On Episode 280 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James was joined by regular guests Chris Cormier and Milos Sarcev, and the conversation returned to the issue of size versus quality in bodybuilding. Is bigger always better? Back in Episode 278, the panel picked on bodybuilders who hit the stage with distended stomachs, noting that it put a lot of people off from watching the sport. During the latest episode, the gang shared their own experiences of eating too much in order gain size for the competitive stage. They reflected that sometimes; their best physiques were not always their biggest.
Should Judges Penalize Distended Stomachs?
During the show, Milos Sarcev shared that he ate so much before one competition that he couldn’t suck in his stomach for a vacuum pose. “I wanna protect beauty over bodybuilding, and that’s why I’m speaking out” said the man they call “The Mind.” Sarcev went on to say that he is concerned about the direction that bodybuilding seems to be headed in, where bigger is often labelled as better. “Am I crazy by saying you should penalize bubble guts and big stomachs,” he asked, noting that this was not always an issue. Sarcev said the modern ethos, where bodybuilder’s sometimes get away with huge guts, so long as they control them during poses, is an act of denial. “It’s your physique that you bring on the stage,” explained the retired Yugoslavian competitor. “Build a physique you’re proud of, and you don’t have to think of controlling.”
Why Bodybuilders Are Questioning Size Over Aesthetics
“As a professional bodybuilder, you are absolutely right,” agreed host Dennis James. “That’s your only job, is to display your physique.” The Menace said that not everyone should be eating to extremes anyway. “If you’re 5’ 7”, 5’ 8”, 5,9”, you’re not supposed to be 260, 270 pounds on stage.” James went on to say that his physique at 240 pounds was superior to the body he built at 260 pounds.
Milos Sarcev reflected that this sentiment of quality over size has been echoed by other veteran bodybuilders like Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, and even Ronnie Coleman. “But then the direction we are going, and pushing, okay, because it was Dorian (Yates) and size, and freakiness,” bemoaned The Mind.
Chris Cormier, who had an incredibly tight physique in the late 90s and early 2000s agreed with Sarcev’s assessment. “You’re not wrong,” he said in support. What do you think? To watch the complete latest episode of The Menace Podcast on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel, where the boys also discussed the results of the Arnold Classic U.K., and other breaking bodybuilding news, see below.
