Vallier thinks there is no point in keeping the class any longer.
From late 2022 to early 2023, various notable figures in and around bodybuilding have clear thoughts on the state of the sport. The legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger expresses his admiration for reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead, but the division should be the main event of the Olympia weekend. In 1983 Mr. Olympia Samir Banout lamented that the Olympia qualification was not rigorous enough and allowed too many competitors. Now, active bodybuilder Ian Vallier shares some of the latest strong thoughts on a major modern competitive category.
On February 2, 2023, he appeared on a podcast episode with Vallier Fouad Abiad Media, discussing some recent relevant bodybuilding topics such as the 2023 Arnold Classic. Among the more notable revelations was the 2022 Vancouver Pro Champion 212 believes that the division should no longer be a viable professional division.
As the standards of training and quality nutrition continue to grow, Vallier asserted that 212 bodybuilders will be out of place in the long run. Recent successful examples of 212 competitors such as Derek Lunsford and Shawn Clarida, who transitioned to the Men’s Open and competed well, demonstrated that 212 is no longer needed.
Therefore, he said the existence of the athlete division was unnecessary and should be absorbed into the Men’s Open.
“If a 175- or 180-pound Shawn [Clarida] Coming in and beating 290-pound, 6-foot guys, you really don’t [expletive] A case for keeping 212 [division]to be honest.” said Vallier. “Because I still really think those guys [expletive] Driven to be the best, getting a few years would not stick out [expletive] If they believe in their hearts. Like the Derek’s (Lunsford) of the world, it may have stuck [expletive] Out and was in the men’s open and would have ended up where he was.
After receiving pushback and rebuttals from his fellow podcasters, including retired 212 bodybuilder Guy Cisternio and retired Men’s Open competitor Fouad Abiad, Vallier made a reasonable analogy between basketball and bodybuilding.
“It’s the same thing as saying that guys who are 5-foot-10 shouldn’t continue playing basketball and that we should make a lower net for guys who are shorter. This is stupid. ” explained Wallier. “With 212, I think a lot of those guys could end up [Men’s] Open as before and be fine. “
Ultimately, for Vallier, nixing the 212 division would allow more talented athletes to win and allow them to compete in the most elite situations.
“No matter how much I train, I will never be as big as Rami [Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay] Or as fast as Usain Bolt, Vallier said. “Some guys aren’t as good as Derek [Lunsford]Some guys aren’t as tall as Yao Ming, it’s just the [expletive] reality People are not all created equal and just because they aren’t, doesn’t mean we have to fill in the gaps.
Vallier may be right to have his strong opinion about the future of 212, but, at the time of this writing, competing organizers have no meaningful plans to fall in lockstep with his idea.
As for Vallier’s personal exploits, the men’s open bodybuilder is finishing 11th in the 2022 Mr. Olympia. According to this NPC News Online, with a 14th-place finish in the 2018 iteration, the second-lowest result of his career. To date, Vallier’s best Mr. Olympia output is seventh in 2020 and 2021.
While the 2023 competitive season is still in its early stages, if he qualifies for the competition, he will undoubtedly seek a repeat performance in the 2023 edition, November 3-5 in Orlando, FL.
Featured image: @iainvalliere on Instagram
