Terrence Ruffin details what he thinks it takes to have a champion classic physique.
Terrence Ruffin has been rising up in the ranks of Classic Physique over the past few years. His latest competition placed him second at the Arnold Classic 2020, which is a truly promising accomplishment and points towards bigger things in the near future. But what is the ideal classic physique that judges are looking for? Are all judges even on the same page form competition to competition? For such a relatively new division – there are still a lot of evolving questions about what the ideal Classic Physique champion should look like. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Terrence Ruffin explains what he thinks is the ideal classic physique and whether or not it’s being properly rewarded on stage.
The Classic Physique division has now been around for many years – but it’s still relatively new in comparison to the rest of the division. More importantly, the desired goal of this division is a very nuanced one. It falls in a grey area between Men’s Open, Men’s 212, and Men’s Physique. Beyond the clear cut rules about height and weight requirements, the overall desired look of what is considered “classic” can be up to interpretation.
That interpretation is ultimately the judges. But in these early years of the division, it might take some trial and error for them to decide what the perfect classic physique actually looks like. We’ve seen this kind of balancing act in the past – specifically with the Women’s Open division many decades ago. That ultimately imploded the division as whole. Will the same happen to Classic Physique?
It doesn’t look like it quite yet as the division has found much popularity right out of the gate. But critics warn that the physiques aren’t pointing to the right direction. Do the athletes feel the same way? We asked Terrence Ruffin his opinion when we spoke over a video call.
Terrence Ruffin at the Arnold Classic 2020 (above).
Terrence Ruffin has been rising through the ranks and has a real chance to position himself as a Classic Physique Olympia champion. But his final moves are delicate ones. In a young division where the style of rewarded physique seems to change, how does Ruffin know how to properly prepare?
Terrence Ruffin doesn’t try to sweat it too much. He thinks that the idea classic physique is the best physique that shows up on competition day. The judges don’t make a decision in a vacuum. They see all the competitors standing side by side and decide who leaves the best impression with their overall physique.
Ruffin knows what his competition looks like. So he focuses on how he can make his physique the best with in the height and weight criteria he’s given. He has to look better than the competition. That’s it. And that’s what he plans on doing.
In our discussion about the Classic Physique division, we also touch upon a few other trending topics such as whether or not the vacuum pose should be mandatory, and how important nutrition is to building perfect abs.
You can check out Terrence Ruffin’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
