bodybuilding.com
What Bodybuilding.com Is and What It Does
Bodybuilding.com is an American online fitness and supplement company that’s been around since 1999. It started nearly 27 years ago as a simple website selling creatine at a time when online sales of fitness supplements were just beginning. Over the years, it grew into one of the largest online retailers in the fitness space, known for sports supplements, vitamins, workout gear, and related products. The company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho, and today operates as part of Retail Ecommerce Ventures, selling products across a wide customer base.
What most casual visitors see when they land on Bodybuilding.com is an e-commerce site full of products — protein powders, pre-workouts, amino acids, creatine, vitamins, and more. You can browse brands and shop by goals like muscle growth or weight loss. There’s also a fitness workout app tied to the brand, with features such as coaching, workout tracking, and social elements to connect with other users.
The company’s stated mission is to give people tools and resources to help them improve their health and fitness. They position themselves as more than just a supplement store, pitching educational content, training guidance, and community support alongside their products.
Early Beginnings and Growth
The story of Bodybuilding.com begins with Ryan DeLuca. In the late 1990s, DeLuca was a young fitness enthusiast based in Boise, Idaho. He registered the domain and began selling creatine — a supplement that was relatively new to the fitness market but would later become one of the most researched and widely used supplements in the world.
The company’s early success came from being an online pioneer at a time when few other fitness retailers were operating on the web. Creatine was expensive and hard to find in traditional stores, so Bodybuilding.com’s lower prices and online access filled a real gap. As traffic and customer interest grew, the website expanded its offerings to include a broader range of supplements and nutrition products.
By the mid-2000s, the company had grown substantially. A majority stake was acquired in 2006 by Milestone Partners, and then in 2008, Liberty Media Corporation bought a controlling interest. These investments reflected how big the brand had become on the internet and in the fitness world.
Products and Services Today
At its core, Bodybuilding.com operates as an online store. You can find thousands of products for different aspects of training and nutrition. Popular categories include:
- Protein supplements: Whey, plant-based proteins, isolates, blends, and more.
- Pre-workouts: Formulas designed to boost energy and focus before training.
- Creatine and performance enhancers: Classic supplements for strength and muscle performance.
- Vitamins and health products: Micronutrients and general wellness items.
The company also has its own in-house brand called Signature Series, a line of supplements ranging from protein powders to pre-workouts and other support products. This brand emphasizes transparency in ingredients and performance-oriented formulations.
In addition to shopping, Bodybuilding.com pushes content aimed at helping people train smarter. This includes workout plans, articles on nutrition and training, and instructional videos. They also offer a fitness app that lets users follow guided workouts, track progress, and sync with community features.
The Community and Forum Legacy
For many people, Bodybuilding.com wasn’t just a store — it was a community. For years, the site hosted one of the internet’s most active fitness forums. At its peak, millions of people used these forums to share workout tips, personal stories, and nutrition advice. They became a hub for both serious bodybuilders and casual lifters alike.
These forums have a bit of a complicated legacy. On one hand, they were enormous hubs where people could ask real training questions and share experiences. On the other, they had a reputation for unfiltered content, heated debates, and sometimes toxic interactions. Still, for a long time, the Bodybuilding.com forums were one of the biggest online fitness communities around.
In September 2024, the company shut down the entire forum section. All links now redirect to a notice about new ways to connect with the community. The decision surprised many longtime users who viewed the forums as a central part of the Bodybuilding.com experience.
Corporate Structure and Leadership
Over the years, Bodybuilding.com’s ownership and leadership have shifted. After Ryan DeLuca stepped down as CEO in 2015, the company’s executive leadership changed hands a few times, with Karl Walsh serving as CEO as of 2021. Today, the business operates under Retail Ecommerce Ventures, a parent company that owns several other online retail brands.
The company also went through periods of reorganization, laying off staff and refocusing its strategic priorities as the fitness e-commerce landscape changed. Growing competition from Amazon, social media-driven brands, and other niche supplement retailers has reshaped how Bodybuilding.com operates.
Cultural Impact and Influence
During the 2000s and early 2010s, Bodybuilding.com had a cultural footprint that went beyond just selling products. It was a place where many people first learned about serious lifting routines, diet planning, and performance supplementation. Its articles, videos, and community contributions helped popularize training approaches that spread well beyond hardcore bodybuilding circles.
For a generation of gym-goers, Bodybuilding.com was one of the first places they turned for advice, plans, and tips before social media fitness influencers became the norm. It served not just as a commerce site but as an informational hub and community space that helped shape online fitness culture.
Where It Stands Now
Today, Bodybuilding.com continues to operate as a major online supplement retailer with an emphasis on service, education, and product variety. Its website and app still cater to a broad audience that includes beginners, athletes, and serious lifters. The brand’s evolution reflects broader shifts in fitness trends, e-commerce, and online communities.
As the fitness world becomes more crowded with competitors and social media-driven content platforms, Bodybuilding.com faces ongoing challenges in maintaining its place as a go-to resource. But its long history, extensive product catalog, and legacy in online fitness give it enduring relevance to many.
Key Takeaways
- Bodybuilding.com is an established online retailer focused on fitness supplements and wellness products, founded in 1999.
- The company combines e-commerce with fitness education, workout plans, and a mobile app.
- Early growth came from selling affordable supplements like creatine when online retail was new.
- For years, its forums were among the most active fitness communities on the internet, though they closed in 2024.
- Bodybuilding.com continues as part of Retail Ecommerce Ventures, adapting to a competitive and evolving fitness market.
FAQ
Is Bodybuilding.com just for bodybuilders?
No. While the name suggests a focus on bodybuilding, the site serves a wide range of fitness goals including strength training, weight loss, and general wellness.
Can you get workout plans on Bodybuilding.com?
Yes. The platform offers workout programs, coaching tools through its app, and training content to help users reach fitness goals.
Did Bodybuilding.com have forums? What happened to them?
Yes. It hosted major fitness forums that were shut down in 2024, with the company encouraging users to find new ways to connect.
Does Bodybuilding.com have its own supplement brand?
Yes. Their in-house Signature Series includes a range of products like proteins, pre-workouts, and vitamins.
Is Bodybuilding.com still influential?
It remains a major online retailer and resource, though the rise of social media fitness influencers and competitor platforms has changed the landscape.
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