Bodybuilding has a decades-long following. Many enter contests to pursue a personal fitness goal, but some want to reach the sport’s ultimate stage: the Olympia.
Whether you’re checking off something on a bucket list, aspiring to turn pro, or are a new fan interested in the sport, we have the “101” entry-level course to get educated on the ins and outs of bodybuilding competitions, focusing specifically on the IFBB Professional League.
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Table of Contents
Bodybuilding Divisions
If a new fan looked up bodybuilding and saw pictures of Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler, there may be some concern about whether they could compete.
Bodybuilding has many different categories for men and women. The IFBB Professional League has 11 pro divisions, with a 12th that started at the amateur level in 2025 and is expected to be added in 2026. The divisions are below; learn more about how each category is judged here.
- Men’s Open
- Men’s 212 Bodybuilding
- Men’s Classic Physique
- Men’s Physique
- Men’s Wheelchair
- Women’s Bodybuilding
- Women’s Physique
- Fitness
- Figure
- Bikini
- Wellness
- Fit Model (New in 2026)
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The Fit Model division is a new category added to the NPC beginning in 2025. There are pro qualifiers for this category, but pro shows will not be held until the 2026 season. These athletes are only eligible to enter the Fit Model contests. They cannot crossover into other divisions.
How to Earn a Pro Card
The road to becoming a pro may appear simple, but it is not easy. The amateur level of the IFBB Professional League is the National Physique Committee (NPC) and NPC Worldwide for international shows.
Amateurs enter local or regional contests simply by signing up for an NPC membership and paying the entry fee for the smaller shows. They must win local or smaller shows to qualify for the pro-qualifying stage.
From there, amateurs must win a pro-qualifying event (or place second in some cases) to be eligible to enter IFBB Professional League shows. The pro card is a membership that comes with a yearly cost. There are numerous pro-qualifying events worldwide, but some of the biggest annual contests are:
- Amateur Olympia (U.S. and International)
- NPC USA Championships (U.S. Only)
- NPC National Championships (U.S. Only)
- North American Championships (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
- Arnold Amateur (U.S. and International)
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Some shows feature amateur contests that award pro status to the winners, who are then eligible to enter the pro show on the following day. There have been cases when an amateur entered a pro qualifier and left that contest with an Olympia qualification that weekend.
How to Qualify for a Pro Show
Once pro status is earned, the next step to the Olympia is winning a pro show. Athletes can enter any pro contest they like (except for the Arnold Classic and the Olympia) by contacting the promoter and signing a contract to compete. They can enter as many shows as they choose.
The IFBB Professional League has well over 100 contests every season across all 11 divisions in many different countries on six continents. Many of those contests feature multiple divisions. All pro shows for Open competitors (pros under 40 years of age) are Olympia qualifiers.
The Arnold Classic is the only non-Olympia show with a different process. Athletes must apply to compete and receive invites to participate in their contests. The Arnold is an Olympia-qualifying event.
Notable Pro Bodybuilding Competitions
There are no official tiers in bodybuilding, but there are some shows that have greater historical significance than others because of their longevity and list of winners. These are shows that many competitors want to win to validate themselves as contenders for the Olympia. Some of the more notable bodybuilding competitions on the schedule include:
- New York Pro
- Tampa Pro
- Chicago Pro
- Rising Phoenix (Women’s Bodybuilding)
- Toronto Pro Supershow
- Legion Sports Fest Pro
- Pittsburgh Pro*
- Arnold Classic Brazil
*The Pittsburgh Pro used to have a Men’s Open guest posing event, but they will have a full Men’s Open contest starting in 2025.
How to Qualify for the Olympia
The sport’s biggest stage is the Olympia, which crowns world champions in all 11 pro divisions. The competitors who walk on the Olympia stage are considered the best in the world for that year within their division.
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There are four ways to qualify for the Olympia:
- A competitor can win any pro show throughout the Olympia qualifying season. One win, and they’re in. Even if that competitor were to lose another show they entered, they cannot lose their qualifying spot on the Olympia stage. However, they can only compete within the division in which they earned their qualification.
- Athletes are eligible to compete in multiple divisions throughout the season, and they may win a contest in a second category. If this occurs, the athlete must choose one division to represent at the Olympia. No crossovers are allowed.
- If an athlete finishes in the top three at the Olympia, they are automatically qualified for the following year’s Olympia. They do not need to compete again but can without risking the qualification they earned.
- Olympia champions have the easiest path of all. Once a competitor wins the Olympia, they become eligible to compete in their category at the Olympia for life.
- There is a caveat with this eligibility, though. If five years have passed since that champion’s last Olympia win, they must request permission to compete with the IFBB Professional League or win a show to walk on the Olympia stage. Olympia champions are eligible to enter any other pro show they choose.
The only other way to the Olympia is by special invitation of either the Olympia promoters or the IFBB Professional League. This invitation is rarely issued. Recent special invites to the Olympia include when Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay was invited to compete at the 2021 Mr. Olympia competition after being unable to qualify due to complications from the pandemic. He went on to win the title that year.
The other recent special invite went to Derek Lunford to compete in the Men’s Open at the Olympia in 2022. At the time, he was the reigning 212 Olympia champion. He ranked runner-up to Hadi Choopan in 2022 but won the Mr. Olympia title in 2023 to become the first and only athlete to ever win Olympia titles in more than one division.
How Much Money Do Bodybuilders Make?
Prize money has evolved over the years, but it is hard for a bodybuilder to make a living by competing alone. Many competitors have full-time jobs, while the biggest stars make a living through sponsorships so they can afford to compete. There are some shows that offer immense purses for the Men’s Open division, which is considered the top division in the sport. The biggest prizes on the pro circuit (as of 2025) for the Men’s Open are below.
- Olympia — $600,000 (as of 2024)
- Arnold Classic — $500,000 (as of 2025)
- Pittsburgh Pro — $100,000 (as of 2025)
Some shows have significant first-place purses that range from $20,000 to $50,000. All pro shows that host Men’s Open events must reward their champions with at least $15,000.
Prize money for other divisions varies from show to show. The Rising Phoenix is the second major show for Women’s Bodybuilding, offering $50,000 to its champion every year. They have also awarded vehicles in previous years. Usually, the smaller shows award the following prizes for the top three in each category:
- 1st — $5,000
- 2nd — $3,500
- 3rd — $2,500
Some shows offer prizes for fourth and fifth place.
Fans new to bodybuilding may not know the road a competitor must take to succeed at the highest level. A bodybuilder’s journey is unique and depends on how successful the competitor is on the amateur level and whether they are able to win an Olympia qualifier once they become professional.
Each athlete’s career is unique and can inspire fans to begin their own journeys, which is how the sport continues to move forward and grow.
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Featured Image: Istvan Csak / Shutterstock
