WEEK FIVE :: Why Have Their Only Been 10 Mr. Olympia Winners?

[the_fake_webmaster]

TOPIC: Why Have Their Only Been 10 Mr. Olympia Winners?

For the week of: Oct 27 - Nov 3rd.

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In nearly 40 years since the Mr. Olympia was started, there have only been 10 Mr. Olympia winners. Why so few? Why is it that when somebody wins, they usually continue to be Mr. Olympia until they retire? Is this good or bad for the sport?

Bonus question: Will Ronnie Coleman ever be de-throned?

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Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $50 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it.

Thanks,

Will W.
Bodybuilding.com
Athletes.com

[elliott]

Unfortunately, our sport more than any other I can think of is dictated by fashions and trends. The bodybuilders on the 1950's look nothing like the bodybuilders of the 1970's and certainly nothing like the bodybuilders of today. Style has slowly changed from big shoulders/wide frame to the big chest/X frame common today. How are these fashions dictated? Well, here is my theory.

One competition, someone comes along who is just head and shoulders above the rest. Arnold and Ronnie are classic examples of this. People see this and say "what can I do to make my body look more like his?" and alter their workouts and diets accordingly. Suddenly everyone is trying to emulate Ronnie. This leads to two problems.

1) A sort of cult of personality is formed around this bodybuilder. His physique is considered what is ideal and hence, as long as he is on, he effectively cannot lose.
2) People try to look like Arnold or Ronnie and not like themsleves. This inevitable leads to unbalanced or less than ideal results. A copy never looks as good as the original.

[ravadongon]

I will expand on the great point made Elliot while adding some more:

Why Why Have Their Only Been 10 Mr. Olympia Winners?

1. Too Many Clones

Every now and then someone sets a new trend in the sport of bodybuilding, may it be going primarily for symmetry or size, or looking for either that V taper or the more complete X shape which has been adapted by todays professionals. And what happens? Other bodybuilders jump on the bandwagon and get sucked into following this trend, by training and dieting in almost identical ways to this bodybuilder. The starter of this trend is clearly a notch above the rest in that department, but what do other bodybuilders do? They copy him. Adapting the style of this bodybuilder, allows for less variation which means a much lower chance of other bodybuilders winning.

If newer bodybuilders on the scene varied their builds, by training and eating differently, not just adapting the Ronnie Coleman or 'whoever it may be' look, then we would see different winners on the podium, more frequently.

2. More Competitors

I found something interesting on another bodybuilding site the other day which contained facts about the history of Mr Olympia. Here is a small collection of interesting stats I found:

- During the Lee Haney Years, (1984-1991), the Mr. Olympia averaged 20-21 competitors per contest.
- During the Dorian Yates Years, (1992-1997), the Mr. Olympia averaged 18 competitors per contest.
- During the Ronnie Coleman Years, (1998-2003) so far, the Mr. Olympia averaged 17 competitors per contest.

This shows that progressively less and less bodybuilders are competing in Mr Olympia. If we bring more people people into bodybuilding, as discussed in another topic of week thread (WEEK THREE :: What 3 Things Could Be Done To Make Bodybuilding Mainstream?), then we'll most likely have more competitiors in the Mr Olympia, in the near future, which means a greater chance of different people taking out the title.

Another reason why we are getting less people competing could be to do with the judging, and this leads me on to my next point...

3. Who's Judging The Judges?

With the trend being that bodybuilders are getting as big as possible, judging is following, by moving away from rewarding bodybuilders with great aesthetic appeal, to now rewarding those who are simply bigger. Sure aesthetics are still judged, but those who excel in that area are not rewarded as much as they deserve to be.

Another way the judging could be improved is by altering the panel of judges every year, so we get different opinions every year, and increase other competitor's chances of winning. At the moment the same judges are judging every year, which means it's pretty much going to be the same bodybuilder winning each year (until he retires), based on the same judges opinions.

Those I believe, are the three main reasons why we have had the only 10 winners in nearly 40 years since the first Mr Olympia was held. I don't even hesitate to believe it is good for the sport because we all like seeing someone different win, as is the case in all sports with spectators.

To answer the bonus question will Ronnie Coleman ever be dethroned: I'd have to say NO, at least not with the current methods of judging.

[abrowi10]

Unfortunately, bodybuilding isn't like other major competitive sports, like football, baseball, or basketball. In those sports, new champions are crowned every year and one team or individual dominating for many years is unheard of. Competitives bodybuilding is, however, another store. With this sport, you only have so many people present themselves at the highest attainable level. Unlike college football which produces in excess of 10,000 players a year for the NFL to choose its elite from, how many amateur bodybuilders are capable of rising from the ranks and excelling at the highest level?

Will Ronnie Coleman be dethroned? Yes. Will Ronnie Coleman be dethroned within the next 5 years? No. think that this man has the ability to stay on top of the competitive bodybuilding for many years to come. I believe the only thing that can dethrone Coleman in the near future is an unfortunate injury. It would take him not being able to compete for him to lose his title. But just like any other sports, there will always be someone there to claim his throne if he does falter the slighest bit.

[~jAmeZ~]

I suspect that the primary reason is market pressure.

Weider owns bodybuilding. Having bankable stars helps Weider sell magazines and products.

Wieder figures out which bodybuilder is most adored by the public. Then he gives that bodybuilder the ultimate credential (a Mr Olympia title). He turns a a popular star into a SUPER star. Who'd complain? After all, their guy WON!

Bingo. A licence for Weider to print money. A bankable star to promote your products.

It makes sense from a business point of view to create multiple-time champions.

Most importantly, it eliminates risk for Weider. Imagine if NIKE could create their own stars! If Michael Jordan had only a couple of good seasons (and then bombed out), NIKE would have wasted millions in signing him to endorse their products. If you KNEW who the big star was going be in a particular sport, and how long they were going to be a big star for, you couldn't lose.

Fame is also related to consistency, and bankability. The longer you are famous (famous for acheiving great feats), the bigger star you become. The bigger star you are, the more you're worth to Weider. Weider builds up a huge fanbase, which in turn equates to a large market of people eager to buy anything and everything related to the object of their worship.

So in answer to the bonus question: When Coleman is no longer useful to Weider, someone else will win. Or Coleman will just retire!

Bodybuilding champions do go to great efforts and have fantastic physiques. But I suggest that the issue here is a--well--a hidden agenda!

Weider OWNS bodybuilding. It is in his best interest to have multiple-time champions. That's why I think there's been so many. Coleman is the current Golden Child.

PS........just want to have a comment on "Mr O competitors are declining". Actually, there were less competitors in the Scwarzengger era. Then more people got into bodybuilding after the S'gger era. Now it's in decline again. That could indicate that participation peaked around the time of a SUPER SUPER star and is now slowing delcining again.

[flexmuscles2003]

Because most of them had the title for more than 1 year.

[Lee_5]

Because most of them had the title for more than 1 year.


LMAO.

[smgigolo32]

When Arnold arrived on the seen he brought a different look than anyone had ever seen before, same when dorian yates arrived and the same when ronnie coleman took the crown. The other guys competing in the Olympia havent been able to establish a uniqueness like the 10 winners each have had and instead of searching for one, they for strive to become more like the guy on top. Ronnie will win the Olympia until one of the other guys is not only bigger than him (which isnt likely) but also comes to the stage with a unique quality about his body that nobody has ever posessed before.

[Izzy05]

There are many reasons why there have been only 10 winners since the 40 years that the Mr. Olympia started. Although bodybuilding has been popular in terms of the internet as you can see here as the main example, but the reasons why are still a matter to discuss.


The Reasons Why There Are Only 10 Mr. Olympia Winners…

Bodybuilding isn’t a major sport:

Bodybuilding still isn’t labeled as a major sport like baseball or basketball, etc. The reasons why are mainly based on the concept that it really doesn’t have so much attention media wise. Thus leads to the fact that little people know or have even heard about bodybuilding at all, which means less attention = no people = little competition.

The lack of people

As you have noticed over the years little people compete for Mr. Olympia over the years. Here are some statistics that I found on a web site:

(Link: http://www.bodybuildinguniverse.com/olympia2.htm)

· The first nine Mr. Olympia contests from 1965 to 1973 averaged only 3-4 competitors per contest. Number of contestants in the Mr. Olympia were: 1965 (3), 1966 (4), 1967 (4), 1968 (1), 1969 (3), 1970 (3), 1971 (1), 1972 (5), 1973 (3). <-- As you can see in the beginning of Mr. Olympia the competitors were very little in terms of competing for the title of Mr. Olympia. But its pattern was a sort of rise and fall of competitors, don’t you agree?
· In 1974 to 1979, the Mr. Olympia has two classes, over 200, and under 200. The average number of contestants during these years climbed to 9-10 per contest. <-- At this time bodybuilding was beginning to rise in terms of competitors.
· During 1980 - 1983, the Mr. Olympia averaged 16 competitors per contest. <-- Another increase in competitors
· During the Lee Haney Years, 1984 - 1991, the Mr. Olympia averaged 20-21 competitors per contest. <-- Here we are at the maximum of competitors, it was very competitive since the increase of bodybuilders competing for Mr. Olympia.
· During the Dorian Yates Years, 1992 - 1997, the Mr. Olympia averaged 18 competitors per contest. <-- Then the number of competitors decreased.
· During the Ronnie Coleman Years, 1998-2001 so far, the Mr. Olympia averaged 17 competitors per contest. <-- The same as well.

The problem is that WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO COMPETE for this sport. Because of the lack of people this leads to little to no competition, which is what a sport is mainly about: to show that you are the best. This then leads back to the media: We need to get the media’s attention in order for more people to compete. Hey, the same thing happened to baseball and football, they were small mediocre sports, but as it got the attention of the media (newspapers, t.v’s and etc.) it became popular with the people. Children wanted to have that glory of winning as there favorite team or the people would cheer on for their favorite team or person. Because of one impact of a sport people wanted to be them and some, later on, worked hard to gain that goal or glory. Then later on it leads to these same people that will be the future football players. Or in our case future bodybuilders. Then we go to the other concept: Companies.

Major companies or bust!

Major companies like Nike, Adidas & Reebok were formed based on that concept of a particular player of a particular sport advertising by showing a particular sporting item or clothing, which lead to more money for the companies and the athlete. Although Bodybuilding has a sort of major industry like ISS (also known as Integrated Sports Science: it is an industry that supplies people with supplements that help people compete in bodybuilding.) we still lack the major industry that will influence people for this sport in its entirety.

(Link about ISS: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/industry.htm)

The changes in bodybuilding & bodybuilders

There have been plenty of changes of bodybuilding and bodybuilders as the time changed. Since time has passed the different physiques of the bodybuilder have gradually changed. Major huge biceps, to major huge triceps and pectoral muscles, etc. As the years pass the physique of the bodybuilder has changed a lot, since new machines have been introduced or revamped in that kind of matter. Also, supplement wise, we have seen a lot of new supplements in terms to help the bodybuilder for that boost in competitions. In the beginning bodybuilders had little to no supplements to support themselves, so they were mainly all natural bodybuilders. But as the years passed new supplements appeared with the help of science and the new technology we have today to help support bodybuilders as a boost to enhance their abilities to become more stronger. Which today is more competitive and difficult for the natural bodybuilders and also every bodybuilder competing. The main importance of this toward the 40 year span for Mr. Olympia is the fact that the more things that are introduced, the harder it is to compete and win.

Speaking of which, the history of bodybuilding (which will be provided by the link below) is explained from 1965-1999. From the starting of it all from what had occurred from that time. It is a really educating experience.

(Link: http://www.ifbb.com/contestresults/mrolympia/)

These 4 reasons are why I think there only have been 10 Mr. Olympia’s after 40 years.

Then there is another question being asked: Why is it that when somebody wins, they usually continue to be Mr. Olympia until they retire? Is this good or bad for the sport?

The answer is mainly because, in the perspective of that person they always want a challenge from a new person. Think about it in your concept: what would you want, a better challenge or none at all? Plus, the reason why they continue to compete is because of the benefits of actually winning more than one competition. More wins for Mr. Olympia = more organizations willing to use this person for advertising or commercials = $$ for bodybuilder.

And the answer to weither or not it is good or bad to the sport it is actually both to be exact. As you can see people always want to see someone challenge the “Mr. Olympia”, which would mean a lot of competition toward the bodybuilders and Mr. Olympia and a lot of people coming to see this competition. But, it may be also a bad thing as well because if Mr. Olympia wins in a repeated process then it wouldn’t be of anyone’s interest to even go anymore because of the predictable outcome. Thus leads to a 50/50 outcome of weither or not it may be good or bad for the sport, because either way it would lead to both, but only depending on what you assess.

:Bonus question:
Will Ronnie Coleman ever be de-throned?
I think that Ronnie Coleman, probably will never be dethroned in his title of “Mr.Olympia”. Unless he breaks a portion of his body in which he cannot lift or cannot workout for a certain amount of time. Since as a result you will be a more weaker than you are before you broke that certain area, which leads to a difficult and time consuming recovery (physical therapy). This will make it difficult to gain back “Mr. Olympia” after the recovery for Ronnie Coleman (if this does happen to him). Anywho, in conclusion I think that Ronnie Coleman will continue to live on with his reputation.

[ARIDDOCH]

there have been so many mr. olympias because like any sport someone has to be the best and if there is someone who dominates so much they are going to be the best for a long time to come.

Many times a champion reigns until they retire because they have the best skills/qualities and keep improving on them, next year barry bonds isn't going to stop hitting home runs so ronnie coleman wont stop training the way he does until he decides its time to stop.

Having so few champions is bad for the sport because people lose interest as they know what to expect. That's the problem with an individual person sport.
In baseball just because someone has alot of good players doesnt mean they are going to win the world series because they are a team, but mr. olympia is one person and if he's the best people know he's going to win

Ronnie coleman wont be de-throned instead after he breaks the olympia record he will hand over the title to jay cutler for a couple of years

[Oz_Rider]

I think people see this as a bad thing which is totally wrong.

IMO it goes to show the level of dedication in our sport and the fact that when a champion is crowned and has the ability to come back up to EIGHT times to defend his title, it shows the level of commitment and dedication they have to the sport. Arnold came back from retirement for one final time at being the great one, i dont think he did it just for fun.

The fact that Ronnie Coleman can come back time and time again and adjust accordingly to the competition being brought every year and beat them by being that much better shows that this man has what it takes to be the greatest, many people these days find it too easy to just give up and throw in the towel which is why you see many sports changing their champions on an almost yearly basis whereas we are lucky enough to see an icon like Coleman, who is pushing 40years of age!, being able to defend his crown against a much younger group of competitors. It could very well be the old saying that with age comes wisdom and it Ronnies age im sure he has heaps of it because he is able to analyse his weaknesses, adjust accordingly and win the Olympia once more.

Every champion has their doubters and there will always be the crowd that clings to their conspiracy theories, but i believe that bodybuilding is about the total package which is why many of our champions have been able to hold their titles for so long. Case in point, Arnold did not have the greatest legs in the world but as an overall package in his time he was a level above the rest. Ronnie Coleman may not have the greatest gut in the world (as many will remind us time and time again) but as a package the man is amazing and is able to balance a genetic minus into an overall package that will continue to adapt with the compeition, thats what makes a champion.

Here in Australia we are amazed when a football team is able to win two titles in a row, the reason for this is that the competition level is so high but one team is just able to be that little better and when they do take that second title they are held in the highest accord for the effort that goes into that kind of success. I dont think we should be blaming the men/teams who are able to win titles but should be asking "where was the competition?"

Valentino Rossi just won his fourth championship in MotoGP even after switching to a lesser maching for what he was hoping would be a challenge yet he still managed to dominate the sport like none before him have, the fans of motorbikes dont blame Rossi for being great, they blame the other manufacturers for not being at the same level and being able to offer their riders a machine that would allow them to compete.
The name Michael Shumacher is known around the world, Ferrari have taken him to the top of the world time and time again, is it his fault that they have the best package? should he be penalised for this? I would say NO, because it is up to the competition to prove that they can compete and this rings true for BodyBuilding.

Jay looked good but lacked the back and had a wide waist, Dexter has great Abs but lacks thighs when compared to Ronnie, Markus is amazing at the front but turn him around and you could be forgiven for thinking that youre looking at two different people, Gunter brought a good package but nothing amazing and Gustavo could very well be the next big challenge for Ronnie. All these people lacked that something to make the overall package to win the Olympia, is that in someway Ronnies fault? ask yourself that question and you will know the answer to the original question. Having someone that can rise to a challenge is a good thing and something that should be respected, not questioned.

[jgb99]

I think people see this as a bad thing which is totally wrong.

IMO it goes to show the level of dedication in our sport and the fact that when a champion is crowned and has the ability to come back up to EIGHT times to defend his title, it shows the level of commitment and dedication they have to the sport. Arnold came back from retirement for one final time at being the great one, i dont think he did it just for fun.

The fact that Ronnie Coleman can come back time and time again and adjust accordingly to the competition being brought every year and beat them by being that much better shows that this man has what it takes to be the greatest, many people these days find it too easy to just give up and throw in the towel which is why you see many sports changing their champions on an almost yearly basis whereas we are lucky enough to see an icon like Coleman, who is pushing 40years of age!, being able to defend his crown against a much younger group of competitors. It could very well be the old saying that with age comes wisdom and it Ronnies age im sure he has heaps of it because he is able to analyse his weaknesses, adjust accordingly and win the Olympia once more.

Every champion has their doubters and there will always be the crowd that clings to their conspiracy theories, but i believe that bodybuilding is about the total package which is why many of our champions have been able to hold their titles for so long. Case in point, Arnold did not have the greatest legs in the world but as an overall package in his time he was a level above the rest. Ronnie Coleman may not have the greatest gut in the world (as many will remind us time and time again) but as a package the man is amazing and is able to balance a genetic minus into an overall package that will continue to adapt with the compeition, thats what makes a champion.

Here in Australia we are amazed when a football team is able to win two titles in a row, the reason for this is that the competition level is so high but one team is just able to be that little better and when they do take that second title they are held in the highest accord for the effort that goes into that kind of success. I dont think we should be blaming the men/teams who are able to win titles but should be asking "where was the competition?"

Valentino Rossi just won his fourth championship in MotoGP even after switching to a lesser maching for what he was hoping would be a challenge yet he still managed to dominate the sport like none before him have, the fans of motorbikes dont blame Rossi for being great, they blame the other manufacturers for not being at the same level and being able to offer their riders a machine that would allow them to compete.
The name Michael Shumacher is known around the world, Ferrari have taken him to the top of the world time and time again, is it his fault that they have the best package? should he be penalised for this? I would say NO, because it is up to the competition to prove that they can compete and this rings true for BodyBuilding.

Jay looked good but lacked the back and had a wide waist, Dexter has great Abs but lacks thighs when compared to Ronnie, Markus is amazing at the front but turn him around and you could be forgiven for thinking that youre looking at two different people, Gunter brought a good package but nothing amazing and Gustavo could very well be the next big challenge for Ronnie. All these people lacked that something to make the overall package to win the Olympia, is that in someway Ronnies fault? ask yourself that question and you will know the answer to the original question. Having someone that can rise to a challenge is a good thing and something that should be respected, not questioned.

I disagree

It's not a good thing by any means. I loved it this year when Port Power broke Brisbane's streak of three finals in a row, even though I'm not a fan.

In other words it's nice to see some variation.

Sure I agree with you that it's good to see someone great come along, but only once in a while. 10 Mr O winners in over 40 years of competition is ridiculous. No wonder not many people are all that intersted in the Mr Olympia.

[MobsterOne]

A short and simple answer is that the reason why there have been so few Mr O's is 1) Only the very best become pros - look at how many millions work out - its over 1 million in the UK and 30 million in the US. Yet only a 100 or so are pros. 2) As has been hinted at: There are vogues and fashions of sorts in our sport and this is reflected in our choice of top dog 3) as has been mentioned many times in the magazine - you have to be better than the current Mr O and (off the top of me head) no one has been defeated as current Mr O. 4) Right now, using Ronnie as an example, I couldn't see a former Mr O beating him. I thought Dorian and Arnold were, when champs, th best of the best, but I suspect Ronnie would kick their asses so bad they'd NEVER come back. 5) Last but by no means least - It seems as though the person stepping up to take over the throne has to KNOW that they are the next big thing. Not to diss Jay et al but when you have 250-300lbs pros saying 'he cannot be defeated' they ain't thinking like the next Mr Olympia.

[Shatter]

I think you're all missing one key aspect here.

Unlike any other sport, bodybuilders don't have to start again. The fact that Ronnie Coleman hits the stage 20lbs bigger than everyone else, means he has a 20lb headstart for the next Mr O. Unlike say Baseball, where every team starts from zero points each season, Ronnie is effectively starting at +20lbs. I know there are slight holes in my argument but I think it is one of the reasons why bodybuilding is a bit easier to stay at the top than other sports. Especially given the fact that every bodybuilder out there is just about as dedicated as each other, that headstart and the increasing age of the top competitor means they will always have a number of years headstart on some of the younger guys.

[xplicid01]

To me seems like somone is trying to make the Mr. O title an extremely prestigeous title. If every year there's a different winner, the title is less admirable. If everyone has Mr. olympia to there title, it becomes less special, and would dethrown the olympia as the shows of all shows.

In my mind it helps with making Olympia weekend the biggest weekend in bodybuilding, do to the fact that it if someone wins they get the title. But for bodybuilding as a whole i think it hurts, because it shows viewers that there are polics in bodybuiding. When u see the same person year after year winning without neone challengin their thrown, either there a reallllly good bodybuilder, or someones behind it.

[MobsterOne]

It seems as though the Arnold is a far bigger weekend than the O. Esp this years with a few MILES between locals.