Vince, I agree with a lot of what you're saying. In Mike's case I do think he looks better bigger. And I'm sure that's how he looks most of the year when not training for a show. But given the standards today, lean Mike will beat Big Mike everyday of the year. Maybe not if you were the judge or if other judges were like you but they're not.
You might not think it is worth it to put your body through the unhealthy agony for a "plastic trophy" and I don't either. That's why I don't compete in bodybuilding. It's just not my thing. But Mike doesn't care about my thing or yours. He is not looking for your approval. He's doing his thing and what he does doesn't effect you personally in the slightest.
The thing is that though Mike marches to a different drummer, I think he's a good guy. And considering the amount of undeserved shit he gets, I think he has his head screwed on straight (though the head itself may be mentally suspect
).
I just don't like you singling him out. You say you are not bagging on him personally but you are. What you are (justifiably?) complaining about is not Arvillaism but as someone previously pointed out it's "Everybodyism." And the whole culture of bodybuilding and the direction it's going. Mike doesn't set the standards he just has to abide by them if he wants to win. Things are not like how it was for you forty years ago. It's too bad, really, but it's not Mike's fault.
Mike, like every competitive bodybuilder out there at every level, wants to be as massive as possible while being as lean as possible. If your abs aren't showing, forget it. So you are talking at most 7-9% body fat. It ain't easy. In fact, it's brutally hard.
The dude is working on it, OK? He's doing the best he can with what he was. Give the fuker some props. And maybe you might what to personally put to use some of that great (and I do mean that) training equipment you've put together with your own hands. You are not a fine figure for a man of your age. You are fat and out of shape. You are in your sixties and not much older than Stallone. You have claimed, and I quote your very words, "The body will grow at any age if you train your muscles right."
Prove it.
