WEEK NINETY-FOUR :: Who Was The Greatest Mr. Olympia Of All Time?

[the_fake_webmaster]

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TOPIC: Who Was The Greatest Mr. Olympia Of All Time?

For the week of: September 13th - September 19th
Tuesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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The Olympia has been around for a long time now and has seen many faces take home the coveted Mr. Olympia Title. Now the question must be asked... Who is he, who is the best of all time? Now as opinionated as this may sound we would challenge you to seriously answer the following questions to see if you can be as unbiased as possible.

Who was the greatest Mr. Olympia of all time? Be as descriptive as possible.

Past Mr. Olympia Winners:

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Chris Dickerson
Dorian Yates
Franco Columbu
Frank Zane
Larry Scott
Lee Haney
Samir Bannout
Sergio Oliva
Ronnie Coleman

How long do you think a Mr. Olympia should be able to hold the title?

What was the most controversial Mr. Olympia? What facts can you give to support this answer?

Bonus Question: Would you like to see weight classes added to the Mr.
Olympia Competition? Why?

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Webmaster
Bodybuilding.com

[ronjr28]

The greatest Mr. Olympia of all time? That's like asking who is the greatest superbowl team of all-time. If we are talking about greatest mr. olympia for the sport of bodybuilding, there is no doubt the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold made quantum leaps for the sport back at a time when bodybuilding was looked at in a totally different light. If we talk pure numbers, we have Arnold, Dorian, Haney, and Coleman. Coleman should break Haney's record with his ninth straight title this year. If we compare the physiques of these four during their time, Haney and Coleman were and are ahead of their time. At any point in the sport, when have we had so many Olympias where the contenders were going for second place? When your peers constantly state that you are from another planet, its obvious to me and should be to everyone else that Mr. Ronnie Coleman is the greatest of all time. Since 1998, the man has been unbeatable. With people talkin about criteria changing and things of this sort, it sickens me because the only reason its an issue is because he's about to win nine straight and ALOT of people dont like it for different reasons. Dorian won a couple of olympias that he had no business winning, and physique wise wasnt the most pleasing to the eye. Arnold's quads and hams didnt exist compared to rest of his physique. Point being, everyone has their weaknesses and strengths. Bottom line, Ronnie Coleman is the greatest of all time, period! Anyone should be able to hold on to the Mr. Olympia title for as long as they bring the best physique to the stage when the lights go on. For as hard as these guys work, how could you put a limit on that? This isnt a political office. 1980 Olympia was the most controversial in my opinion. It was so obvious to everybody Arnold had no business winning that year. He won because of the fact that he is Arnold Schwarzenegger, period. I think there should be weight classes incorporated in the Olympia. It would make for a more exciting event and make for a better overall situation for the competitors as a whole.

[liGymRatt]

Best Mr. "O" ? everyone of them had different bodys... i dont think you can just pick one out.

[user128333334]

Dorian Yates was the best Mr.Olympia of all time. The man was travelling from the UK to U.S. to compete in competitions!! That is badass Ryan.

Although admitedly he kinda began the "bloated" look.

But seriously this question is almost unanswerable.

Hell i'm close to swinging to Lee Haney.

[JediMindTricks]

ronnie coleman, soon to be nine time mr olympia

[Anabolistic]

Arnold !!!!!

[History in Effect]

Who was the greatest Mr. Olympia of all time? Be as descriptive as possible.

Frank Zane who was the three time champ back to back to back..(77, 78,79). This guy beat Arnold the Great Schwarzenegger for Mr. Universe in 1968. In his best shape, his body was superb.. Fully ripped with no bloated abs..fully in shape. He a great person who has had great success with no just bobybuilding, but teaching people how to be healthy..that makes him a rolemodel

How long do you think a Mr. Olympia should be able to hold the title?

Well, this is a hard question..I believe there should be a limit of 5 years..I have nothing against Ron Coleman, but I don't want him to keep winning.Bodybuildin is about variety of physiques, not just one main look

What was the most controversial Mr. Olympia? What facts can you give to support this answer?

I believe Jay Cutler could have won so many years, but in 2001 was his best shot..since he had the best body, but his confidence and posing onstage was not as great at Ron Coleman.he beat coleman in symmetry and muscle definition, but not posing

Bonus Question: Would you like to see weight classes added to the Mr.
Olympia Competition? Why

Yeah, because at some point..a man who weighs 200 can't compete with a super big dude like Ron Coleman who has good genetics and uses great products from BSN( even though bodybuilding.com products are pretty good)

[vabodybuilder]

Ron Coleman who has good genetics and uses great products from BSN( even though bodybuilding.com products are pretty good)

It's a little bit more than just good genetics and supplements that gives Ronnie Coleman his physique...the guy is a walking pharmacy...just like all the other look-alikes that pollute the sport today.

Remember the old days when everybody looked differently...they weren't just a bunch of clones? Remember Vince Gironda? Remember Steve Reeves? Now those guys were bodybuilders.

If I had to choose a Mr. Olympia though, it would have to be Frank Zane. He has the most aesthetically pleasing physique and I'm sure used much less juice than the bloated, circus freaks that walk the stage today.

[R!cardo]

Dorian Yates!

[bbtruthxposed]

NONE OF THOSE GUYS. bodybuilding really took the proverbial nosedive when Arnold Schwarzenegger started accumulating multiple Mr. Olympias. i don't really care for repeat champions, too much overkill.

[mark2288]

that's a tough question. Best all-time Mr. O would have to be Ronnie Coleman. If you really look at each Mr. Olympia and judge by competition in their respective eras well than Ronnie's got them beat. Ronnie set the standards to an incredible level regardless of drugs or science. The guy just dwarfs the competition and we all know he trains like an animal. If you've ever seen Ronnie in person you completely understand why this guy is unbeatable up to this point. A close second to me would have to be Dorian, just reading about him and the life and training he lead just screams bodybuilder. But regardless of the fact, Coleman will leave the stage knowing that no one even came close. Now thats a champion.

[duke41742]

Larry Scott, he defined modern bodybuilding. I belive if he had not retired so soon he would have set records of his own. His hight and bone structure made his body monumentel. His achievment was extroidinary.

[Eric_Crim_CFT]

If you go through all the past Mr. Olympia's you can not deny the fact that each of these men have put in countless hours of training and learning about every aspect of bodybuilding. When I looked through the list the obvious names popped out, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnine Coleman. Although if you go through the list and read all of the names and think about which Olympias they won I think that without a doubt Frank Zane would have to be the greatest Mr. Olympia.

I will give a brief description of Frank Zane's life so you can further understand why I think that Frank Zane deserves this title on bodybuilding.com. Well first off Frank Zane won the Mr. Olympia title in 1977, 1978, and 1979 along with another 150 titles throughout his 22 year bodybuilding career.

Physically I think Frank Zane represents the ideal healthy and fit body. Not to say that the bodybuilders today are not fit it is just that generally the bodybuilders we see in the IFBB already have a large frame when they start bodybuilding and are blessed with good genetics for the sport. I think Frank Zane almost represents a model you would see in an Anatomy class to show the location of each muscle. The level of vascularity and muscle striations seems to be even unmatched today. During the years in which he won the Olympia's he had next to perfect obliques and ungodly striations in his chest which in turn shows that Zane knows about lifting and even more about nutrition.

When looking to decide who you think is the best Mr. Olympia of all time I don't think it is fair just to look at their amount of awards I feel it is important to look at their contributions to the body building world. Frank Zane has been writing for Muscle and Fitness magazine since 1963 and has wrote a couple of books relating to nutrition and training. The most recent media coverage I have seen of Frank Zane is I saw him on The Gym which airs on FitTV where he gave a speech to trainers followed by helping at a charity event on Muscle Beach in California. I just find it amazing that nearly 30 years after winning his Mr. Olympia Frank Zane continues to contribute to the body building world.

On a side note that I found important Frank Zane has received a BA in Education along with an MA in Experimental Psychology. I know this doesn't pertain to the Mr. Olympia, but I feel education is an important part of life which most people overlook. Personally I think if we stop learning then we stop living because I feel that everyone should have a desire for knowledge.

As for the question of how long should a Mr. Olympia be able to hold the title I believe as long as the judges think that the previous Mr. Olympia is the best competitor on stage then I think they should be able to hold the title as long as they can remain the most fit.

Finally I think the most controversial Mr. Olympia is last years just because I feel that overall Jay Cutler represented a more symmetric body while Ronnie Coleman was overpowering size wise. Although I think that Jay will be able to pull off the Olympia this upcoming year and start his reign over the body building world!

BONUS QUESTION:

I don't feel like they should add any weight classes because I feel that the people who don't know much about the body building world like to see the guys that are bigger than life and this will give them something to shoot for.

[Vicsteele]

Most would argue that Arnold is, it's an obvious answer since he took BB into the mainstream. Arnold made people get up and go to the gym. Looking back at the competition that existed, it didn't have the quality of contenders that there are today. Big Lou only competed once and could have possibly beaten Arnold had he competed again. Sergio was robbed by the judges when Arnold won.

Looking at who is the best I would have to say Yates. Yates competed again guys who could have easily been Mr. Olympia if it wasn't for him. Guys like Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray, Paul Dillett, Flex Wheeler and Nasser El Sonbaty. I still believe that any of these guys in the shape they were in then can take the Mr. Olympia title today.

Big Ronnie is an animal but his competition is no up to par as those guys were when Yates competed. Other than Jay and maybe Dexter or Gustavo. The competition is just not there. The other guys are in great shape but they are not Mr. Olympia caliber contestants.

The fact that Yates beat guys like Levrone, Ray and Wheeler makes him the greatest ever because all of them could have and should have been Mr. Olympia.

How long do you think a Mr. Olympia should be able to hold the title?

Mr. Olympia should remain Mr.Olympia until he gets beaten or decides not to compete. If you are the best in the world then second best doesn't deserve the title until he can beat you. The title of this competition is Mr. Olmpia, not Mr.Olympias

What was the most controversial Mr. Olympia? What facts can you give to support this answer?

When Arnold beat Sergio the first time they competed against each other. Sergio truly should have won but arnold was given that Olympia because of his popularity and not because he was the best bodybuilder that day

Bonus Question: Would you like to see weight classes added to the Mr.
Olympia Competition? Why?
No. This is the best of the best, not the best of a given weight class or category. Only one person can be named Mr. Olympia so that person has to beat everyone, not just people in his weight class.

Man of Steele VICSTEELE

[ortego61]

If you are even competing for Olymipia you have an amazing physique. As far as sheer numbers go, you have to go with the big guys. Coleman is on pace to set the record with 9 strait. The title will be his as long as he wants it. Arnold, for me at least, is the best. A time when body building wasn't very popular in mainstream society, he set the bar and opened a lot of eyes. Only guy to be a reigning Mr. O, that says something. Modern day fitness, wrestling, and general wellfare has a lot to do with what we have seen the Austrian Oak do. Alot of guy are bulking up and getting a bit of celebrity status because Arnold has paved that road.

I think there should be weight classes for the O. If your 300lbs contest and your 5'11" you are going to blow away guys who look just as good at say 225-235. Those guys could even be better looking symetrically but when Jay, Ronnie, Gunter, and Dexter walk on stage you look on in sheer amazement that tha mcuh weight and muscle could be packed on a frame.

[a_metalica]

I think all the previous Mr olympians and present are the greatest , i cant name specifically one who was the greatest . may god bless them with good health and keep this sport going .

shashi

[stuania]

It is impossible to pick the greastest Mr O ever as there are to many factors to consider. Yes Arnold had weak legs but if he had the machines available then which are around now perhaps his legs would have been a strong point, also the supplements and performance enhancing drugs are far supperior today than what they were thirty years ago. So taking these variables into account the greatest Mr O's were perhaps

Sergio for genetics
Arnold for his dominance and what he was able to achieve from his victories
Yates for his mass and ability to improve and to challenge training styles
Haney for eight in a row
Coleman for 9??? in a row
although you would have to say that Ronnie Coleman is the only one of these men who didn't burst onto the scene and be hailed as a future Mr O as Arnold ,Haney, and Yates were.

Perhaps a better question would be who should have won an Olympia title but was denied for some reason.

Such as Mentzer, Ray, Wheeler, Levrone.

[stuania]

Sorry I only answered the first part of your post.

The most contorversial Mr O ever was probably the 1980 contest when a less than perfect Arnold won a sventh title. Read any non biased magazine article on this show and you'll be told that Mentzer, Zane and Dickerson were ripped off. Many feel this decision in favour of the oak was political. In any case the record books will show that Arnold won his seventh Mr O title.
Another so called controversial Mr O title was 1994 when Yates won with a torn bicep.
The thing to remember is that in a sport that is judged by other people every decision is controversial in that not everyone will agree with the decisions made by the judges. A case in point being the 1993 Mr O where at a all time best Dorian Yates won the title yet Juliette Bergman an olympia judge at the event felt that Flex Wheeler should have won. Who was right her or the other judges who voted for Yates.

Now weight catergories

Yes I feel there should be seperate weight divisions. How can a 210 pound person in top shape make an impression when standing among 300 pounders.
If the lighter men were judged amongst themselves and the heavyweights amongst themselves then the cream would rise to the top to be judged against the other weight division winners.

an example of this would be Shawn Ray and Lee Labrada both great bodybuilders but dwarfed and looked less impressive standing besides the likes of Yates and Haney.

Another example would be when Mentzer got a perfect score in the over 200 pound class at the Olmpia but lost the overall to Frank Zane. While Mentzer may have been the best heavyweight he was not the best in the show.

[BurningHeart]

Here's mine

[hogibear]

I like the fact that this question is the greatest Mr. Olympia of all time. For in fact,if the question were to be the most popular Mr. Olympia then Arnold Schwarzenegger would win hands down. It could also be argued that Arnold was the greatest Mr Olympia and in essence the greatest bodybuilder of all time by the uunmistakeable prescence of his charisma and gregarious personality.
However , I would nominate Frank Zane as the greatest Mr. Olympia. Zane possessed a physique that has never been equalled and never will be in bodybuilding history. He epitomizes the ideal physique. He looked like a statue in his relaxed pose. His Vacuum pose can not be duplicated by any current professional bodybuilder. The winners today are out of touch with the mainstream and even hardcore fans. They are ruining their phsiques for the sake of size. Zane never let weight be a factor except for in 1982. If he had stuck too his original formula he would have beat Chris Dickerson.He boycotted the 1981 Olympia, which Franco won undeservedly. Everyone knows that Platz should have won, for the fiascoin Sydney. Frank made a mistake but probably would have been relegated to second or third to Franco. In 1983, his last Mr. Olympia he was bested by Bannout, Dickerson and Makkawy. I believe his greatest shape was at the 1980 Olympia,where he placed third and was treported to have smashed his trophy.
Frank Zane is also my choice because he represents an ideal in both physical and mental terms. Having a Masters in Experimenatal Psychology is no small feat. Also my hat goes off to him for having such a beautiful wife namely Christine. He also is an avowed practitioner of archery which is a past time I enjoy as well.
The winner of Mr. olympia from 1977- 79 is without a doubt the greatest Mr. Olympia of all time. He is also from a commercial standpoint the most marketeable entity in bodybuilding because his physique is truly a work of art.

The most controversial Mr. Olympia.
The most controversial Mr. Olympia was the 1980 Mr. olympia . I remember calling my best friend and training partner with the results and he did not believe because of course Arnold was retired. Looking back at an old Muscle Builder/Power, Arnold was seen flexing in front of the Sydney Opera House the venue for the contest. This was in the ad promoting the contest Arnold recieved a special invitation to enter and for all practical purposes could even enter today for the facts are any past winner can enter. However,the entry of Arnold was very deceptive especially to Zane because Arnold assured him he was only there for commentary for NBC sports. Nonetheless Arnold won . I believe Frank Zane should have won . If not Frank Zane then Mike Mentzer. Whom as a result dissapeared from the bodybuilding stage as a a result of this.
The question of Weight classes.
Weight classesws should be reinsttitued but not just over and above 200 pounds. There should be weigght classes as in the amateurs all the way from banatamweight to Super Heavy weight . With the winner of each class being given the title of Mr. Olympia. This would increase the r number of representatives for the sport and level the playing field.
I do not believe tha the number of wins should be limited.

I would like to thank moderators for having these contests I hope to win some No 2 I cant wait for the results of this years MR. Olympia Im sure Ronnie will win again.

[Steve0178]

Arnold becasue he set the path for bodybuilding. He perfected the science of diet/workouts. Not to mention he came to this country with nothing and ended up the governor of on of the most powerful states in the world.

[bear82]

politically speak, ahnold. looks-wise, sergio. sheer conditioning, dorian.

[Kylong]

Arnie! I love seeing interviews with him. It's hard to watch without getting motivated.

[King Crush]

Arnold hands down!

[fonzerelli]

Yes it was a different era back in the 70's but Arnold broke the mold. Even if that 1980 Mr. Olympia was controversial he could have gone 2, or 3 more years. The only other competitor was Lou Ferrigno and without him moving to LA Lou never had a chance to catch Arnold. Very few bodybuilders have or had the upperbody like Arnold. Either they have lats, or arms, or abs, or delts but they don't seem to have the complete package. Arnold was the man.

[ManowarMan]

I think it comes down to Arnold, Haney, Yates, and Coleman. Between these guys you have 29 titles. Of these guys I believe Lee Haney is the only one where nobody disputes any of his wins. It's accepted that he deserved all of his victories. Many people say that Oliva and Metzer should have defeated Arnold, Nasser and Shawn Ray should have defeated Yates, and Cutler and Levrone should have defeated Coleman. These doubts don't exist with Lee Haney. Therefore I say that Lee Haney is best and most dominent Mr.Olympia ever.

I think the most disputed Mr.Olympia in my mind was the one that Arnold won in Germany, I forget the year. In my opinion Sergio Oliva was the far superior BBer.

I like the idea of weight classes. Not alot, but something like under and over 220lbs. Have 2 competitions and let the 2 winners duke it out. The more bodybuilding reverts back to the Pumping Iron era, the more popular and accepted it will be.

[benmatthews90]

either dorian yates or franco columbu

[nyamwegi]

Well I'm new so hopefully I won't get jumped on here. It didn't look like anyone had mentioned the great Frank Zane. Being an ectomorph, I have to root for my own body type. Sure he wasn't as massive as some of those other giants, but he was pure muscle. Lean muscle too. I wouldn't be surprised if he was at the top as far as strength per pound of body weight. While the enormous guys demand respect and put in a lot of work, strength is relative. Powerlifters and "world's strongest men" competitors can outlift Mr. Olypias. The greatest should be the one with the best muscle development.

[chris_h1]

ARNIE hands down nobody will ever take arnies place hes the bread and butter of bodybuilding

withan awsum physique

[HumanAbstract]

Ronnie Coleman

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