Was conditioning in the 90's better than todays?

[EspenMuskelbunt1]

I am to young to witness the 90's and early 2000s bodybuilding with my own eyes, but looking at photos I strongly doubt that the average conditioning at high levels show (Olympia, Arnold etc) was better before than today. Of course, it was a few exception like Andreas Munzer and Dorian Yates, but striated glutes, cross striated quads and crispy christmas tree is more normal and almost standard today, and more rare in the past. Also on average bodybuilders are bigger today.
Hear often old school bodybuilders saying the bodybuilders today dont suffer enough, dont train as hard etc like in the past. Like this episode I watched today on RXmuscle

Samson is eating 3 whole eggs and coffee for breakfast
What do you guys think? Are there anyone here who watched shows in the 90s and can compare today?

 

[Big A]

No contest.

Just look at the amount of death faces on stage then compared to now.

 

[IronFist]

i posted in lukis thread the other day saying how guys nowadays dont seem be able shred like the guys back then , different gen of bber completely with the exception of a couple handfuls.

 

[luki7788]

Better condition...look at the back poses and glutes and hamstring of them all

 

[alfresco]

I am to young to witness the 90's and early 2000s bodybuilding with my own eyes, but looking at photos I strongly doubt that the average conditioning at high levels show (Olympia, Arnold etc) was better before than today. Of course, it was a few exception like Andreas Munzer and Dorian Yates, but striated glutes, cross striated quads and crispy christmas tree is more normal and almost standard today, and more rare in the past. Also on average bodybuilders are bigger today.
Hear often old school bodybuilders saying the bodybuilders today dont suffer enough, dont train as hard etc like in the past. Like this episode I watched today on RXmuscle

Samson is eating 3 whole eggs and coffee for breakfast
What do you guys think? Are there anyone here who watched shows in the 90s and can compare today?

I have been to more bodybuilding contests in the 70’s and mid 80’s than I can remember (never saw a Mr. Olympia but did see Emeric in Vegas for the Mr. U) and while I prefer the aesthetic look of that ‘era’, not the ultra definition we see now, one would have to be crazy to say that they could match todays current crop of Pros in the condition department.

 

[madg]

90s is the golden era

Granite like muscle with cross striations

 

[TheOtherOne55]

We see this discussed by pros all the time. What’s weird is they always answer NO. It’s not better. It’s the same. “We” aren’t seeing it in person like they are. Fouad discusses this on his podcast all the time.

But regardless of their opinion, I think it’s more of a discussion of, “if it isn’t the same as say mid 90s to early 2000s, then WHY.” I don’t think guys are mentally weaker or not pushing as hard as before. But we do know 3 things:
1. The camera quality and picture taking is much different.
2. Precontest phases were much shorter. 16-20 weeks was unheard of. Guys were dieting for like 8.
3. Growth hormone was a much different game at this time.

So if guys were dieting for shorter and getting into better shape, what is the deal? Is it a GH thing?

Weird, but I was watching an old video of Palumbo back in his competing days yesterday and couldn’t help but notice just howww diced he was. Like I get it, bad structure, but man. Dude was huge and peeledddd. Dave would’ve eassssily won a pro card in today’s game.

 

[juggy38]

We see this discussed by pros all the time. What’s weird is they always answer NO. It’s not better. It’s the same. “We” aren’t seeing it in person like they are. Fouad discusses this on his podcast all the time.

But regardless of their opinion, I think it’s more of a discussion of, “if it isn’t the same as say mid 90s to early 2000s, then WHY.” I don’t think guys are mentally weaker or not pushing as hard as before. But we do know 3 things:
1. The camera quality and picture taking is much different.
2. Precontest phases were much shorter. 16-20 weeks was unheard of. Guys were dieting for like 8.
3. Growth hormone was a much different game at this time.

So if guys were dieting for shorter and getting into better shape, what is the deal? Is it a GH thing?

Weird, but I was watching an old video of Palumbo back in his competing days yesterday and couldn’t help but notice just howww diced he was. Like I get it, bad structure, but man. Dude was huge and peeledddd. Dave would’ve eassssily won a pro card in today’s game.

I think it’s a couple things…..

1) video/camera technology. Better cameras, makes the comparison not equal.

2) gh/insulin and more recently recovery peptides (bpc/TB)……..the former, pushing IGf and collagen synthesis through the roof. Thicker skin. The latter directly having an impact on fibroblast migration and proliferation. (Obviously this isn’t used all the time, but say over your 10 year career you run them 2x a year….id argue this probably slows the skin collagen loss pretty dramatically compared to Father Time unchecked)

Elderly individuals….starting IVs is cakewalk their skin is almost fucjing transparent from the loss of collagen. But pregnant women, or healthy 20yr old females? Skin is thick and hydrated. Can’t see shit, have to go by feel sometimes. And preggos In full baby anabolism???? You better have an ultrasound guided IV setup lol

 

[danieltx]

I've cued this to start where Justin Harris explains why guys in the 1990s weren't as lean as most believe and why guys today weigh more but aren't as big as guys in the 1990s - he says GH is the big differentiating factor.

 

[bbxtreme]

Yates set the bar for conditioning in that era.

 

[Biggerp73]

(1) the 90's competitors had more separation and striations in shoulders, legs, pecs, and arms, but this was probably due to not using GH/Insulin, both of which tend to cause a more smooth round shape to the muscle belly

(2) Shredded glutes was quite rare in the 90s, but today it's unlikely you will win a show without them, perhaps even at the amateur level

(3) Water retention in the face has more to do with bloating from GH etc than leanness

 

[Fleezy]

With very few exceptions, guys these days are in much better condition than previous eras

 

[kadafi2]

(1) the 90's competitors had more separation and striations in shoulders, legs, pecs, and arms, but this was probably due to not using GH/Insulin, both of which tend to cause a more smooth round shape to the muscle belly

An accurate observation, but you don't think that GH and insulin were not used in the 1990s? They were used but not abused (with exceptions), that's the difference.

 

[Fleezy]

that's the difference.

The difference IMO, is that these days, guys are trying to come in as large and full as possible

They could get insanely peeled if they were so inclined, but that’s not what the judges are currently rewarding

 

[bbxtreme]

I’ll be objective and share the other side as well. I shared this in another thread. Arguably Lee Priest best vs Hadi’s best.

 

[luki7788]

(1) the 90's competitors had more separation and striations in shoulders, legs, pecs, and arms, but this was probably due to not using GH/Insulin, both of which tend to cause a more smooth round shape to the muscle belly

(2) Shredded glutes was quite rare in the 90s, but today it's unlikely you will win a show without them, perhaps even at the amateur level

(3) Water retention in the face has more to do with bloating from GH etc than leanness

to the first point it's probably not insulin and GH but SEO and a huge amount of inj. compounds. In the past much more orals were used and fewer injections

edit: I take myself as the best example. I used to have fully ribbed delts now after years of putting gear in them you won't see a single cut on them

 

[dany23x]

to the first point it's probably not insulin and GH but SEO and a huge amount of inj. compounds. In the past much more orals were used and fewer injections

edit: I take myself as the best example. I used to have fully ribbed delts now after years of putting gear in them you won't see a single cut on them

to the first point it's probably not insulin and GH but SEO and a huge amount of inj. compounds. In the past much more orals were used and fewer injections

edit: I take myself as the best example. I used to have fully ribbed delts now after years of putting gear in them you won't see a single cut on them

the high level preparations are those luki we know them, how come some Open still have evident details, compared to others some muscles seem to have disappeared precisely because of too many injections (causing scar tissue, necrosis)

 

[dantes]

(1) the 90's competitors had more separation and striations in shoulders, legs, pecs, and arms, but this was probably due to not using GH/Insulin, both of which tend to cause a more smooth round shape to the muscle belly

(2) Shredded glutes was quite rare in the 90s, but today it's unlikely you will win a show without them, perhaps even at the amateur level

(3) Water retention in the face has more to do with bloating from GH etc than leanness

1) I actually think the biggest difference is abs. Everybody had great abs in the 90s. Now guys like Hunter have completely washed out midsections
2) I don’t think this is so much conditioning but posing. Glutes were not judged in the 90s so guys did not focus on flexing them but focused more on flexing the hamstring.
3) probably correct is likely more a water thing

 

[luki7788]

the high level preparations are those luki we know them, how come some Open still have evident details, compared to others some muscles seem to have disappeared precisely because of too many injections (causing scar tissue, necrosis)

not everyone injects gear into delts I know some guys who do only lats or quads - that's logical

 

[Fleezy]

1) I actually think the biggest difference is abs. Everybody had great abs in the 90s. Now guys like Hunter have completely washed out midsections
2) I don’t think this is so much conditioning but posing. Glutes were not judged in the 90s so guys did not focus on flexing them but focused more on flexing the hamstring.
3) probably correct is likely more a water thing

1) not everybody had great abs back then.. and I don’t think that using Hunter as a representation of today’s competitors is fair lol

2) you are suggesting that guys back then did have striated glutes but just didn’t flex them? I disagree.. I’m watching all of the ‘battle for the Olympia’ videos on YouTube while I do my cardio, and these guys all look 3+ weeks out condition just days before the show