Natural Bodybuilding Alliance tightens guidelines

Jim Evans

Natural Bodybuilding Examiner

In a continuing effort to truly “naturalize” the sport of natural bodybuilding and bring the sport into greater conformity, Natural Bodybuilding Alliance (NBA) member organizations confirmed today that, effective immediately:

• Guest posers at all NBA member –sanctioned events will be subject to the same drug testing as the contestants. 
• Only confirmed natural athletes will be permitted to participate in the awards ceremony for NBA member-sanctioned events.
• Only confirmed natural athletes will be permitted to judge at NBA member-sanctioned events.

These actions are clearly intended to ensure the natural state of everyone directly related to the promotion and administration of natural bodybuilding events and to uphold the integrity of the sport.

NBA member-organizations have generally followed these guidelines anyway but, since the inaugural meeting of the Natural Bodybuilding Alliance in February, the Alliance will continue to clarify its positions publicly in the coming months.

“We have always felt that it's inappropriate to have people judging who are visibly not natural, and having them on stage to give out trophies, says ABA, INBA, PNBA President Denny Kakos.” To take it one step further we do not even allow these types to help run our shows; work door, expedite, etc.” . 

Other NBA member-organizations concur.

Indeed, according Jeffrey Kippel and Mindy Blackstien, founders of the World Natural Sports Organization (WNSO) and FAME World Tour, “After one of the companies was seen in a TV interview at our show with a juiced-up bodybuilder banner in the background, we made the decision to make a change. We stopped providing companies the opportunity to promote their products at our show if we felt that we were indirectly promoting role models who used steroids. Many companies changed their banners and magazine ads for our events. However, to the mainstream they still promoted non-natural athletes as though they are heroes to society.“

“I would not want a sponsor either that was not 100% behind what Drug Free Bodybuilding represents,” says IFPA pro andNANBF Regional Director Katy Wayman-White.

Unanimity is coming to natural bodybuilding – at last! 

 Eric Di Lauro

Mr. Canada Pro Trainer

Team Cutler Mr Olympia

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