Antoine Vaillant reflects on his board shorts posing routine joke, the backlash, and what he really thinks about Men’s Physique.
Antoine Vaillant went viral last year due to a posing routine that was a little different than normal for a Men’s Open competitor. He walked out on stage dawning board shorts imitating Men’s Physique posing routines. While many found it funny, there were some who were offended and took it as mockery. Some Men’s Physique competitors spoke out – stating Men’s Open bodybuilders disrespect the Men’s Physique division. In our latest GI Exclusive, Antoine Vaillant looks back at the joke, what he really meant, and if it was ultimately a bad move to make.
Antoine Vaillant is rising up in the Men’s Open ranks this year after overcoming drug addiction and making a comeback on the bodybuilding stage. Fans of the sport are excited to see how he places next and what the future holds for this talented athlete.
But a year ago, Antoine Vaillant’s name went viral for a different reason. His joke posing in board shorts immediately caught attention. While overall the joke was received with laughter, some Men’s Physique athletes saw it as an attack on the division.
The Men’s Physique division has had a long history of clashing with the Men’s Open division. There have been various claims throughout the years that athletes in larger divisions insult Men’s Physique athletes in private. Some believe that the Men’s Open division as a whole have no respect for Men’s Physique athlete whatsoever.
There have been many Men’s Open competitors who have denied this. Antoine Vaillant’s joke seemed to pour fuel on the fire. That’s why during our video interview, we followed up with Vaillant over a year later. In. retrospect, does he regret making the joke? Did he go too far?
Antoine Vaillant still sees his board shorts posing routine as nothing but a harmless joke. He goes as far as to admit that he believes the Men’s Physique division is a great addition to the sport as a whole. It provides variety and allows all different types of people to become inspired, change their body, and improve their health.
When asked if the Men’s Open division disrespect Men’s Physique behind closed doors, Antoine Vaillant admitted that occasional jokes were made. But much like his board shorts posing routine, most of the jokes are all in good fun. Vaillant seems to see it as a playful rivalry rather than an all out war.
You can watch Antoine Vaillant share his full thoughts on his board shorts joke and his opinion on Men’s Physique in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
