What is the going salary for a ???

[Nuteboy]

Hello everyone. I was reading an article which talked about the money professional bodybuilders are currently making. These salaries sound pretty good so I'm curious if it's true.

Per the article bodybuilders can make from $200,000 to $500,000. Does anyone know if this is true? Also the article said Mr. Olympia can make nearly One Million dollars a year.

Not bad for a bodybuilder.

 

[mrmoo]

Hello everyone. I was reading an article which talked about the money professional bodybuilders are currently making. These salaries sound pretty good so I'm curious if it's true.

Per the article bodybuilders can make from $200,000 to $500,000. Does anyone know if this is true? Also the article said Mr. Olympia can make nearly One Million dollars a year.

Not bad for a bodybuilder.

I'm just guessing but I'd say yeah, that sounds plausible. Think about it though. Professional body builders are elite. They put in more hard work than you can ever imagine. 99% of the people who try will never achieve that status. If you get into bodybuilding to make money, your an idiot.

 

[big louie]

you've got to be the pretty far up there, like ronnie coleman gunter etc, i remember when ronnie won his first or second "O" met-rex signed him 1 million 1 year contract, then wieder got ahold of him and has been taken good care of him since..

 

[big louie]

your damn right that wasn't true with met rx, i was smoking crack a moment ago - i ment 100 k.. hehe!!

he made 100k with met rex then he went to wieder - i'm sure he's been with wieder for 5 years now - his contract is 600k a year but his first year he made a million he had another deal with ray ban and also some mens fragrance or some shit..

gunter signed with wieder last year for 100 or 125k, a year..

 

[Nuteboy]

Cont...

Okay guys well I'm sure being a pro bodybuilder is not going to pay off like being a pro basketball or pro football player. However, I'm sure guys like Craig Titus, King Kamali (sp) Victor Martinez and Art Atwood are making pretty good.

I'm sure these guys are making at least $100,000 to maybe $150,000. Hell you can pay me $75,000 a year and I'd love being a pro bodybuilder. Paying me to eat, sleep, guess pose and workout? Sounds good to me, where do I sign, lol.

 

[Desibaba]

Well guess what? U guys r talkin about the extremely elite level of pro bodybuilders.I know of a local IFBB pro named Paul *****.He is a very nice guy and close to 300 lbs.He last competed in the NOC but didnt do well in 2002 and took the year off.He has personally told me that he is broke and simply works as a personal trainer and at night he works as a bouncer at a local nightclub called the Voodoo Lounge.Dont believe me? The voodoo lounge is in fort lauderdale,FL and paul does not have any supplement contracts.Only the best make it in this sport.If you have just a bachelors(in any field) youll make more money than most pros make.I feel bad for the guys who give up college and their jobs and move to venice beach to see if they can become a pro or not.

 

[Bob Smith]

I read recently that Ronnie, with all of his contracts/winnings/videos/etc, made in the high 6 figures for 2002. I would guess that its close to the $800-900k range. But he is the very best in the industry right now. Whos next? Probably Cutler. Priest probably makes some good cash too.

Lee Priest answered this question in one of the recents MD's. He said that the income for pro BBers is an absolute joke except for maybe 5 or 10 guys. Ever wonder where those "rumors" about guys turning tricks and selling drugs make cash came from? Its because the income from their profession sucks.

 

[hardcore210]

Cutler's making some huge money. He competed in quite a few shows and either won or placed 2nd. He also guest-posed nearly every weekend last year, except during his Olympia prep. Jay's got quite a few endorsements: ISS, Shiek, Under Armour, and a few others. But like most everyone else said, they don't make shit compared to bench warmers in other sports. IMO, bodybuilding requires the most dedication and hard work to be elite than any other sport, yet they get paid the least. It pisses me off to see guys bitching about these multi-million dollar deals and not getting paid enough!

HC210

 

[Desibaba]

How much does tiger woods make compared to ronnie coleman? Both men are at the top of their games.Golf and bodybuilding.

 

[Bob Smith]

Whether BBing really is a sport or not is certainly up for lively debate.

As for comparing their income to pros in normal sports, the difference is easy. On the low end, you have the NHL. Highest paid player gets something like $8 mil. On the high end you have A-rod at damn near $20 mil. Look at the attendance for the pro sports and you will see a correlation to players salary. BBing shows have a very low attendance. Its just not a very marketable endeavour to the general population.

 

[Bob Smith]

How much does tiger woods make compared to ronnie coleman? Both men are at the top of their games.Golf and bodybuilding.

Desi, comparing golf to BBing is not going to get you anywhere. Golf...major sport, tv contracts, real personalities that you can market to the masses, high fan participation and attendance. BBing doesnt have a single one of those.

BTW, Tiger makes, IIRC, around $50-70 mil/yr. He averages about $6 mil for tournament winnings in the US (not including some from overseas), contracts with Nike, Buick, and a whole host of others. He appears personable, hes fairly good looking, he has charisma. Now compare that to Ronnie. He talks like a 2nd grader, most of the general public find his body repulsive, hes never on tv, his "sport" is filled with cry-baby bitches, and beyond that, its not even an objective sport. Its 100% subjective, based on whoever Weider wants to win, and how the judges are feeling that day. Tiger goes out and plays one of the most difficult sports on earth and routinely beats 100 of them in a single tournament.

The next time youre at the mall, do a quick survey asking people who 5 bodybuilders (of any era) are. $10 says that less than 10% of people can even name 3. Now ask the same people to name 5 golfers. Most will be able to come up with Tiger, maybe Phil Michelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nickalus, Chi Chi Rodriguez.

 

[Desibaba]

Kinda ironic isnt it.All other sportsmen do bodybuild or at least workout using bodybuilding exercises.Name one top athlete (of any sport)who doesnt work out? Yet the true bodybuilders themselves get ass fucked.I wonder why so many men and women even bother chasing the coveted IFBB pro card for years when they could do so many better things with their time and actually not put their health and lives on the line.Do you honestly think ronnie coleman is gonna be able to live past 60???

 

[kwik98gt]

Kinda ironic isnt it.All other sportsmen do bodybuild or at least workout using bodybuilding exercises.Name one top athlete (of any sport)who doesnt work out? Yet the true bodybuilders themselves get ass fucked.I wonder why so many men and women even bother chasing the coveted IFBB pro card for years when they could do so many better things with their time and actually not put their health and lives on the line.Do you honestly think ronnie coleman is gonna be able to live past 60???

no fan base-not big stadium sell outs to see bodybuilders pose. not a spectator "sport" bodybuilding isnt as popular as it used to be(it was never "huge") noones making a fortune off "AIR COLEMANS" or Lee Preist jerseys. theyre basically unpopular models.

 

[Bob Smith]

Kinda ironic isnt it.

Not really. Watching a BBing contest is f'in boring. Plus, athletes do it to improve performance, not simply as the quest for more size. Just accept it Desi, BBing never will be a major spectator event, nor will it ever have mainstream appeal. It will always be a niche activity for a very small # of people. BBing actually had some respect back in the 40-70s, when they competitors looked healthy and had a level of growth that seemed to be attainable. Who in their right mind thinks (or wants) to be as big and look as unhealthy as todays competitors? I know I dont.

 

[thick]

I agree BS, there are those that say you are only saying that b/c you cant get that big. Well I really don't ever have any desire to look like them. I couldn't anyways but even if i could i wouldn't understand?

 

[Grizzly]

I do, Desi. I think Ronnie will live past sixty.

 

[Desibaba]

I do, Desi. I think Ronnie will live past sixty.

Wanna bet 20 bucks on it? If he does ill pay you.He is 40 now so i guess we'll both be coming on the boards 20 yrs later.

 

[Nuteboy]

Cont.

Okay guys this is beginning to sound very depressing. I guess I'm lucky I got my BBA degree and work for a fortune 100 company. But I'll still try becoming a pro. Now, I will never try walking around at 330lbs and drug myself up to a point that it becomes dangerous but I'll see what I can do with the least amount of drugs.

Hopefully my genetics are good enough to carry me. The way I look at it I have nothing to lose but something to gain. I already finsihed four years of college, in my field ( Credit Managers) the salary is any where between $55,000 to $80,000 a year.

As a Director for a credit department, the salary is any where between $80,000 to $100,000 yearly. So I don't have anything to lose and I'll keep pulking away to see what happens.


I guess the smart thing to do "well at least in this sport" don't put all your eggs in one basket. Just have several back up plans and try to become a good business man.

If I were a pro that did not make a lot of money from endorsements and contest winnings, I'd try opening a gym; build up clients to personal train and try to guess pose several times a year.

You just have to hussle and make it happen, no one is going to give it to you. I'm a hard worker and becuz "John" did not make nothing in bodybuilding does not mean I won't. You gotta HUSSLE.

 

[Grizzly]

Yes I do Desi. Granted, they didn't use as much as Ronnie, but Lou Ferrigno, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, Vince Taylor and many, many others are all over 50 and STILL using. I'm pretty sure Flair is over 60. I'm not worried about Ronnie's longevity.

 

[thick]

I will volunteer to be the unbiased third party and hold the funds for both or you for the next 20 years