Who is the IFFB?
The International Federation of Body Builders (or the IIFB) is a global competitive bodybuilding association which represents the apex of competitive bodybuilding all over the world. It came into existence in 1946 as a result of the efforts of Ben and Joe Weider. With 182 affiliated federations and recognition from over 90 National Olympic Committees all over the globe, it is currently the biggest bodybuilding related institution in existence on this planet.
IIFB Events
The IIFB organizes over 2500 events annually. These events range from local bodybuilders showdown to intercontinental and international competitive bodybuilding meets. It is registered as a non-profit entity and runs solely on sponsorships and donations from agencies and individuals. The International Olympic Committee recognizes several of its competitive events as medal sports. These include famous names like The Pan-American Games, The African Games and the World Games among others. Founded in Montreal, today it has offices and centers all over the world. The current president of the IIFB Dr. Rafael Santonja hails from Madrid, Spain.
Awards and Prize Money
This federation awards the highest accolades in the field of bodybuilding for both men and women. Mr. Olympia and Ms. International are the awards every bodybuilder dreams of receiving. Apart from the prestige and respect that these awards bring with them, the winners also receive handsome cash prizes from the IIFB. The sponsorships and advertising offers which they get are additional perks. The sole aim of the IIFB is to provide a means of living to individuals who decide to pursue bodybuilding as a profession, and hence the prize money is not only limited to the winners but is also given to the top 5-10 performers in each event.
The events calendar of the IIFB for one season are divided into seven major categories based on gender and weight. Every year the IIFB holds 21 different pro events in a "season". For 2011 the IIFB season kicks off with the FlexPRO championship in February and ends with the Pro Florida Championships in early December. Apart from these, there are several other events for amateurs to try out their skills and learn the finer points of competitive bodybuilding. In 2011 over 20 nations will host IIFBs events around the world. This approach towards global reach is a unique feature of this bodybuilding federation.
Historical Overview
At the time when IIFB was founded, the bodybuilding world was controlled by Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU). The Union was more concerned with promoting the Olympic sport of weightlifting and never considered bodybuilding a mainstream sport. The Weider brothers founded the IIFB in hopes of providing bodybuilding the recognition and respect it deserved as a competitive sport. The important purpose behind this was to make sure that those athletes who took up bodybuilding as a profession were able to support their lives financially. At that point of time, youngsters were apprehensive about choosing bodybuilding as a career option as they didn't have access to proper training facilities that would not cost them a fortune. The IIFB changed that and today trains the finest bodybuilders in the world. IIFB was, is and always will be a great boom for Bodybuilding.
IIFB Events
The IIFB organizes over 2500 events annually. These events range from local bodybuilders showdown to intercontinental and international competitive bodybuilding meets. It is registered as a non-profit entity and runs solely on sponsorships and donations from agencies and individuals. The International Olympic Committee recognizes several of its competitive events as medal sports. These include famous names like The Pan-American Games, The African Games and the World Games among others. Founded in Montreal, today it has offices and centers all over the world. The current president of the IIFB Dr. Rafael Santonja hails from Madrid, Spain.
Awards and Prize Money
This federation awards the highest accolades in the field of bodybuilding for both men and women. Mr. Olympia and Ms. International are the awards every bodybuilder dreams of receiving. Apart from the prestige and respect that these awards bring with them, the winners also receive handsome cash prizes from the IIFB. The sponsorships and advertising offers which they get are additional perks. The sole aim of the IIFB is to provide a means of living to individuals who decide to pursue bodybuilding as a profession, and hence the prize money is not only limited to the winners but is also given to the top 5-10 performers in each event.
The events calendar of the IIFB for one season are divided into seven major categories based on gender and weight. Every year the IIFB holds 21 different pro events in a "season". For 2011 the IIFB season kicks off with the FlexPRO championship in February and ends with the Pro Florida Championships in early December. Apart from these, there are several other events for amateurs to try out their skills and learn the finer points of competitive bodybuilding. In 2011 over 20 nations will host IIFBs events around the world. This approach towards global reach is a unique feature of this bodybuilding federation.
Historical Overview
At the time when IIFB was founded, the bodybuilding world was controlled by Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU). The Union was more concerned with promoting the Olympic sport of weightlifting and never considered bodybuilding a mainstream sport. The Weider brothers founded the IIFB in hopes of providing bodybuilding the recognition and respect it deserved as a competitive sport. The important purpose behind this was to make sure that those athletes who took up bodybuilding as a profession were able to support their lives financially. At that point of time, youngsters were apprehensive about choosing bodybuilding as a career option as they didn't have access to proper training facilities that would not cost them a fortune. The IIFB changed that and today trains the finest bodybuilders in the world. IIFB was, is and always will be a great boom for Bodybuilding.
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