/ 2 This weekend we are looking at only the second ever MP PRO show to hit the stage. The
NPC and IFBB were quite wise to establish the Men’s Physique Division. However, it is the baby of the bunch amongst divisions (alongside Women’s Physique) and will endure growing pains for a period of time before standards are clearly defined. The newly minted IFBB Men’s Physique Pros have the opportunity to legitimize and strengthen the division not only by how they continue to condition their bodies, but also by how they conduct themselves within the IFBB and how they choose to brand themselves within the mainstream.
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This past weekend March 24, 2012, the first IFBB Mens Physique Pro was held in Sacramento, CA. For those of you that have been following the sport this has been a much-anticipated event seeing that whoever was crowned the 1st Champion would go down in the history books.
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For
those that are new to the game, the Men’s Physique division was introduced this year in the NPC. What makes a good physique competitor? If you go to www.npcnewsonline.com or look at the rulebook, the judging criteria specify that competitors are judged on "Muscularity and Body Condition" as well as "Stage Presence and Personality."
The website states:
"Muscularity and Body Competition” - "Judges will be looking for fit contestants who display proper shape and symmetry combined with muscularity and overall condition. This is not a bodybuilding contest, so extreme muscularity should be marked down."
/ 1 Are 
you one of the many competitors that want to “Go Pro?” If that is the case and you are looking to make the jump from NPC Amateur to IFBB Pro then you need to compete in a National Show. You may be asking, “How do I compete in a National Show?” I will explain a bit about that in a moment. Not only do you have to compete, you have to win or achieve a placing that the NPC/IFBB deems “good enough” to earn pro status. That being said, many Men’s Physique competitors went to a National Show this past weekend. The show: The National’s in Florida.
For me the trip to Miami is already underway. I am writing this on the plane from LAX to Miami; however, by the time you see it I will already have landed and competed in the show. Weeks and weeks of anticipation and preparation are coming to a head! Though I maintain “Shoot Ready” status year round for my fitness modeling and acting career, there are a few more details that go into the final couple weeks before a Physique Show. Unlike a photo shoot, for a competition you have weeks and weeks of notice as to the date of the show. This gives you added time to dial in the exact look you are going for.
Beyond the dialing in of the body, there are many other factors to consider.
To name a few of the basics:
/ 2 Five National shows down and one to go. The North Americans 
was full of surprises and produced the 2nd largest Men’s Physique class to date. I’m expecting the Nationals to be the largest as many top competitors passed on heading out to Cleveland in preparations for bringing their best to the stage in Miami. Here are the new rankings following this weekend’s competition...
- Bradley Martin 37
- Tom Little 37
- David Tassin 36
/ 2 This weekend was another huge show for MP Competitors and the division as a whole. The day of the show the decision makers in the NPC made a wise move and bumped up the number of classes from 2 to 3 as well as the number of PRO CARDS awarded at the North American's. There were a total of six Pro Cards awarded this past weekend.
Interest in this new division has caught on like wildfire. J.M. Manion, of the NPC, predicted that the Men's Physique Division would be huge and he was right on the money! In very short order it has taking the fitness shows by storm and is starting to dig in as a staple at many NPC and soon IFBB shows. MP is a great division breathing a new kind of life into a sport we all love. Now is the time for the Pro's to step up and make ALL MP competitors proud to be part of this movement.
Here are your Six Newest MP PRO's...
