Haney thinks the current demands of the sport are too dangerous.
Few people understand what it really takes to eat, train and prepare like a dynasty bodybuilding champion. Lee Haney is one of them. With eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles from 1984-1991, Haney spent nearly an entire decade at the top of the fitness world. To this day, his eight Olympia titles are tied for the most with fellow legend Ronnie Coleman. That’s why a recent interview might paint a picture of someone who doesn’t appreciate where modern bodybuilding is at.
On February 6, 2022, Haney appeared on a podcast episode with him Muscle growth. Amidst the discussion of various current events, such as the rise of Derek Lunsford, Haney specifically focused on the modern conditioning standards of excellence. In other words, he is not a fan.
Like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Haney feels that modern bodybuilding is too fixated on size rather than aiming for symmetry and balance. Legend has it that the top names may be bigger than ever, but they’re missing important details that were the primary focus of their era.
Haney feels that this overall mindset comes at a significant cost to athletes’ health, a factor in potentially over-dehydrating to display more muscle detail.
“A lot of athletes get sick or die trying to achieve that level of dryness,” Haney explained. “I think we need to change the cultural mindset of what’s going on when judging these competitions.”
Finally, while he applauds the dedication to competition and fitness, Haney expressed that it is too far to ask of bodybuilders these days. For him, having a long and enjoyable life is more important than having a fruitful, hard career, which may be jeopardized.
“At the end of the day, you want to enjoy yourself as an athlete, but you also want to take away from your health,” Haney said. “You don’t have to die to reach this level of conditioning. They’re demanding athletes, period. You look at the old school of bodybuilding. People say old school, that’s the real school. There is school Forget that ‘old school’. … We’ve reached a level of conditioning that allows us to walk out after the competition still alive and still healthy.
Haney, 63, maintains that the previous bodybuilding competition standards allowed the icons of his era to live longer lives. The late and influential Bill Pearl, three-time Mr. His bodybuilding preparations did not ask much of him.
As such, it may be time to reevaluate and retrace the steps of those earlier days before it is too late. Haney suggests that bodybuilding judges may be responsible for awarding only certain physiques in the case of former bodybuilders.
“They remember the fact that we were healthy. Nobody passed out on stage. Maybe we were a little dehydrated, a little lightheaded, but nobody had to call paramedics to revive anybody. So, there’s a pattern that already exists. I’m saying, let’s go back to those patterns,” Haney said. “To do that Doesn’t take much. It takes an alignment of minds. … We have to step back and rewrite, reevaluate, because the blood of these dying athletes is on your hands. They are in your hands. ”
Haney’s thoughts are noble and worth listening to, especially coming from a legend who instructs bodybuilders to “stimulate, not destroy” in the gym. It takes a yeoman effort from everyone involved to even consider returning to his preferred health ideal for bodybuilding. In it the competition organizers, athletes and their coaches together see the forest for the trees.
Because if the all-time greats feel the sport isn’t in a place of quality, it might be time to reconsider the perilous path that led to this point.
Featured Image: @lee_haney_official on Instagram
