The new division is due to make its international debut at the 2018 Arnold Classic Europe scheduled to take place in Barcelona from September 28 to 30. 

It will then be included at this year’s World Junior Championships in Ecuador’s capital Quito, World Masters Championships in a yet-to-confirmed location and World Bodybuilding Championships in Spanish city Benidorm.

The IFBB Technical Committee has designed the classic physique division rules, which can be accessed in full here. 

The modality will have three categories by age and nine categories based on height and/or age.

The junior category, for athletes under the age of 23, includes one open category.

The masters category is made up of open categories for athletes aged from 40 to 44 years old, 45 to 49-years-old and over 50-years-old.

The absolute category comprises categories for up to 168 centimetres, 171cm, 175cm and 180cm as well as more than 180cm.

The classic physique division has weight limits, depending on the height, common for the masters and absolute categories.

Another of the main novelties, visually, is that athletes should wear a larger one-colour swimsuit that completely covers their buttocks.

This is the type of garment used in most of the competitions held by the Arab Federations and especially in the Persian Gulf area.

The IFBB claim, that by including the classic physique division, it is continuing its trend of always picking up on the preferences of the athletes.