A visual look at how far the “freaky” size has come.
Bodybuilding certainly isn’t what it used to be. Not that there’s anything wrong with that of course, but the body types from what we’ve seen in the Golden Era all the way up to today have drastically changed. Many people often hold the Golden Era in high regard and denounce the current state of the physiques in the sport. But the reality is you can’t stop progress and no matter what industry it is, people want change. Seeing the same old thing over and over can get, well, old. It’s not a knock on the old school physiques, but people these days simply want to see things taken to the extreme and athlete’s physical forms reflect that.
These days, rather than see large men with muscular and broad shoulders with a tiny waist, we’ve seen the transition to athletes with massive muscle covering almost every square inch of their body. These mass monsters, as they’ve been dubbed, are unlike anything the sport had seen before the 90s. Now it has become the norm and anyone hoping to win a Sandow trophy and earn all the glory needs to recognize that the classic physique doesn’t sell anymore. Now it’s all about building that massive muscle.
But when did the transition from the classic physiques to the mass monsters of today take place exactly? The guess is anyone’s, but the best answer is that the turn came when Dorian Yates won the Mr. Olympia, proving that size really does matter. But Yates isn’t the only person who traveled the route from the classic larger build to the gigantic mass monster. Kevin Levrone was one of the most well proportioned bodybuilders of his day having muscle, size, and definition. He always placed high and was considered one of the best to never win an Olympia.
Despite all of that, Levrone remained a top contender for over a decade. What’s remarkable about it all was the transitions he made in his physique in order to change with the times. Don’t think it was all the drastic? Then take a look at the below videos of the bodybuilder competing in 1992 and then ten years later in 2002.
Check out the comparison on page 2!
