i dont think anyone can be too big, as long as they adhere to keeping the waist in check.. these guys are not going to train to "maintain".. there is only so much conditioning one can do.. the only way to improve and keep the judges attention is to improve in size.. even if it is only 3-4 pounds a contest.. but, to put in all that effort and pain to stay the same is not in most competitiors mentality..
now what everyone is refering to (i think) is a example of those who lack the genetics to be proportional and just pack on the size which makes the proportions look even worse.. we have to remember that when arnold competed there was only a handful of competitors..now we have numerous competitiors and we are seeing more and more examples of different builds.. dc has evn brought up the fact tha shawn ray trained to basically maintain and while he was successful he never caught the big prizes.. why? well, he stayed the same.. every frickin' yesr.. the same ray.. judges have to see improvement.. if the conditioning is already there then they want to see added size.. and he got repeated 3-5 places.. i believe unless dexter starts adding more size we will see the same thing out of him..
as for phil heath.. he did what he was told to do.. after nailing a 5 th place spot at the arnold (which everyone said he would win.. but, when he stood up next to the bigger guys.. lights out) he is doing what it takes to keep improving.. his symmetry is great.. his conditioning is great.. so, what is lacking..SIZE.. he need to be competing at around 240 or so for his height.. trust me, he knows how to keep the waist in check..
one can add mass and keep the waist tight.. it just has to be done slowly.. but, it has to be done or they will get passed by.. kevin levrone is another example of a freak in teh mass department and a tight waist.. extreme mass and a small waist can be done..
Great post, the only thing I take issue with is saying that someone who has competed the previous year needs to make improvement the next. I think each show should be judged individually and if improvement means being more ripped but not necessarily bigger, than that same competitor should be awarded for it.
Shawn Ray came in second at the Mr. O against Dorian, and all previous years he looked pretty much the same, and even 3 years prior he took the Arnold Classic title, a bit smaller, a bit less conditioned.
But I do think that the judging criteria seems to be if a competitor doesn't beat his last best, he's penalized for it, ONLY at the Mr. Olympia. Everywhere else the judging seems a bit more unbiased, focusing on how competitors look THAT night, THAT particular time on stage, instead of comparing previous bests, which to me is the right away to do it. Judging based on previous bests is not fair.
In terms of the topic, I don't think this can ever be considered the "Dark Ages" of bodybuilding. You have 3 or 4 real freaks on stage every olympia, everyone else is as you described - lines, small waist, shredded glutes, whatever.
Back in the 90's did you forget about the following ?
Nasser El Sonbaty, Jean Pierre-Fux, Paul Dillet, Greg Kovacs - And hello, the biggest freak of them all - DORIAN YATES - these guys were "monsters" as you put it, and everyone WANTED to see those freaks, they just weren't rewarded, with the exception of Yates. Everyone else was fighting for second place, even when Dorian had a torn bicep!
But now the freak is getting rewarded, and people are crying foul. I find it funny.
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