About FigureRX

FigureRX is the creation of a Chicago and Los-Angeles-based investment firm that specializes within the sports and entertainment industries, among other things. In 2007, to specifically support the fitness industry, we embarked on the creation of one of the largest dedicated figure, fitness and women's bodybuilding portals on the web. Our web site designer is Physique Sites, headquartered in Ohio.

What is included on the site?

The main focus of our web site is to celebrate and provide blanket coverage and recognition for the amazing athletes who compete in the sports of figure, fitness and women's bodybuilding within the NPC and IFBB. The team members and others featured on our site were chosen for their incredible accomplishments both inside and outside of figure and fitness. Our site includes contest coverage (photos, videos, previews and contest reports), a magazine, athlete resources, a store, industry-related classified ads, athlete interviews, rankings and profiles, and photo and video content. We operate in cooperation with BodybuildingWeekly.com, an industry news feed, blog, and athlete database. FigureRX also occasionally sponsors shows, primarily at the national level.

FigureRX is a non-profit subsidiary of our company, meaning that every dime (after costs) has been and will be invested back into the web site, industry and the athletes who make this sport great. We do not and are not allowed to make any money on this venture. While we intend to continue to become a necessary “can’t miss” stop on the web for everyone involved in figure and fitness both casually and at a competitive level, our goal is to expand the popularity of the sport and to enhance revenues; we are not attempting to take business from our friends at other companies, web sites or vendors within the sport. FigureRX also seeks to encourage a positive image and direction for the sport as a whole. We believe that all the participants in this sport work extremely hard and should be admired and rewarded for their efforts.

We have temporarily delayed the launch of our supplement store, which will feature product reviews from a female perspective. In the interim we would encourage everyone, during an economic downturn, to give back to your local community by supporting the supplement stores, gyms, salons, trainers, and fitness camps in your area. Growing this industry at the local level will also add to its mainstream appeal.

Our parent company has less than 100 employees, and you will also detect a very strong populist strain in our activities. Over the past few years there has been an alarming level of consolidation in the fitness industry, meaning smaller family-owned and founded enterprises being purchased or taken out by large, faceless corporations - particularly in the media sector. We support small businesses at every level including franchise owners and proprietors.

We always welcome suggestions for improving the site, or any comments that you may have, via our Contact Page.

Please see the FAQ below for additional responses to common questions.

What is your investment company and how does it work?

An investment company, sometimes referred to as a private equity or a venture capital firm, collects funds from high net worth individuals and then invests them in areas where they have specific expertise. Investors work with specific firms because of their track record, as measured in annual investment returns.

If the web site is non-profit, how do you make money?

The web site itself pays out more in sponsorship funds than it earns. The parent company derives income from investments in sports-related entities, including but not limited to supplement companies, sports teams, fitness-related web sites, gyms and facilities, exercise equipment, sports publishing companies, and major and regional sporting events and associations. Supporting all sports and fitness-related ventures, and expanding the industry as a whole, indirectly increases the value of our investments (all else held equal).

Who and what is Physique Sites?

Physique Sites is an Ohio-based company that offers high-level athlete web design and technical support.

Do you have an agenda within figure and fitness?

We have some opinions about the direction of the sport, starting with the belief that figure and fitness athletes are as dedicated and work just as hard, if not harder, than athletes in other sports. Figure and fitness athletes are important, positive role models for females of all ages and, most importantly, the sport provides an avenue for continuing in competitive athletics after high school and/or college. FigureRX believes in marketing shows beyond the bodybuilding community and to a mainstream audience. For example, the marketing for a show and/or expo in Los Angeles should be visible to people living in the area, even those who have had no connection to the sport, in order to expand overall interest in the sport. This applies for both national and local shows.

On stage, we like to see hard work and symmetrical muscularity rewarded, not penalized. The ideal figure physique has certain traits, and is quite different from the physique of a female bodybuilder, regardless of the amount of muscle carried. Muscle separation and hardness should not be an automatic negative, but should be judged in conjunction with other qualities such as symmetry, beauty and presentation. We strongly believe in physique excellence, but that can mean different things for different athletes. We respect individual choices regarding training, diet and supplementation and believe that federations should support freedom of choice as well.

In the past we have also supported splitting NPC figure into two divisions (one that allows more muscularity and separation and another “bikini-contest” division) and retaining the one piece round as a critical part of physique assessment. Like many others, we recognize and adjust with the judging nuances of the sport even in cases where we may respectfully disagree with the judging direction.

Finally, our parent company is majority-minority owned, meaning that a majority of our partners are of African-American, Hispanic-American, or Asian-American descent. Many are former or retired athletes. We are obviously equal opportunity and strongly support diversity initiatives in all sports.

Why only figure and fitness, what about bodybuilding?

We are already tremendously supportive of female bodybuilders and have a particular niche for competitors who skirt the limits between figure and bodybuilding. Some of the best physiques in the world fall between the modern judging criteria of figure and bodybuilding. Look for an upcoming partnership with a bodybuilding web site and the eventual launch of BodybuildingRX.com.

What if I want your company to invest in mine?

You may send a brief introduction and proposal to the e-mail address listed on the contact page. Please remember that your entity must be sports related, and we typically choose to hold minority positions in large companies or ventures, rather than operational control of smaller companies or start-ups.

How do you select the athletes you sponsor?

Team FigureRX selects athletes who we believe are either rising stars in the figure and fitness arena or who exhibit excellence both inside and outside the sport. We seek individuals who have tremendous natural ability and talent, but who might need that extra push from us to get to the top.

Are your sponsorships exclusive? What are the obligations?

First, we suggest that you read the section on sponsorships in our "athlete resources" area. It is important reading for any athlete in the sport who is seeking to minimize or subsidize the costs of competing and to maximize career revenues. It will also explain how you can maximize your own value to sponsors within the industry.

Sponsors fall into different categories, and FigureRX operates within the media and discount supplement store categories. On a grand scale, the easiest way to think about it is to observe some of the IFBB male bodybuilders. They can be sponsored by a supplement company (like Muscletech or Eight Ball) while at the same time having a media sponsor (like Weider or Muscular Development). In addition, they might be free to appear on Bodybuilding.com because their supplement company's products are sold in the store - without any conflicts. Even within our categories we only consider a handful of companies to be competitors while we work directly with others. Any athletes who work with us are free to be affiliated with sponsors in all other categories, which include supplement manufacturers, gym chains, clothing, tanning salons, training services, fitness camps, and many other product types. In fact we encourage physique athletes to pursue a "portfolio" of sponsorships in numerous categories.

There are almost always obligations that come along with significant sponsorship, and like any company we must make sure our needs for site content and representation at shows are met. We are happy to discuss any questions or details individually.

What type of support do you provide?

In any given year, we budget for an operating loss of approximately $75,000. That amount, plus any proceeds from the web site, is entirely invested back into the sport and the athletes. To see a typical national level athlete budget, and guidelines on what we cover and do not cover, please go here.

How do I apply for a sponsorship?

We are expanding very slowly as we launch various aspects of the web site, and have not added any fully-sponsored or contract athletes since early fall of 2007. We have instead hired booth models and invited content guests to meet our need as we expand. But we are always accepting applications and we encourage you to look at our guidelines in the "athlete resources" section. At the moment we are only working with amateur athletes, because we are so young with a very small staff, and have a lot to learn to be effective and to add value at the IFBB level. If we do not respond to you please do not be offended, because our primary duties are as investment bankers which sometimes involves 90-hour work weeks and a lot of travel!! We love this sport and (almost) all the competitors and are tremendously thankful for your support over the past two years.