For those sleeping on the current state of bodybuilding it’s safe to say you’re missing out on something big happening. For as long as I’ve followed bodybuilding I don’t remember there being this much disdain with the direction many competitors are taking their physiques. While I don’t mind the comic book science experiment bodybuilder, many want it to go away. Change may one day come, but classic bodybuilding is right in front of everyone’s face in the 212 division.
The 212 division is quietly becoming one of the most aesthetically pleasing and talent loaded divisions in the entire sport of bodybuilding. Here we find a throwback of tight waists, excellent lines, shredded conditioning, and extremely competitive lineups. On any given day Flex Lewis could be taken out by David Henry. Seth Feroce could storm back into shape and take out a stacked lineup. Eduardo Correa and Jose Raymond could battle it out for a title. And smaller competitors like Derek Farnsworth and Marvin Ward can dismantle guys 20lb heavier to challenge for the win. Oh, and it’s now become a fountain of youth for a guy like Troy Alves.
What makes this division even more interesting is the actual cut off in weight. There are a host of competitors in the open class that could potentially thrive in the 212 division. We’ve seen Feroce try to outgrow the division only to realize he’s better suited in the lower weight class. Mark Dugdale left the open division to take a stab with the lighter guys. And newbies Craig Richardson and Alves are looking to make a big splash in 2013.
The trouble with many guys dropping down from the open to the 212 is, you guessed it – money. We’ve heard Hidetada Yamagishi say he can earn more money coming in 5th place at an open show than if he wins a 212 show. This is an excellent point. But Hide seems to be an exception to the rule. No matter how aesthetic, conditioned, or vacuumed posed out a guy like Troy Alves gets, more times than not he’s going to get lost in the crowd standing next to behemoths like Toney Freeman, Cedric McMillan, and Dennis Wolf.
Here’s the sketchy part about dropping down in weight: bodybuilders by the very nature of their being are designed to grow. Asking a guy like Alves to drop 5lb to make weight could prove to be costly. Maybe not in show like the Orlando Europa, but put him next to a Mack Truck like Jose Raymond or a human Ferrari in David Henry and he too might get lost in the shuffle. It’s not like there’s a magic wand that says the weight lost will be evenly distributed. What if the weight comes out of his hamstrings and glutes?
In reality, we won’t find most competitors drop down from the Open to the 212’s. What we will find, however, is this class continually becoming bigger and more popular growing from the bottom up. Think about how many divisions there are at the Nationals. You have the Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, and Bantamweight. All the winners from these divisions are prime candidates to move in the 212 division. Whereas in the Open class you really only have the Heavy and Super Heavyweight divisions to draw from. When Shaun Clarida shocks people at the 2014 New York Pro 212 show coming from the 143 pound and below NPC Bantamweight division you will see the impact.
For the 2013 season there are seven 212 contests on the schedule. Now this doesn’t seem like a lot, but for a relatively new division, it fits perfectly. Unlike the open class where there are a couple dozen opportunities to compete throughout the year, if the smaller guys want to make a name for themselves they have to compete. Seven shows mean lineups are going to be packed with guys who all have legitimate shots at the title. Give me a contest with Lewis, Henry, Raymond, Correa, Feroce, English, Auguste, Alves, Richardson, and el Haddad and tell me that isn’t one of the most competitive top-to-bottom lineups the IFBB has seen in years – in ANY class.
You won’t find bloated guts. You won’t find guys bitching about food poisoning the night before the show. You won’t find guru’s taking credit for wins. You won’t find a mass monster beating out a streamlined classical physique.
Flat out, these guys bring it every show they compete in – for less money and for less notoriety. This division is not only here to stay it soon could be the most popular and fan favorite division in all of bodybuilding.
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