Founded by brothers Joe and Ben Weider – considered the fathers of modern bodybuilding – in 1946, the IFBB (“International Federation of BodyBuilders”, which in free translation into Portuguese means International Federation of Bodybuilders) is the most important entity in the sport. Until approximately a decade ago, the organization was responsible for the amateur and professional divisions of the sport.
After disputes over the economic and political controls of world bodybuilding, there was a separation between the IFBB Pro League (“International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional League”, which in free translation into Portuguese means Professional League of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness), which was in charge of the professional categories and is currently chaired by Jim Manion, and the original IFBB, which was in charge of the amateur divisions and has Rafael Santonja as its president.
Currently, the IFBB amateur league gives access to the IFBB Elite Pro, which is more present in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and some parts of Asia. The IFBB Pro League, which gives access to the most acclaimed championships on the planet, such as the Arnold Classic and the Olympia, has access to the NPC (“National Physique Committee”, which means National Physique Committee).
Also chaired by Manion, the NPC has existed since 1982. Previously, it was the amateur federation that gave access to professional bodybuilding in the United States, but it gained strength and expanded after the conflict in question.
An important point to highlight is the fact that athletes competing in the IFBB Elite Pro cannot participate in shows valid for the IFBB Pro League. Federations can also, even if informally, present different criteria and physical standards for categories that, in theory, would be analogous to each other.
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