National Amateur Body-Builders' Association

The National Amateur Body-Builders' Association, more commonly referred to as NABBA, was founded in 1950 by the Health & Strength League to promote bodybuilding. Although the original intention was to promote physique contests in the United Kingdom, the popularity of the Mr Universe contest, and later Ms Universe contest, drew interest from competitors around the world. Today NABBA International maintains affiliations with around 60 countries.

History

The history of NABBA as an organisation can be traced back to 1898 when an American entrepreneur, Bernarr Macfadden, and an English cycling enthusiast, Hopton Hadley, teamed up to promote what would become the earliest physical culture magazine. The original title of the magazine is debatable, however in 1898 Macfadden sold his share to Hadley and it quickly became known as Health & Strength magazine. Health & Strength Magazine served as the official magazine of NABBA for many years before being sold. The current Health & Strength publication utilises the name but bears little resemblance to the original magazine. In 1906 the Health & Strength League was formed to promote physical culture and within a few years it boasted thousands of members across the United Kingdom.