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First Bodybuilding competition in America


American Bodybuilding competition On 16 January 1904, the primary large-scale bodybuilding contest in America took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The winner was Al Tremor and he was declared "The Most Perfectly Developed Man in the World".Treloar won a $1,000 cash prize, a substantial sum at that time. Two weeks later, Thomas Edison made a film of Al Tremor’s posing routine. Edison also made two films of Sandown a few years before, making him the man who made the first three motion pictures featuring a bodybuilder. In the early 20th century, Bernard McFadden and Charles Atlas continued to promote bodybuilding across the world. Aloes P. Slobodan was an early pioneer in America.

 Bodybuilding has become like boxing in the last couple of decades. There are several organizations and it can become alphabet soup sorting them out. However, just like in boxing, there are three main organizations with a fourth making a strong bid. In boxing, the three I am referring to are the WBA, WBC and the IBF with the WBO getting some recent notoriety. In bodybuilding, the top three are the AAU, NPC, and IFBB with the NABBA-USA starting to gain popularity.

 AAU. (*No longer holding competitions.)
If you live in the United States, are into sports, and don't know what AAU stands for I have one question for you. What rock did you crawl out from underneath? The Amateur Athletic Union sanctions several different sports in the United States and was the first organization to sanction bodybuilding. The Mr. America was the first bodybuilding competition ever held. It was started in 1939 and was actually called, €œAmerica€™s Best Built Man,€? that year. Everyone referred to it as the Mr. America. In 1940 the AAU decided to change the name of the event to the Mr. America and has held it as their prized jewel ever since. You can walk up to any person on the street and ask them if they know what the Mr. America is and with near 100% accuracy, they'll know it has to do with muscles and bodybuilding. The AAU also uses the "Mr./Ms." titles to designate their champions. Mr. America, Mr. USA, Mr. Indiana, etc., etc. are all examples of AAU titles. The list of AAU Mr. Americas looks like a who€™s who in legends of bodybuilding. John Grimek, Steve Reeves, Bill Pearl, Boyer Coe, Tony Pearson, and Chris Dickerson were all AAU Mr. Americas. 

NPC.
The National Physique Committee is another one of the top three prominent sanctioning bodies in the United States. It was founded in 1982 by former committee members of the AAU National Physique Committee. The NPC's championships are designated the following way: National Championships, United States Championships, Indiana State Championships, etc., etc. The NPC does not use the "Mr./Ms." titles. Several people still use the Mr./Ms. titles when referring to NPC champs out of habit, but technically they are incorrect. The NPC is also the amateur qualifying grounds for the IFBB professional circuit. Lee Haney was the very first NPC National Champion. 

IFBB.
The International Federation of Bodybuilders is the world wide organization started by Joe and Ben Weider. When most people think of the IFBB, they think of the Mr./Ms. Olympia. The Mr. Olympia is the top professional contest in the sport today and has produced several bodybuilding legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva, Frank Zane, and Lee Haney. The Mr. O is definitely the IFBB's flagship contest but they also sanction several amateur events like the IFBB World Championships and North American Championships. To become an IFBB professional, you must qualify through one of their designated amateur events or receive a special invitation. In the United States, the NPC is the official amateur wing of the IFBB.
NABBA. 
NABBA stands for National Amateur Bodybuilding Association. It's an organization that is based out of England. They have been around since the 40's and have been sanctioning the Mr. Universe since then. Their Mr. Universe contest has been won by such greats as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Pearl, and Jeff King. A strange thing to note is that although NABBA has the word amateur in the title, it also has a professional division. Bob Gruskin, who had always hand picked the team from the USA to participate in the NABBA Mr. Universe in the last decade, decided to start a division of NABBA in the United States. He aptly named the organization NABBA-USA. In order to qualify for the NABBA Mr. Universe, you must win your class at the NABBA-USA National Championships or be invited by Mr. Gruskin. 

Various others.
 There are several other sanctioning organizations out there. Some of them have developed quite a following also like the USNBA (United States Natural Bodybuilding Association), the NGA (National Gym Association), the ABA (Amateur Bodybuilding Association), the WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation), the WABBA ( World Amateur Bodybuilding Association), and the list goes on to infinity as new organizations are sprouting up all of the time.

What are the different events that make up the contest?
  
Contest Judging Rounds.
Each contest has specific rounds in which the competitors are scored. They all have certain independent characteristics from one another. The judges are looking for specific things during these rounds. The rounds listed below do not always occur in this specific order. 

Standing Relaxed - Symmetry Round. 
The first round of the competition is the Symmetry Round. During this time, the judges are looking for overall body symmetry in the competitors. They are looking for relationships between the muscle groups. Are they all developed evenly? Within each specific group, does it flow nicely? Does the competitor have a symmetrical bone structure? The more evenly developed the competitor is, the higher he or she will be placed.There is no direct flexing in this round. Competitors are viewed in what is called the Standing Relaxed position. Typically, this consists of a competitors heels together, toes pointed out at a forty-five degree angle, and lats semi-flared. Every competitor has their own way of standing relaxed, but in reality it is semi-flexed. Every muscle should be tight on stage. The competitors are viewed from the front, both sides, and the rear.
Comparison Round or Muscularity Round. 
This is where the real flexing begins! Competitors are called upon to hit the Mandatory poses in this round. The judges are comparing the level of muscular development and definition each competitor has acquired in relation to the other competitors. Section II.B. below has a list of the mandatory poses and a brief description of each one.
 Free Posing Round. 
 The Free Posing Round is where each competitor gets to express their muscularity how they see fit. Usually, this round is accompanied by music, but in the NPC during prejudging, the free posing is considered €œdry.€? This means no music other than possibly background house music is allowed. All organizations allow music in the evening finals. It is often debated as to whether this round is actually even judged. It€™s my feeling that this round in the NPC only serves to give an overall impression of the competitor. It could make a difference in an overall decision which is decided in the evening show after the free posing round, but doesn€™t do much for prejudging. The AAU usually allows competitors to pose to music during the prejudging, so it actually can have an effect on class placings. The IFBB scores the round separately at the evening show, and therefore puts more direct weight on the round than anyone else. However, when looking at the scores given at IFBB events for this round, many experts feel that the scores don€™t reflect the ability of the competitor to free pose. It€™s a very controversial subject, but one thing is for sure, the Free Posing Round is most definitely appreciated by the fans in attendance.

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