Are mass monsters becoming yesterday’s news?
There used to be a time where mass monsters didn’t dominate the bodybuilding scene. Instead you had bodybuilders like Frank Zane who may not have been the largest athlete, but was perhaps the leanest, most shredded, and most well proportioned. The modern era of heavyweight pro bodybuilding, now dubbed Open Weight, has turned into a bit of a freak show to say the least.
Now, the argument can be made that this is the reason the Classic Physique division was introduced and why the mass monster complaints should be thrown to the wayside. But the problem with that argument is that the massive bodybuilders we’ve been seeing on stage as of late somehow are coming into competitions bloated and far from looking like pros.
Enter Rafael Brandao.
A Generation Iron athlete and talented Brazilian bodybuilder with a ton of upside, Rafael Brandao has been gaining a great deal of traction in the Open Weight division. But unlike most of the other competitors in the division who emphasize massive muscle, Rafael Brandao seems to be aiming for a different kind of look. Brandao seems to be focused on being as shredded and lean as possible while battling against the mass monsters on stage.
So many fans and onlookers even thought that Rafael Brandao deserved a higher placing at the recent New York Pro instead of his sixth place standing. In fact, fans seemed to be pretty upset to the point that they have begun to question criteria of judging bodybuilding shows. Yes, an argument can be made that Rafael Brandao could just head to the Classic Physique division and acquit himself well. But perhaps Brandao competing in the Open Weight division makes a bigger statement than if he just went to another category.
It begs the question as to whether bodybuilding is too concerned with being as massive as possible and not how aesthetic someone’s physical form is. Rafael Brandao is bringing something different to the table, competing against athletes way bigger than he is, but proving that his definition and presentation can at times beat out massive size. Only time will tell if this mindset catches on, but for now, Brandao has a uphill battle ahead of him.
Do you think bodybuilders are too massive these days?
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