Bodybuilding Hit the Wall 20 Years Ago.

[Matt]

1999 Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman would have beaten the recent 2019 Mr. Olympia winner Brandon Curry.

The second enterprise [I can't call bodybuilding a "sport" because it is not objectively judged] that relies on steroids the most is strongman [which I can call a sport].

To be clear, steroids are in basically all sports - if not all sports most people think of when thinking about sports.

But strongman is more dependent on training.  But, funnily enough, if you took 5x World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski, I don't think he would place in the top six among the world's strongest men today.  I think he would be top ten...but even then that's hard to say.  It also depends if you think the World's Strongest Man contest is the best contest to determine the strongest strongman.  Personally, I consider the Arnold Pro Strongman to be THE strongest strongman contest in the world today - and it has been for some time.

WSM is a bit of a stamina/cardio contest.  It's hilarious to say that when you have men running with around 400-lb per hand on the Farmer's Walk event.  But yeah - these guys are basically speed-walking with 400-lb per hand, or at least 350-375.  And I do mean speed-walking.  Shoot, some of them are almost jogging.  It's crazy.

Anyway, I am intrigued that bodybuilding hit the wall 20 years ago, whereas strongman is stronger than ever.

[JuicedKangaroo]

BBing became more about pinning slin and G4P. Physiques down the drain for the most part, athletes of today don't love the lifestyle like those did in the golden era.

[Matt]

BBing became more about pinning slin and G4P. Physiques down the drain for the most part, athletes of today don't love the lifestyle like those did in the golden era.

Great post.  Irongage Getbigger Woten stated that bodybuilding hit the wall and Dorian won his Sandows.  I'd say it peaked with Ronnie...although that could turn into a 400+ page thread/debate. 

As you stated, it was a change from lifestyle to drug consumption.  I'm sure not for every single bodybuilder...but as a trend, yes.  Unfortunately.

Steve Kuclo said to Dennis Wolf that Dennis and Jay were "doing retirement right" [or something to that effect].

What does that mean?  That Wolf and Jay picked the right amount of juice to use, to get to a certain size, and stay there?

Imagine retiring from what you do, and looking like 70% of what you used to be?  I'm sure that most athletes fall off significantly [i.e., Mike Tyson today is probably only 70% of what he was in his prime], but with bodybuilders you see it on their physique, and everyone can tell they just aren't the men they used to be.  That must be hard to take for a lot of bodybuilders.  Some of whom stay 300-lb forever, and pass away because of it [Nasser El Sonbaty].

[NarcissisticDeity]

" it peaked with Ronnie " Yeah Buddy

[Humble Narcissist]

The opinions about the best years or last great years of bodybuilding depend on when you came into liking bodybuilding as a fan.  I grew up in the 80's and like those physiques best.  I think Ronnie Coleman looked like shit.

[IroNat]

Bodybuilding peaked with Arnold.

[oldtimer1]

Bodybuilding hit the wall when Dianabol was invented.  After this contest it was all over for real bodybuilding.

[rocket]

There are good bodybuilders these days.

They just aren't the big fat heavyweights.

Quite a few guys in classic have great lines and excellent detail.  

The heavyweights have all wrecked their physiques getting too much, too fast.

If I were an up and coming bodybuilder, I wouldn't be using insulin, that's for sure.  

[njflex]

Bodybuilding peaked with Arnold.

TRUE ....but also arnold helped weider and weider used arnolds images for decades after to sell mag's /arnolds movie promotions ect....

[Tennisballz]

Bodybuilding peaked with Arnold.

x2.  That was the pinnacle for sure.

[Hypertrophy]

Bodybuilding peaked with Arnold.

Yep, 100%

[Hypertrophy]

Bodybuilding hit the wall when Dianabol was invented.  After this contest it was all over for real bodybuilding.

Probably - but the Dianabol fueled physiques looked somewhat "normal" - meaning the narrow waist and X-frame. Now they look like blocky, puffy, Michelin men. I assume it is because of GH and insulin, but that is just from what I have read.

[Royalty]

Bodybuilding peaked with Dennis Wolf at the 2012 Arnold Classic

[sculpture]

Yep, 100%

How so?

The eighties Haney era improved on Arnold's era by pushing the conditioning, there were no leaps in size but certainly in condition.

The gh and slin era that started in Yates era pushed the size boundary but at the expense of other attributes such as balance and proportion. I think mass became overvalued. At least those guys still trained balls to walls however.

Nowadays it the worse of both worlds. Too much drugs and shitty training and you can see it on stage.

[Hypertrophy]

How so?

The eighties Haney era improved on Arnold's era by pushing the conditioning, there were no leaps in size but certainly in condition.

The gh and slin era that started in Yates era pushed the size boundary but at the expense of other attributes such as balance and proportion. I think mass became overvalued. At least those guys still trained balls to walls however.

Nowadays it the worse of both worlds. Too much drugs and shitty training and you can see it on stage.

Good question. The Haney era ushered in the beginning of the end, in my opinion. There is only so much muscle you can put on a frame before the aesthetic form is destroyed. As for conditioning - showing more veins really doesn't contribute to aesthetics. I concede this is all opinion but bring back guys like Roger Callard and Denny Gable and get rid of guys like Kai Greene....

[joswift]

a 1999 14th placed Jay Cutler would have beaten Brandon Curry...

[sync pulse]

It hit when they took away the medical supervision of stacks....

[Thespritz0]

a 1999 14th placed Jay Cutler would have beaten Brandon Curry...

^^
BOTH First appearances of Jay Cutler AND Ronnie Coleman would have DESTROYED Brandon Curry...

[Powerlift66]

I think it peaked w/ the GOAT (Haney) after that, things blew up (literally).
Dorian brought in a whole new look / protocol.

[IRON CROSS]

^^
BOTH First appearances of Jay Cutler AND Ronnie Coleman would have DESTROYED Brandon Curry...

Who is Brandon Curry ........

[Matt]

" it peaked with Ronnie " Yeah Buddy

Mr. Olympia guts peaked with Ronnie, yes. 

Armless bodybuilding peaked with Dorian though. 

[Matt]

Just to clarify what I meant:

1999 Ronnie beats 2019 Brandon Curry by 2019 standards.

Whether or not you prefer 1989 Lee Haney...I'm not certain that 1989 Lee Haney beats 2019 Brandon Curry by 2019 standards.  Or does he?  I would think 1989 Lee Haney would not be lean enough, but I'm not sure.

Sure...I prefer 1989 Lee Haney's look to 2019 Brandon Curry's look...but I'm merely saying something to the effect of "By 2019 judging standards, any Mr. Olympia winning from Dorian's first win in 1992 to Shawn Rhoden's win in 2018 beats Brandon Curry in 2019."

So we can go back a full 27 years, snatch Dorian off the 1992 Mr. Olympia stage, transport him to the 2019 Mr. Olympia stage via the Flux Capacitor, and 1992 Dorian beats 2019 Brandon Curry.

Where else does a 1992 top competitor beat a 2019 top competitor?

Gnome sayin'?

a 1999 14th placed Jay Cutler would have beaten Brandon Curry...

That's crazy if true.  I'd have to review the footage, but it's not as if Jay in that picture is night and day from Brandon Curry.

^^
BOTH First appearances of Jay Cutler AND Ronnie Coleman would have DESTROYED Brandon Curry...

I think Ronnie's first appearance was in 1992...in 1996, Ronnie placed 6th, and that version of Ronnie could have probably beaten Brandon Curry.  No question, 1998 Ronnie could have beaten Brandon Curry.

Is the consensus that 1998 Ronnie beats any version of Phil?  Or...is the consensus that any version of Ronnie beats any version of Phil during their Mr. Olympia tenures?

[joswift]

Just to clarify what I meant:

1999 Ronnie beats 2019 Brandon Curry by 2019 standards.

Whether or not you prefer 1989 Lee Haney...I'm not certain that 1989 Lee Haney beats 2019 Brandon Curry by 2019 standards.  Or does he?  I would think 1989 Lee Haney would not be lean enough, but I'm not sure.

Sure...I prefer 1989 Lee Haney's look to 2019 Brandon Curry's look...but I'm merely saying something to the effect of "By 2019 judging standards, any Mr. Olympia winning from Dorian's first win in 1992 to Shawn Rhoden's win in 2018 beats Brandon Curry in 2019."

So we can go back a full 27 years, snatch Dorian off the 1992 Mr. Olympia stage, transport him to the 2019 Mr. Olympia stage via the Flux Capacitor, and 1992 Dorian beats 2019 Brandon Curry.

Where else does a 1992 top competitor beat a 2019 top competitor?

Gnome sayin'?

That's crazy if true.  I'd have to review the footage, but it's not as if Jay in that picture is night and day from Brandon Curry.

I think Ronnie's first appearance was in 1992...in 1996, Ronnie placed 6th, and that version of Ronnie could have probably beaten Brandon Curry.  No question, 1998 Ronnie could have beaten Brandon Curry.

Is the consensus that 1998 Ronnie beats any version of Phil?  Or...is the consensus that any version of Ronnie beats any version of Phil during their Mr. Olympia tenures?

not sure, but I bet the old version of Ronnie beats the new version of Yates and the old version of Yates beats the new version of Rhul, as opposed to the slightly older version of Platz juxtapositioned alongside the post op version of Fux in tandem with the syncopatic intertwining of Padilla and Franco.

[Matt]

not sure, but I bet the old version of Ronnie beats the new version of Yates and the old version of Yates beats the new version of Rhul, as opposed to the slightly older version of Platz juxtapositioned alongside the post op version of Fux in tandem with the syncopatic intertwining of Padilla and Franco.

Everything you posted there is actually correct, as far as I can tell. 

[joswift]

Everything you posted there is actually correct, as far as I can tell. 

amazing...