Bodybuilding legend Berry De Mey is known for his flowing, aesthetic and well balanced physique. A physique that propelled him to becoming a world-class bodybuilder.
Berry was taller than the average bodybuilder, but he was not the biggest. Berry’s era was in the 80’s and 90’s. He still managed to compete side by side with bigger bodybuilders, such as Lee Haney. A consistent top five finisher and placing third at the 1988 Mr. Olympia, Berry cemented his status as one of the best bodybuilders in the history of the sport.
Berry has always loved the classical physique and he coached stars such as Tavi Castro. Tavi is another competitor that had great potential in the Classic Physique division, but took a break from the sport after not agreeing with certain judging criteria.
This past weekend, the 2021 Arnold Classic took place in Columbus, Ohio. The young Nick Walker won the event, thanks to his condition, compared the the rest of the line-up.
A fantastic victory for Nick, after also winning the New York Pro earlier this year.
After Nick’s victory, Berry published a post on his official Instagram page pointing out the condition of the modern day bodybuilders.
The post featured a photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Walker and Shawn Ray, the photo showed the three mentioned individuals from the neck down.
Under the photo, it read, “Not an opinion, just an observation. Older generations of bodybuilders now encourage and appreciate the sport for what they themselves stopped for competing or rejected at the time.”
This statement immediately started a heated debate, with the majority criticizing the modern day bodybuilder.
One has to be careful when saying such a statement. Bodybuilders quit the sport for many reasons. Age, injury or knowing when their time is up. The main reason a number of bodybuilders left the sport at such a young age in the 90’s and 2000’s is because they could not compete against the new and bigger generation of bodybuilders.
It is obvious a number of bodybuilders did not “encourage or appreciate” the sport when it evolved. The evolution of the sport was a sign for them to move aside.
Some retired legendary bodybuilders have progressed with the times and continued to work in the industry, even though they believe their era was better. Others decided to leave the sport totally, but at the same time criticize bodybuilding when the opportunity arrives.
1983 Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout also took the time to vent his views about the situation.
Since he started his bodybuilding career, Nick Walker’s veins in his lower legs have caught the eye of many critics in the sport.
Some believe that Nick should have been marked down for the appearance of his veins. In regards to the 2021 Arnold Classic, many expressed their opinion that sixth place finisher Sergio Oliva Jr, should have won the show.
It is obvious that Nick’s veins are not their purposely, it is a genetic trait that he has to live the rest of his life with, or have a doctor take care of it.
Using Nick as an example could have been avoided, there are many more bodybuilders that have destroyed the sport with their grotesque and distorted looking physiques.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net understands what Berry is trying to say. It is not just because of the amount of veins in a bodybuilders legs, but the overall look of some of the bodybuilders that are competing today.
If the judges had to judge a show on aesthetics, size and overall balance, a bodybuilder in the open class such as Cederic McMillan would win every show.
Cedric might not have the most conditioned physique, but he has the most pleasing when you just look at him compared to the other competitors.
In the past few years, the Classic Physique division was created for the athletes that want to showcase the more classical physique, that was loved in the 70’s to 90’s. But this is not excuse for the Open Division bodybuilders to just grow out of proportion.
Samir Bannout has been campaigning against the oversized and unbalanced physiques for many years, but his comments are falling of deaf ears.
In his post, Berry answered the few who disagreed with him or misunderstood him, but the majority of the comments were in favor of what Berry said.
When Shawn Rhoden won the Mr. Olympia title in 2018, many believed and were hopeful that the sport of bodybuilding would take a turn in a new direction.
Shawn Rhoden would then be succeeded by another bodybuilder that presented a pleasing physique, Brandon Curry, but is reign did not last too long as mass monster Big Ramy won the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
No disrespect to Big Ramy, but just looking at him from the front, his proportions are not what they used to be. His condition improved, and that is what won him the Olympia title.
If the judges wanted a more balanced physique, Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan or William Bonac could have easily won. This all depends on what the judges want.
Getting back to the comments, Tavi Castro made a very good statement: “Coaches are pushing the wishes of the judges . The judges are pushing the wishes of the federation…”
If you look at today’s lineups, bodybuilders such as Canada’s Regan Grimes always presents a very aesthetic, well balanced physique, but when compared to the mass monsters, he is overlooked. This is what forces these fantastic bodybuilders to get bigger, in return they lose their classic lines.
Many have indicated, that this is why the Classic Physique Division was created. We are finally starting to see fantastic physiques and posing routines. They will take over the Open Division if the bodybuilders continue to ruin themselves as they are doing.
“COACHES ARE PUSHING THE WISHES OF THE JUDGES. THE JUDGES ARE PUSHING THE WISHES OF THE FEDERATION…” – TAVI CASTRO
Having a Classic Physique division is not excuse for the Open Division bodybuilders to lose sight of what a balanced physique looks like.
Bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, Bob Paris, Berry De Mey, Shawn Ray, Lee Haney, Lee Labrada, Francis Benfatto, Samir Bannout, Frank Zane and many others always presented an aesthetic physique, with the size to go with it.
It all started after Dorian Yates
Before Dorian Yates dominated the sport in 1992, the classical looking physique still dominated the sport, but after Dorian, everything changed.
Lee Haney was the biggest and best bodybuilder, but his symmetry was balanced with this size. This was the perfect combination that enabled him to win eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles. When he won his last Mr. Olympia, he hand to fend off, the young and massive Dorian Yates. The writing was on the wall and Haney retired from the sport after winning his eighth Mr. Olympia title.
Dorian brought size and freaky condition to the stage, this put his fellow competitors in the dark. The trend that “bigger has to be better,” started. Dorian’s rivals all started to get bigger to try to defeat him, but it was all for nothing. The judges were blinded by his size.
In 1992, the final two on stage were the young Kevin Levrone and the bigger Dorian Yates. It would be Yates who would win the title and change the sport forever.
Dorian Yates is not to blame for this, he did what he needed to do. The judges approved and he kept on winning.
After Dorian retired due to several injuries after winning his sixth Mr. Olympia title in 1997, many believed Flex Wheeler would be his successor. Flex had the ideal physique to be Mr. Olympia, but this would not happen.
Ronnie Coleman, from out of nowhere won the show. Ronnie was bigger, in great condition and he was actually aesthetically pleasing to look at in his earlier years. When he was getting close to winning his eighth Mr. Olympia title, Ronnie started to look different. He had Jay Cutler breathing down his neck, and all Ronnie could do was outsize him.
Eventually, Jay Cutler won the Mr. Olympia in 2006, after placing second on four occasions. Jay was another mass monster, that held the title for two years, before he was defeated by the much more pleasing Dexter Jackson in 2008. Jay Would come back and win the title in 2009 and 2010, to then be defeated by Phil Heath in 2011.
In 2008, when Dexter Jackson won the event, it was a turning point for the Mr. Olympia brand, a much smaller but perfectly conditioned, Dexter Jackson was representing what many wanted bodybuilding to be. In 2009, Dexter could not match the condition of Jay Cutler, and the mass monster, with condition, won the show.
Even compared to today’s standards, Jay was more pleasing to look at than some of today’s athletes.
After 2011, Phil Heath dominated the sport for seven years. Phil was the perfect Mr. Olympia for the modern era. Nicknamed “The Gift”, this was perfect the perfect nickname for Phil. His 3D looking physique was incredible. Very few could go up against him. But as with every champion, Phil suffered some injuries and unfortunately it was in his midsection. This would eventually be the reason that Shawn Rhoden defeated him in 2018.
Shawn brought bodybuilding back to the more classic look, but as mentioned before, this did not last long. The bigger and still pleasing Brandon Curry, won the title in 2019 to then lose it to Big Ramy in 2020.
What happens next in the sport of bodybuilding?
As it looks, especially at the Mr. Olympia, to defeat current champion Big Ramy, you have to be bigger and in razor sharp condition.
Competitors and coaches all know, for an athlete to achieve that grainy look, they have suffer during their prep, sometimes risking their lives to achieve that condition.
The judges awarded Big Ramy the Mr. Olympia title. It is not the fault of Big Ramy, he won the show and took over $400,000 home with him. If he can do it again, he will.
The only way the sport of bodybuilding will change, in the direction Berry De Mey and Samir Bannout have been preaching for, is if the judges standards change.
Berry can easily take a different direction. He can dedicate his energy to the Classic Physique Division and ignore the Open Bodybuilding Division. If this division is promoted the right way, fans will definitely might appreciate it more.
Even Arnold Schwarzenegger commented on the state of bodybuilding and the popularity of Classic Physique during the 2021 Arnold Classic: “I was not only impressed (with the Classic Physique Division), I was delighted to see a great performance when it comes to posing and the way they relax their faces. It looks so much more appealing,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
“I think this is the direction we need to go, no two ways about it. I think that you really need to build this part of the bodybuilding sports, so that it’s equal to the Open competition. That way people always have choices, and there’s always a good thing with sponsorship money, and get them more cash prizes. So I’m going to work on that because I think that it’s the right direction to go…
“Let’s not forget, they don’t have to take all of this stuff that some of the other guys are taking to be bigger,” Arnold added.
“This is, I think, what the danger is. In this sport, it’s the most dangerous sport in the world. In MMA fighters, you’ve had four guys die in the last ten years. In bodybuilding you’ve had 14 guys over the last ten years. So it just shows you how dangerous it is to take some of those medications and things that those guys take.”
Seeing a freak on stage is exciting, but how many years can the athlete sustain this look? It is no wonder a bodybuilder like Dexter Jackson had a competitive career that lasted for 28 years. He left the sport in great health, without injuries and still enjoys training on a daily basis.
Ronnie Coleman was a mass monster, he is labeled as the greatest bodybuilder to ever grace the stage, but sustaining that massive physique came with a price. Today, after eight major back surgeries, Coleman can barley walk. He believes it was all worth it, but was it really?
The trend is slowly changing and the niche that want to see bodybuilding freaks is slowly declining. The Classic Physique Division is gaining momentum, with athletes presenting beautiful physiques with a posing routine to match.
Berry was taller than the average bodybuilder, but he was not the biggest. Berry’s era was in the 80’s and 90’s. He still managed to compete side by side with bigger bodybuilders, such as Lee Haney. A consistent top five finisher and placing third at the 1988 Mr. Olympia, Berry cemented his status as one of the best bodybuilders in the history of the sport.
Berry has always loved the classical physique and he coached stars such as Tavi Castro. Tavi is another competitor that had great potential in the Classic Physique division, but took a break from the sport after not agreeing with certain judging criteria.
This past weekend, the 2021 Arnold Classic took place in Columbus, Ohio. The young Nick Walker won the event, thanks to his condition, compared the the rest of the line-up.
A fantastic victory for Nick, after also winning the New York Pro earlier this year.
After Nick’s victory, Berry published a post on his official Instagram page pointing out the condition of the modern day bodybuilders.
The post featured a photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Walker and Shawn Ray, the photo showed the three mentioned individuals from the neck down.
Under the photo, it read, “Not an opinion, just an observation. Older generations of bodybuilders now encourage and appreciate the sport for what they themselves stopped for competing or rejected at the time.”
This statement immediately started a heated debate, with the majority criticizing the modern day bodybuilder.
One has to be careful when saying such a statement. Bodybuilders quit the sport for many reasons. Age, injury or knowing when their time is up. The main reason a number of bodybuilders left the sport at such a young age in the 90’s and 2000’s is because they could not compete against the new and bigger generation of bodybuilders.
It is obvious a number of bodybuilders did not “encourage or appreciate” the sport when it evolved. The evolution of the sport was a sign for them to move aside.
Some retired legendary bodybuilders have progressed with the times and continued to work in the industry, even though they believe their era was better. Others decided to leave the sport totally, but at the same time criticize bodybuilding when the opportunity arrives.
1983 Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout also took the time to vent his views about the situation.
Since he started his bodybuilding career, Nick Walker’s veins in his lower legs have caught the eye of many critics in the sport.
Some believe that Nick should have been marked down for the appearance of his veins. In regards to the 2021 Arnold Classic, many expressed their opinion that sixth place finisher Sergio Oliva Jr, should have won the show.
It is obvious that Nick’s veins are not their purposely, it is a genetic trait that he has to live the rest of his life with, or have a doctor take care of it.
Using Nick as an example could have been avoided, there are many more bodybuilders that have destroyed the sport with their grotesque and distorted looking physiques.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net understands what Berry is trying to say. It is not just because of the amount of veins in a bodybuilders legs, but the overall look of some of the bodybuilders that are competing today.
If the judges had to judge a show on aesthetics, size and overall balance, a bodybuilder in the open class such as Cederic McMillan would win every show.
Cedric might not have the most conditioned physique, but he has the most pleasing when you just look at him compared to the other competitors.
In the past few years, the Classic Physique division was created for the athletes that want to showcase the more classical physique, that was loved in the 70’s to 90’s. But this is not excuse for the Open Division bodybuilders to just grow out of proportion.
Samir Bannout has been campaigning against the oversized and unbalanced physiques for many years, but his comments are falling of deaf ears.
In his post, Berry answered the few who disagreed with him or misunderstood him, but the majority of the comments were in favor of what Berry said.
When Shawn Rhoden won the Mr. Olympia title in 2018, many believed and were hopeful that the sport of bodybuilding would take a turn in a new direction.
Shawn Rhoden would then be succeeded by another bodybuilder that presented a pleasing physique, Brandon Curry, but is reign did not last too long as mass monster Big Ramy won the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
No disrespect to Big Ramy, but just looking at him from the front, his proportions are not what they used to be. His condition improved, and that is what won him the Olympia title.
If the judges wanted a more balanced physique, Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan or William Bonac could have easily won. This all depends on what the judges want.
Getting back to the comments, Tavi Castro made a very good statement: “Coaches are pushing the wishes of the judges . The judges are pushing the wishes of the federation…”
If you look at today’s lineups, bodybuilders such as Canada’s Regan Grimes always presents a very aesthetic, well balanced physique, but when compared to the mass monsters, he is overlooked. This is what forces these fantastic bodybuilders to get bigger, in return they lose their classic lines.
Many have indicated, that this is why the Classic Physique Division was created. We are finally starting to see fantastic physiques and posing routines. They will take over the Open Division if the bodybuilders continue to ruin themselves as they are doing.
“COACHES ARE PUSHING THE WISHES OF THE JUDGES. THE JUDGES ARE PUSHING THE WISHES OF THE FEDERATION…” – TAVI CASTRO
Having a Classic Physique division is not excuse for the Open Division bodybuilders to lose sight of what a balanced physique looks like.
Bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, Bob Paris, Berry De Mey, Shawn Ray, Lee Haney, Lee Labrada, Francis Benfatto, Samir Bannout, Frank Zane and many others always presented an aesthetic physique, with the size to go with it.
It all started after Dorian Yates
Before Dorian Yates dominated the sport in 1992, the classical looking physique still dominated the sport, but after Dorian, everything changed.
Lee Haney was the biggest and best bodybuilder, but his symmetry was balanced with this size. This was the perfect combination that enabled him to win eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles. When he won his last Mr. Olympia, he hand to fend off, the young and massive Dorian Yates. The writing was on the wall and Haney retired from the sport after winning his eighth Mr. Olympia title.
Dorian brought size and freaky condition to the stage, this put his fellow competitors in the dark. The trend that “bigger has to be better,” started. Dorian’s rivals all started to get bigger to try to defeat him, but it was all for nothing. The judges were blinded by his size.
In 1992, the final two on stage were the young Kevin Levrone and the bigger Dorian Yates. It would be Yates who would win the title and change the sport forever.
Dorian Yates is not to blame for this, he did what he needed to do. The judges approved and he kept on winning.
After Dorian retired due to several injuries after winning his sixth Mr. Olympia title in 1997, many believed Flex Wheeler would be his successor. Flex had the ideal physique to be Mr. Olympia, but this would not happen.
Ronnie Coleman, from out of nowhere won the show. Ronnie was bigger, in great condition and he was actually aesthetically pleasing to look at in his earlier years. When he was getting close to winning his eighth Mr. Olympia title, Ronnie started to look different. He had Jay Cutler breathing down his neck, and all Ronnie could do was outsize him.
Eventually, Jay Cutler won the Mr. Olympia in 2006, after placing second on four occasions. Jay was another mass monster, that held the title for two years, before he was defeated by the much more pleasing Dexter Jackson in 2008. Jay Would come back and win the title in 2009 and 2010, to then be defeated by Phil Heath in 2011.
In 2008, when Dexter Jackson won the event, it was a turning point for the Mr. Olympia brand, a much smaller but perfectly conditioned, Dexter Jackson was representing what many wanted bodybuilding to be. In 2009, Dexter could not match the condition of Jay Cutler, and the mass monster, with condition, won the show.
Even compared to today’s standards, Jay was more pleasing to look at than some of today’s athletes.
After 2011, Phil Heath dominated the sport for seven years. Phil was the perfect Mr. Olympia for the modern era. Nicknamed “The Gift”, this was perfect the perfect nickname for Phil. His 3D looking physique was incredible. Very few could go up against him. But as with every champion, Phil suffered some injuries and unfortunately it was in his midsection. This would eventually be the reason that Shawn Rhoden defeated him in 2018.
Shawn brought bodybuilding back to the more classic look, but as mentioned before, this did not last long. The bigger and still pleasing Brandon Curry, won the title in 2019 to then lose it to Big Ramy in 2020.
What happens next in the sport of bodybuilding?
As it looks, especially at the Mr. Olympia, to defeat current champion Big Ramy, you have to be bigger and in razor sharp condition.
Competitors and coaches all know, for an athlete to achieve that grainy look, they have suffer during their prep, sometimes risking their lives to achieve that condition.
The judges awarded Big Ramy the Mr. Olympia title. It is not the fault of Big Ramy, he won the show and took over $400,000 home with him. If he can do it again, he will.
The only way the sport of bodybuilding will change, in the direction Berry De Mey and Samir Bannout have been preaching for, is if the judges standards change.
Berry can easily take a different direction. He can dedicate his energy to the Classic Physique Division and ignore the Open Bodybuilding Division. If this division is promoted the right way, fans will definitely might appreciate it more.
Even Arnold Schwarzenegger commented on the state of bodybuilding and the popularity of Classic Physique during the 2021 Arnold Classic: “I was not only impressed (with the Classic Physique Division), I was delighted to see a great performance when it comes to posing and the way they relax their faces. It looks so much more appealing,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
“I think this is the direction we need to go, no two ways about it. I think that you really need to build this part of the bodybuilding sports, so that it’s equal to the Open competition. That way people always have choices, and there’s always a good thing with sponsorship money, and get them more cash prizes. So I’m going to work on that because I think that it’s the right direction to go…
“Let’s not forget, they don’t have to take all of this stuff that some of the other guys are taking to be bigger,” Arnold added.
“This is, I think, what the danger is. In this sport, it’s the most dangerous sport in the world. In MMA fighters, you’ve had four guys die in the last ten years. In bodybuilding you’ve had 14 guys over the last ten years. So it just shows you how dangerous it is to take some of those medications and things that those guys take.”
Seeing a freak on stage is exciting, but how many years can the athlete sustain this look? It is no wonder a bodybuilder like Dexter Jackson had a competitive career that lasted for 28 years. He left the sport in great health, without injuries and still enjoys training on a daily basis.
Ronnie Coleman was a mass monster, he is labeled as the greatest bodybuilder to ever grace the stage, but sustaining that massive physique came with a price. Today, after eight major back surgeries, Coleman can barley walk. He believes it was all worth it, but was it really?
The trend is slowly changing and the niche that want to see bodybuilding freaks is slowly declining. The Classic Physique Division is gaining momentum, with athletes presenting beautiful physiques with a posing routine to match.
