Strength and Size today vs past 90s era

[iron lifter]

Not sure if we have access to more videos being posted due to the social media era, but seems that so many pros are so freaky strong but lack the
size of the former pros of the 90s or early 2000. I mean other than Ronnie, i don't think there was many people pros bennching 5 on incline
or 6 on flat, or deadlifting squatting as much as they are now. Ian, Nick, Hunter, Bret Wilkin all these guys and there are more i am not listing are
freaky strong, but despite that they lack that Dorian, Cutler, Ruhl, Paul Dillet, Ronnie, Nasser, Jean Pierre Fux size on stage?

I mean i have seen all the former pros videos at least whats posted, but i don't remember other than Ronnie any of them using that kind of weight
weekly in the gym. What is going on? Why is the strength not matching that level of freaky size. NOt saying Hunter, Ian are not freaky but
they still not that type of 90s freaky you have a few guys but overall so many strong bodybuilders that lack that size for the strength they have.

 

[thethinker48]

There are more guys, and more readily available content of those guys nowadays too

There probably were feats of strength from some of those guys listed above that were never put on tape for the world to see; and there probably were unknowns in random gyms who did things that would make people's jaw drop that never put it on film, or cared much for the world to see

 

[luki7788]

You don't think so - there was no Instagram in the past and no videos and photos were shared every now and then. The training videos were made when the bodybuilders were at the very end of their preparations, so it was logical that no one was doing the mega-load. Fux himself said that the 300 kg that broke his quads in the session was not a wolf load for him because he regularly squat with 300 kg in training for 8-10 repetitions.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

People get stronger. We've seen that through every stage in history...and especially recent history.
Hell, a 500lb bench press was ELITE top 10 in the world like 40 years ago....so the strength stuff is just facts.
Big Ron Partlow has talked about this several times if you have listened to Its Just Bodybuilding. A 500lb squat was BIG TIME like 25 years ago. There are HS kids now that hit this.

As far as the size, its all relative to the popularity of REAL OPEN BODYBUILDER. To be an open bodybuilder and be SHW, there was only 1 way to do it. You got elite specimens who spent years GROWING....because there were no other options. In reality, young gifted lifters have SEVERAL other options before turning to bodybuilding. Sports wise, and even once you get into fitness, most gifted lifters will choose Classic or Physique. NO ONE wants to choose 10 years of growing if they can "be pro" at 3....Honestly, that's why the SHW classes get weaker and weaker as time goes on. The amount of TIME and EFFORT it takes to be get that big...THEN be one of the gifted few with an amazing structure is just sooo slim. You'd spent far less time trying to get a D1 sports offer. So what ends up happening is guys who truly loooove it (who arent the most gifted) or guys who discover BBing late...and even then, they probably arent the BEST looking 250+ guy.

Just my 2 cents. (and hell, I'm IN this class anyways lol)

 

[iron lifter]

It almost seems as if the strength comes on early but the size takes much longer i guess.

 

[danieltx]

It almost seems as if the strength comes on early but the size takes much longer i guess.

Yes, probably because CNS activation is so much easier than mind-muscle connection. It's why you see 190lb. guys with no legs who squat 405lbs. for reps.

 

[brutus69]

Yes, probably because CNS activation is so much easier than mind-muscle connection. It's why you see 190lb. guys with no legs who squat 405lbs. for reps.

if they're repping that weight hows it not " mind muscle connection?"
cns blah blah is low reps. low explosive power lifting stuff.
or u can do heavy weights slow and controlled for 8-12 and hows THAT not mind muscle?

 

[maldorf]

People get stronger. We've seen that through every stage in history...and especially recent history.
Hell, a 500lb bench press was ELITE top 10 in the world like 40 years ago....so the strength stuff is just facts.
Big Ron Partlow has talked about this several times if you have listened to Its Just Bodybuilding. A 500lb squat was BIG TIME like 25 years ago. There are HS kids now that hit this.

As far as the size, its all relative to the popularity of REAL OPEN BODYBUILDER. To be an open bodybuilder and be SHW, there was only 1 way to do it. You got elite specimens who spent years GROWING....because there were no other options. In reality, young gifted lifters have SEVERAL other options before turning to bodybuilding. Sports wise, and even once you get into fitness, most gifted lifters will choose Classic or Physique. NO ONE wants to choose 10 years of growing if they can "be pro" at 3....Honestly, that's why the SHW classes get weaker and weaker as time goes on. The amount of TIME and EFFORT it takes to be get that big...THEN be one of the gifted few with an amazing structure is just sooo slim. You'd spent far less time trying to get a D1 sports offer. So what ends up happening is guys who truly loooove it (who arent the most gifted) or guys who discover BBing late...and even then, they probably arent the BEST looking 250+ guy.

Just my 2 cents. (and hell, I'm IN this class anyways lol)

Ive seen some high school boys that are just naturally huge. Big ass hands and bones. One the football team's front line. One guy was about 6 foot 4 and weighed a little over 300 lbs. Natural. Not really lean but not fat. People in general are getting bigger. I dont know what he could lift, but he was strong. Made me feel small at 6 foot 235.

Youtube has many that are unbelievable. Here is a high school boy squatting 1025 lbs for a world record. Looks like it might have even been sanctioned.

When I was a kid in high school, Anthony Clark did 1031 lbs and it was a record. He was an adult and Im sure on PEDs for a long time. We now have kids doing it.

 

[lookslikesausage]

You guys are talking about powerlifting and bodybuilding. Let's talk Olympic Lifting. Guys haven't really gotten much stronger since the 80's. Records were being decimated in the 80's. It's why the IWF reset the weight classes a few times now. That and the fact that testing protocols were pretty weak in the 80's when lifters were doing crazy numbers that were thought impossible and kind of still are b/c pound for pound a lot of those lifters would still be battling neck and neck w/many of today's top lifters. Hell, Taranenko's 266 Clean & Jerk in competition has still never been broken. That was done in 1988. Let that sink in...

 

[Dugbet]

You guys are talking about powerlifting and bodybuilding. Let's talk Olympic Lifting. Guys haven't really gotten much stronger since the 80's. Records were being decimated in the 80's. It's why the IWF reset the weight classes a few times now. That and the fact that testing protocols were pretty weak in the 80's when lifters were doing crazy numbers that were thought impossible and kind of still are b/c pound for pound a lot of those lifters would still be battling neck and neck w/many of today's top lifters. Hell, Taranenko's 266 Clean & Jerk in competition has still never been broken. That was done in 1988. Let that sink in...

In the weightlifting, they suspended a lot of old records even without positives tests, that is, they made a clean slate.

It is really difficult to set new records, past athletes abused the gear, modern athletes are always under suspicion.

Some believe that IPF athletes are clean because they has test, LMFAO

 

[iron lifter]

You guys are talking about powerlifting and bodybuilding. Let's talk Olympic Lifting. Guys haven't really gotten much stronger since the 80's. Records were being decimated in the 80's. It's why the IWF reset the weight classes a few times now. That and the fact that testing protocols were pretty weak in the 80's when lifters were doing crazy numbers that were thought impossible and kind of still are b/c pound for pound a lot of those lifters would still be battling neck and neck w/many of today's top lifters. Hell, Taranenko's 266 Clean & Jerk in competition has still never been broken. That was done in 1988. Let that sink in...

and Yurik Vardanian naim so many

 

[lookslikesausage]

and Yurik Vardanian naim so many

Yes! Add Kakhi and Mutlu in there. You could put those top guys up against any of the best lifters of the last twenty years. With respect to today's guys and i think someone said this and i agree, today's guys run a much higher risk of getting caught popping. Still, if you took away the testing, i'm not sure today's greats would beat the best guys from the 80's and 90's.

 

[iron lifter]

Yes! Add Kakhi and Mutlu in there. You could put those top guys up against any of the best lifters of the last twenty years. With respect to today's guys and i think someone said this and i agree, today's guys run a much higher risk of getting caught popping. Still, if you took away the testing, i'm not sure today's greats would beat the best guys from the 80's and 90's.

only lasha has impressed me latley. rest of the lifters alot of those numbers have been done in early 80s and 90s and in even lighter weight classes.