by Christian Duque
It seems that Arnold Schwarzenegger is once again in hot water with the fitness community. But then again being in hot water is something that The Oak is quite familiar with. We mustn’t forget that this is a guy that has been at a war of words with the current President of the United States for well over a decade. He was a bitter rival during his first term and he is an even more bitter rival during his second term. So if he is willing to say things like “screw your freedoms” during the height of the pandemic and call out the President of the United States, do you really think that he cares about being in hot water for going against the IFBB when it comes to the board shorts in men’s physique?
Does anybody actually think that because of his comments that competitors are not going to compete? Well whether they do or they don’t doesn’t really matter to the former Governor of California and Terminator star. In his estimation he is speaking from a purest point of view. You must understand that back when Arnold competed there was only one men’s division. The women didn’t start competing until the next decade and when they did it was only in bodybuilding. Today there are well over 10 divisions encompassing both men and women in everything from board shorts to bikinis to suits and dresses in other federations that also do shows with the legendary bodybuilder.
Anytime you have an individual known simply by their first name all around the world you’re dealing with somebody that probably feels like whatever they say is carved in stone. And it might as well be when it comes to his events. Because at the end of the day his loyalty is not to Pittsburgh. His loyalty is to himself. And he doesn’t even promote his own shows. I mean his name does appear on them, but he doesn’t do any work. Whether it’s Powers or Lorimer, Arnold often delegates 95% of the duties to someone else. He doesn’t actually do anything. He may ride around on a golf course waving at people or walk around with his entourage greeting the owners of the biggest supplement companies on the expo floor, but that’s it. He might take a picture with an athlete on stage – if he’s impressed with them. That’s about the extent of his involvement with shows that bear his name. That and not being able to stop talking. Whether it’s on the record or off the record – it doesn’t matter to Schwarzenegger.
To guys from the 60s and ’70s the idea of having a physique-based division that obscures most of the legs is unheard of. When it comes to body parts, the biggest ones are back and legs. The idea of covering up the thighs, the glutes, and not scoring calves – it’s just too much for guys from Arnold’s generation to grasp. They don’t understand board shorts and they don’t understand how somebody can get on a professional bodybuilding stage and earn a pro card minus this very important group of muscles. Back in the ’70s they would focus on legs extensively. From squats, hack squats, leg presses, lunges – you name it, they did it. You couldn’t walk around looking like a lawn dart. And that is exactly what men’s physique competitors have been striving for since the creation of the division.
I’ll never forget John Romano using that term (lawn dart) to describe how he felt the men’s physique competitors looked. A lawn dart, lol. But I mean if you think about it it’s pretty much on the money. Not only did these guys not have legs but they didn’t even bother training them in the gym. Why on Earth would you train a body part that is not being scored? And not only that, but back in the day when the division first got started, if guys got on stage with muscular calves there was a rumor they were getting scored down for that.
When you compete in a division you have got to compete based on the criteria that is set out for that division. You can’t blame the athletes for looking the way that the division intends. And you also can’t blame someone for not working on parts of their body that are not getting scored. These guys want to win. So having developed legs that are covered largely by board shorts really is not any kind of strategy for doing well. They want to win the prize money and get the Olympia qualifications. And the only way to do that is to bring what the judges are looking for. And that is the problem with Arnold. He often sounds off on what he would like to see – even if that is not what the Federation is putting out.
Arnold is not a judge, he is not a federation official, he is simply the most popular bodybuilder on the planet and has some of the biggest shows with both IFBB federations. That’s right folks, he has shows with the IFBB Elite and he has shows with the IFBB Pro League. He is the only promoter that does as such and he is the only promoter who is allowed to do as such. Neither federation wants to force him to choose because he may choose the other. Not only that but he is not the type of person that you drop ultimatums on. He doesn’t need either federation, so he uses them both
At the end of the day it’s all about money to Arnold. He is not any more loyal to Pittsburgh than he is to Rafael or vice versa. And nobody dares cross him because they know that unlike the others, he can actually break away and do well on his own. That’s right, he doesn’t even need either. If he wanted to have a standalone show, people would come and compete. And look at the 2025 event, he offered $500,000. Does anybody in their right mind think that a competitor that is scraping by with sponsorships and training folks in the gym is going to turn that kind of money down? Absolutely not.
How many have taken to boycotts in the past. Some say they will boycott by not renting booths. Others like – some of the top men’s physique competitors – are threatening boycotts. But at the end of the day Arnold knows what he brings and he knows what his shows are all about. If anybody decides they are not going to compete, they’re only doing themselves a disservice. Now if you’re talking about a top-tier athlete who is under sponsorship with a number of top companies, he or she may opt not to compete for whatever moral principles they have, but that does not mean that it’s going to sit well with their sponsors. The sponsors are paying them every month – no matter what. No matter if they compete or if they stay home. But ideally the big sponsors want the competitors to compete at the biggest shows in the world. They also want them to appear prominently at their booths at expos and other such events. If a competitor making top-tier money suddenly decides that Arnold’s way of thinking is not in line with their own and that they are going to boycott his events, they may find themselves getting dropped by the company that pays them.
You can be idealistic on your own time, but if you are on the company’s dime, they can pull the plug at any point. And not only that, but many company contracts include provisions for this very type of activism. They are not in the business of challenging social norms. They want to sell products and they want to sell services and that is why they hire influencers and sponsor competitors. Like I said, athletes can easily get dropped for playing this kind of game.
With regards to Arnold’s wishes for the board shorts to come up and show more legs, that is also not going to do anything. The Federation does not cross Arnold, but they also don’t pay him much attention when it comes to putting out what they’re looking for per division. So while he is a promoter that can get away with a lot more than any other promoter, he is also not a promoter whose word alone is going to effectuate any kind of change when it comes to what the officials do with each federation.
Now what he may do, is he may exclude men’s physique as a punishment until the division changes into something more acceptable to him. We have seen him get rid of entire divisions like The 212, Women’s Bodybuilding, and even Figure. The Federation could raise holy hell, but they won’t. As I said, they let this one particular promoter more or less do whatever he wants. On the flip side however, he does not have any real pull when it comes to what the officials do with the divisions. So while he is allowed to do whatever he wants with his shows, his word has no real weight when it comes to what the officials do with the federation. And Arnold is not going to walk away from the Pro League, simply, because of the length of the board shorts in men’s physique.
Really what this amounts to is a lot of hot air from Schwarzenegger and a lot of indifference from the federation. Men’s Physique has been around for well over a decade and I don’t suspect that they are going to suddenly change the criteria because of what the former Governor of California has to say. He may not like the division and he may continue to pay every division – except bodybuilding – a pittance in terms of prize money. If the athletes are not happy with it, they won’t compete. But even a pittance at the Arnold is more money than what most events pay. Plus the Arnold is a world-class production that puts many others to shame, including the Olympia in some years. So the idea that competitors are not going to compete simply because of some nonsense that Arnold spouts, is also a little bit hard to believe. I’m sure there are athletes that may, in fact, stick to their guns, but what’s the point? It’s neither here nor there. It will have no impact and it will not change anything. So really , while I give kudos to the athletes that are loyal to their principles, what they’re really doing is short-changing themselves out of financial opportunities and the ability to win top titles at Arnold’s events.
This can also be chalked to the age gap. The guys from the 60s and 70s, even from the 80s, don’t quite understand what Men’s Physique is all about. But then again they also don’t understand what Bikini or the new fitness model divisions are all about, either. They see these new divisions as essentially watering down the value of the pro card. They are free to think whatever they want, but if you go to just about any amateur contest around the country, bodybuilding is not what’s keeping those events alive. It’s Men’s Physique and Classic on the men’s side and Bikini and Wellness on the women’s side. These newer divisions are sparking interest from countless individuals from their late teens to their early thirties. That age range is very unconcerned with what people like Arnold have to say. Sure they will take a picture with him and they will listen to him talk about the good old days, but besides that they could really care less what Arnold and people of Arnold’s age group have to say. They may not get it, but they certainly like the money that the newer divisions bring. Men’s Physique is a pot of gold when it comes to drawing out amateur competitors. It’s also the kind of look that Hollywood wants and the kind of look that actually sells products. Many bodybuilders, today, look gross to the mainstream, even to people in the fitness industry. But men’s physique on the other hand, that’s desirable. It looks a lot more attainable. And that is what inspires countless individuals to get into the gym in the first place.
What do you think will come from Arnold’s commentary? Do you think anyone in Pittsburgh cares? Do you think that he will get rid of the division at his contest? As always I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at Iron Magazine. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all of your social media feeds, as it is surely going to generate some lively conversation.
