Arnold Schwarzenegger - 1980 only - the lean dry champ

[ArnoldPlatz]

 

[tommywishbone]

Wow!  A few pics I've NEVER seen. Wow.

[pellius]

Wow!  A few pics I've NEVER seen. Wow.

One of many things Arnold was good at was sucking in his gut at all times. That was common practice all through the early days going back to the 1800s.

[johnny1]

One of many things Arnold was good at was sucking in his gut at all times. That was common practice all through the early days going back to the 1800s.

yup the thing is in Arnold’s case he was very disciplined and very much aware @ all times whenever he stepped out onstage, it’s something that’s been long missing in the pro ranks if you look back too say the 1980s....MOST the top guys also made a point of keeping there abs in, I’d say with the newer generation of the 1990s this “problem” of guts protruding and guys just in general not giving a shit started a trend that continued too this day.

[Natural_O]

yup the thing is in Arnold’s case he was very disciplined and very much aware @ all times whenever he stepped out onstage, it’s something that’s been long missing in the pro ranks if you look back too say the 1980s....MOST the top guys also made a point of keeping there abs in, I’d say with the newer generation of the 1990s this “problem” of guts protruding and guys just in general not giving a shit started a trend that continued too this day.

Franco was the same way in 1981. While everyone else was standing relaxed, he was flexed to the front the whole time on stage.

[pellius]

Franco was the same way in 1981. While everyone else was standing relaxed, he was flexed to the front the whole time on stage.

Jeeze, everytime I look at Danny in 81 I just think pure perfection. Not too much of this, not too little of that -- everything just right. Perfect.

What an injustice that was done to Padilla and Platz that night. To give it your all. Every last drop you have in you only to have your whole life dreams and aspirations just crushed due to politics.

[njflex]

Jeeze, everytime I look at Danny in 81 I just think pure perfection. Not too much of this, not too little of that -- everything just right. Perfect.

What an injustice that was done to Padilla and Platz that night. To give it your all. Every last drop you have in you only to have your whole life dreams and aspirations just crushed due to politics.

yeah,,,genetically in more ways than one if you remember danny hester has similar look and danny still looks great ,won the classic mr o 1st it came out..

[AbrahamG]

Jeeze, everytime I look at Danny in 81 I just think pure perfection. Not too much of this, not too little of that -- everything just right. Perfect.

What an injustice that was done to Padilla and Platz that night. To give it your all. Every last drop you have in you only to have your whole life dreams and aspirations just crushed due to politics.

Danny Padilla was Mr. Olympia that year. 

[Vince B]

Danny Padilla was Mr. Olympia that year.

He had the best physique in 1980 as well. Totally overlooked. Not as cut as 81 but still the complete, full physique.

[The Scott]

Danny Padilla was Mr. Olympia that year.

A miniaturized version of Arnold.  He (or Platz) should've won the Olympia in '81.  The whole "but he disappears next to big guys" thing is absurd.  Who is the best built, not the biggest.  It should be about the combination of size, shape, aesthetics, etc.

When you have "massthetics" such as exemplifed by prime Arnold, e.g., 1974, then you have a unicorn that cannot be beaten.  But Padilla was nigh on perfection personified.  There was a rumor that Danny refused to put on some "schoolboy" uniform at the '75 Universe  for some disgusting schomedown.  If true, losing to France was just another payback for being a real man.

Franco supposedly had no problem donning the frock. 

[pamith]

Franco was too dominant that year, just look at the footage, Franco had a unique, super dense, rugged look

[The Scott]

Franco was too dominant that year, just look at the footage, Franco had a unique, super dense, rugged look

He won and while that cannot be taken away it doesn't prevent some of us from stating that he was gifted in '81.

[pamith]

I've seen the footage, Franco was the clear winner

[Legendary Physique]

Jeeze, everytime I look at Danny in 81 I just think pure perfection. Not too much of this, not too little of that -- everything just right. Perfect.

What an injustice that was done to Padilla and Platz that night. To give it your all. Every last drop you have in you only to have your whole life dreams and aspirations just crushed due to politics.

Disagree. Padilla lacked density. Franco could out bench and out squat Padilla no problem. Deadlifts? Forget about it.
The right man won.

[oldtimer1]

1990 Night of the Champions should have been Danny. He was the biggest he ever was but was in condition too. 1981 was his most ripped condition.

[pellius]

Disagree. Padilla lacked density. Franco could out bench and out squat Padilla no problem. Deadlifts? Forget about it.
The right man won.

Yes, if it was a powerlifting competition Franco would have won assuming he still maintained his strength following that horrible accident. As a bber, 1981 Franco had obvious gyno, never had impressive cuts and definition in his legs even before the accident and because they were down in size it only accented his bow legs. Those obvious and glaring flaws couldn't match Padilla's perfect symmetry and proportions nor Tom Plaz vast improvements in his upper body that together with his unmatched total leg development just overwhelmed Franco.

Look at the horrible gyno on Franco's right pec here in this pic. He's practically lactating. And note the quad comparison with Padilla's here. I'm a big fan of Franco and  no one matched him is his height and weight class during his prime but he never came back fully from that injury. He had too many glaring flaws. He won because Arnold ordained it.

[ArnoldPlatz]

 

[French]

1990 Night of the Champions should have been Danny. He was the biggest he ever was but was in condition too. 1981 was his most ripped condition.

Momo was impossible to beat

[pamith]

Time and time I say, you can't just look at a few pictures! Look at the footage!

[pellius]

Time and time I say, you can't just look at a few pictures! Look at the footage!

Why don't you post this footage you keep talking about? Point out what the rest of us are missing? I would rather listen to a professional who evaluates bbing shows for a living and has competed as a professional, and was actually there in person and preferred Platz or Padilla over Franco, as did the rest of the crowd. Franco was booed when he was announced the winner.

I'll post the link again: https://www.strength-oldschool.com/blogs/news/1981-mr-olympia-the-greatest-booing-contest-of-all-time

We can also take note of the review given by another person who makes his living in the bbing industry writing for Iron Man Magazine, who, like Rick Wayne, isn't going by pictures or footage but, unlike you, was actually there in person.


Regarding Danny Padilla

He was followed by one of the true surprises of the contest, a shredded and ripped Danny Padilla! Danny was almost unrecognizable as his genetically perfect body was completely devoid of fat. Was this the same Danny who had once devoured two dozen doughnuts the night before a contest and had actually chewed gum onstage as he easily won the 1977 AFAB Mr. America show? Danny’s face was so gaunt as the skin tightly stretched over his fat-free cheekbones that the audience had to look close to make sure this really was “The Giant Killer” in the flesh! Padilla was amazing with his degree of definition and fat-free muscle. For years, all the bodybuilding experts had told Danny that he had the “perfect physique”, if ONLY he could get ripped. This year, he had listened to his critics and was more ripped than anyone could believe. It looked like he had lost 30 pounds and, if his gaunt face was any indication, had gone through severe torture to arrive at this condition!



And about Tom Platz:


 As Tom Platz stepped onstage next to Katz, the audience gasped! Not since the appearance of the mythical Sergio Oliva had the audience witnessed such a marvel of mass and thickness. Platz smiled a charismatic grin as he acknowledged the shock of the crowd. Platz’s famous legs looked remarkably even more massive as the individual heads of the quadriceps each stood out as thick slabs of beef. However, it was Platz’s upper body that had the audience in shock. Tom looked like he had added at least 15 pounds of beef above the waist since his disappointing ninth place finish a year ago in Sydney. His pecs were massive and full and his thick, wide lats were among the best onstage. Even his much aligned arms were now big! Tom’s thick as a brick abs highlighted his amazing condition to a delighted capacity crowd. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that Platz’s massive physique blew every other competitor off the stage the moment he arrived!


And then there was Franco

Unfortunately, Franco’s legs were way out of proportion. His calves were still impressive but his poor quadriceps could not keep pace with his award winning upper body. The thighs had come up in size from their atrophied state but the separation and definition, always a struggle for him, were non existent onstage. Add to this problem a very distracting case of gyno on one of his nipples and it was hard to see Franco winning another Mr. Olympia title tonight.

[pamith]

I will, in due time

[JAGO]

Franco has to have the greatest pecs ever.

J

[pamith]

Franco has to have the greatest pecs ever.

J

Yes, next to Arnold and Lou Ferrigno

[pellius]

Yes, next to Arnold and Lou Ferrigno

Arnold number one in the pec department. Then you got guys like Lou, Nubret, and Franco.

When you look at bbers today, regardless as to how you feel the direction the sport has taken, every bodypart is now dramatically far more developed today when compared to 70's bbers. Platz-like quads are routine now, delts bigger than their heads with rear delts popping when they use to be nonexistent. The backs today are just insane. Not counting calves, as they don't seem to count calf development much these days, it seems like it's only in the pec developement that hasn't really advance much since the Golden Age. Despite all the modern equipment which I think does work much better than the traditional stuff, none of the modern Mr. O winners can match the pecs of Arnold, Lou, or Franco. And it all came from bench, incline, dumbbell flys and cable cross-overs. 

[Pet shop boys]

Whosshhhhhhhhhhhhhh