Mr. Universe

Do you like the “show of muscles” and love admiring those biceps and triceps? Then, you may be aware of the Mr. Universe contest. Unlike the conventional concept attached to the beauty pageants for women, this particular contest for men deals with the show of muscle power. It is also different from Manhunt International and Mr. World contests held for men with contestants from across the world, where the judging is not restricted to physical attributes only.

This type of contest is essentially a body building contest where the contenders are basically judged for their muscle symmetry, amazing body proportions and clarity of the muscles developed. In fact there are two types of Mr. Universe contest.

• Universe Championships (NABBA Mr. Universe) - this body building contest is held annually and organized by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (NABBA). This was first held in 1948, and was initially meant for only male body builders, however later on in 1952, a separate contest was included for the professionals.
  
  
• The World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships (formerly IFBB Mr. Universe) - this is organized by the International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB). The name was actually changed in 1976 in order to avoid confusion with NABBA Mr. Universe. The 2005 championships for this contest were held in Shanghai, China.

Notable IFBB Mr. Universe contestants:

Sean Connery (1953 - 3rd Place)
Lou Ferrigno (1973/1974 - 1st Place)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (1969 - 1st Place)
Franco Columbu (1970 - 1st Place)