Throwback to 1992 with bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger showing us exactly what judges are looking for in a competitor. Schwarzenegger’s totally ’90s print top and belt buckle may feel dated (this iconic look could’ve been rocked by Mario Lopez Saturday mornings on Saved by the Bell), but this flashback interview is still very relevant to bodybuilding and fitness today.
Feeling nostalgic? Check out the video here:
Schwarzenegger asks 1990 Arnold Classic champ Michael Ashley to do a double-biceps pose to show what the judges are really looking for in a winner. In the front, Schwarzenegger says judges are looking for the separation and proportion of the biceps and triceps, as well as the development of the pecs and the small waist. In this video, Michael Ashley has only 4.5% body fat.
Moving on to the legs, Schwarzenegger emphasizes it’s not just the size of the thigh that judges are looking for, but also the separation. Turning Ashley around, Schwarzenegger also talks about the importance of the lower back development.
“Those are simple poses, but with simple poses you really show your strong points and your weak points,” Schwarzenegger says. “This is why the judges look at those poses over and over again.”
Despite bodybuilders being much bigger than they were in the early ’90s, judges still want to see these simple things in order to crown their champion
