The Mr. Olympia frontrunners

[Ash]

Some of you may have seen these photos of Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler guest posing last week.

They are the obvious frontrunners for the 2005 Mr. Olympia - IMO probably Ronnie in 1st and Jay in 2nd UNLESS the new IFBB directives are strictly applied.

http://www.getbig.com/pics/california/c ... jayron.htm

http://www.getbig.com/pics/california/c ... ronnie.htm

http://www.getbig.com/pics/california/caljr2005/jay.htm

Should be an interesting contest to say the least.

[deegee]

Hope ronnie does something about those abs before the show, even for pre contest he has a ways to go

[jono]

Hope ronnie does something about those abs before the show, even for pre contest he has a ways to go

he kills jay in those pics. his abs are not that bad. jay needs to do more about HIS waist than ronnie imo. in the 2004 oly he owned jay is his "best" pose abs and thigh. jay looked like crap with bulging obliques.

[waldo]

I know I'll get some stick for this, but how in gods name people can aspire to this I don't know. I always thought bodybuilding was about aesthetics and size, not just blatant abuse.

If I had to pick one, Cutler is in better shape. Certainly leaner at this point. However as per usual, Ronnie will win because he managed to gain an extra slab this year. Crikey is all I can say.

[Growth]

I know I'll get some stick for this, but how in gods name people can aspire to this I don't know. I always thought bodybuilding was about aesthetics and size, not just blatant abuse.

If I had to pick one, Cutler is in better shape. Certainly leaner at this point. However as per usual, Ronnie will win because he managed to gain an extra slab this year. Crikey is all I can say.

I tend to agree, i always get a shock when i see pics like these, i dont really follow pro etc, i rarely even know whos who, id have to say the guy on the left is in better shape , although the guy on the right has a mean back.

[Ash]

I don't follow pro BBing much either these days and I am pretty much unfamiliar with anyone besides the top few BBers.

What I find interesting is that the highest level of the sport has been dominated for 20 years by 3 men - it was 1983 when someone besides Lee Haney, Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. O. I wonder if there is someone out there who is so far ahead of the rest that he could dominate after Ronnie retires?

I think the pendulum may soon swing in favour of the smaller, more aesthetic physiques in a vain attempt to make professional BBing more marketable.

[Pseudonym]

I think the pendulum may soon swing in favour of the smaller, more aesthetic physiques in a vain attempt to make professional BBing more marketable.

I agree, that's got to be the direction BBing starts heading eventually - you can't keep pushing the size limits indefinitely without people killing themselves to get bigger. Unfortunately, that's probably the catalyst it's going to require to change the trend.

At the moment, the majority of people attending shows like the Olympia are those who like mass. There may well be greater numbers of people who prefer aesthetics over mass, but because of their aesthetic preferences, they don't make up much of the Olympia audience. So in shifting away from the "mass" look you lose that audience, but you still haven't yet gained the "aesthetics" audience. It becomes a leap into the unknown - and it takes an incredibly brave CEO to do that!

So I would predict either:

- A drama as above which gives the Olympia the reason/excuse to shift its focus, and/or

- An alternative organisation coming up and taking over from the Olympia as the most popular competition.

[Ash]

I agree, that's got to be the direction BBing starts heading eventually - you can't keep pushing the size limits indefinitely without people killing themselves to get bigger. Unfortunately, that's probably the catalyst it's going to require to change the trend.

This subject is one of the most discussed and controversial topics on BB forums at the moment.

Here is the directive I mentioned in my first post in this thread:

http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2005news/Ad ... 05-001.htm

"Distended abdomens and distorted muscles negatively impact upon symmetry and natural aesthetics and, therefore, detract from the overall physique. Athletes and judges are advised that muscle size at the expense of symmetry and natural aesthetics will not be assessed favourably."

If they plan on enforcing that, it could completely change the Mr. O and other pro contests but as you said, it risks alienating a lot of the current fans.

[Spitterkat]

man.. imo aesthetic is waaay better (mass is kool too, but not that! :shock: much) the jay dude has a meen "crab" pose (or w.e its called) looks hard / ripped instead of marshmallow man.

[waldo]

I agree, that's got to be the direction BBing starts heading eventually - you can't keep pushing the size limits indefinitely without people killing themselves to get bigger. Unfortunately, that's probably the catalyst it's going to require to change the trend.

This subject is one of the most discussed and controversial topics on BB forums at the moment.

Here is the directive I mentioned in my first post in this thread:

http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2005news/Ad ... 05-001.htm

"Distended abdomens and distorted muscles negatively impact upon symmetry and natural aesthetics and, therefore, detract from the overall physique. Athletes and judges are advised that muscle size at the expense of symmetry and natural aesthetics will not be assessed favourably."

If they plan on enforcing that, it could completely change the Mr. O and other pro contests but as you said, it risks alienating a lot of the current fans.

That is probably one of the more intelligent pieces I've read in regard to BBing for ages. Alienate current fans? Recruit a whole lot more I say.

[Ash]

That is probably one of the more intelligent pieces I've read in regard to BBing for ages. Alienate current fans? Recruit a whole lot more I say.

Pseudonym's hit the nail on the head...change is probably inevitable if professional BBing is to grow instead of being even more marginalized.

I think the IFBB definitely have a plan to do exactly that.

Here's another very controversial directive from earlier this year related to female BBing:

http://www.ifbb.com/ifbbpro/2004news/decrease20.htm

"For aesthetics and health reasons, the IFBB Professional Division requests that female athletes in Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure decrease the amount of muscularity by a factor of 20%."

No one is quite sure what this really means but professional female BB as it is right now is getting to the point where almost no-one wants to watch it. For example - the Ms. Olympia has been relegated to a side stage this year while a model search of some sort takes place on the main stage.

[Growth]

man.. imo aesthetic is waaay better (mass is kool too, but not that! :shock: much) the jay dude has a meen "crab" pose (or w.e its called) looks hard / ripped instead of marshmallow man.

I agree, i dont think the mass look is what they should be looking for