Bodybuilding:Then and Now

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I picked up my first bodybuilding magazine in the winter of 1979. Back then you had to either subscribe to them or get them from a gym or a health food store. Most grocery stores, drug stores, etc. did not carry such publications, at least now where I grew up. A lot has changed since then, some things for the good, some for the worse. I dont wish to start a thread bashing either the past or the present, but rather to compare and contrast each era and hopefully others will add their comments as well.

The champions of now are far bigger and far more ripped than champions of the past. The physiques of the past seemed more distinct with each of the champions having “signature” poses. In some of the magazines of the past, they would have silhouttes of the champions and you would have to guess who each was. It was not hard to do. I think that the present champions lack the individual physique distinction and tend to all look similar. Now this could be because I do not follow the sport quite as intensely as I did as a young man, but I still know all the names.

I liked it when all of the championship contests were designated by “Mister” titles, such as Mr. America, Mr. Universe, etc. Changing the names to National and World Champion were done, likely to improve the image of the sport in hopes of making it more mainstream. I also liked it when the amateur contests has best bodyparts.

Danny Padilla still has one of the greatest physiques I have ever seen in my life.

The black and white photos of Dorian Yates in black socks are the most impressive photos I have ever seen.

Tom Platz’s legs are the most impressive bodypart I have ever seen on any bodybuilder.

Having a bantamweight class in a bodybuilding championship is like having a superheavyweight jockey division in horse racing.

The first contest I ever judged was at a large state prison. I was there to do a lifting exhibition before the bodybuilding event and then to be part one of the judges. I had no experience in this. The head judge, who was a veteran pulled all five of the judges together and gave us our instructions: He said “ladies and gentlemen ( there was one lady present) the winner will be the person who you believe has the most physically impressive body” pretty simple and that is how I have always judged bodybuilding contests since then. Not the biggest, the most ripped, not the most symmetrical-but the most impressive.

Modern bodybuilding needs to return to the days when the posing suit is a lot more modest, rather than a borderline g-string.

I wish Kal Szkalak, 1977 Mr. U had competed for a few more years.

2

I gotta agree when I think hard core body building I think of the BW Dorian shots when he was freaky vascular…

And also agree body building should be about the most impressive not the most mass period. But then again I also think being completly shreaded is more impressive (like before a carb refeed) then being some what smooth onstage

3

Mike Mentzer had one of the hardest physiques I’ve seen from the old school. And Robby Robinson with that great biceps peak. I even experimented with Mentzer’s Hardcore training philosophy for awhile. I did get some pretty good gains, but my body quickly acclimated to the routine.

4

I just remembered, Mike’s training philosophy was called “Heavy Duty”.

5

Sergio the myth, Frank Zane, Reeves and Arnold represent the best era of bodybuilding in my books.

6

atleast back then everyone had a different build , today everyone looks the same.

7

Keith:

I think the champs of that era were far better to watch. They had real physiques which were not bloated with excessive steroids like the Bodybuilders of today.

They could also put together two complete sentences without sounding like they had a learning disability. I think Frank Zane epitomizes that era quite well. Great physique, intelligent and obviously well balanced.

Ronnie Coleman is typical of today’s Bodybuilders: Dim witted (and that is being kind) and bloated looking!

8

[quote]ZEB wrote:
Ronnie Coleman is typical of today’s Bodybuilders: Dim witted (and that is being kind) and bloated looking![/quote]

Did Ronnie Coleman do something to you personally? This is the second post you have gone to town calling him names while actually taking time in the other thread to put Dorian Yates on a pedestal while bringing Ronnie down. They would logically both be at fault if your motive was honest.

The bodybuilders of the past, along with a few from right now, held on to symmetry. It would be wrong to not include some modern bodybuilders in this category as well. Melvin Anthony has the smallest waist seen on stage in over a decade, Troy Alves and Mark Dugdale both have very symmetrical physiques. Why ignore them? Don’t they deserve to be applauded if for no other reason than to let it be known that they are on the right path for the moment?

Some of you seem to be caught up in only looking at the past. There are many NPC competitors who still have those lines and symmetry that were made famous in previous eras. Perhaps it is time to point them out instead of only looking in the rear view mirror.

9

[quote]ZEB wrote:
Ronnie Coleman is typical of today’s Bodybuilders: Dim witted (and that is being kind) and bloated looking![/quote]

Ain’t nuthin’ but a peanut!

10

Bill Pearl was awesome. Thick at 240 with 21" arms. I’ve got his old courses and he epitomizes BB. Guy did not have a weak part. I kid you not. Thick, broad, symmetrical. Things like neck, forearms, calves were all in great proportion. Bill, in my opinion, was better than Arnold. And that is hard to do as Arnie’s torso just rocked. Love that shot of him on the arm blaster. Bill had the lower body to match though, which gave a slight edge. But on old school torso’s Pearl, Arnie, and Sergio were the trio of perfection.

Since then I do think that those B&W photos of Dorian Yates were incredible. I remember being shocked, and I’d seen mags o’plenty. He had done something unheard of. Still has yet to be matched in my opinion.

But I’d still take Pearl anyday. Steroidal excess makes it odd

DH

11

[quote]Disc Hoss wrote:
Bill Pearl was awesome. Thick at 240 with 21" arms. I’ve got his old courses and he epitomizes BB. Guy did not have a weak part. I kid you not. Thick, broad, symmetrical. Things like neck, forearms, calves were all in great proportion. Bill, in my opinion, was better than Arnold. And that is hard to do as Arnie’s torso just rocked. Love that shot of him on the arm blaster. Bill had the lower body to match though, which gave a slight edge. But on old school torso’s Pearl, Arnie, and Sergio were the trio of perfection.

Since then I do think that those B&W photos of Dorian Yates were incredible. I remember being shocked, and I’d seen mags o’plenty. He had done something unheard of. Still has yet to be matched in my opinion.

But I’d still take Pearl anyday. Steroidal excess makes it odd

DH
[/quote]

Pearl was great!

Another good example of someone who not only looked good but represented Bodybuilding and himself very well. Again, intelligent and well balanced!

I don’t have to draw the obvious contrast of the bloated idiots that occupy the sport today…do I?

12

http://images.t-nation.com/forum_images/./1/.1119775870380.ron-sergio.jpg

Here are some awesome “virtual posedown” pics comparing the greats of Then and Now.

Ronnie vs. Sergio

13

http://images.t-nation.com/forum_images/./1/.1119776053900.arnie-ronnie.jpg

Ronnie vs. Arnold

14

http://images.t-nation.com/forum_images/./1/.1119776012100.arnold-casey-dorian.jpg

Arnold vs. Casey vs. Dorian

15

http://images.t-nation.com/forum_images/./1/.1119776896160.yates-coleman-arnold-backs.jpg

Back-shot

Dorian vs. Ronnie vs. Arnold

16

TV - Great idea. i am not sure the sizes are perfect - that would be very difficult to do.

Some observations:
Look at Ronnie’s stomach. He looks like crap compared both to Arnold and Sergio.
I guess that is from HGH?
Also, he is the perfect example of a drug physique. Looks like he is about to pop like a balloon.

Dorain looks blocky, and his arms seem short compared to his body size.

If you had to pick, who would you wake up tomorrow morning looking like?

17

One thing, which is kind of the point of bb, is that bodybuilders used to look beautiful. Yates and Coleman look f-ing ugly. It’s like a zoo at this point. Of course I commend the ingenuity of getting so much drugs into the body and not collapsing (most of the time), but even that honor would have to be divided between the pharmacologists and other ‘staff’. Hey, it’s their life and their way of earning money. I don’t respect it, but I respect the right to do so.

18

One thing I’ve noticed apart from the physical differences of past BBers compared to modern ones is style.

Today, bodybuilders go up on stage and start posing away. It just seems to me like they’re trying to hard, making weird faces and such.

Back in the day, they had style. They looked like they were in control, and they looked relaxed like they did this everyday. Theyre poses were confident, and extrodinarliy masculine.

But these days, people just lack style.

19

GREAT ARTICLE Keith

I have only been lifting for about a year and 1.5 now, the .5 actually having an idea what i was doing thanks to T-Nation! The first books i read were by Kennedy. I instantly fell in love with thegreats like Arnold and mostly Franco Columbu. They were huge, natural looking, and symetrical. This thread gives us a great look at the changes that have obviously been made to “nutrition” in the sport. I would take Franco over Ronnie, Dexter, Marcus…

20

Good posts everyone.

It was not my intention to “pit” the modern bb’ers against the ones in the past I was hoping to compare the “atmosphere” of the bodybuilding community from then to the present.

I will defend the modern bb’ers simply by saying that they have done what was expected of them-they worked on getting bigger and more ripped. The sport has changed-maybe for the worse in some areas, but I cant think of any sport from 25-30 years ago that HAS NOT made radical changes. The modern Olympics cannot even begin to compare with the Olympics of the 70’s-neither is better, but they are different-change is an inherent part of human existence and the more we change, the more we want to change. I liked it when the college bowls were just named “The Orange Bowl” and not the “FED-EX Orange Bowl”-but I have gotten used to it.

I remember a time when you went to see a movie and literaly knew NOTHING about it until you actually went to see it-now we know way too much about movies years before they are released because of media hype and promotion-again, I have gotten used to it.

The only way that I can see bodybuilding “change” is either some well built, good looking, charismatic guy will come along, and change the tide of bodybuilding or, you will have a couple of guys who will say screw this bigger, freakier look and will train and compete at a much lighter and healthier weight-and they may not win shows, but pretty soon others will follow their example and then the 13th monkey principle kicks in. I really dont see this happening though.