Lee Haney is a bodybuilding legend who won the Mr. Olympia title eight times in a row. Haney won his first title in 1984 and by 1991, he had broken Arnold Schwarzenegger’s record of seven Mr. Olympia titles. However, even after retiring, Haney didn’t move away from fitness. From 1999 to 2002, Lee was the chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

It’s not surprising that a man of Haney’s experience has immense knowledge of building the ideal physique. In a recent interview, Haney revealed how it’s necessary to pay attention to one’s genetic ”blueprint”. 

Genetic potential in bodybuilding 

The eight-time Mr. Olympia winner appeared on the RxMuscle YouTube channel on October 25. During the interview, Lee Haney revealed how one shouldn’t ignore their genetic potential and lift too heavy to add more size. “I always heard that, they (pre-mass monster era bodybuilders) never talked about using lots of heavy weight.”, said Haney. He also said, “Look at Frank (Zane), then another thing I look at too — your genetic blueprint.”

Although Haney was among the biggest bodybuilders of his era, he didn’t chase after putting on more muscle than his frame could handle. “I don’t care if Frank used eight million pounds, he still was in a class of his own with his body type and that type of physique.” said Lee. “You have to stay in line with who you are genetically. Work with what you have to try to make it better,” Lee added.

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The former Mr. Olympia also said training with extremely heavy weights can affect one’s joints negatively. Lee said that while he will be 63 in November, he feels great and has “no knee, no hip, no back, no joint problems whatsoever.”

Haney also pointed out that the ‘mass monster’ era bodybuilders lifted and trained too much. Lee also said his contemporaries or even those who came before, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, didn’t need to undergo multiple surgeries after retirement. 

A fellow Mr. Olympia echoed the same sentiment

Jay Cutler defeated the legendary Ronnie Coleman. However, Cutler once echoed that same sentiment when he said he never wanted to get too big. Cutler also said he got big because it was the only way to beat Coleman. Like Haney, Cutler also didn’t believe in training with extremely heavy weights. To Jay, bodybuilding is an art that requires the perfect mix of size, conditioning, and proportion. 

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It’s difficult to argue with Haney’s logic since he is almost 63 and still going strong. Do you think Haney is right?