In recent years the Mens’ Classic Olympia has replaced the traditional Olympia as the main event of bodybuilding.
It seems that fans of the sport have finally grown tired of the CGI-looking mass monsters which dominated the scene in the the 2000s, and now hark back to the golden era of bodybuilding.
(Hallelujah!)
In my opinion, physiques back then just hit different. They resembled a human form of art, each body part sculpted not just for size but also for visual appeal. It’s fantastic to see this make a comeback.
One of the modern day greats, Chris Bumstead has been at the forefront of this revolution. He’s racked up four consecutive wins, an achievement which has led many (including me) to hail him as one of the best to ever grace the stage. Following his most recent victory an absolutely banging photoshop job appeared online putting Chris side by side with the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, paired with a caption which was like pouring gasolene on an open fire:
“Who wins?”
As you can imagine, the internet f**king melted.
Men all over the world started berating and threatening other men from all over the world regarding which picture of a guy in their underwear looked better. It was gloriously entertaining.
Anyway, today I’ll give you my honest opinion.
Cbum vs Arnold
This may surprise you, but I actually think Chris has the better body.
However, Arnold still wins, because the differences are not so great that they justify 50 years of advancements in nutrition, training, supplementation, sports science, injury prevention, and of course drugs.
It’s crazy that Ah-nuld built that physique in the 1960s and 70s, when solid information on training was scarce and gym setups were as basic as they come – and it’s even more nuts that his results still hold up against one of today’s top competitors!
Obviously, once we step back from the physical comparison and look at overall impact – not only on the sport of bodybuilding but on the world in general – Arnold Schwarzenegger is an absolute powerhouse!
Heck, there was a time in the late 1980s when every guy in the street wanted to look like him. Not just the bodybuilding crowd, but everyone. It’s the kind of fame which we don’t really see anymore, now that we’re in the age of social media. Perhaps only The Rock can come close to it.
In many ways, what he did for the bodybuilding world is comparable to what his old rival Sylvester Stallone did for boxing, using his movie fame to pack out gyms and get people interested in the health benefits of regular weight training and proper nutrition.
Heck, George Bush even appointed him Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports!
All of this is why, in my opinion, there will never be another bodybuilder to top what Arnold did – not just in the sport, but for it.
