Has Arnold Schwarzenegger Influenced the Future of Bodybuilding?
We all associate Arnold Schwarzenegger with bodybuilding. He’s to the guy who brought bodybuilding from the shadows into the light. There were many other contributors like Joe and Ben Weider, Steve Reeves, and others. But Arnold, seven time Mr. Olympia, had the body and the charisma to take bodybuilding where it had never been before…the big screen. He brought to life the physique that we had only seen before in the comics.
Arnold’s character and charisma is unlike most. He has the “it” factor. Despite his ‘hard to spell’ last name and strong accent, he became a massive (pardon the pun) action hero. And eventually the governor of California. Even with all of his success, Arnold has never strayed too far from bodybuilding. He and his partner, Jim Lorimer, created the Arnold Classic, one of the largest bodybuilding shows and fitness expos in the entire world. They have expanded the Arnold Classic from Columbus, Ohio to South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia!
So to say that Arnold has some influence over the direction of modern bodybuilding is an understatement. He publicly declared his unhappiness with how the current crop of bodybuilders were looking (like “bottles”). And demanded a change in the judging criteria. “Because that’s how you create the change, by calling out and getting involved and saying ‘this is unacceptable the way bodybuilding is going.” He continued, “we want to see the most beautiful and most athletic bodies up there on stage”.
With a wave of his magic wand, Jim Manion, head of the IFBB, created Classic Men’s Physique. This new devision promised the return of classic proportions: small waists and balanced physiques. 2016 is the first full year for this new division. Today being Saturday, September 3, 2016 we are just under two weeks from seeing who will be crowned the very first Classic Men’s Physique Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas.
It’s exciting times for us at Advanced Genetics as we have two Classic Physique IFBB Pros on our roster. Myself (technically I haven’t competed in the division yet, but it will be my new home once I step on stage again) and Joey Flores. Joey recently earned his pro card at the 2016 CBBF Nationals held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
IFBB Pro Joey Flores
It appears that with Classic Physique, Arnold’s hopes of seeing bodybuilding return to it’s “golden era” is now a reality. We here at AG hope that the IFBB sticks to its mandatory height/weight restrictions to keep this division true to its values. We’ve seen women’s bodybuilding spiral out of control. The women’s Physique division (which was set to replace women’s bodybuilding due to its extreme nature) may be heading down the same path. We only hope that Arnold keeps his finger on the pulse of bodybuilding. This should ensure that the judges reward the physiques that fit the profile of the Classic Physique division. And it will live on the way it was intended…
