“Pretty Easy”: 8x Mr. Olympia, Who Overtook Arnold Schwarzenegger, Slammed Modern Bodybuilding in 2017

Acing in one of the toughest sports on the planet is not child’s play. Legendary bodybuilder Lee Haney is renowned for his expertise in the sport. He holds the record for winning the maximum number of Mr. Olympia titles alongside Ronnie Coleman. From 1984 to 1991, the muscleman continued to maintain the streak of being Mr. Olympia. 

Over the years, there have been many changes in the competitive bodybuilding world. In 2017, Lee once spoke regarding the change in trends of the sport and revealed his honest opinion. 

Lee Haney reveals his thoughts on modern bodybuilding

Bodybuilding requires one to be able to endure all the difficulties and obstacles it brings along. As per several former bodybuilders, back in time, the level of competitiveness was way higher than it is now. The reason behind this is the limited number of classes, which were only four. The winners for each class were then eligible to take part in the IFBB championship.

Nevertheless, things have changed now. Many new classes have been introduced, increasing the number of bodybuilders reaching the international level. Taking about the same, Lee Haney once gave away his real thoughts in an interview. 

“It is not as prestigious as it was during my era,” the bodybuilding enthusiast said. “It’s for, as you know, turning pro. It was hard to do, hard to accomplish. Now it’s pretty easy. You can win it at any national event now.”

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Furthermore, he added that the number of pros during his time was countable, but now it’s not the same. Introducing new classes made it possible for individuals to master at least one of those. Thus, according to Lee, it is not as special as it used to be. 

Lee Haney’s first bodybuilding show

Since the beginning, Haney was inclined towards bodybuilding and had clear goals. Finally, at 16, he made his debut in the bodybuilding world. Even though he didn’t get a rank in the first go, his enthusiasm didn’t slow down. 

“I ended my first bodybuilding show when I was 16 years old. Did very well. Didn’t win. Didn’t place. But I was told by the judge ‘you got a lot of great potential’ and I continued to follow those principles,” said Lee in an interview. “I learned as much as I could about nutrition through reading the magazines.”

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Furthermore, during his time, there was no proper source to guide him through the rights and wrongs of bodybuilding. Nevertheless, who can stop a determined person from reaching their goal?