The above video was taken very recently and I have to agree with everything Arnold said. The problem for a long time in bodybuilding has been twofold – 1) There has been a great emphasis on muscle size at the expense of muscle health and 2) The judges refuse to change. I have been concerned with bodybuilding about these issues for some time as a fan.
Firstly, I got into bodybuilding and lifting bodybuilding style because of the guys like Arnold, Franco, Kevin Levrone and others whose emphasis was on symmetry and aesthetics and not on size. Why? Because when you take on the issue of the whole package like Arnold is suggesting then you are talking more about overall health and not just about muscle mass.
Secondly, by focusing on size, I believe many of these bodybuilders are sacrificing good health which was the objective of exercise in the first place. Muscle weight is weight on the heart as much as fat and when you hear stories of these mass monsters who are so big they can’t even hardly move and have no flexibility or shape you have to wonder how healthy is that.
Finally, this also creates a problem of participation in bodybuilding. Mass monsters can only be drawn for m a particular body type and other body types no longer even have a chance because those types might be able to get better symmetry and form but they can’t compete on size. Bodybuilding has limited the players that can play and that will limit popularity.
Do the judges need to change? Certainly and Arnold is also right about how that will happen – public pressure. Only when thee is a hue and cry by fans who are Bodybuilding’s bread and butter will change take place. I am not one for hashtags but #calloutthejudges.
IMHO