A different look at one of the biggest bodybuilders in history.

With the Arnold Classic just weeks away, fans and pundits will be able to see the first major Classic Physique competition take place in Ohio. The Arnold Classic is a marquee event for bodybuilding, the second biggest next to the Olympia event held every fall. That means when Classic Physique competitors hit the stage this March all eyes will be on the athletes. We can only wait and see how it’s all received.

There has been a considerable amount of supporters and detractors voicing their opinions leading up to the Arnold Classic, two camps who either believe the Classic Physique division is a godsend or utterly useless. These days the bodybuilding game is dominated by the mass monster. Ever since the days of Dorian Yates, bodybuilders have become bigger with every passing year. Posing and presentation has taken a back seat to bulging muscle and mass and the ultimate goal for many bodybuilders in the sport is to become as big as they possibly can. With the introduction of the Classic Physique division we could be see a changing of the guard or, perhaps more accurately, a return to form.

With so many people decrying the open weight division for supporting the mass monster movement, it brings to mind an interesting question. Would the mass monsters of today look more impressive with a classic physique? Well, in reality we won’t have to search to far to find the answer. Every bodybuilder, even a mass monster, has to start somewhere even a legend like Ronnie Coleman.

Coleman, the eight time Olympia champion, is considered to be one of the most dominant champions in bodybuilding history, all of his big wins due to the fact that he had an insanely massive physique. But Coleman wasn’t always a mass monster. In fact, he may have looked even more impressive in his earlier years of bodybuilding than when he stepped onto the Olympia stage. Take a look at the pic below and you be the judge.

So what do you guys think? In this day and age where everyone is talking about bodybuilder’s massive size vs the classic physique look…. what version of Ronnie Coleman do you prefer? Vote now in our poll below!

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Should bodybuilders embrace the Classic Physique division? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.