What a phenomenal event! This was my first NGA Pro/Am Universe and I was so happy to be there. The competitors came ready for battle. Not only did they bring phenomenal physiques but they also brought with them a tremendous level of good sportsmanship. I mean I’ve got to tell you there were so many competitors during certain divisions that I thought there wouldn’t be enough stage space. Even though sometimes it proved a little cumbersome, I have to give credit to the judges for working with the athletes. They had everyone space out, no one elbowed each other, and it was just a really really good example of how physique-based athletes should act. I mean we can’t forget the 2014 Olympia where the top two guys in the world were elbowing each other and making a spectacle of themselves. That was the year the Olympia was supposed to be aired on NBC, but suffice it to say, it never saw the light of day. These competitors, however, at the 2025 NGA Pro/Am Universe were consummate professionals. This is what bodybuilding is all about.
As always, I took a boatload of content and it’ll probably take days before it’s all out, but man what a great problem to have! In the process of covering a new show in a new state, I was able to meet so many wonderful people. It was also a great opportunity for me to continue to grow NattyCompetitors which will soon have a website and will be ready to go for a very very successful 2026, God willing of course. StrengthAddicts will always be the parent platform, but I wanted to have something specifically for natural competitors. I want to make natural competitors into the superstars that I know that they are. I also want to market natural bodybuilding because I feel that it is a very important niche within physique-based sports. Many of these competitors reach what I would consider to be the human body’s absolute limit. And once they hit that limit, which is different for everyone, you start to see physiques that you would swear were enhancing – but are in fact 100% natural! When a natural competitor looks juiced to the gills, you know that you have hit the jackpot! And the best part of all, is that those gains belong to the athletes! They’re not the product of anything shot through a syringe.
In addition to covering this great event, I was also able to capture backstage moments. This is one of the best parts of what I do at bodybuilding shows. I’m a firm believer that contests are a great way for competitors to network. That said, some folks may be a little shy, others might be in tunnel-vision-mode, but I have always found that when I bring people together for a photo or a video, the proverbial ice has been broken.
Once you’re in a picture or a video with someone – now you have a reason to talk to each other! And once you start talking, you start relating to each other because you’re both there together. You’ve both gone through a journey and you’re both going to share a stage where you’re going to hopefully have the time of your life.
Bodybuilding is the only sport where weeks and weeks of preparations come down to a few seconds on stage. It’s the kind of adrenaline rush that brings most people that experience it back for more. I know it firsthand from the media standpoint, but who knows maybe one day I’ll know it from a competitor’s standpoint as well. I have seen some INSANE transformations and these athletes and their journeys are truly inspiring. This is what the mainstream needs to see – natural athletes giving their all. Diet, Training, and natural, food-based supplements. Natural bodybuilding improves lives, it doesn’t cut them short.
One last take-home message about Natural Bodybuilding is that it’s very much a family-friendly sport. It’s the kind of activity that you can bring your significant other to, your kids, and your parents. You don’t have to hide your participation by competing under aliases like in other federations. You don’t have to lie to your co-workers about what you’re doing next Saturday – instead, you can invite the whole office to the contest! Now that doesn’t apply to all bodybuilding – but it most definitely applies to natural bodybuilding in the NGA!
I’m very excited for 2026 and beyond. I pray that I’ll find some great advertisers that share in my vision for NATTYCOMPETITORS and will let me introduce their goods and services to all the folks I cover and to the great people who check out our various websites and social media platforms. The 2025 NGA Pro/Am Universe was one for the record books. I hope to see you at the 2026 NGA Pro/Am Universe in Lexington, Kentucky!!
