Not so long ago, Arnie criticized modern athletes in one of his interviews. Find out the opinion of the great athlete about the current bodybuilding. Not so long ago, many media outlets published an interview with Schwarzenegger, in which he severely criticized modern athletes. According to Arnie, most of them have big bellies. This statement was not a complete revelation, but it makes us think about the ways of development of modern bodybuilding. Let's be honest, these words should have been said much earlier.
It's no secret that athletes representing heavy weight categories are moving away from generally accepted ethical standards every year. In this regard, we can completely agree with the words of Arnie. Indeed, in those days when Arnold himself performed, bodybuilding could be compared to art. No wonder those years are called the "golden era" of bodybuilding.
Photos of athletes of those years could be easily compared with antique statues, when great attention was paid to the beauty of the body. Modern athletes are less and less consistent with the concepts of beauty and harmony of muscle development. In this regard, it is very important that it was Arnie who expressed his critical remarks. The authority of this person in bodybuilding is still great.
All bodybuilding fans know Schwarzenegger, but his popularity has spread far beyond the sport. For many modern athletes, it has become one of the main reasons for starting training. Moreover, there are still many athletes who want to have its forms. Of course, there are many who will consider Arnie's words to be the usual conversations of old people who are always unhappy with young people. However, everyone else should listen to his opinion and change the direction of development of bodybuilding.
Why change modern bodybuilding?
To begin with, there is a need to stop rewarding those athletes who, having large muscles, do not meet aesthetic standards. The fact that athletes hide proportions under large volumes of mass should not be encouraged. D. Kornyukhin adheres to a similar opinion. This is a fairly well-known domestic judge of the international level. In his opinion, Arnie does not demand something impossible from athletes when he mentions big bellies. Moreover, the IFBB rules in this regard eloquently state that if an athlete has a bulging belly, he should lose points.
Thus, Arnold does not propose to carry out a revolution in the world of bodybuilding, but only requires the judges to follow the rules. We understand very well that much can no longer be returned, and no one expects the return of the golden years of bodybuilding. Nevertheless, several decades have passed since the brilliant performances of the same Arnie. We are not calling for turning back time, but the bodybuilding aesthetic must remain. It is clear that this will require professional courage and begin to pay attention to the discrepancy in aesthetic standards, awarding high places to athletes with less muscle mass, but with the appropriate proportions. And again, there will be people who claim that bodybuilding is, first of all, muscles. It is in this situation that judges must show their professionalism and not be led by such personalities. On the other hand, for this, by and large, only desire is needed. It is he who is often lacking today. Many would agree that bodybuilding is now increasingly moving away from the concept of "fair competition."
It is not enough just to introduce new nominations, the same Men’s Physique or classics, and then declare that everything possible has been done to improve bodybuilding as a sport. Such steps will not be a cure; something else is needed. Agree that the nominations that we have just mentioned are primarily of interest only to the athletes competing in them.
At the moment, we can state the fact that new nominations are significantly inferior in popularity and cannot compete with hardcore bodybuilding. It is necessary not only to introduce new ones, but also to adapt the existing ones for the mass audience.
From this point of view, Arnie's interview can be quite helpful. Of course, the leaders of the federation must first heed his words. Only then will modern bodybuilding be able to take a step towards the return of aesthetics. From this, not only the fans will benefit, but also the bodybuilding itself. The reaction of the specialized media, including bloggers, is also of great importance here. We need to think about bodybuilding aesthetics as often as possible. This is exactly what Arnie wanted to say.
Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about modern bodybuilding:
