Raymont Edmonds reacts to board shorts jokes and Men’s Physique criticism.
Men’s Physique bodybuilding is one of the biggest divisions in the sport of bodybuilding. It has a massive and deep pool of competitors and the physiques seem to improve with each passing year. Despite this, the division often gets a healthy amount of criticism in the form of jokes and insults. Specifically, jokes mocking the board shorts covering the athlete’s upper legs. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Raymont Edmonds responds to this criticism. He also shares his thoughts on why the division gets made fun of so often.
Raymont Edmonds is a former Olympia Men’s Physique champion and one of the top competitors still competing in the division. He has all of the makings of a legend. That’s why during our video interview we wanted to ask him about the criticism and insults Men’s Physique often receives. Most specifically, when Men’s Open bodybuilders insult the division.
Raymont Edmonds can’t help but laugh it off. He’s not personally offended by the criticism or jokes. He finds them as just funny white noise. He knows that the evidence is all right in front of us on stage. The Men’s Physique competitors work their asses off. They present physiques that only a small percentage of mankind dare to accomplish. While it might not hit freak levels like Men’s Open – these are athletes through and through.
So why does the division get so much criticism and jokes thrown at them? It call comes down to one specific element of Men’s Physique – the board shorts. Part of the mandatory attire for the division, board shorts are often mocked by overall bodybuilding fans and even some Men’s Open competitors. Antoine Vaillant famously mock-posed in board shorts during a guest posing in 2019.
Raymont Edmonds thinks there are a variety of reasons why board shorts and Men’s Physique are mocked. The main culprit comes down to jealousy mixed with resistance to change.
“I understand where it comes from. It comes from a lot of different things,” Raymont Edmonds states in our interview. He continues:
“Shit a lot of it is like, let’s just be real, envy and jealousy because… and I get it because, dude, a lot of like, bodybuilding… certain things are just certain ways for people and the minute you try to change it they are like, ‘Fuck that. That don’t count bro. Like, nah. Hell no!’
“And then when you see guys making like – you know there are guys making a good living and stuff off of things that… I guess the bodybuilders, you know, in their times up to Men’s Physique origins it really wasn’t available, you know what I mean? So you look at it and these guys just get in here and it’s… you didn’t earn shit. This is a real bodybuilder not showing legs. So it’s easy to start throwing different things on it.”
What Raymont Edmonds seems to be digging at here is a combination of two things. Firsst, there is a resistance to change. This is normal across all of humanity in any endeavor. Especially for older people who have gotten used to a certain way of life.
The second element is jealousy. Not only is this change something that bodybuilders and fans might be resistant to – it also is bringing in great money and success for those involved. Suddenly, some people see athletes with success that couldn’t exist before the division was created. Suddenly, the see bodybuilders covering their legs, calling it a sport, and making big money.
This creates frustration and some people take it out verbally online. They make jokes at the lowest hanging fruit – the shorts. Raymont Edmonds understands it and so it doesn’t bother him. He knows anyone who actually watches the sport can see the talent on display. Shorts or no shorts, Men’s Physique competitors are no slacking. They are top tier athletes.
You can watch Raymont Edmonds’ full response in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
