restricted bodybuilding events, such as the European Masters.
Unlike Open Pro Cards, which are earned in unrestricted competition, the European Masters is only available to athletes over a certain age category, typically 35 or 40 and above.
However, once awarded, an IFBB Pro Card carries the same status regardless of how it was earned, allowing athletes to compete in Open professional divisions as well as Masters shows.
The core issue: A fairness problem nobody wants to talk about
At the European Masters, some competitors finished had, either this season or in previous seasons, placed behind athletes who were not even old enough to be eligible for that Milan show. Those younger athletes never got the chance to test themselves under the same judging panel, in the same format, on the same day.
Yet now, ironically, the older Masters athletes become IFBB Pros, while the younger, arguably better athletes from the same regional pool remain amateurs, partly because they are not old enough to win their professional status at a Masters show.
To many competitors watching from the sidelines, it raises eyebrows.
Is it fair that someone who wins a Pro Card in an age-restricted field can immediately jump into the Open Pro ranks – ahead of people who might have beaten them in a non-Masters comparison?
What the IFBB Pro League actually says
Winning a Pro Card – regardless of whether it’s from the Open, Juniors, or Masters – grants the same status:
You are a full IFBB Pro.
You may compete in any Pro division for which you qualify, including Open shows.
You do not have to stay in Masters competitions.
On paper, it is simple. In reality, it is more complicated.
Are Masters cards “easier”?
This is no disrespect to Masters athletes – in fact, quite the opposite. Many of them are incredible, often more complete, more conditioned and more polished than their younger counterparts. In fact, frontdouble.com recently published an article about how the Masters division is now raising the bar.
But the competitive depth in a Masters lineup is almost always thinner than the Open.
This means a Masters competitor can earn a Pro Card without ever beating the best amateurs in their region. And to some observers, that does not quite sit right. To others, however, it is simply the reward for longevity and commitment.
The practical consequence: Jumping the queue
Here’s the uncomfortable truth many athletes won’t say publicly:
With the greatest amount of respect, a Masters Pro Card can be considered a shortcut into the IFBB Pro League. And because stepping into the Open Pro ranks immediately raises your profile, it creates a situation where age-restricted victories produce Open-category professionals who did not get the nod when battling the top amateurs head-to-head. Perhaps this is why Masters Pro Card winners should compete only as Masters Pros, despite what the ruling says.
From a competitive integrity standpoint, that is a debate worth having.
So: Should Masters Pros stay in Masters?
There are three arguments:
1. YES – They should stay in Masters
Because the qualification was earned in an age-restricted setting. A Masters Pro should compete against other Masters Pros to maintain parity.
2. NO – A Pro Card is a Pro Card
The rules are the rules. If you’ve earned Pro status, you’ve earned the right to compete wherever you want.
3. The middle ground – a restructure
Some might argue for a system where:
Masters Pro Cards grant access to Masters Pro shows only, while Open Pro qualification must be earned against non-age-restricted competitors.
Where does this leave the European Masters?
The Milan show highlighted a structural reality in the sport:
You don’t need to beat the best amateurs to become an Open Pro — you just need to win the right show.
For some, that is an opportunity. For others, it is a distortion. But one thing is clear:
As Masters events continue to expand across Europe, this fairness question will grow louder, especially among the younger amateurs watching athletes they might have beaten step past them into the Pro ranks.
For clarity, no athlete should ever have their achievement devalued. And this is not what this article sets out to do. Winning any Pro Card requires discipline, sacrifice and a level of commitment most people will never understand.
But the sport evolves through honest conversations. And the European Masters has forced one.
Neil Andrews: From heart surgery to IFBB Pro in three Years
UK bodybuilder Neil Andrews completes remarkable comeback from life-threatening heart surgery to earn IFBB Pro status at the European Masters
By Gary Chappell
IN 2022 Neil Andrews was told he could die from heart surgery. On Saturday, November 15, 2025 he became an IFBB Pro bodybuilder.
A routine scale and polish three years ago turned into a nightmare for Andrews. Bacteria entered his bloodstream from a small cut in his gum and subsequently devoured his heart valve.
It left him needing life-saving surgery and requires a £14,000 mechanical valve that now keeps him alive.
Since that time Andrews has returned to the stage not only to win a PCA Pro card but now the coveted IFBB Pro League card, after winning the European Masters Over 40 in Milan.
Writing on social media, Andrews said: "I have achieved something I have been chasing for years. I became an IFBB Pro.
"This one hits different because of everything that goes on behind the scenes that most people never see. Balancing multiple businesses. Being a father to a 12-month old. Being a present partner. Running a big coaching team. And still showing up every day with relentless intent to be better.
"There were days I questioned if I could keep all the plates spinning but moments like this remind me exactly why I never stopped.
"Thank you to every single person who sent messages. The amount of love and support that came through my phone was unreal and I appreciate every single one of you."
Andrews was not the only one to enjoy success at the European Masters.
Perhaps regarded as often the bridesmaid and never the bride, Matt Tofton also secured IFBB Pro status when winning the Over 35 class.
He said: "What a day! A day that many people have said has been a long time coming. Now, I don’t know about that but I do know this day wouldn’t have come at all if it wasn’t for the people that surround me.
"I have the most incredible family and friends that support me, encourage, inspire and motivate me. That pick me up when needed but also kick my ass when needed.
"I'm also very fortunate to have some incredible sponsors. The best supplement company in the world @strom_sports_nutrition and all of the Strom family. I can’t thank Rich enough for what he has done and continues to do for me. I love the man to bits and he also well and truly comes under friends and family.
"As do @youth.revisited, a company that has supported me since they began. The reason I am able to stay on top of my bloodwork so well and keep me as healthy as possible in this game called bodybuilding.
"Thirdly @thoroughbredlabs7, who have recently taken me on to their team and helped me out in a big way in such a short space of time. Also a special mention to the ones I don’t know that still take the time to message me words of support. It means so much. Thank you."
Over 40 and dominant: Why Masters bodybuilding is raising the bar
Over 40 bodybuilding is no longer a secondary category. Across the UK, Masters athletes are raising the standard, bringing size, condition and experience that often rivals – and sometimes surpasses – open competitors.
By Gary Chappell
FOR years, Masters bodybuilding was treated as an afterthought. A place for older competitors to dust off the trunks, show they had still “got it” and then quietly make way for the younger lads in the Open. That view is finished. The truth is this: Masters Bodybuilding is now one of the strongest, most competitive divisions in the UK.
Go to any PCA, NABBA or 2Bros show and the evidence is there. The Over-40s are turning up fuller, harder and sharper than many half their age. Far from being a second-tier class, Masters has become the proving ground for dense, mature muscle and serious condition.
Why over 40 bodybuilding is growing
Why? Experience, for one. By 40, the average competitor has spent two decades under the bar. Mistakes have been made, lessons learned and physiques built layer by layer. That maturity shows. Where juniors and first-timers often bring nice lines but lack thickness, Masters physiques carry the granite look only years of training can produce.
GRANITE: Masters Over 40 and Open boddybuilder Neil Andrews
Take competitors such as Neil Andrews and Jay Davies, both of whom are in their early 40s but who routinely compete and win Open bodybuilding classes. Indeed, Andrews is a PCA Pro, won that federation's Masters Pro British title last season and defends it on Sunday, October 19.
And that is to name just two. You can include in that list the likes of 2025 NABBA Masters Mr Britain Ricky Moore, 2024 NABBA Masters Mr England Nader Zareinoor and 2023 PCA Britain Over 40s winner Alan Carson.
The standard in Masters categories
The simple fact is that many of Over 40 Masters bodybuilding competitors are stepping on stage every bit as ready as the so-called young guns. You can even stretch this to the Over 50s, with Sunday's PCA British Finals having to split that class into Over 50 short and Over 50 tall due to the sheer numbers competing.
And it is not just size. Conditioning is often better in Masters. There is less chasing of social media “fullness” and more attention to detail. Glutes, hamstrings, abs – the cuts are there, the stage presence is polished, the professionalism obvious.
SIMPLY MAGIC: Jay Davies will be heading to Milan for the European Masters in November
This isn’t to say Opens are weak. Far from it. But the stereotype that Masters is the warm-up act simply does not hold any more. Classes are routinely stacked – and stacked with great physiques. You will often find Class 2 bodybuilding categories with far fewer competitors than the Masters. Britain’s bodybuilding backbone is being carried by athletes over 40 who are proving longevity, maturity and discipline still matter.
Federations should take note. If Masters is consistently drawing deep line-ups of high calibre athletes, maybe it deserves more spotlight – not less.
Over 40 is not the end. In UK bodybuilding right now, it is very often the standard.
Masters bodybuilder Ian Christopher is one of the most consistent competitors in the UK right now, with multiple wins and pro cards to his name.
1: What first drew you to bodybuilding?
Honestly, I began training to try and get attention from girls when I was younger (typical lad thing to do). But seeing my body change was addictive. When I attended my first bodybuilding show (UKBFF in Port Talbot) I was hooked. Hearing the crowd shouting and seeing the pose down (which was far more physical back then), I knew i wanted to compete one day.
2: What’s your ‘why’? What keeps you pushing through hard preps and off-seasons?
My 'why' normally is not to let myself or others in my circle down. But this season there have been a few additional reasons. Mainly my last outing in 2022 didn't really go according to plan. I placed second three times (something I didn't like after placing first in all my other previous regional shows). I felt I could have done more and that I competed for the wrong reasons. Like thinking more about friends and family seeing me win again, rather than treating the prep itself as the main focus. Also a previous coach said to me when I was forced to leave him due to financial reasons: "Those that stay with me progress, those that don't won't." That stuck with me every day, driving me to give him the big 'f*ck you'. What's comical now looking back is that this season I actually beat one of his athletes. So the feeling after was twice as nice for that reason alone.
3: How would you describe your relationship with your body today?
I'm far more consistent now and dedicated to the sport. Previously I would binge and go out on the p*ss drinking during the off-season and try and play catch-up. Now I live like a bodybuilder day in, day out and treat my body in the best way I can. As I own and operate a coaching business also, my body in terms of appearance and functionality is a key element to this, so I try and prioritise it. Regular physio, good food, limited alcohol, etc. Without it I would not be able to do what I love.
4: Was there a turning point where you started to see yourself as an athlete, not just a gym-goer?
I'd always played team sports but found that you were always reliant on others, or they were reliant on you. So you could be the best player and still lose, or the worst player causing others to lose. And I didn't like it. The first prep I did taught me a lot about myself. How to push past limits, how I was happy being on my own focusing on myself and my goals. Winning my first show and the feeling on stage will not be rivalled. I realised that bodybuilding, in terms of competing, was something I was pretty good at because I was willing to commit everything, sometimes more than most.
5: What’s something people often misunderstand about you — or about bodybuilding in general?
That I'm cool with having a 'boring' life – I prefer it. I often get asked, don't you wish you could just go out more, or come out on this night out, etc. I'm someone now who likes routine and structure. I don't think I could live without it now and I choose to do this, it's not forced upon me. Bodybuilding makes me a more organised, focused and driven person. And I like that, as I'm someone who always chases 'more'.
6: How do you mentally handle show day nerves or physique comparisons?
When approaching a show now I tend to stay off social media and just focus on myself. I used to be awful for comparing myself to others. And what I realised recently is, everyone can look good and big and lean in a photo with decent lighting or after a pump. But it's when you're stood next to other bodybuilders on stage that the true comparisons can be made. A younger me thrived off the challenge of going against others. The more calm and relaxed me still uses it as motivation when training. But I'm a lot calmer now IF I know I've done everything I can for the show. As for show day, I try and keep myself to myself and do as little as possible until it's time to walk out on stage.
7: What does your ideal off-season look like, mentally and physically?
Life for me is busy, so I have to have structure and be organised to fit everything in, what with my main job, plus the coaching business, as well other things that need to be done as part of my personal life, including training. So off-season is similar to prep on the whole now. But ideally with more time and energy to spend with family and friends enjoying life, being happy and be present. Things like the diet and training don't change, except there's more food. And training perhaps includes a little less output (ie cardio).
8: What sacrifices have you had to make to chase this goal?
Countless. But personally I wouldn't call them sacrifices, as for me this season was more than I could ever have imagined, so everything was worth it. The early morning alarms, late nights, missing social events, limited energy to do things I wanted to, being unable to spend time with people close to me, etc. Most people would feel time was wasted. But me, I have no regrets and I'm content with every decision made.
9: If you weren’t bodybuilding, where do you think your focus would be?
Oooooh tough one, as bodybuilding and training has been a big part of my life for so long. Something to do with physical activity and fitness, as without this I am not a happy person to be around, ha! Possibly a different type of business owner of some sort. My extra time and effort would need to be invested somewhere. I can't just chill and sit still for some reason.
10: Is there a quote, book, or philosophy you live by – inside or outside of bodybuilding?
Not really, other than 'you get out what you put in'. And I'll always try and focus on the fact other people/competitors are pushing just as hard, if not harder, to reach their goals. So I need to try and do that little bit more, each and every day, if possible.
11: What’s the hardest thing you've ever overcome – in life or in sport?
There's been a few but I would say finding out both of my parents have a form of cancer was probably the hardest and took the longest for me to deal with. I buried my head in the sand and didn't want to talk about it for months.
12: How do you unwind or reset when you’re not training or dieting?
To be honest I don't get much downtime what with the coaching. I've recently requested to drop to a four-day week in my main career to get some time back for myself. But I'm someone who always sees the opportunity to do more. So I have no doubt that free time will be taken up by something else. When I do get any downtime, my girlfriend and I like to go out for food and try different places and really just chill in front of the TV. We don't get the chance often. I can't remember the last time we settled down and watched a film from start to finish without doing something during it, other than when I'm hung over – and that's extremely rare nowadays.
13: How has bodybuilding changed your view of confidence, discipline, or self-worth?
It's made me a better person 100 per cent. It teaches you so much about yourself as a person, what true dedication and focus is, long-term vision and objective setting, what you will and won't put up from others. Not to mention how to be a more organised and time-efficient person. It can show you what you really believe to be important in life, regardless of what others believe or think.
14: What is your current training split and why?
Currently training a five-day split, Pull/Delts, Legs, Push, Chest/Arms, Posterior/Delts. And this would be based on trying to bring up areas of development that were flagged by judges this year.
15: Do you feel pressure to always look a certain way outside of prep?
Yes, now I do and this was one of the reasons I started coaching, to make myself accountable (and not turn into the Marshmallow Man every off-season). Clients would be looking at me to set the example. Once you've been in show shape, there's an expectation you can stay in this shape and it can play tricks on the mind. I'm more relaxed about things now the older I am. But before it used to really f*ck with my head when I could see condition slipping.
16: Have your relationships (friends, family, dating) changed because of your lifestyle?
Most certainly – my circle has got smaller. I don't go out as much now, or to as many social events. I just don't have the time (or desire if honest). One, to go, but two, to waste the following day if tired or feeling a little worse for wear. And as such 'acquaintances' then disappear. But I'm cool with that. Bodybuilding has taught me to be independent. And I'm happy spending my time with a select few or even by myself.
17: Can you give us one of your favourite prep meals and one of your favourite off-season meals?
Ha! I'm not much of a chef so this going to be boring. My girlfriend does the cooking side of things, unless its something easy to prep and then it's down to me. But oats, flavoured whey (salted caramel for me in the morning, or mint choc in the afternoon), peanut butter and honey hits the spot every time. More recently and when in prep, the old Ninja creamie is a bit of a life saver too.
18: What’s next for you – as an athlete, as a person, or both?
In terms of bodybuilding, an off-season to bring up weaker areas to be even more competitive when I return. I have seven years in the Over 40s class and came third in the PCA Universe this year. So I have time. And I'm likely to need it to be just as, if not more, competitive in future. As an individual, I'm treating loved ones to a few holidays, planning events and just basically giving back a little. I'm still looking to grow the business and help more clients than ever before.
19: Who inspires you and why? Could be in bodybuilding or beyond.
In terms of bodybuilding, Dorian Yates was always the one I looked up to. Nothing fancy and no ego, just hard work, grit and determination. He kept himself out of the limelight not to get distracted as he had a job to do. While others were living the high life, he used this as fuel to come back each year bigger and better. In terms of real life, my parents. Both have managed to give me what I have needed and wanted through life. And they worked extremely hard to do so, giving up their own needs for mine. I haven't always shown that appreciation either. But the older I have become the more I try to emulate it and give something back.
20: If you could send one message to your younger self, what would it be?
Focus on the things that matter. I wasted too much time in my younger years on things that had no relevance, on people that didn't really care for you. I wasted money on things that didn't matter and weren't important. If I could have looked into the future, there'd have been a number of things that I would have changed. But I suppose all those experiences brought me to where I am today – happy and content with my life.
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