Of the 13 Mr. Olympias, Who Would You Most Want to Look Like?
Of the 13 Mr. Olympias
Who Would You Most Want to Look Like?
With the 2015 Mr. Olympia contest being less than three weeks away and with Joe Weider's flagship event being fifty years old this year it’s pertinent to review the physiques of the 13 men who have won the Olympia title and debate which of them had the most appeal. As in, which of their physiques is the one you would most want to look like. Are you drawn to the spectacular arms of Larry Scott, the round muscle bellies of Sergio Oliva, the awesome structure of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the conditioning of Franco Columbu, the balance of Frank Zane, the class of Chris Dickerson, the amazing symmetry of Samir Bannout, the mass and shape of Lee Haney, the rock hard graininess of Dorian Yates, the WTF size of Ronnie Coleman, the frame and conditioning of Jay Cutler, the completeness of Dexter Jackson, or the 3D muscle and balance of current champ Phil Heath?
Vote for who you would chose and let us now the reasons for your choice. Alternatively if your choice of most desired physique is not a Mr. Olympia winner, let us know who and why. Here’s a short resume of the 13 men who have been crowned Mr. Olympia.
LARRY SCOTT: 2 Wins, 1965-‘66
Scott became the archetypal blond California beach boy bodybuilder even though he was born in Idaho and his natural hair color was dark. Had knockout arms and delts and had an exercise, Scott Curls, named after him. In tandem with his show stopping physique he had an aura that galvanized an audience and earned him the sobriquet, “Golden Boy”.
SERGIO OLIVA: 3 Wins, 1967-‘69
Nicknamed The Myth he maybe had the best ever genetics for bodybuilding. He had amazing round muscle bellies, which were only magnified, by having small joints. His Victory (arms overhead) pose has become iconic. He went unopposed at the 1968 Mr. Olympia and was the last man to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: 7 Wins, 1970-’75, & 1980.
His blend of quality muscle and sheer charisma (as epitomized in the 1977 movie Pumping Iron) helped bodybuilding break mainstream boundaries and, besides having arguably the best pecs and biceps ever, he is the most famous bodybuilder that ever lived.
FRANCO COLUMBU: 2 Wins, 1976 & 1981
The Sardinian Strongman was renowned for his lifting prowess and his Batman and Robin type relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In bodybuilding competition his main cards were ripped pecs and cobra lats.
FRANK ZANE: 3 Wins, 1977-‘79
Zane ushered in a new era of conditioning (“the Age of Zane”) and unveiled a symmetrical and classically structured physique that had mainstream appeal. Nicknamed The Chemist, due to his Bachelor of Science degree, he parlayed that academic achievement into an intricately planned and effective training and contest prep strategy.
CHRIS DICKERSON: 1 Win, 1982
At 43 he was the oldest ever to win the Mr. Olympia, which he did with his classic lines and condition. He was also a pioneer in being the first African-American to with the AAU Mr. America (1970) title. An accomplished opera singer he often sings the National Anthem at major events.
SAMIR BANNOUT: 1 Win, 1983
The Lion of Lebanon roared in Munich in 1983 storming to the winner’s podium with an unrivalled blend of fullness, condition, shape and symmetry accentuated by his ground breaking Xmas Tree development.
LEE HANEY: 8 Wins, 1984-1991
Haney brought unprecedented size and shape to the fore, regularly outweighing his rivals by 20 and 30 pounds. But as well as mass he had great lines and proportions and won eight Sandows. The man who many regard as the first gentleman of bodybuilding retired from competition at age 31.
DORIAN YATES: 6 Wins, 1992-‘97
The Brit broke new barriers in attaining rock hard granite type condition that hadn’t been seen before, backed up by chiseled mass that overcame his opponents. He was also a pioneer in streamlining workouts from six per week to four wherein each bodypart was trained once a week.
RONNIE COLEMAN: 8 Wins, 1998-2005
Equaling Haney’s eight Sandow hauls this Louisiana native, after an unremarkable five years as a pro, came out of almost nowhere in 1998 to take his first Olympia title. He won it another seven times with his amalgam of mass and striated condition and in 2003 was the heaviest Mr. Olympia ever at a stunning 287 pounds.
JAY CUTLER: 4 Wins, 2006 & ’07, ’09, ‘10
After four Olympia runner-up spots Cuter finally conquered Ronnie Coleman to secure his first Sandow in 2006. He is the only man to lose the Olympia (2008) and then return to reclaim it (2009), when he unleashed his best ever look. Having business savvy he parlayed his onstage accomplishments into a massive global fan base and is renowned as one of the sport’s best ever ambassadors.
DEXTER JACKSON: 1 Win, 2008
Maybe the most remarkable bodybuilder ever, winning the Arnold Classic last March at 45 years of age, and after nearly two decades as a pro. One of the most symmetrical physiques ever, which he always presents in top condition, he is seen by many as the possessor of the ideal physique.
PHIL HEATH: 4 Wins, 2011-‘14
Phil Heath is an aesthetic freak whose ripped fibrous muscle tissue and 3D look are just about unique. His frame is packed with full muscle bellies and ideal insertions. Many are of the view that for the time being he is unbeatable, and in reality he just has so many crazy shots that his opponents just can’t combat.