By Dayne Hudson
As you read right here on FIT'N'FLEXED, Arnold isn't happy with modern day bodybuilding.
So I spoke to some of the bodybuilders at the inaugural Arnold Classic competition in Melbourne, Australia, to see what they had to say about the comments.
RONNIE COLEMAN
On today's competitors, Ronnie declared: "They wouldn't even top in the 5 with us, because they don't even look like they train that hard. Some of them, they dont even look like they diet hard, some of them don't even look like they workout."
"I totally agree with Arnold....the guys now, they're totally getting away from it. It's not like it was when I was competing" he said.
"It should be about symmetery, defintion, hardness, it should be about bodybuilding...that's what it's all about! The guy with the best symmetery is the guy that should be winning" Coleman told FIT'N'FLEXED.
"It's changed for the worst. Some of the guys now they don't even look like they workout and they're placing up there in the top, and I'm like: 'they're not even hard?' They're not even in shape to me, compared to what we used to look like...and they're placing in the top 5? And I'm like: 'what the hell is going on with this sport now, what are these guys doing?' - it just don't look the same no more" he said.
Ronnie also let his thoughts be known about how much more competitive he felt it was in his time.
"When I was competing everybody looked good, everybody could have won the Olympia, I was just fortunate enough that I outworked everybody. Flex (Wheeler) could have won Olympia easy, Kevin (Levrone) could have won the Olympia easy, Nasser El Sonbaty could have won the Olympia real easy, all these guys placed second, Shawn Ray could have won the Olympia real easy, now? (laughs) you've got one Mr Olympia and he's the only guy that can win it!"
KEVIN LEVRONE
A 4 x Mr Olympia runner up and a 2 x Arnold Classic winner, Kevin Levrone finds himself agreeing with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"I think he (Arnold) absolutely is on track, it's an art form, somebody has to take responsiblity for it and it starts with the judges. It started off like that (an art form) and let's try and keep it like that."
HANY RAMBOD
Known as "The pro-creator", prep coach and nutritionist Hany Rambod has helped scuplt the modern physiques of Phil Heath (who he currently works with) and 4 x Mr Olympia Jay Cutler.
Hany has 13 Olympia titles as a coach to his name, and is the man they turn to in the gym and in the kitchen.
"I think that bodybuilding has evolved, in all due respect, Arnold Schwarzenegger was amazing back in the day, but we all know that physique here probably wouldn't win a national show - things have evolved, things change."
Haney also compared physiques of yesterday to cars of yesterday, saying they are faster today then they used to be. Haney suggested it's simply a state of evolution for the sport of bodybuilding, as opposed to it changing for the better.
PHIL HEATH, CEDRIC McMILLAN and SHAWN RHODEN
I also spoke to Phil Heath, Cedric McMillan, Shawn Rhoden and plenty others about the issue - videos to come soon!
