- Sep 17, 2003
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(older article but something I ran across again today and felt like posting)
by: Jonathan Leonard
It wasn’t too long ago that Arnold sparked a major embroilment in the bodybuilding community with his controversial remarks about the “GH gut” of today’s elite athletes. While many would agree with him that the physiques of modern competitors have taken a turn for the worst, others have gone on to defend today’s athletes. However there were some who felt the need to hit back with an equally controversial comment.
Such is the case for current and reigning Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath. As the champion of the sport, Phil has every right to defend himself and fellow competitors — that is if he brings a valid argument defending why modern Olympia athletes have distended stomachs and why it would be acceptable to present them as such.
But rather than taking the high road, Phil took an uncalled jab at Arnold:
In Steps Lee Priest
Never afraid to speak his mind, Lee Priest has always been one of the top, if not the most, controversial men in the sport.
Being an elite competitor during, what many deem the golden era and most competitive decade in the history of bodybuilding, Lee has earned the right to say exactly what he feels about modern bodybuilding and has many a time voiced his not-so-subtle opinion on the physiques of this age.
So what did Lee have to say about the matter at hand?
Well, that escalated quickly. A prime example of classic Lee; not holding anything back and telling the truth as it really is. Personally, I couldn’t have said it any better myself. If Arnold were to be a competitor in this day and age, he undoubtedly would be Mr. Olympia, simply because of his mindset and champion-like mentality. And if you’ve seen Pumping Iron, you’d have an idea of what Arnold’s mindset was when it came down to competitions.
As for Phil Heath, one of the reasons why so many people became fans and followers of his (other than his build), was due to his down-to-earth character and friendly personality. Clearly these two traits are dwindling by the Sandow. The more trophies he wins, the more arrogant he becomes.
In all truth, you have the right to be a bit cocky when you’re the world champion of a sport, but that doesn’t give you the credentials to disrespect any former champion.
The Evolution of Bodybuilding
The goal or ideal physique back in the late 60’s and 70’s was that of proportion and symmetry. Remember, back then bodybuilding was kind of a new thing to the public. And even though the bodybuilders back then weren’t as big as they are today, they still stood out and drew much attention wherever they went.
Now just imagine Arnold being as big as Mr-Olympia-Ronnie during that period. He most certainly would not have been able to breach the social barrier between bodybuilders and the general public. So for both the sport and bodybuilding in modern society, Arnold and his “no legs” played the perfect role back when he was Mr. Olympia.
During the 90’s, bodybuilding was trying to find a balance between size, proportion and symmetry. Not many were able to get it right, leaning either toward too much size and not enough proportion, and it also being the other way around.
Lee was one of the few to nail all three aspects.
And now we present the legs of the current Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath:
Over the last 60 odd years, bodybuilding has evolved a great deal, with each of every decade’s physiques fitting precisely where they should — with a few exceptions like Tom Platz and Victor Richards.
So in conclusion, now that we all have these pictures to make comparisons, was it fair for Phil to say what he did?
by: Jonathan Leonard
It wasn’t too long ago that Arnold sparked a major embroilment in the bodybuilding community with his controversial remarks about the “GH gut” of today’s elite athletes. While many would agree with him that the physiques of modern competitors have taken a turn for the worst, others have gone on to defend today’s athletes. However there were some who felt the need to hit back with an equally controversial comment.
Such is the case for current and reigning Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath. As the champion of the sport, Phil has every right to defend himself and fellow competitors — that is if he brings a valid argument defending why modern Olympia athletes have distended stomachs and why it would be acceptable to present them as such.
But rather than taking the high road, Phil took an uncalled jab at Arnold:
In Steps Lee Priest
Never afraid to speak his mind, Lee Priest has always been one of the top, if not the most, controversial men in the sport.
Being an elite competitor during, what many deem the golden era and most competitive decade in the history of bodybuilding, Lee has earned the right to say exactly what he feels about modern bodybuilding and has many a time voiced his not-so-subtle opinion on the physiques of this age.
So what did Lee have to say about the matter at hand?
Lee Priest and Phil Heath's Comments on Arnold's Legs - YouTube
Well, that escalated quickly. A prime example of classic Lee; not holding anything back and telling the truth as it really is. Personally, I couldn’t have said it any better myself. If Arnold were to be a competitor in this day and age, he undoubtedly would be Mr. Olympia, simply because of his mindset and champion-like mentality. And if you’ve seen Pumping Iron, you’d have an idea of what Arnold’s mindset was when it came down to competitions.
As for Phil Heath, one of the reasons why so many people became fans and followers of his (other than his build), was due to his down-to-earth character and friendly personality. Clearly these two traits are dwindling by the Sandow. The more trophies he wins, the more arrogant he becomes.
In all truth, you have the right to be a bit cocky when you’re the world champion of a sport, but that doesn’t give you the credentials to disrespect any former champion.
The Evolution of Bodybuilding
The goal or ideal physique back in the late 60’s and 70’s was that of proportion and symmetry. Remember, back then bodybuilding was kind of a new thing to the public. And even though the bodybuilders back then weren’t as big as they are today, they still stood out and drew much attention wherever they went.
Now just imagine Arnold being as big as Mr-Olympia-Ronnie during that period. He most certainly would not have been able to breach the social barrier between bodybuilders and the general public. So for both the sport and bodybuilding in modern society, Arnold and his “no legs” played the perfect role back when he was Mr. Olympia.
During the 90’s, bodybuilding was trying to find a balance between size, proportion and symmetry. Not many were able to get it right, leaning either toward too much size and not enough proportion, and it also being the other way around.
Lee was one of the few to nail all three aspects.
And now we present the legs of the current Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath:
Over the last 60 odd years, bodybuilding has evolved a great deal, with each of every decade’s physiques fitting precisely where they should — with a few exceptions like Tom Platz and Victor Richards.
So in conclusion, now that we all have these pictures to make comparisons, was it fair for Phil to say what he did?
