Schwarzenegger desires to see more emphasis on symmetry, not mass.
With seven Mr. Olympia titles to his name (1970-1975, 1980), few understand what it takes to face on top of bodybuilding’s tallest mountain quite like Arnold Schwarzenegger. While the 75-year-old is as much as other matters outside of maintaining a finely-tuned physique lately, the person once nicknamed “The Austrian Oak” still assuredly keeps a watch on the game that helped make him a household name.
Within the aftermath of the 2022 Mr. Olympia, Schwarzenegger took part in a YouTube interview with Nick’s Strength and Power, where the legend shared a few of his thoughts on the competition and the present state of the game. Among the many more notable tidbits was Schwarzenegger putting the Men’s Open division within the crosshairs, which he believes has overpassed what skilled bodybuilding ought to be all about.
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One among Schwarzenegger’s primary critiques in regards to the Men’s Open division is that it’s pushed bodybuilding within the fallacious direction. He compared the present flagship division of the Olympia back to his heyday within the late twentieth century and noted that victory was once centered around shredded physiques and refined body proportions.
To the legend, size shouldn’t mean the whole lot.
“I believe it’s crazy, in a way, to have a Classic Physique category. Just because that ought to be the Mr. Olympia. Because, what’s it that we’re celebrating?” Schwarzenegger said. “… In classic days, we searched for proportion, and now we don’t give an [expletive] about it anymore? Is that what we’re saying?”
A part of Schwarzenegger’s rationale is that he believes the present Classic Physique division captures the true spirit of bodybuilding. In contrast, he didn’t seem to understand the overall aim of the competitors in the trendy Men’s Open category.
“I believe it’s odd they’d to literally create a Classic Physique competition to offer to the one who has the most effective quality body, probably the most well-balanced body, a trophy because he couldn’t compete where the monsters were competing,” Schwarzenegger said. “That’s actually fallacious. Like I’ve said, larger will not be at all times higher.”
Not by coincidence, Schwarzenegger is an enormous fan of reigning four-time Classic Physique champion (2019-2022) Chris Bumstead, as he appears to imagine he emulates the perfect physique.
“I at all times feel just like the insiders have their very own favorites, after which there are the viewers, the spectators, the fans … and he’s [Bumstead] the preferred in the event you take into consideration that,” Schwarzenegger said. “He’s the preferred bodybuilder immediately. What does that say? That claims that everybody on the market says, ‘That’s the sort of body I would like’.“
In waiting for the March 2023 Arnold Classic, Schwarzenegger maintained he’d prefer to see Bumstead make his first competitive appearance at the competition because he thinks the superstar would placed on a show.
“I believe he [Bumstead] could win [at the Arnold Classic]. There aren’t any two ways about that,” Schwarzenegger said. “I told that to Chris. Chris, as you already know, is an enormous fan of the Arnold Classic. He comes there, and he’s very, very kind to all of the fans. He does autographs and all these things. I hope that he competes because I believe he has an amazing probability of winning that.”
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Ever a steward of the game, Schwarzenegger seems concerned about where bodybuilding is heading in the long run. Perhaps, down the road, his wishes to see the Classic Physique division highlighted front and center may very well be fulfilled. On the very least, his desire to see Bumstead proceed to excel, possibly even on the 2023 Arnold Classic, may need a robust probability of shining through.
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram