George Peterson was tracking well in the Classic Physique division… so why did he move up to Men’s 212?
George Peterson is a bodybuilder with an incredible physique and an equally incredible journey throughout his bodybuilding career. Peterson started bodybuilding over 10 years ago, took a 5 year break, and then returned in the newly made Classic Physique division. Ultimately, he changed things up yet again and bumped up to the Men’s 212 division. His debut was in 2020.
The move shocked some fans. Particularly because he was tracking very well in the Classic Physique division. He won the Arnold Classic and also placed 3rd at the Classic Physique Olympia. That’s a great early showing for a new division. So what prompted him to suddenly change gears? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, George Peterson explains the deeper reason for moving from Classic Physique to Men’s 212 bodybuilding.
Not many bodybuilding fans may know this, but George Peterson did not start out as a Classic Physique bodybuilder. He started as a Men’s Open bodybuilder in 2008. He rose up through the amateur ranks and eventually started landing in the heavyweight class.
George Peterson wasn’t liking the way the massive amount of weight was affecting his aesthetic. He wasn’t happy with what he would have to do to continue succeeding in Open bodybuilding. So he quit. At the time both for himself and fans it seemed that this was a permanent stepping down from the sport.
It wasn’t until 2016 when the Classic Physique division was introduced that everything changed. He returned to the sport, won the 2016 Nationals overall, and then landed some spectacular placings as a Pro Classic Physique bodybuilder at the Arnold Classic and Olympia.
Then in a shocking move, he changed divisions again. This time to Men’s 212. We asked George Peterson why he decided to make that move considering he showed so much promise in Classic Physique. He admits that it was an extremely hard decision. Peterson is extremely passionate about Classic Physique. He likes that it allows for a wide variety of aesthetic types. He convinced himself that even though he carries more muscle than a lot of typical Classic Physique athletes, he still had the waist to showcase something special in the division.
But it seemed ultimately this just wasn’t true. His size kept getting in the way of being able to truly fit in with Classic Physique. Though he placed well, George Peterson describes having to cut 10 pounds during the final weeks of contest prep just to make weight. His body was growing and reacting in such a way – that he was constantly fighting against his size – not working with it.
On top of this, George Peterson believes his 3rd place Olympia finish was truly the best version of his physique under that weight limit. He couldn’t see a future where he improved anything further at that weight. Ultimately, he understood that he had to step up to a slightly higher limit under the Men’s 212.
It wasn’t an easy decision. He truly put his heart into Classic Physique. He still has a passionate place for it to this day. But he also understands the reality of his genetics and how his body works. His passion for weightlifting as a whole drives him to succeed in bodybuilding. He hopes that Men’s 212 will give him the opportunity to become a champion on his own terms.
You can watch George Peterson go into detail about his start in bodybuilding and moving to Men’s 212 in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
