do powerlifters make money like the bodybuilders at the arnold classic?

[lifter405]

i am not sure whether the powerlifters make any money at the arnold classic. i think the 1st place bodybuilder got $100,000 and a car. i think the winner of the bench press should get the same, cuz powerlifters train just as hard as bodybuilders. does anyone know if us powerlifters make money doing what we do?

[powerlifterjay]

Well i have competed in the WPo and won 500 bucks and was tickled!! On the same day i seen George Halbert win the max amount for benhcing. He won 3500 for the middle weight title, 1000 for a world record, and 1000 more for the LB for lb title. Not much in the big sceam of things.

Now the fullpower meet has a little more money. I think if you take the entire middle or heavy and set a world record you coudl leave with close to 15000 bucks. If you set a record on eery lift there won LB for lb and the whole smoke show you would walk away with 20,000. No one is that good yet. Some close though. Thats it for moneythough. This is a hobby.

[Ocnorb36]

PLjay: would you say money in PL comes down to media coverage? I think there is an audience for PL because of the interest I have seen in The Worlds Strongest Man contest. Obviously there, they had to mix PL with commercialism to sell it but I wonder if PL could tap into that audience. Is the PL body to splintered to tap into that audience?? Just trying to kick up some convo.

Oc

[powerlifterjay]

At the arnold the bench comp has the biggest turnout. I really dont knwo what the problem is. If it was televised more it would help. I think its too many different orgs. One day it will take off. Its getting more and more popular as the years go by. So we'll see. I wouldlove to make money at this. As of now i got thousands invested in my strength. Liftin gear, supplemnts, meet fee's, hotels fees, Etc! Be nice to get some of that back first!! LOL

[Ocnorb36]

PL's remind a lot of lineman---they do all the work, get none of the glory yet they keep on workin. It surprises me that the bench has the biggest turnout. Never been to a national comp but do they televise the lift on a big screen or do you just have to have a good vantage point. It seems like the squat or deadlift would be a better "watch" because of the viewing options (and the extreme weight!!). A big corp sponser in a lift or take all on fox during the sports off season (June//July) would be a hell of lot more entertaining than NASCAR//golf. 50K per class with maybe 4 or 5 classes as opposed to 12 (it is 12 right??). JMO

[bigokie]

The reason most people only watch bench is the same reason whenever someone on the street sees you and ask you the same damn question, How much do you bench? Powerlifting is a labor of love. It's something you do even though you know you'll never be on TV or be famous. If you think about it you are literally paying someone to let you come in and beat the fuck out of yourself on the bench or squat. The guys that come back week after week and year after year are powerlifters, the ones that decide they'd rather do cable flyes are bb.

I don't know or care if powerlifting will ever take off like some other sports. To someone who doesn't know better it's actually boring. There is not much action no one is running. It's just man against weight. To see who can lift the most.

The lineman analogy is great. Very true. They come in week in and week out and do the hardest work. Look at pro ball most of the old players are not lineman because it is just too damn tough to keep doing it for 20 years.

Well I'm done ranting, too much work and beer.

[solidj55]

I agree with everything that has been said. Powerlifting is not very mainstream and may never be, who knows? I must also agree with lineman comparison as well as what powerlifterjay said about it being a hobby. I think everyone who powerlifts and continues to compete regardless of the money and first place trophies is doing it because they love to lift and love competition. I know a lot of guys claiming powerlifter and have never once even been to a meet, not even a bench only meet. These arent the people that really feed off of this sport, the real ones are the ones that go to meet after meet and compete regardless of travel time and distance, regardless of money spent to compete, regardless of whether or not their shoulders, elbows, knees, back, etc are injured, even when they know they are going to place last they still bust their ass to better themselves. Thats what powerlifting is all about. I would not trade powerlifting for bodybuilding anyday and to be honest I have no clue as to why bodybuilding is mainstream and powerlifting is not. I have never been to the Mr Olympia or the Arnold Classic but Ive been to several other bodybuilding shows and hell I used to watch them on tv when I was younger, there is nothing more boring than that unless you watch golf or soccer in my opinion. Powerlifting is 10 fold more exciting than that shit in my book.

[benchmonster]

I too agree with what has been said before me here. It is a hobby, it will likely never have a ton of money in it. There is a very good reason for this.

NFL players make a ton of money, but that is becuase millions of people tune in every Sunday. NBA - same thing. Major League Baseball, although not making money as a league like the other two at the moment, still packs fans in and come playoff time, there are tons of TV veiwers as well.

When powerlifting gets to the point that 50,000 screaming fans will jam into a stadium and those who could not make it live are watching it on TV, then we will see powerlifters making pro athlete money.

See that happening any time soon? Me either.

Regarding the bodybuilding thing, I don't think that competitive bodybuilding is all that mainstream, but the idea of bodybuilding and general fitness will always be appealing to the general public, cause everyone wants to look better, and weight training is a way to do that.

But I also hear that pec and calf implants are becoming popular among men. Disturbing, I know. Going with what is popular will only get you what the mainstream gets. I am a bit off the beaten path and I like it that way.

Oh. And also, when giving a long response, cut up your thoughts in paragraph form. It is very difficult to read one huge paragraph. I like what is being said, but grammar counts here folks. (J/K about the grammar, but the paragraphs do make it much more readable)

B.

[solidj55]

I assume the paragraph thing was directed toward me bench, thats cool, you damn asshole, lol.

[lifter405]

i have been in the wrong sports my whole life, i used to be a wrestler in high school and 2 years of college. they make no money, unless you are huge and have the charisma to be in WWE. i guess there is ultimate fighting championship too, but there still isn't a whole lot of money in it. oh well, i am not in these sports for the money, i wrestled, and now powerlift because i love them.

[Ocnorb36]

Benchmonster you make a good point about PL potential to make millions. Comparing it to the Big 4 team sports though is tough to do. Male team sports (for the most part) will generate revenue based on fans who buy tickets. I was more or less thinking that big sponsership, not seats sold, would be the most likely source of big paydays.

Take for example golf. No, fans do not show up in throngs of 50,000 to root on Woods or Ells. It's corporate sponsership that allows those so called atheletes to make millions (plus endorsements). No one will ever pack a stadium to see powerlifting because of the proximity needed to enjoy the show. I do see however someone like Kennelly bringing the sport to a new level.

One day someone will enter this amazing sport with some serious monetary interests or contacts with such. Will PL ever make millions? Maybe...........ok I'm an optimist. No matter what though this sport will survive because of atheletes like Benchmonster, PLJay, Kennelly, etc... who don't give a damn about making money (in the sport, I know you need money for practical reasons). Simply put it man's love of conquest. PL's don't climb mountains, they move them. JMO

PS: congrats to Kennelly for breaking the 800lb barrier............Oc

[benchmonster]

Solid, not directly for you. There are many who do that same thing. But if the shoe fits. . . .

I agree that corporate sponsorship pays for the big purses in golf, but I live in Tulsa, and we hosted the US Open last year and I can tell you it poured millions into our economy. Tickets were literally impossible to find. It of course was played on TV to millions, but think about this for a minute.

A golf course is around 7200 yards long, just the holes. Add in the distance between holes and you are talking over 10 linear miles of potential places for spectators to stand. 50,000 would be a conservative estimate, I am thinking at a major event.

Also golf is something many people pay big money to play for leisure. The reason Tiger gets so much money from Nike is cause he sells thier clothes and equipment. Same thing with his deal from Titleist.

Until Powerlifters can sell things, there won't be any corporate sponsorship either.

I love it, but I do it for fun and glory. I have a day job for the bills just like everyone else.

B.

[powerlifterjay]

Shit if your in this for money your gonna be dissapointed. It costs money. Now thats a fact. I have put thousands in really. BUt i love it. I need this or i would compete in somethign else. But the desire to be stronger is what motivates me. I mean with bodybuilding theres reward, but just not every week like us when we gain stength. I guess i like to up my confidence weekly , and PR's are the greatest feeling in the world! I also like to get off the bench and see all white lights. Its to me those lights are the equalvelent to a small child seeing christmas lights!! For those that powerlift but dont compete , i say find a meet and do it. Lift under pressure, and make a PR when it really counts. Now thats what this sport is all about!

[solidj55]

Benchmonster, I hope you didnt take the whole asshole comment to heart, I was just joking around bro, no offense intended.

I must agree with what Powerlifterjay just said, if you havent done a meet, then do one. That is when you will know whether or not your in this for the right reasons. Even if you dont win your class and still love it, then this is the sport for you.

[powerlifterjay]

Well said Solid!!

[Superman75]

Great discussion everyone and I have been thinking about this lately.

How much of the population goes to the gym and bench presses?? A LOT! There are over 265 million people just in the USA and if hal are guys (exclude female lifters for a moment) than there are 130 million+ guys in the USA (a lot are kids and elders). If only 10% or do go to the gym thats over 10 million men in the USA that bench press.

I think a lot of people are interested in watching powerlifting on TV because they bench press themselves. Most benchers never compete but I bet it would be a lot more if ESPN2 had the Arnold benching on for example or the bench bash for cash or any big event. I left out deadlifting and squatting but those would be secondary to benching in popularity I think.

The Worlds Strongest Man and strongman sport is gaining a lot of popularity and I know people who dont train are into watching those and they know Ahola, Karlson and Kaz from those. So I think it would make sense to try to get some powerlifting into mainstream TV.

I dont know the economics of who would promote+pay and everything but it would be great to see powerlifting on nationwide television.

Seems kind of strange that bench pressing is popular as hell everywhere in all gyms
though its not on TV and crap like rodeo and tractor pulling, blliards, poke is on the sports channels.

[powerlifterjay]

I think Kieran Kidder is doing the right thing, and i do his meets personally and i knwo he really does love this sport. With that said it takes sponsers. You hav eto convience sponsers to get behind the promotion for meets to be on TV. I think if it was on now (at a reasonable hour) lots would watch and enjoy. I video taped the first televised WPO! They cut out a ton but it was still good.

I think powerlifting is just waiting for a "big break" with someone in the TV industry to find it. A big corporate sponser. I knwo the bench bash for cash had cameras everywhere. Doing interviews and such. Whats happening is there not selling it to ESPN. Basically Espn isnt buying...yet. IN time. But i seriously doubt we'll get big paydays from it. We will be just happy to get the exposure for now.

[benchmonster]

My last meet was covered by a local TV station. Jason Jackson set a new WABDL world record, and there were several benches over 450, maybe a couple besides Jason over 500, people were going nuts seeing the big iron go up, but I never saw a thing on TV. It is a shame that I can watch billiards, and for God's sake, women's basketball, and soccer, but there is no powerlifting on TV.

Hopefully someone in TV will get as excited about our sport as we are, but I am not holding my breath. You would think that MetRx and those other supp companies that support WSM would be all fired up about powerlifting, but so far, no go.

And Solid, I knew you were kidding, no sweat bro.

B.