The Thread for Actual Bodybuilders

Training Bodybuilding
41

[quote]red04 wrote:
I’ve trained for athletics for the vast majority of my training life, but that came to an end this summer with no more competitive sports left in my future.

I’ve completely adopted the bodybuilding lifestyle; the bodypart split in the gym, putting effort into nutrient timing, eating every 2-3 hours, and the arguments with everyone around me on why I want to get even bigger when I “look good already”(which could be an entirely different argument since I’m one of the smaller people around this site at 5’10 200.)

I’m closing in on 23, so the switch to a full out bodybuilding lifestyle is pretty late now, and I have a lot of work to do to balance out a physique that I’ve built for athletics for almost a decade now; but the gym has been home for me for a long time, and this has just become the next stage in my stay there. If this shit were easy it wouldn’t be fun or fulfilling at all.[/quote]

I too played baseball even in my first couple years in college and trained for athletics. Once the athletics were gone I loved the iron soo much that I needed something to train for. A friend talked me into doing a teen bodybuilding show and now I’m hooked.

23 is still VERY young for bodybuilding. If you want it there is still time as most don’t ‘peak’ until their 30’s. :wink:

DG

42

[quote]Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

[/quote]

Again, there is ambiguity in in great physical shape, but big arms and big chest do not a bodybuilder make.

Here is something I would like to suggest: a bodybuilder has a certain look, associated not just with size, but with symetry. You have to go back a long way in the pro ranks to see this, but likely Bob Paris was one of the last to obtain this.

Thus, bodybuilders tend to train differently, not training so much to see how much they can lift, but rather how certain movements contribute to the above mentioned goal of size with aesthetic appeal.

This pursuit is much more sophisticated than having 20 inch arms and abs. Sadly, since the 1990s, one can see how this point can be taken as heresy.

43

At first I wasn’t sure if I’d fit the description of the thread based on its title but when I thought about I do feel like many of the posters are kindred spirits of mine.

I’m 6’5" about 235 lbs, was a basketball kid in my teens and always involved in sports in general. Once basketball seemed less and less like a future for me I started thinking about other things. I actually started playing football partly because it is more in alignment with lifting than hoops is. What I didn’t realize until lately was that the only ‘practice’ i truly loved going to was my lifting sessions and it was the only thing that was and is more or less consistent in my training. Even when I don’t feel like going to the gym, which is rarely the case, even on those days I’m able to pick myself up and have a good training session. I first went to the gym when I was 13. Didn’t even really get into until I was about 16 and our high school had small gym.

Granted, my training and eating until a few months back wasn’t in retrospect as good as it could have been. For a long time I stayed at the same bodyweight, even though I got bigger (according to others) somewhat. I’m guessing here, but I’ve probably gained about 65-70 lbs over the years.

One of the best things I did was a few months back when I switched into body part splits, after years of either full body or upper/lower splits. I gained about 15 lbs in 5 weeks, mostly muscle though there was/is some visible fat gain. My body seems to grow in spurts (which are characterized by focused lifting and a better plan for nutrition, who’da thunk), and the thread in T Cell Alpha about Set points kind of backs up my suspicions.

I do cook most of my meals in advance usually on saturday or sunday. this is one of the best tips i’ve ever gotten. takes me about 3-4 hours to cook my food.

Earlier I thought of aiming for being about 260 lbs but I’ve realized that it is probably going to be higher. those 15 lbs i put on seemed to pretty much disappear into my lanky frame. My goals is to get to somewhere below 10% bodyfat while being big. Again its hard to put a number on it, it could be 270-280, who knows. Bauer is about my height and i think he’s somewhere in that range.
So basically as far as my body goes, I’m interested in gaining the most amount of muscle and becoming fairly lean in the process. I have some other ambitions as well, increasing my vertical leap, but that has a complete back seat to my current goals. I’m also interested in fixing my body since I have a bunch of nagging injuries.

Training is possibly the one thing i think about the most, which is sometimes not a good thing being the overly analytical person I sometimes am. I’m thankful for all the regular posters in T-Cell Alpha and elsewhere, you’ve helped me remember to focus on the basics and opened my eyes to what training really is.

Even though i need more overall mass, there are some body parts that I feel need more attention. like my forearms, which seem to be growing a lot slower than my arms. they look like I’ve never even eating more than 500 calories a week. and my hams, especially the glute ham tie in. i’m trying to figure out a way to get them to grow, they seem to be always overpowered by my glutes and adductors. also my vmo and quad musculature around the knee in general, seems like my rectus femoris and glute muscles always do the most work.

Best lifts? Hmm, recently a 485 lbs RDL for a single, don’t really squat heavy because of my knee (though getting better), but as I recall a parallel box squat of 350 lbs for 5. bench 260 lbs for 3 back when my shoulder was in better shape, chins 16 reps at bw, +65 lbs for 2 reps. Only the rdl is recent, the rest were a good while ago.

44

[quote]Scotacus wrote:
Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

Ive known one personally who would come pretty close to fitting that bill, but he was a pro running back. He would be somewhat puzzled to hear you calling him a bodybuilder.

All of the work to be a bodybuilder is done in the gym, not on stage. You are one on and off the stage all day long.

Its unclear what youre trying to say, but there are real pro bodybuilders who look like fat freaks away from competition season.

Simply eating 6 times a day does not qualify you as one if you don’t have the muscle mass at all.

Agreed.[/quote]

Only a clueless newbie or someone not even aware of what bodybuilding entails would be unable to see large amounts of muscle mass far beyond average even if someone was carrying extra body fat.

Lee Priest even at his heaviest weight still looked like a fucking bodybuilder. No one gets arms that big by accident even if they do carry extra fat.

45

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Scotacus wrote:
Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

Ive known one personally who would come pretty close to fitting that bill, but he was a pro running back. He would be somewhat puzzled to hear you calling him a bodybuilder.

All of the work to be a bodybuilder is done in the gym, not on stage. You are one on and off the stage all day long.

Its unclear what youre trying to say, but there are real pro bodybuilders who look like fat freaks away from competition season.

Simply eating 6 times a day does not qualify you as one if you don’t have the muscle mass at all.

Agreed.

Only a clueless newbie or someone not even aware of what bodybuilding entails would be unable to see large amounts of muscle mass far beyond average even if someone was carrying extra body fat.

Lee Priest even at his heaviest weight still looked like a fucking bodybuilder. No one gets arms that big by accident even if they do carry extra fat.[/quote]

I get tired of hearing people say two things about bodybuilders:

-“oh but they only look good one day out of the year, otherwise they are fat.”

ITS PART OF THE SPORT…you try walking around 230lbs + at 4% bodyfat YEARROUND! AND STILL MAKE PROGRESS!

and…

-“do you feel bad that you are the epitome of health when most bodybuilders aren’t really that healthy onstage?”

DO FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAY FOR HEALTH?! It’s a sport, a competition, like any athlete it will take a toll on the body but thats a choice every athlete from any sport has to make.

sorry I don’t know why that triggered that rant but it did. lol

Bodybuilding is about looking your best come show day…otherwise it’s building up or shredding down. Simple as that…even somebody with a FREAK metabolism like mine will walk around ‘fatter’ in the off season than on show day. It’s just physiology, to get big muscles you need to eat big food, eating big food might build a bit of fat as well.

ok I’m in a good mood and it’s leg day so I’ll / this rant. :stuck_out_tongue: lol

DG

46

[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Scotacus wrote:
Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

Ive known one personally who would come pretty close to fitting that bill, but he was a pro running back. He would be somewhat puzzled to hear you calling him a bodybuilder.

All of the work to be a bodybuilder is done in the gym, not on stage. You are one on and off the stage all day long.

Its unclear what youre trying to say, but there are real pro bodybuilders who look like fat freaks away from competition season.

Simply eating 6 times a day does not qualify you as one if you don’t have the muscle mass at all.

Agreed.

Only a clueless newbie or someone not even aware of what bodybuilding entails would be unable to see large amounts of muscle mass far beyond average even if someone was carrying extra body fat.

Lee Priest even at his heaviest weight still looked like a fucking bodybuilder. No one gets arms that big by accident even if they do carry extra fat.

I get tired of hearing people say two things about bodybuilders:

-“oh but they only look good one day out of the year, otherwise they are fat.”

ITS PART OF THE SPORT…you try walking around 230lbs + at 4% bodyfat YEARROUND! AND STILL MAKE PROGRESS!

and…

-“do you feel bad that you are the epitome of health when most bodybuilders aren’t really that healthy onstage?”

DO FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAY FOR HEALTH?! It’s a sport, a competition, like any athlete it will take a toll on the body but thats a choice every athlete from any sport has to make.

sorry I don’t know why that triggered that rant but it did. lol

Bodybuilding is about looking your best come show day…otherwise it’s building up or shredding down. Simple as that…even somebody with a FREAK metabolism like mine will walk around ‘fatter’ in the off season than on show day. It’s just physiology, to get big muscles you need to eat big food, eating big food might build a bit of fat as well.

ok I’m in a good mood and it’s leg day so I’ll / this rant. :stuck_out_tongue: lol

DG[/quote]

Agreed. Even when I’m carrying extra fat people still approach me and ask if I am training for a contest. I am not sure why some of these people have such a difficult time giving people credit for building huge muscles. It is like it makes them feel better to be able to claim that someone isn’t a bodybuilder because they haven;t competed. If you have muscles that much bigger than even the average gym goer, you have earned the damned title.

Likewise, I don’t consider everyone who competes a bodybuilder.

Have you seen this thread?:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/blog_sports_training_performance_bodybuilding_alpha/the_clueless_competitor

I guess he’s (Steve) a bodybuilder but I’m not?

47

“If you come on here and your goals are not of that of a bodybuilder I will FLAME your ass to oblivion.”

My goal is to have really small muscles; but well defined small muscles.

48

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Scotacus wrote:
Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

Ive known one personally who would come pretty close to fitting that bill, but he was a pro running back. He would be somewhat puzzled to hear you calling him a bodybuilder.

All of the work to be a bodybuilder is done in the gym, not on stage. You are one on and off the stage all day long.

Its unclear what youre trying to say, but there are real pro bodybuilders who look like fat freaks away from competition season.

Simply eating 6 times a day does not qualify you as one if you don’t have the muscle mass at all.

Agreed.

Only a clueless newbie or someone not even aware of what bodybuilding entails would be unable to see large amounts of muscle mass far beyond average even if someone was carrying extra body fat.

Lee Priest even at his heaviest weight still looked like a fucking bodybuilder. No one gets arms that big by accident even if they do carry extra fat.[/quote]

I guess. Just responding to your assertion that anyone with 20" arms and in great shape was a bodybuilder. What is extra body fat? Is that like overweight?

Back in the day predating the present where guys like priest can rely on chemicals to lean out, no, you couldnt afford to balloon out during off season because it was too damn hard to get in shape without losing signficant muscle mass.

Dont take this personally or as a put-down or slight (such attitudes are so faggoty), but how do you know what you look like as a bodybuilder if you havent once gotten down close to levels to see what youve got, quality-wise, you know - the lines, proportion, symmetry?

And I think therein lies the difference in ideology if you will: since the 1990s bodybuilding has been about the mass freak. So now, if you are bigger than average, you must be a bodybuilder. When guys built for both mass and aesthetics they couldnt afford to get fat because they wouldnt know how and what to train for quality, if it was covered up. Im not saying they always walked around at competition-shape, but they didnt get fat.

Those who think all you need is size are of the same coin as those who think they should get on stage looking skinny. You both look bad, though you impress the fanboys who wish they had muscles too.

49

[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:

I get tired of hearing people say two things about bodybuilders:

-“oh but they only look good one day out of the year, otherwise they are fat.”

ITS PART OF THE SPORT…you try walking around 230lbs + at 4% bodyfat YEARROUND! AND STILL MAKE PROGRESS!
[/quote]

Who said anything about 4%? Dorian Yates acknowledged that he was one of the very few who kept NEAR, not 4%, but NEAR, competition-shape throughout the year, much nearer than the norm of his colleagues. He insisted that this enabled him to keep closer to his ideal come competition. In other words, he didnt allow himself to get fat during offseason, unlike, according to him, most others. See? There`s room between 4% and fat. Go figure.

Actually, bodybuilding has a long history of representing the ideal in health, unlike say football. Looking exceptionally strong was associated with being exceptionally healthy. The lifestyle associated with healthy eating and exercise was considered crowned by the achievements of the bodybuilder. When you look at a figure competitor, do you not think she looks very healthy? Pro bodybuilders themselves have pointed out the farce and charade that bodybuilding has become. Since the eruption of mass for the sake of mass, bodybuilding has slid to the curb as a very minor freak show, for those with size fetishes. Dont bother comparing it to football. It is literally not even on the same page.

I think only the naive would assume that if one says fat he must mean anything over 4%.

50

[quote]Scotacus wrote:
Dirty Gerdy wrote:

I get tired of hearing people say two things about bodybuilders:

-“oh but they only look good one day out of the year, otherwise they are fat.”

ITS PART OF THE SPORT…you try walking around 230lbs + at 4% bodyfat YEARROUND! AND STILL MAKE PROGRESS!

Who said anything about 4%? Dorian Yates acknowledged that he was one of the very few who kept NEAR, not 4%, but NEAR, competition-shape throughout the year, much nearer than the norm of his colleagues. He insisted that this enabled him to keep closer to his ideal come competition. In other words, he didnt allow himself to get fat during offseason, unlike, according to him, most others. See? There`s room between 4% and fat. Go figure.

and…

-“do you feel bad that you are the epitome of health when most bodybuilders aren’t really that healthy onstage?”

DO FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAY FOR HEALTH?! It’s a sport, a competition, like any athlete it will take a toll on the body but thats a choice every athlete from any sport has to make.

Actually, bodybuilding has a long history of representing the ideal in health, unlike say football. Looking exceptionally strong was associated with being exceptionally healthy. The lifestyle associated with healthy eating and exercise was considered crowned by the achievements of the bodybuilder. When you look at a figure competitor, do you not think she looks very healthy? Pro bodybuilders themselves have pointed out the farce and charade that bodybuilding has become. Since the eruption of mass for the sake of mass, bodybuilding has slid to the curb as a very minor freak show, for those with size fetishes. Dont bother comparing it to football. It is literally not even on the same page.

I think only the naive would assume that if one says fat he must mean anything over 4%.
[/quote]

post a picture of yourself. I don’t give a fuck about your ‘knowledge’ I think you are just here to debate. Your probably some punk bitch who just argues online. You can see my pics, you can see I bodybuild…so why come to MY thread and argue about it?!?

This thread was designed to see how many true bodybuilders we have on this site.

If you are one, or by your own damn standards consider yourself one, then stick with the topic of the thread.

I know what a fucking bodybuilder is. I’m not here to debate about it.

whoever said they want really small defined muscles can suck a dick. Get your own thread if you want to spark debate you immature prick!

Fuck this forum. This is the bullshit I’m talking about!

Scotactus, I believe you have some valid points and somewhat of an understanding of bodybuilding, but I think your purpose here is not to promote the thread but to just spark debate and argue for the sake of having nothing better to do.

DG

51

And what is that so frightens you about debate, given that the debate is informed and respectful (which I have obviously been)?

I provided historical precedents, from the collective to individual, all of which are accurate.

It sounds like you will find this hard to believe, but I didnt jump on this thread to ruin your life (apologies since it appears I have done so). Simply to raise a question, which, so far, no one has answered, and if they did attempt a response, it was based on personal bias, without any references to the world beyond said bias.

You start a thread assuming everyone agrees with what a bodybuilder or bodybuilding is.

Fine. Was hoping to discuss some aspects of bodybuilding culture. I guess its the wrong forum, but youre right, I admit, I already knew that. :wink:

52

I admit it. Well, I’m not worthy of the title “bodybuilder” yet - but one day I will be.

Classic story of “child athlete meets pizza and computer games”, one day I looked in the mirror and realized I had tits. Gone were the days when I competed in boxing, swimming, hockey, soccer, wrestling, and javelin. The turning point came when I got to high school - I was experiencing horrid chest pains the doctors couldn’t explain, and the girls ignored me. I decided that I didn’t want to have a heart attack at 14, and didn’t want to go to college a virgin, so I got to training.

I found pictures of bodybuilders, and thought they were the shit. These guys were massive! Moving crazy-ass weights, bulging muscles… of course, everybody and their momma disapproves, but I still stand by it. I want to get big! I dropped the fat and started building muscle, and lo and behold, ended up in a wonderful relationship with a girl who was a total freak. Musta been doing something right!

Currently sitting at 5’9, 150 (Lost a good 15 pounds since May, not on purpose). Mind you, people have a hard time believing I’m that light (that picture of Nate at 145? Jeez, he looks like the wind might carry him off!), but I know what I want - at LEAST 30 more pounds of muscle. So I’m eating clean and training my ass off until I’m 180, and at that point I’ll decide whether or not I want to get my ass up on stage any time soon.

People don’t get it. But I’m doing it for me, fuck them. This morning, my old shirt’s feeling a little tight across the chest, and I couldn’t be happier.

53

120 to 200 pounds at 5’9" in about 2 years. I’m carrying some fat, but I deffinately would not be as strong as I am not had I not put it on. I plan on continueing powerlifting for the enxt few years. I eventually want to be able to be AT LEAST 242 pounder at my current height, and lean. If I grow 6’ or higher I expect 275 at the minimum.

I started out eating around 3500 calories a day at my original weight with about 250 grams of protein. I grew but soon stalled out. Now, I eat about 5000 calories a day and about 300-350 grams of protein a day.

Oh yeah, I want to deadlift more than Bolton too.

54

i have done two minor competitions in AZ one when i was 18 and one when i was 19. I am a very traditional endomorph and had to cut for about 16-17 weeks to get to the point where I was decent on stage I got fourth in the one where I was 19, and 8th in the one when I was 18. Something that really was frustrating was that I would spend so much time where I was not building muscle and I spent a good two months trying to get from under about 10%.

I just feel like I can maintain around 9-12% pretty easy while bulking so why waste the time trying to get lower? Now that I have ventured into the dark side of the gym lol I might try to compete again as cutting seems to be much more fun when you dont feel like you are losing all that hard earned muscle.

I get really frustrated at all the guys on here that are around 15-20% bodyfat, under 200lb and are talking about “cutting and bulking”. I hope this thread can become a source of info for guys really looking to either BB or be in that same physical condition without competing.

55

[quote]Scotacus wrote:
Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

Again, there is ambiguity in in great physical shape, but big arms and big chest do not a bodybuilder make.

Here is something I would like to suggest: a bodybuilder has a certain look, associated not just with size, but with symetry. You have to go back a long way in the pro ranks to see this, but likely Bob Paris was one of the last to obtain this.

Thus, bodybuilders tend to train differently, not training so much to see how much they can lift, but rather how certain movements contribute to the above mentioned goal of size with aesthetic appeal.

This pursuit is much more sophisticated than having 20 inch arms and abs. Sadly, since the 1990s, one can see how this point can be taken as heresy.
[/quote]

Are you saying that bodybuilders haven’t had symmetry since the 1990s? I’m pretty sure that Pro’s like Dexter Jackson and Phil Heath for example have symmetry. Therefore your only complaint I assume is that they’re too muscular (as that assumedly throws out there symmetry in your opinion).
Yes some may lack symmetry and proportion but the majority do not. .

56

[quote]Professor X wrote:
This whole life style makes up a lot who I am at this point. My day is geared towards getting me into the gym on a regular basis and getting my meals in…something that is difficult to pull off daily given my schedule. I don’t like talking about my goals in detail because until my name is actually on some contest’s sign up sheet, talking about competition is just that…talk.

I really don’t think most people even on this forum understand what goes into someone actually standing out in the gym. I doubt most here even eat regularly on a schedule. Even less would understand what it means to have a basic idea of what you will be eating a week in advance.

[/quote]

I had absolutely no idea what it took for about 12-18 months when I first started training. Endless sets of easy leg extensions and bicep curls and endless bouts of cardio eventually got me down to 150 pounds… And I thought I was JACKED because teh hawt abzz were finally showing up.

Then I found you guys.

You should do it… You know, just for the experience :slight_smile:

It took a long time to build the size I have now. People who act like they are at risk of suddenly becoming “too big” make me laugh.[/quote]

You guys here actually snapped me out of the “too big” mentality. I honestly think one of my firsts posts here was asking about what supps to take, but not the ones that make you too big. The first reply was : “Dont worry” and that was it.

57

[quote]Kinoz wrote:
I admit it. Well, I’m not worthy of the title “bodybuilder” yet - but one day I will be.

Classic story of “child athlete meets pizza and computer games”, one day I looked in the mirror and realized I had tits. Gone were the days when I competed in boxing, swimming, hockey, soccer, wrestling, and javelin. The turning point came when I got to high school - I was experiencing horrid chest pains the doctors couldn’t explain, and the girls ignored me. I decided that I didn’t want to have a heart attack at 14, and didn’t want to go to college a virgin, so I got to training.

I found pictures of bodybuilders, and thought they were the shit. These guys were massive! Moving crazy-ass weights, bulging muscles… of course, everybody and their momma disapproves, but I still stand by it. I want to get big! I dropped the fat and started building muscle, and lo and behold, ended up in a wonderful relationship with a girl who was a total freak. Musta been doing something right!

Currently sitting at 5’9, 150 (Lost a good 15 pounds since May, not on purpose). Mind you, people have a hard time believing I’m that light (that picture of Nate at 145? Jeez, he looks like the wind might carry him off!), but I know what I want - at LEAST 30 more pounds of muscle. So I’m eating clean and training my ass off until I’m 180, and at that point I’ll decide whether or not I want to get my ass up on stage any time soon.

People don’t get it. But I’m doing it for me, fuck them. This morning, my old shirt’s feeling a little tight across the chest, and I couldn’t be happier.[/quote]

Great post, I can relate a lot. Love that last paragraph.

58

Heres an interesting little experiment… by show of virtual hands, how many people here like to talk about their body building? This does not include talking shop with other guys in the lifestyle.

My hypothesis is that the longer you have been training, the less you tend to talk about it. I barely even bring it up anymore, and never jump into convo’s about weight loss or anything going on in the workplace… Hell, I almost go out of my way to NOT talk about it because people seem to put you down, or theres always the “well my trainer said…” or “thats not what it says is M&F Mag for Her”

59

[quote]Scotacus wrote:
And what is that so frightens you about debate, given that the debate is informed and respectful (which I have obviously been)?

I provided historical precedents, from the collective to individual, all of which are accurate.

It sounds like you will find this hard to believe, but I didnt jump on this thread to ruin your life (apologies since it appears I have done so). Simply to raise a question, which, so far, no one has answered, and if they did attempt a response, it was based on personal bias, without any references to the world beyond said bias.

You start a thread assuming everyone agrees with what a bodybuilder or bodybuilding is.

Fine. Was hoping to discuss some aspects of bodybuilding culture. I guess its the wrong forum, but youre right, I admit, I already knew that. ;)[/quote]

First of all guy, you don’t have a clue. Lee Priest fat in the off-season? While you’re probably referring to the infamous ad, you do realize he did this on purpose for the ad? While he may not keep as a lean as some, he’s certainly not anything near the portrayal in said advertisement. Also, you claim that Dorian kept close to contest leanness year round? Wow. For someone who seems to be preaching like a bodybuilding god, frankly, you don’t know shit, and your credibility is laughable.

60

[quote]aussie101 wrote:
Scotacus wrote:
Professor X wrote:

If someone has 20" arms and a 53" chest and they happen to be in great physical shape, I am going to call them a bodybuilder.

Again, there is ambiguity in in great physical shape, but big arms and big chest do not a bodybuilder make.

Here is something I would like to suggest: a bodybuilder has a certain look, associated not just with size, but with symetry. You have to go back a long way in the pro ranks to see this, but likely Bob Paris was one of the last to obtain this.

Thus, bodybuilders tend to train differently, not training so much to see how much they can lift, but rather how certain movements contribute to the above mentioned goal of size with aesthetic appeal.

This pursuit is much more sophisticated than having 20 inch arms and abs. Sadly, since the 1990s, one can see how this point can be taken as heresy.

Are you saying that bodybuilders haven’t had symmetry since the 1990s? I’m pretty sure that Pro’s like Dexter Jackson and Phil Heath for example have symmetry. Therefore your only complaint I assume is that they’re too muscular (as that assumedly throws out there symmetry in your opinion).
Yes some may lack symmetry and proportion but the majority do not. .

[/quote]

Obviously we are both making subjective statements. I can only further exemplify mine by comparing the standard pose-downs of say the 70s and the 00s. In the former, it is much easier to tell who is who simply by the lines. Not so in the latter.

This is because once the physique gets so exaggerated, so characature-ized, it tends to fall in step with that prototype. Like marvel comic characters, the extreme muscle all looks the same after awhile. That is why to this day guys like Zane, Paris, all those names continue to stand out as individual physiques, more than most anyone in the last 20 years, and if anyone does stand out in the last 20 years it is for their freakish size.