Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses on physical appearance instead of strength. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In professional bodybuilding, competitors appear in lineups and perform specified poses for a panel of judges who rank them based on symmetry, muscularity, size, conditioning, posing, and stage presentation. Bodybuilders prepare for competitions through the elimination of nonessential body fat, enhanced at the last stage by a combination of extracellular dehydration and carbo-loading, to achieve maximum muscular definition and vascularity; they also tan and shave to accentuate the contrast of their skin under the spotlights.
The Universe Championships are annual worldwide bodybuilding events organised by the National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA). Originally promoted as the Mr. Universe contest, the event was expanded to include women's classes in 1968. Notable previous winners include bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and bodybuilder and actor Steve Reeves (1926–2000).
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB). Joe Weider created the contest to enable the Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles.
The National Physique Committee (NPC) is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States. Amateur bodybuilders compete in competitions from local to national competitions sanctioned by the NPC. While the term "bodybuilding" is commonly used to refer to athletes participating in contests sanctioned by the NPC and IFBB Pro League, nine divisions are represented including men's bodybuilding, women's bodybuilding, bikini, men's physique, classic physique, women's physique, figure, fitness, and wellness.
Roy "Reg" Park was an English bodybuilder, businessman, and actor. His first title was Mr Britain in 1949. He then won the Mr Universe in 1951, 1958 and 1965. He also starred in five films, four featured as Hercules, and in one, Hercules in the Haunted World (1961), he co-starred with Christopher Lee. Besides his own career and titles, he is probably best known as an idol and mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.
The Ms. International female bodybuilding contest was considered to be the second-most prestigious competition for female bodybuilders, from its inception in 1986 through 2013. It was first held in 1986 by the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB.). In 1987, the IFBB allowed the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to sanction the Ms. International as an amateur event. In 1988, the contest was again sanctioned by the IFBB. From 1989 on, the contest was part of the Arnold Sports Festival.
Fitness and figure competition is a class of physique-exhibition events for women and men. While bearing a close resemblance to bodybuilding, its emphasis is on muscle definition, not size. The class was originally introduced when bodybuilding's popularity began to noticeably decline, in terms of both fanbase and number of participants.
Jodi Leigh Miller is an American female bodybuilder and figure competitor.
In bodybuilding and physique, a posedown is a free for all posing round in a bodybuilding or physique competition where the participants strike various poses, highlighting specific muscles and their overall physique. Posedowns are usually the final part of the competition and can often decide a close competition. Some competitors like to keep pre-set routine for the posedown in order to keep the flow going and show off their muscles. There are strategies competitors adopt during posedowns to best dominate or intimidate opponents, such as the forced perspective of posing as massive as possible and covering up other opponents on stage or forcing opponents into another pose, which can throw off their pre-set posing routine. For this reason, some competitors like to go through a spontaneous routine and keep the competition off-guard.
Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB or Wabba International Pro Card.
Sam Bond is an English amateur natural bodybuilder, weightlifter and television personality who has competed for the British National Bodybuilding Federation and the National Physiques Competition.
Theresa Jean Bell, better known as Pillow, also known as The She-Beast, was a United States bodybuilder in the early 1980s. While competing in bodybuilding, she was also an exotic dancer in Alaska. She was crowned Miss Exotic World 1995. "Pillow" is her legal name.
Debi Laszewski is an American retired professional female bodybuilder. She ranks as the 3rd best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.
Rhonda Lee Quaresma was a Canadian professional female bodybuilder and International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB) competitor.
Colette Nelson is an American professional female bodybuilder and women's physique competitor.
The World Fitness Federation or WFF, is an international bodybuilding organisation formed in 1968. The WFF promotes classic or athletic bodybuilding with a focus on the aesthetic quality of the physique as opposed to just muscularity.
Juliana Malacarne is a Brazilian IFBB professional bodybuilder. She is a four-time winner of the Olympia Women's Physique Showdown, having won every year from 2014 to 2017.
Mikhail Volinkin is an Uzbekistani professional bodybuilder and winner of Arnold Amateuer Classics 2018 overall in heavyweight category.
Dilshod Niyazov is an Uzbek professional bodybuilder, trainer and Master of Sports of Uzbekistan in bodybuilding. 2013–2015 years President of Andijan region Bodybuilding Federation and 2015–2017 years President of Bodybuilding Association of Fergana region. In 2012 he graduated Andijan State Medical Institute.
