Asceticism In Bodybuilding

[bufbiker]

Just read a great article by Cade Thomas over at Iron Magazine. Of course I think it's great because I agree with it. His thesis is that all those individuals screaming about putting aesthetics back into bodybuilding are doing so because they don't have the drive nor genes to build massive musculature over a smaller frame.
He cites rags like Men's Physique with a picture of Justin Beiber on the cover as an ideal male physique. Cade states that in his opinion Beiber has the physique of a heroin addict on a soda cracker diet.
He questions what the idea of the ideal male physique should be.
Is it Justin Beiber, who is cut with his twelve in "guns" or a local gym rat with clearly delineated muscle and a 19" arm with a nice peak on his biceps?
Is Big Ramy aesthetically built, with his piles of muscle upon muscle and his small waist?
Everyone hollers about Frank Zanes build being the ultimate. Cade then dares one to compare Zane, Arnold or Menzer or Robinson, or even Wheeler or Levrone to Beiber. The comparison is not even close.
So he asks what is the true meaning of aesthetic.
Great read.

 

[zeke]

Gotta agree, you could put snoop dog on men's physique if abs are the only things that counts. Diet, sleep, training that are a way of life.. It's a joke!

 

[Glycomann]

This guy is pretty close to the ideal.

 

[bufbiker]

I agree 100%. For me a bit more mass on his legs for better proportion.
But think about this. When you buy a ticket to go see an Olympia or an Arnold do you want to go see guys smaller than you competing or do you go to see men that have pushed the envelope with their bodies to the point of a near death experience to become the most massive individuals on the planet?

 

[b52]

I agree 100%. For me a bit more mass on his legs for better proportion.
But think about this. When you buy a ticket to go see an Olympia or an Arnold do you want to go see guys smaller than you competing or do you go to see men that have pushed the envelope with their bodies to the point of a near death experience to become the most massive individuals on the planet?

People going to see a show, want to see freaks. Plain and simple. More like a freakshow today than it was in Arnie's day, but I wish it wasn't so. Or atleast break it into categories. Pregnant and not pregnant, lol. But seriously, some of these guys guts have gotten out of hand. Guys like Levrone, and Flex, were always pleasing to look at. If I could ever get to that level that's the physique I would want. Not the look where it looks like I'm carrying a sea turtle on my stomach.

 

[Glycomann]

I agree 100%. For me a bit more mass on his legs for better proportion.
But think about this. When you buy a ticket to go see an Olympia or an Arnold do you want to go see guys smaller than you competing or do you go to see men that have pushed the envelope with their bodies to the point of a near death experience to become the most massive individuals on the planet?

Never been to the Olympia. I dig the 80s look. I like the fact that Franco could pick your car up and carry it into a parking spot, then, from a standing position do a back spring somersault, then go do 5 rounds of boxing at the local boxing club. Not so much into the insulin look or what ever they are doing. I prefer that they at least look functional. 5'6" 280 at 4% BF does not look functional to me let alone 330 off season huffing and puffing on the way from the car to the diner. Guess I'm not into what you are as much. I appreciate that they can push it there and can do some of the stuff they can but I would not want to look like or be like a Markus Ruhl or a Roelly Winklar. I'd rather look like and be like Franco.

 

[bufbiker]

Franco was and always will be an individual that earned the respect and admiration he still cultivates today, decades later. But for his day he was a freak.
What does bodybuilding do? Does it come to a standstill or keep moving forward? And what does forward look like? I think that is the real question. We all love the sport of bodybuilding or we wouldn't do what we are doing. Even for me as a power lifter I am inspired by these men's physiques. From Zane to Big Ramy I am inspired by what they have accomplished. Heck, when I look in the mirror I'm impressed with myself. When I hit the gym it's obvious others are impressed as well. So do I say I'm satisfied because I'm old and should be happy I can still walk most days of the week (excluding days immediately following leg day) or do I continue to see how extreme I can take it pushing stupid amounts of weight? What I do I do for me because I love it, whether I compete against others or not. I will always compete against my greatest competition, age and myself. If I'm ever satisfied, shoot me.
Could it be these genetically gifted men, pushing their bodies to the extreme both physically and chemically are doing what they do because they love doing it and we are not their judges but their peers, just at different levels of desire and commitment?
So, what does forward look like? Can bodybuilding move forward any further or has it reached its end?
I guess both time and the people who spend the money will determine that. In other words we the peer will ultimately decide.

 

[Glycomann]

Franco was and always will be an individual that earned the respect and admiration he still cultivates today, decades later. But for his day he was a freak.
What does bodybuilding do? Does it come to a standstill or keep moving forward? And what does forward look like? I think that is the real question. We all love the sport of bodybuilding or we wouldn't do what we are doing. Even for me as a power lifter I am inspired by these men's physiques. From Zane to Big Ramy I am inspired by what they have accomplished. Heck, when I look in the mirror I'm impressed with myself. When I hit the gym it's obvious others are impressed as well. So do I say I'm satisfied because I'm old and should be happy I can still walk most days of the week (excluding days immediately following leg day) or do I continue to see how extreme I can take it pushing stupid amounts of weight? What I do I do for me because I love it, whether I compete against others or not. I will always compete against my greatest competition, age and myself. If I'm ever satisfied, shoot me.
Could it be these genetically gifted men, pushing their bodies to the extreme both physically and chemically are doing what they do because they love doing it and we are not their judges but their peers, just at different levels of desire and commitment?
So, what does forward look like? Can bodybuilding move forward any further or has it reached its end?
I guess both time and the people who spend the money will determine that. In other words we the peer will ultimately decide.

I can respect that. Out of the guys up there today I like wolf. i think Ramy is a new kind of mutant to the sport or something like Ronnie was only from Egypt. but I still prefer the 80s or really the 70s. I know I knocked Rollie earlier but when he does a standing back somersault on stage that is a kind of shocking impressiveness. I guess I'm just a little more in love with function than i am with the freak factor. V taper to me looks more like a functional physique. Now there have been some blocky ass MFers that have been functional as hell. Dick Butkus comes to mind. Lynn Swann said once that they had to break one of his knees or he would have killed everybody.

 

[b52]

Franco was and always will be an individual that earned the respect and admiration he still cultivates today, decades later. But for his day he was a freak.
What does bodybuilding do? Does it come to a standstill or keep moving forward? And what does forward look like? I think that is the real question. We all love the sport of bodybuilding or we wouldn't do what we are doing. Even for me as a power lifter I am inspired by these men's physiques. From Zane to Big Ramy I am inspired by what they have accomplished. Heck, when I look in the mirror I'm impressed with myself. When I hit the gym it's obvious others are impressed as well. So do I say I'm satisfied because I'm old and should be happy I can still walk most days of the week (excluding days immediately following leg day) or do I continue to see how extreme I can take it pushing stupid amounts of weight? What I do I do for me because I love it, whether I compete against others or not. I will always compete against my greatest competition, age and myself. If I'm ever satisfied, shoot me.
Could it be these genetically gifted men, pushing their bodies to the extreme both physically and chemically are doing what they do because they love doing it and we are not their judges but their peers, just at different levels of desire and commitment?
So, what does forward look like? Can bodybuilding move forward any further or has it reached its end?
I guess both time and the people who spend the money will determine that. In other words we the peer will ultimately decide.

No matter what goals you accomplish, or who you are, you'll never be satisfied. It's in human nature, we always want more. but like you said, the only person you should be in competition with is yourself. My gf, always says why do you work yourself so hard, or it's not like you have anyone to impress. But I always tell her, I do this for me, and no one else. This is something money can't buy. And it's those type of things that make me happy, but I always strive to be better. You can't put a price on that, so I see what you're saying.