STATELINE — Since its debut five years ago, the Tahoe Show Bodybuilding Championship has been the biggest in Northern Nevada — and it continues to grow. The fifth-annual bodybuilding show returns to MontBleu Resort Saturday, Aug. 22, as part of a weekend of fitness-related events on the South Shore.

“When it started, nobody thought it would work because there aren’t a lot of bodybuilders or figure competitors in South Lake Tahoe — but I knew we were onto something,” Tahoe Show producer and bodybuilding champion Chris Minnes said.

“I knew it was going to grow each year, but I didn’t know it would become the name that it is. We’re putting Tahoe on the bodybuilders’ map.”

The fifth edition of the show will take place all day Saturday at the MontBleu Resort Theatre. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., with pre-judging for NPC/IFBB divisions running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stage presentations will be held at 6 p.m., with finals and trophy awards starting at 6:30 p.m.

“We take competing very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves very seriously,” Minnes said. “It has to be fun for the audience and competitors at the end of the day, and that’s why this show continues to grow.”

Minnes said Tahoe Show’s production value is what sets it apart from other competitions — including using one location for all facets of the event. The show hosted by actor Lou Ferrigno, Jr. will feature two big screens inside the theater and stream live on Bodybuilding.com — something no other amateur show can claim.

“It’s a mix of the awesome Lake Tahoe destination and MontBleu being one of the best showrooms that any bodybuilding show has ever been to,” Minnes said. “We just took it to the next level with the production level, website and marketing.”

Nearly 400 competitors will hit the stage Saturday, showcasing local and global contestants in figure, fitness, bikini, bodybuilding and IFBB pro figure divisions. The ultimate prize is a handcrafted, metal trophy that features the show’s “muscle deer” logo along with qualification for the Mr. Olympia show in Las Vegas next month.

“It goes from brand new to the best in the world,” Minnes said.

No matter the division, Minnes said all participants in Saturday’s event have dieted for at least three months leading into it to achieve the proper level of conditioning. And while the Tahoe Show will showcase traditional bodybuilding physiques, it will also showcase sleeker, leaner bodies.

“It’s cool because people can see that it’s attainable,” Minnes said. “It’s not just the monsters anymore.”

The weekend of events at MontBleu begins Friday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m. with a motivational seminar from IFBB Pro Kris Dim, a professional bodybuilder who lost use of his legs following surgery to repair a heart stent in 2012. Afterward, a Meet the Pros question-and-answer session will be held with the top figure athletes from throughout the world. Both of Friday’s events are free.

Following Saturday’s show, a red carpet photo shoot will be held at Opal Ultra Lounge at 10 p.m. And Sunday, Aug. 23, the weekend concludes with a lakeside shoot along Lake Tahoe’s South Shore.

Tickets for the Tahoe Show range from $30 to $85. For information, registration and a full event schedule visit http://www.tahoeshow.com.