by Christian Duque
Sam Sulek has shocked the world by earning his IFBB pro card in record time. It is not uncommon in the sport of bodybuilding for an individual to spend anywhere between 5-10 years to earn a pro card. In some situations some guys will go a solid 20 years before they can have the coveted honor of being called a professional. But in Sam’s case it all happened almost like a flash before his eyes. I don’t even think it was one full month from the point that he stepped on stage to qualify to compete at the Arnold to the point where he emerged victorious. In fact, I wrote an article about this for an Iron Magazine about 2 or 3 weeks ago. In that article, I made the point that he could very well be deserving of earning his pro card, but that the entire world would have second thoughts about it. And that is because he is the most popular YouTuber in the world when it comes to broscience.
There are channels that are bigger than Sam’s with regards to the media side of the sport but when it comes to just some random guy talking in between sets at the gym about the fascination of building muscle, the role of macro and micronutrients, and the role that posing and supplements play, he is the man. He doesn’t require a lot of pre-production, I don’t believe he has any special lighting and I would almost bet the hair I don’t have on my head that he doesn’t have a production team. Sam probably makes most of his videos with his phone, then goes home and maybe puts them through Power Director, and that’s it. He’s off to the races. Sometimes he’s making videos driving around in his car. And he’s not driving around in a Bugatti or a Gerrari, he’s driving around in a regular car just like everybody else. That is what has made him so popular.
Sam is not trying to live it up like Wes Watson or similarly situated types of individuals who want to portray a lifestyle that a lot of times is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Sam isn’t walking around some palatial mansion with manicured lawns and tennis courts. There’s no big giant pool and all that stuff. He’s not flexing nor is he faking it till he makes it. He doesn’t seem to be after material wealth. I’m not saying the guy’s a communist or anything like that but he’s not somebody who’s out to make stacks of cash and make it rain on videos. What he’s trying to do is lift and grow and get stronger. He truly loves the process. That’s what he’s about and that’s what’s made him so popular. Also, there’s the fact that he thinks out loud. Like when he calls something silly or when he thinks it’s a waste of time. Some of the more subtle-type influencers might use code words or simply play their own personal beliefs down. But Sam doesn’t do that. Sulek is all honesty – all around. That said, he has expressed an interest over the years in wanting to compete but it’s always been some sort of a fleeting afterthought. Nobody ever thought he would actually take the plunge.
And what’s even crazier is that when he went and did a bodybuilding show and won the competition. He did so without a coach. He basically defied every rule – unspoken or otherwise in the sport. When has a guy ever self prepped himself into a contest, won that contest, then turned around and made the necessary improvements, and showed up to a Pro Qualifier and emerged with a pro card. I really hate run on sentences but for this article and this context, that last sentence was absolutely necessary because you’re talking about an individual that accomplishes this massive feat that really nobody else has ever done before. I mean back in the day I was perplexed at how fast Phil Heath’s amateur career was. It consisted of all four competitions. But Sam has outdone even that.
What Sam has done is unheard of. He literally did his first show and did his second show, turning pro all in the course of one month’s time. This is absolutely insane. And what’s even more insane is the fact that I don’t know of a single person that can totally rule out the presence of politics in this bodybuilding miracle story.
And why do I say miracle story? I say miracle story because the show that he first competed in had weak competition. And this year’s Arnold Classic Amateur, coincidentally, didn’t have extraordinarily tough competition, either. Moreover, Sam has been described by many people as being a small bodybuilder. Since when does a small bodybuilder compete in classic men’s physique and dominate? That right there is an anomaly all within itself. You can’t be a big or small men’s physique competitor and win in classic. And you also can’t be a small bodybuilder and win in classic either. If you’re going to win in a classic, the division made famous by Chris Bumstead, then you have to win with that type of look. And Sam does not have that type of look to the point where he is deserving of the one and only pro card awarded at the Arnold Classic Amateur. So again it is very much a bodybuilding miracle that he was able to go to one of the toughest competitions in the world and emerge victorious with a pro card in hand after doing all of one show before getting there.
That sort of thing is something you would see in a movie, but it’s a stark contrast from the reality that thousands of bodybuilding competitors in various federations have to experience. Especially in the NPC. I mean the NPC is not a federation where you can turn pro in a division with one or two other people. The NPC is the only road to Mr. Olympia. So when you are at a stacked national level NPC contest then you’re going to be up against a who’s who. You’re going to be up against people that have been at it for years. So the idea that somebody that’s been added for weeks can just go in there and win, is not only a fairy tale type scenario, but it’s absolutely preposterous if looked at from the lens of the thousands of competitors that have had to cut their teeth with bad placings and work their way up. To a blue collar bodybuilder, Sam’s road to pro is sus as hell.
Again it is also perplexing because Sam is not a genetic freak. It wasn’t like he was born to compete in classic physique. He was able to win against weak competition and that’s about it. Now the other thing that I think needs to be addressed is the fact that he has a million subscribers on YouTube. That is a very strong factor that cannot be ignored. Because when he got to the event Arnold Schwarzenegger who doesn’t come out to meet pretty much anyone came out and met him. The last time Arnold was this excited about a guest at his competition was back when Nick’s Strength And Power was blowing up all over social media and appeared in Columbus Ohio flanked by none other than Aaron Singerman. At that point in time The Oak was so excited that he actually had Nick (who was essentially a YouTuber only) commentating for the second biggest bodybuilding show in the world. And when that happened Nick’s entire career changed. He was already doing huge hits and getting a ton of ad money, but when he was seen walking around, talking to and commiserating with Arnold Schwarzenegger, his credibility went through the roof. So why did Arnold come out of the woodwork to get a hug and a picture with Sam Sulek?
It’s a simple answer. It’s a one-word answer. And that answer is money. Arnold saw the potential in Nick Miller with his YouTube page in media and he sees the potential in Sam Sulek with his YouTube fame as a competitor. I mean it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Sam is going to get invited to next year’s Arnold Classic. Remember you don’t qualify to compete at the Arnold, you get invited. And you know Sulek’s going to get invited every single year that he competes.
Moreover, Jake Wood, over at the Olympia, is probably looking very closely and he will probably also want to get some of that fanfare with his competition. I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if Jake, Dan Solomon, or the folks in Pittsburgh, Dean, deem Sam worthy of a Mr Olympia special invite for 2025. Again everybody is seeing dollar signs with this kid. It’s not that his physique is so ahead of everyone else’s and it’s not that he was born to do any particular division, they see the financial opportunities and they want to tap into them.
And why shouldn’t they tap into them? As I’ve been saying for years, light shows, glossy brochures, that’s not going to grow bodybuilding. That’s not going to sell more tickets. That’s not going to sell more livestreams.
If you really want to sell out and you really want to make a lot of money, then you give the people what they’ve been saying for so many years. You give them what Vince McMahon gave them with the WBF. You give them entertainment. And Sam Sulek is entertainment first, and a great physique second. It’s because of that entertainment that he has the following that he does, and it’s because of that following that he got a pro card in 30 days time. Yes he has a great physique, yes he worked hard, but that’s not what got him the pro card. In my opinion getting him a pro card is the fanfare and the desire to give the people what they want, to be entertained.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at Iron Magazine. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste the link to this article on all of your social media feeds. I guarantee you it will generate lively conversation.