Mr. Olympia Classic Physique Rules Leave Breon Ansley and Others With No Choice but to Say Goodbye to the Category

March 19, 2022, was a shocking day for Breon Ansley’s fans. He announced on Instagram that he won’t be competing in his regular category anymore, the Classic Physique category in Mr. Olympia. This is the title that CBum had won the fourth time in a row and the title Breon Ansley found himself the most suited for until now. However, that’s not the case anymore, as Ansley has announced his retirement from this particular category in bodybuilding.

Classic Physique is a comparatively new division of Mr. Olympia that was introduced in 2016, and the first champion in this division was Danny Hester. The Classic Physique division, while still having some focus on size, mainly aims at what is called the ‘Golden Age Aesthetics.’ Basically, bodybuilders from the 1960s to the 1980s made the body type famous. Another difference between the main competition and this division is the difference in the prize pool. The former has a bigger prize pool. Now back to Ansley’s shocking announcement.

Breon Ansley bids farewell to the Classic Physique division

Ansley has clinched the Classic Physique Olympia title two times now. Therefore, it comes as a shock that he is now leaving this category to strike out elsewhere in professional bodybuilding. One reason cited by him is the changed rules in the category. The Classic Physique category has a weight cap, which means standing at 5’7″, Breon Ansley can only weigh a maximum of 185 pounds. This weight cap is killing him. He is not able to maintain his muscle mass where it should be for him to look pumped, and it’s hurting his placing in Mr. Olympia and the Arnold Classic.

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It is safe to say that this is not an impulse decision for Ansley. He feels that his body is much better presented when he is above the 190-pound mark, and he does not want to let go of his shred only because of the weight cap. It’s a wise decision, considering he has been losing his placement in bodybuilding competitions due to the weight cap. According to an article in Breaking Muscle, he said, “Now, if my weight cap had a few more pounds on it then we might be having a different conversation. We might be talking about something different and me staying in Classic.”

Breon Ansley’s decision to leave the category has sparked a debate regarding the weight cap in the Classic Division. The community is not satisfied with the weight cap criterion in practice.

The debate surrounding weight cap in Classic Physique

Currently, the weight cap in Classic Physique is decided according to height. However, some people think that raising the weight cap will lead to better recreation of the Golden Era physique. While for some it’s the weight, others say that it’s simply a matter of the body proportion, something that is a natural gift. One could, of course, change the proportions through appropriate training, but only to some extent. There is also some contention surrounding the idea of the Classic Physique requirement, as they feel that bodybuilding has changed over the years and evolved from that body type.

This debate will not die anytime soon, but Ansley’s departure has caused some waves for sure. Now time will tell what Ansley will bring to bodybuilding in the future.

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