The Olympia head judge, Steve Weinberger is one of those people who have been at the center of competitive bodybuilding for a long time. Having seen the evolution of the sport, now, Weinberger has made a statement regarding the sport in the past and how it has shaped up in contemporary times.

Steve Weinberger agrees that judging these days is extremely hard as many bodybuilders are extremely well-built and it is hard to choose between them. In a way, he also claimed that this was somewhat similar to the 90s and 2000s eras in the sport. Let us look at what Weinberger has to say about it and how the fitness world reacted.

Weinberger thinks bodybuilding is on the way up

At present, Weinberger considers some bodybuilders to be of equal merit to that of those in the 90s era. Weinberger stated, “If you look at bodybuilding now, there are about 10 bodybuilders that are excellent. That are coming up, that are almost about the same as it was back then. So bodybuilding is on the way up.”

He also started talking about Ronnie Coleman and Phil Heath being stunning in their game. According to Weinberger bodybuilders of the present are also going to get to that level, and hence the evolution of the sport has taken it to the heights it was in the 90s and 2000s. “The 90’s were great. The 2000’s with Ronnie was amazing. Phil Heath, amazing. It’s just nothing stays the same. Everything evolves. I think bodybuilding evolved also and I think it’s evolved back into where it was,” he explained.

While Weinberger engaged in such a comparison, the fitness community did not seem happy about it. Taking to the comments section of the Generation Iron post that showcased Weinberger’s statement, many denounced the judge.

Weinberger gets a backlash from the fitness community

One of the fans compared the present bodybuilders with refrigerators. They said, “He’s kidding? Majority of open division today look like refrigerators.” Another bodybuilding enthusiast talked about the visible difference that has occurred in the sport owing to bodybuilders using gears like ster**ds or PEDs, “No way is it the same. The gear they take today gives them a washed mashed up look….just pure meat with no art.”

Another person speculated that Weinberger is only saying that because this is how he earns his bread, “He’s just trying to hype up his sport that pays him to do what he does. But fans know that 5’2-5’4 guys will never compete with the giants of the past.” Yet another fan stated, “He’s completely out his mind for saying this loll.” Someone also jeered at Weinberger for making such a statement, “Well he’s clearly lost his eyesight”

READ MORE: 7X Olympia Champ Contributes $4000 to Prize Money for Fellow Athlete, Fans Applaud Gesture of Camaraderie

What is your opinion about the bodybuilding of these two distinct times? Let us know in the comments below.

READ MORE: “He Literally Doesn’t Know Why”: Lifting Community Gives Salty Reactions to Mike O’Hearn’s Unconventional Chest Workout