Bodybuilding.com is an American online retailer based in

Boise, Idaho Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ar ...

, specializing in

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...

s, sports supplements and

bodybuilding supplement Bodybuilding supplements are dietary supplements commonly used by those involved in bodybuilding, weightlifting, mixed martial arts, and athletics for the purpose of facilitating an increase in lean body mass. Bodybuilding supplements may contain ...

s. Aside from its commercial responsibilities, Bodybuilding.com publishes daily editorial content, training plans and streams live broadcasts of major

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

competitions. It also operates its own fitness-themed social network, BodySpace, with over 2.7 million active members. The success of the website has led to a number of proprietary sports nutrition products and accessories being developed and sold under its name. In September 2015, the CEO and founder Ryan DeLuca stepped down from his role, announcing he would be succeeded on an interim basis by

Liberty Media Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company controlled by chairman John C. Malone. The company has three divisions, reflecting the company's ownership stakes in Formula On ...

CFO Chris Shean. Chris Shean was subsequently replaced with the appointment of Karl Walsh in October 2021.

History

Bodybuilding.com grew out of wholesale-creatine.com, an online storefront created by teenage web marketer and amateur bodybuilder Ryan DeLuca in 1997, to capitalize on the rising popularity of creatine supplements. After two years of success, usually filling orders out of his garage, DeLuca purchased the domain Bodybuilding.com for $20,000, at age 21. The site went live on April 13, 1999, and within a year also launched teenbodybuilding.com. It was eventually merged into the primary domain name, bodybuilding.com After years of rapid growth, a majority stake in Bodybuilding.com was acquired in July 2006 by Milestone Partners for an undisclosed amount. That same year, Inc. Magazine ranked DeLuca number five on its list "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Entrepreneurs." In January 2008,

Liberty Media Corporation Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company controlled by chairman John C. Malone. The company has three divisions, reflecting the company's ownership stakes in Formula One ...

acquired a controlling stake in Bodybuilding.com for more than $100 million. DeLuca stayed on as the company's CEO. Bbcom-new-boise-hq

As of 2014, Bodybuilding.com is a nine-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 ranking of America's fastest-growing companies, with a reported revenue in 2013 of $420 million. It has 450 employees working at 3 locations, including distribution centers in

North Las Vegas, NV North Las Vegas is a suburban city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 216,961, with an estimated population of 251,974 in 2019. The city was incorporated on May 1, 1 ...

; Shiremanstown, PA; and

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

, U.K. The corporate headquarters is also located in

Boise Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area' ...

, along with the company's customer service

call center A call centre ( Commonwealth spelling) or call center (American spelling; see spelling differences) is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone. ...

. In 2013, the company donated the equipment for Boise's first outdoor gym, located in Ann Morrison Park.

Misidentified drugs

In 2007, an FDA agent purchased several dietary supplements from the company which were determined to contain

anabolic steroid Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related and have similar effects ...

s. In May 2012, Bodybuilding.com was fined $7 million, and as part of the settlement, CEO DeLuca and his brother Jeremy were both fined $600,000 for selling misbranded drugs.

Ryan Deluca Steps Down

In September 2015, Founder and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Ryan Deluca suddenly announced he would be stepping down from his position as CEO.

Vitalize, LLC.

In 2015,

Liberty Interactive Qurate Retail Group (commonly known as Qurate Retail, Inc.) is an American media conglomerate controlled by company chairman John C. Malone, who owns a majority of the voting shares. History 1998 launch by Liberty Media Liberty Interactive wa ...

spun off Bodybuilding.com and its stake in

Expedia Expedia Inc. is an online travel agency owned by Expedia Group, an American online travel shopping company based in Seattle. The website and mobile app can be used to book airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruise ships, a ...

into a new company, Liberty Expedia Holdings. In December 2016 after a massive layoff, Bodybuilding.com reorganized to form 4 different companies/brands. Vitalize, LLC owns and operates multiple brands dedicated to health, fitness & nutrition. Verity Brands is a food technology and manufacturing company focused on functional food and nutritional supplements. Jas Krdzalic acts as CEO of Vitalize, and Bodybuilding.com.

Contest broadcasts

Since 2007, Bodybuilding.com enlisted pioneer internet webcast company Chapman Media Group owner Travis Chapman, to use TheFitShow.tv on Bodybuilding.com as the basis for the first video marketing platform highlighting bodybuilding's top Pro athletes and trainers, recorded training at Golds Gym Venice beach. The first webcast was produced in LA and secondly the Tribeca Center in New York City, followed by Dallas, Columbus, and Las Vegas. Travis Chapman and Greg Helberg produced and directed all broadcasts to 2021. Shows streamed free online broadcasts included the world's two largest bodybuilding and fitness and figure competitions,

Joe Weider Joseph Weider (; November 29, 1919 – March 23, 2013) was a Canadian bodybuilder and entrepreneur who co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) alongside his brother Ben Weider. He was also the creator of Mr. Olympia, Ms. O ...

's Olympia Weekend and Arnold Schwarzenegger's

Arnold Classic The IFBB Arnold Sports Festival, also known as the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival, is an annual multi-sport event consisting of professional bodybuilding (''Arnold Classic''), strongman ('' Arnold Strongman Classic''), fitness, figure ...

, now known as the

Arnold Sports Festival The IFBB Arnold Sports Festival, also known as the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival, is an annual multi-sport event consisting of professional bodybuilding (''Arnold Classic''), strongman ('' Arnold Strongman Classic''), fitness, figur ...

. At the Olympia Weekend, the events broadcast include the

Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation ...

and

Ms. Olympia The IFBB Ms. Olympia is both the highest ranking professional female bodybuilding competition and the title of the winner of the competition. It was first organized in 1980, and was held as part of the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance ...

competitions, as well as the 212 Olympia Showdown, Fitness Olympia, Figure Olympia, and since 2013, the Men's Physique Showdown and Women's Physique Showdown. At the Arnold Sports Festival, broadcasts cover the Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition and, since 2014, the Arnold Classic 212 for men, and the

Ms. International The Ms. International female bodybuilding contest was considered to be the second-most prestigious competition for female bodybuilders (second only to the Ms. Olympia competition), from its inception in 1986 through 2013. It was first held in 19 ...

, Fitness International, Figure International, and Bikini International for women. Bodybuilding.com's commentators at these events include former and current physique competitors and analysts such as Dave Farra, Larry Pepe,

Bob Cicherillo Robert Michael Cicherillo (born December 1, 1965) is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. Biography Cicherillo's first bodybuilding competition was the 1981 Natural America, where he placed 4th in the teen tall class. His first NPC (Natio ...

, Dan Solomon,

Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles; and appeared in the documenta ...

Ronnie Coleman Ronald "Ronnie" Dean Coleman (born May 13, 1964) is an American retired professional bodybuilder. The winner of the Mr. Olympia title for eight consecutive years, he is widely regarded as either the greatest bodybuilder of all time or one of t ...

, Nicole Wilkins-Lee, and Layne Norton, among others. In addition to analysis and play-by-play, the broadcasts include interviews with current and former competitors and a Webcast Fan's Choice

References