2010 Mr Olympia

Agree.

I think part of bodybuilding becoming more popular is going to have to be that return to aesthetics.

I showed a friend of mine (who has no interest in or knowledge of bodybuilding) the collection of side-by-side photos of Jay, Phil, Branch, and Dex in all the mandatory poses from the Olympia. At first she marveled a bit in awe and with a touch of disgust, but then I asked her to pick “the best-looking one” from each angle. She looked more closely and started to take note of the differences.

She picked Heath across the board (except for Dex one time.)

That’s what bodybuilding should be, IMO. Appreciable to the novice eye. The mass monsters are awesome in their own way, but their appeal is to a much smaller segment. Generally speaking, MOST people agree on beauty in all different forms, whether it be a sunset, a face, an animal, or a body.

I love how Arnold described it in Pumping Iron…he’s a sculptor creating a work of art. Not a lumpy, gargantuan mountain. A work of ART.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]NuYi wrote:
^^
Isn’t being short/tall genetic aswell then? Atleast judging by your own criteria…?[/quote]

Thinking. Do more.

I explained this above but I am still laughing because THIS is what you got from what was written. As far as his height, his overall structure is “compact”. It isn’t like Priest where you couldn’t really tell how short he was if you saw a pic of him alone. [/quote]

Excuse me? Being short is as much a genetic quality as vascularity is. Save me with your little remarks, thank you.

[quote]NuYi wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]NuYi wrote:
^^
Isn’t being short/tall genetic aswell then? Atleast judging by your own criteria…?[/quote]

Thinking. Do more.

I explained this above but I am still laughing because THIS is what you got from what was written. As far as his height, his overall structure is “compact”. It isn’t like Priest where you couldn’t really tell how short he was if you saw a pic of him alone. [/quote]

Excuse me? Being short is as much a genetic quality as vascularity is. Save me with your little remarks, thank you.
[/quote]

You’re slow. Being short isn’t the issue. Being short and disproportionate is the issue.

A lot of short guys have really short legs and a more normal torso. This combination looks ridiculous on a bodybuilder if it is extreme. Working on the ILLUSION of balance is even more important for a shorter guy because they have less room to work with literally. Smaller biceps will make the arms look short. Small shoulders make them look like munchkins.

That means your understanding has been off. You are looking for faults in what I write instead of what is right.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]zraw wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
This is a top six back? Hell, I hope my back is about that size now.[/quote]

Well damn you should compete, turn pro, and make big money doing what you love[/quote]

Dude, go away. Why do that when I make money doing what i do now? And get this, there is no “average five year popularity” issue as there is in bodybuilding. The average guy you see on stage won’t be talked about 5 years from now.

Remember Don Long?
Vince Taylor?
Barry Demey?
Francis Benfatto?
Momo Benaziza?
(and these names came from memory not a google search)

No?

Go figure.

You sound like a child at this point with little to offer.[/quote]

Well than you have

Kevin Levrone
Dorian Yates
Flex Wheeler
Shawn Ray
Lee Haney

And many other pros who haven’t competed in over 5 years still being big names today. I can’t count how many times I here those above mentioned names and other even dudes from the 60s and 70s.

And onto Rockel, fact is he looked better than Vic on the day of the show, Vic was not dry, did not possess the same seperation and ultimately looked a good week or 2 out and thus a better Rockel deservingly got a better placement. [/quote]

Shawn ray is only talked about when he pisses someone else off. Dorian Yates, Flex and Kevin have kept themselves in the public because of endorsements or their own attempts at self marketing (Flex’s supplement line caused a stir when he claimed he was natural, Kevin got reinserted into our heads when he did that video series of him getting back into shape for a movie, and Dorian still does some commentary at shows and is still seen at parties along with his supplement line and personal training.

No one is talking about Lee Haney (which is a shame) and this was a guy who truly has the best spiritual and character influence of anyone else…ever.

Most of the ones you mentioned also just finished competing fairly recently especially since most of us who actually follow the sport started following it when those guys were on stage.

What about the other guys?

You gave five names and the truth is, if it weren’t for the websites that make their voices known, they would be gone out of the public eye as well. The INTERNET is why you still hear of them.

What about Nasser?

What about Cormier, Mike Mattarazzo, Ernie Taylor, Jean Pierre Fux, Pavol Jablonicky, Aaron Baker, Gunter Schlierkamp, Johnny Moya or Mike Francois?

Need me to go on?

Pointing out five guys who are only known now mostly through the MD website does not erase the HUNDREDS who were talked about who are now nowhere to be found aside from rare appearances.[/quote]

I am not on here as much as some other places but almost everyday there is a new post about some past pro. I here names of the guys from the the 90s often. But besides Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, how many basketball fans are talking about pros from the 80s-90s, not many, it’s all relevant Lebron and Kobe, people don’t talk about the past unless they are making comparisons. It’s the same in every sport, which is just life, people tend to talk about things that are relevant to them.

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:

I am not on here as much as some other places but almost everyday there is a new post about some past pro. I here names of the guys from the the 90s often. But besides Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, how many basketball fans are talking about pros from the 80s-90s, not many, it’s all relevant Lebron and Kobe, people don’t talk about the past unless they are making comparisons. It’s the same in every sport, which is just life, people tend to talk about things that are relevant to them.[/quote]

Are you missing the point on purpose? Larry Bird will never have to work again in his life time. Kobe could buy a fucking island and disappear until he hits 90 years of age. While the money has definitely increased for Mr. O competitors since the days when they earned damn near nothing, how many of these guys do you think are walking away financially secure through retirement from bodybuilding?

It doesn’t fucking matter if they talk about Larry Bird today or not. He still has a jacuzzi, a few sports cars and a pool. In bodybuilding, you had better have a solid business foundation or income OUTSIDE of the sport or through others facets of it or else you will not be saying the same…especially if you never actually win an Olympia contest.

The previous poster I responded to made it seem like money and glory was just waiting for bodybuilders who compete.

This is bullshit.

The average competitor has about 5 years before no one is talking about them anymore. mentioning Sergio Oliva on a random internet site isn’t putting shit into Oliva’s bank account.

How many of these guys do you think are even earning 6 figures a year? Unless you are one of the top six IN THE WORLD, expecting to get rich from bodybuilding or even financially secure is a ridiculous assumption.

I’ve been a life long bodybuilding fan and can appreciate all the great competitors and athletes the sport has to offer, past and present. But the results and commentary of these shows are sometimes extremely disappointing. Theres no way Phil Heath lost that contest and its a dam shame. The guy was easily the winner at the 2010 Arnold Classic and got the shaft again at this years Mr. O. Unfortunately I think the guy is going to ruin himself chasing the size game. I dont think fans realize the how the added mass just ruins certain lines that you can never get back, even if you drop the weight.

From what I hear Phil added anywhere from 10-15 lbs from this year arnold which is roughly 6 months and it shows. From the back is has greatly improved and the size is warranted but from the front I can already see the change his body is making, his lines are beginning to blur just like flex wheelers did when he decided to chase Dorian and then Ronnie. If you guys have any doubt of this just look at Kai Greene, he is probably easily the most interesting bodybuilder out there but the 2009 AC champ Kai is by far the best, Look at Kevin English the guy gets to a monstrous 270 in the offseason which is what you need to do if your goal is to pack mass like crazy but when you go that high in weight you can never expect to have the detail and separation of a David Henry or Eduardo Correa.

And whats with all these reports saying Jose Raymond was pushing Correa for 3rd? Raymond isnt good enough to carry Correa’s posing trunks and thats the truth. I’ve come to the conclusion beautiful aestheic physiques wont win the big shows. Shawn Ray, Flex, Levrone, Victor in 07, Cedric, Correa, Phil, and tons of others I honestly dont think they’ll ever get that nod. And for those who say Phil is rightttt there just gotta wait for Jay to retire or whatever thats the exact same thing people thought about Flex Wheeler