Jay Cutler decided to discuss the debate when it comes to the Olympia.
No matter the sport, there is a fascination on who the greatest of all-time is. Tm Brady or Jim Brown, Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth — it does not matter the era or position of the athlete. The same can be said about bodybuilding. The Olympia is the biggest event in bodybuilding. This is an honor that many have held and many more are vying for. When thinking about the history of the competition, it is normal to think on who the greatest champion is. Jay Cutler recently weighed in on this topic and gave his opinions.
Cutler is a four-time Olympia champion and one of the legendary bodybuilders in the history of the sport. On a recent episode of Cutler Cast on his YouTube page, Cutler discussed the topic and began with the greatest bodybuilder of all-time, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Despite his greatness, Cutler explains how some may be losing sight because of the times changing.
“There was no one better but obviously Coleman broke the record from Lee Haney. As we get further down the road, people lose track of the original generation.”
When Schwarzenegger was at his peak, he displayed a physique that no one had seen before. He did so without the phenomenon that is social media. Bodybuilders like Cutler himself, along with Ronnie Coleman and Phil Heath, were able to take advantage and gain a larger following because of social media sites.
Schwarzenegger was unbeatable from 1970-1975 winning six consecutive Olympia titles. He added another in 1980 to make it seven for his career. Schwarzenegger was one of the pioneers of bodybuilding and really brought it into the light. Cutler also discussed the level of competition and how he would like to hear it from someone who was there.
“At the time, he was pretty damn good, dude. To win seven, you know. I mean the competition I’ve heard at that time, Arnold didn’t have to defend his title against anyone. People don’t know that. I would love the historians to chime in on this and tell me how many Olympias Arnold won without a competitor against him.”
Coleman and Haney are tied for the most Olympia victories in history with eight a piece. Despite the great success, Cutler is a fan of Dorian Yates and what he was able to bring to the table.
Yates won six consecutive Olympia titles from 1992-1997. On stage, he displayed a well-rounded physique where it was difficult to find any flaws.
“Dorian Yates, I would say, he freaked me out more than Ronnie Coleman did,” Jay Cutler said.
“When I saw Dorian Yates and how big his back was and the calves and everything, I remember seeing him and thinking ‘gosh, how can someone get this big.’”
Cutler continues by explaining the freak that Coleman was but believes Yates was larger on stage and it began with his lats.
“Ronnie Coleman’s probably the biggest specimen. Let’s put it this way. Ronnie had the best back, the best double bicep,” Cutler said.
“Dorian Yates was so wide. His lats bro were, there was nothing like it. I couldn’t believe how developed they were. If you compared their lats, Dorian Yates’ lats blew away Ronnie’s, in my opinion. Ronnie Coleman had more detail, which is just like Phil Heath did.”
Jay Cutler did not give a definitive answer when talking about the greatest Olympia winner of all-time. It is a subjective topic that has many divisions because some athletes are stronger in certain areas on stage. It is clear that Cutler was a fan of Yates and acknowledged the behemoth that was Coleman. Also, Schwarzenegger always has to be brought up in the discussion.
As for a definitive answer, there is not one. This will remain a conversation for bodybuilding fans around the world to have for years to come.
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