INBA Australian Membership now includes an exciting, new benefit for Competitors.

INBA, the World Wide Leaders in Naturals, is introducing a new International Dual (Am/Pro) Membership Policy for INBA Members in Countries who do not offer domestic professional divisions for their competitors. This is currently all Countries outside America.

What does an International Dual Membership mean? A Dual Membership eliminates the difference between an amateur and professional competitor. Providing you qualify to compete in a professional division, you can without losing your amateur status in Australia.

What is the Benefit of a Dual Membership for Competitors? The reality of Natural Bodybuilding is the term “professional” is not about been so good you can make a living from competing. Now, and in the foreseeable future, prize-money in Natural Bodybuilding is as much symbolic as it is a financial reward. Competing as a professional competitor is about testing yourself at the highest level of competition. Many competitors would like to have a crack against the best if they ever afford, or have the opportunity, to represent their country overseas. Your Dual Membership will allow you to do this.

The Natural Olympia, been the pinnacle of Natural Bodybuilding, is aspiring to offer professional divisions (e.g., Professional Masters and Professional SportsModel) for all categories. As such, INBA is making competing in a professional division more assessable for International Members. The reward for American professional competitors is larger line-ups, creating more prize money and a more satisfying competition experience overall.

The Australian Dual Membership Policy means you only need one INBA Membership (save money) and it also keeps every Australian competitor under the same rules and ASADA drug testing program.

For Australian INBA Members this will mean:
Any Member representing Australia at an international event overseas - namely at the Natural Olympia - is eligible to enter a professional division in their respective class (e.g. Masters / Sports Model / Open). If an international show offering a professional division/s is hosted outside America, the host country is able to establish their qualification requirement for their home-country competitors.

What is the Benefit of a Dual Membership for INBA Australia? The original (Am/Pro) policy works in America but has not transpired efficiently as an international policy. The old structure meant Australia’s best competitors eventually separated into two groups – those who competed as professional and became restricted to competing with INBA in America and the second group who didn’t take ‘the next step’ so they could continue to compete with INBA in Australia.

Nevertheless, for those who did chose the professional pathway, their status was not acknowledged by other Australian bodybuilding organisations - so they still competed in Australia as amateurs – just with other federations. It was a crazy situation; our old policy forced INBA’s top competitors to compete elsewhere. The new International Dual Membership removes this restrictive and confusing situation. Now, an INBA competitor’s status and membership will not change by competing in a professional class and every Australian can compete with INBA in Australia.

Simultaneously, the new International Dual Membership allows INBA to expand the number of professional classes offered at the Natural Olympia. More competitors competing in professional classes represents more entry fees to fund professional category expansion as sponsorship is not forthcoming for professional classes. The fact the oldest bodybuilding organisation, NABBA, dropped their Professional Universe title due to no sponsorship this year and returned all their professional competitors to amateur status is testament that the professional concept in bodybuilding needs to be self-propelling.

With the innovation of the INBA International Dual (Am/Pro) Membership Policy the opportunities at INBA events just got a whole lot more exciting for competitors!