Tell that to the mortgage company after you just spent $75K on contest prep and won a $60K purse for 1st place-you're still $15K in the hole. I remember Strydom renting a 2 room apartment above Powerhouse in Venice-he didn't even own a car. Talk about sacrifices-I can't imagine living like that regardless of how big and ripped I was.
In the grand scheme of life, just how important is being #1 in a sport that pays pennies by comparison to other pro sports? Very few bodybuilders will ever be household names like Arnold,Lou Ferrigno, etc. Especially when the fan base is comprised of a cult following of fags and freaks that will forget about you the minute you're injured or your health takes a shit. In addition, the general public will never respect you-you'll just be another roided up freak that lacks self respect to most.
Fuck pro BB-unless I was guaranteed a 6 fig/yr income to compete in one show a yr it wouldn't be worth it. And even then I'd have to give it serious thought. I chose to walk away from competing after feeling I was readyy to compete nationally. Once I objectively researched what it would entail along with the ongoing political factors where some competitors offer sexual favors to the judges in return for higher placement, I said no thanks.