Gary Udit recently posted on his Instagram that there are some new rules in NPC competitions to take effect immediately. The rule change affects the age requirements of participating in all NPC bodybuilding competitions.
NPC Teenage division male and female eligibility new rules are as follows; you MUST have reached your 18th birthday on or before the event you want to compete in while not reaching your 20th birthday to compete in any Teenage category/event. All teens under the age of 18 won’t be allowed to compete in any NPC event.
WHAT IS THE NPC?
The NPC or National Physique Committee is the largest amateur bodybuilding association in the US. The NPC is the only amateur organization that receives recognition from the IFBB (International Federation of Body Building) Pro League. The NPC has produced some notable names such as Lee Haney and, more recently, Hunter Lambrada.
The NPC hosts local to national competitions where athletes shoot their shot at qualifying events such as NPC National Championship and NPC USA Championship to become an IFBB professional athlete. The NPC competitions include 9 divisions; men’s and women’s bodybuilding, men’s and women’s physique, classic physique, bikini, figure, fitness, and wellness.
Related: The 6 Major Bodybuilding Competitions and Divisions for Men & Women Explained
NPC NEW AGE RULE
The new rule mentioned above is that both males and females MUST be 18 but not older than 20 to compete in any Teenage category or event. Previously, the Teenage category ranged from 13 to 19. This new rule change is to avoid athletes at a young age putting themselves through the hardships that come with competitive bodybuilding. These younger transformative years are crucial to safeguard from extremes, including steroid usage and dangerous cutting phases to be contest-ready.
The sport of bodybuilding is growing, and this move of changing the rules was definitely made for a reason. We would speculate that the NPC and IFBB did this to discourage younger people from pushing themselves too far with PED usage. The availability of SARMs, pro-hormones, and other steroids combined with social media is a dangerous combination that negatively influences young people.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
We think this is a positive rule change that was made with the safety of teenagers in mind. Hopefully, this rule change will help protect the health of teens. We understand the allure people have towards the usage of PEDs, and while it’s a personal decision, it should be one made at an age when you’re more informed and understand the risks involved.
Kiel DiGiovanni
Author