Straight from a true legend !!

[marshall]

"Stomachs are too big"

"I don't care how much muscle they have"

"My waist was 27-28"

"Show them the perfect ideal and tell them, you must look
like this to win"

Yes, it sounds like me, but that is straight from Franco Columbo's mouth, one of the greatest physiques ever and pound for pound the strongest bodybuilder who ever lived.

Franco is right on!

 

[The Wolf]

Yeah he was also a very hard working guy and also a very smart guy. I gota give props. He was a very small guy before he started.

 

[rAJJIN]

yea but he was like 5` tall also wasnt he?
Never one of my favorites... I still prefer the look of the Bigger guys.

 

[bulldog21]

He has a great physique.....But an even better name....

 

[The Wolf]

Yeah great name, kinda reminds me of a great detective.

 

[thebrick]

He had a good book on bodybuilding back in the early 80's that I bought to educate myself when I first started lifting seriously. His physique was incredible. A real inspiration for me.

 

[oldfella]

As a competetor myself I agree with you marsh. The days of symmetry and proportion are long gone. I was inspired by physiques like Larry Scott and Franco Columbu. These guys had the package. When the judging at all levels of BBing start to reward the more astheticly pleasing Physiques then we will see a change for the better. The bloated guts and out of proportion lumps and bumps need to go. I have never tried to be the biggest guy on stage, I just want to make sure everything looks like it fits together, at 6' tall I usually hit the stage at 230-234lbs. Like I said not the biggest but I'm old now (48) and the idea of trying to gain inches at this time is pointless. The improvements I look for now are density and proportion. Some refining here and there. The more mass is better age needs to be changed. It is putting dangerous pressure on these guys to come in bigger all the time. It is what will be the death of many in years to come. Very sad indeed.

 

[palehorse51]

Franco was a savage!!!!!

Franco was awesome! I think he is right. The physiques of his era blow away todays. I totally respect todays pros, but if i had a choice of who i had to look like i would take old school any day.

However Franco should not have won in '81!! Tom Platz should have!!!

 

[Qwert]

Franco's waist may have been 27-28". However, he is like 5 2", 5 4" tops. That's not THAT small a waist for that height.

 

[MAINEVENT]

I thought Franco had a great upper body....but for some reason I've never liked him.

 

[TooPowerful4u]

Marshall reminds me more and more of TA every day haha

 

[Vander_V]

YIP!!

To have a waist like that and great full muscle bellies is THE greatest accomplishment in BBing, Some today still do have it but its few to none.

Nothing is more impressive, especially not an extended stomach and an enlarged jaw and head. Its not so much todays BBers have lost what counts its in fact NOT there fault, like Franco says if the judges showed them what a physique should look like, I would bet 100 to 1 it wouldnt have an extended gut BUT the judges will except this deformation and reward it therefore the atheletes will continue to do what it takes as if they DO NOT even see there stomachs growing to the point they become grossly extended and pretruded, so is it todays BBers fault well in some sense NO, todays BBers only see winning as the ultimate goal and acheivement, their only fault is not realizing what has become of there physiques

 

[mikeheavypecs]

I agree that it is sad, however, today's judges are looking for the mass monsters with as much symmetry and hardness/vascularity as possible. The distended gut is just something that is ignored if the overall size is awesome enough.

Mike

 

[marshall]

Yes, Franco was very short, but his proportion and symmetry gave off the appearance of a taller physique. He didn't look as balled up as some of the short guys tend to look.

I feel the perfect height for an Olympian physiqe is 5'9 - 6'2. This allows for the perfect structure with full muscle bellies that a short person or overly tall person can't pull off.

Keep in mind there are exceptions, like Franco or Ferrigno, but usually shorter builds tend to look a little dwarfy and taller bb's tend to look to "limby" all arms and legs.

Mentzer was a hair shorter in sandals, but his 70's earth shoes made him a solid 5'9 for those wanting to know.

Qwert, Franco had a small waist regardless of his stature, the pics show the truth. He also stated that Frank Zane had a 28" waist and was a "big guy".
I know people love to tear Zane down and show pictures of him looking frail, but he was a 3 time Mr Olympia and had a classic beautiful physique.

He was lucky to edge out the 1979 crown over a perfectly conditioned Mike Mentzer however.

brick, oldfella, Vander are warriors who can appreciate what building an Olympian physique is all about, not worrying about what the scale says or what a group of judges are rewarding or what is en vogue with the young crowd.

V, hope your training is going good, staying healthy, look forward to some good pics down the pike one day.