“People Wanted the Freak Monster”: High School Wrestler-Turned-Mr. Olympia Runner-Up Defines the Changing Times in Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is a sport that celebrates mass, symmetry, and body aesthetics. Starting from the golden era led by Arnold Schwarzenegger to the modern era dominated by the likes of Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda, fans have seen some incredible projections of physiques. With bodybuilders levelling up their game with every passing generation, much has changed in the bodybuilding sport since it all began.

According to 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford, the current dynamics of competitive bodybuilding demand more subtlety, strength, and aesthetics in competitions.

Derek Lunsford believes there shouldn’t be any comparison

Lunsford collaborated with IFBB pro league bodybuilder Tim Budesheim in a shoulder workout session on YouTube. As the modern bodybuilder pointed at the changing landscape of the sports, Derek stated, “There was a time when people wanted the freak monster, and now they want the beauty with the crazy muscle and conditioning. It’s just going to continue to evolve more and more.”

It is true that there was a time when people wanted the strong core of Lee Haney, back like Dorian Yates, and aesthetics like Flex Lewis. But now, as Lundsford proudly put it, “We have a good group of bodybuilders that are hungry that want to get better…I think what we are seeing now is a combination of all of these. The beauty with the size and the condition.”

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He further added, “When I started bodybuilding, the very first year 2015, I was a welterweight… If I wanted to become 212 Mr. Olympia, I would not only need to have a better physique than what Flex Lewis had at that time being the current champion, I thought he was gonna get better (…) I said, ‘Not only do I have to achieve what they have done, I have to somehow do my best to surpass that’” because of intense competition.

While debunking the comparison of the classics with the contemporaries, Lunsford believed the discussion to be a futile one. He reasoned his take by drawing parallels across sports.

Lunsford looks at NBA legends to nuance his opinions

The Mr. Olympia dragged the example of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. He said that there is no comparison among these basketball virtuosos, the primary reason being that all of them played in different times with different opponents, and that the defense has significantly improved over time.

The same applies to bodybuilding. It is the nuances of what constitutes a great physique that has pushed bodybuilding standards to evolve overt time. Long story short, the new-age bodybuilding standards are a product of all that the golden era pros happened to have separately.

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Do you agree with Lunsford? Let us know.