- Sep 17, 2003
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Normally when Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about bodybuilding, there's a smile on his face as wide as his back from his glory days.
But this time, he isn't happy.
The former 7 x Mr. Olympia champion has compared the physiques of today's Mr Olympia competitors to a "bottle", and says the judges need to start favouring more aesthetic and narrow waisted bodybuilders.
Speaking at what appears to be the Arnold Classic in the USA, Arnold says the sport can get more people training by rewarding those with more "beautiful" physiques.
"We have to make sure we are rewarding the right guys because if you reward the right guys then everyone will start training to have a beautiful body again" he said.
In a stinging attack on the sport that made him a household name, the actor called upon the internet, magazines and "every other means there is" to "call out on those judges."
"Because that's how you create the change, by calling out and getting involved and saying 'this is unacceptable the way bodybuilding is going.'"
"We want to see the most beautiful and most athletic bodies up there on stage" he added.
Arnold also reminisced on the old days of bodybuilding, referring to the legendary Steve Reeves as the poster boy for the ideal physique.
"Look at the old days when Steve Reeves won, if you saw him at the beach you'd say to yourself, 'I would love to have this guy's body, look how beautful this man looks.' But that's not what we can say today about these guys who win the competitions."
Arnold also had a bit to say about the growing waistlines of competitors today, something that many fans have poked fun at online in recent times.
"You've got to look at everything, for instance so many of those guys have their stomachs sticking out....it used to be that you should have a V-shaped body, now it's like, I dunno, a bottle shaped body or something like that" he said.
"It's a weird thing that's happening on stage that no one can pull in their stomach anymore for a long period of time and stand on stage with a vacuum and pulled in stomach, shoulders out, and can look athletic....it doesn't look right anymore."
He also took the opportunity to single out IFBB chairman Jim Mannion, and urge all fans and all forms of media to question him and his collegues as to why the sport is in the current state it is in today.
"He's (Mannion) in charge of judging, he's in charge of picking the judges, you have to talk to him" he said.
"You magazines, and also the internet and every other means there is - call out on him and call out on those judges."
Australian bodybuilding Legend Lee Priest, who was once an IFBB competitor and who recently won the Mr Universe title, believes Arnold is spot on.
When asked by FIT'N'FLEXED was Arnold Schwarzenegger right with his assesment, Lee Priest declared: "yeah he is."
Priest added that the judges should "judge how they are meant to judge" but pointed out that he believes the fans hold a lot of power.
"They (the fans) should complain or not watch shows" he said.
"Oh Arnold can say this and people are like 'oh this is great.' I been saying it for years and got life suspension, I can't even go into IFBB show." Priest said.
"So really they can all f*ck off. Now you all wanna jump on the band wagon because Arnold said something?"
"No one supported me when I said all this so f*ck the lot" he said.
Arnold Says Call Out The Judges (We Want Changes) - YouTube
Slim waist looks too feminine to me. Rather be a Mack truck than a tricked out Scion.....