The classic physique was the gold standard during the golden era of bodybuilding, and these titans of the iron best exemplified that coveted V-taper everyone was striving to achieve. Many consider Steve Reeves to be the grandaddy of the Classic Physique. Reeves parlayed his perfectly crafter V-taper frame into box office success as the hero in a variety of blood and sandals movies back in the day.
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Larry Scott
From 1960 until his first retirement in 1966, Larry “The Golden Boy” Scott was at the apex of the bodybuilding world. With his clean-cut, all-American image, Scott’s popularity transcended into “Larry Fever”. Scott well-crafted, classic physique earned him a first place showing at the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition. The following year, Scott defended the crown and retired shortly after the win.
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Sergio Oliva
The Cuban refugee who owned the Olympia from 1967 to 1969, and remains one of bodybuilding’s most revered veterans, Sergio Oliva was the sport’s first “mass monster”—a beast of mythic proportions (hence the moniker “the Myth”), which included 22-inch arms and 30-inch thighs, separated by a minuscule 28-inch waistline. At 5’10” and a competitive weight between 225 and 245 pounds, Oliva invented a pose only he had the size and shape to pull of. Called the “victory” pose, it requires extending the arms straight overhead with fists goosenecked—a shot that tends to make anyone else who tries it look skinny.
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Serge Nubret
Nicknamed “The Black Panther” Serge Nubret took home a host of top bodybuilding honors with his award-winning classic physique. The 6′ 218 lb chiseled bodybuilder admitted he was inspired to get into weightlifting by watching the movies Hercules and The Last Days of Pompeii starring Steve Reeves. While his physique was flawless from head to toe, it was Nubret’s excellent chest development that intimidated his competitors.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
Yes, “The Oak” displayed a huge amount of muscle mass, yet still with all that size, the 6’2 Austrian was able to pull off the coveted, classic physique that earned him a stunning 7 Mr. Olympia titles. Considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to be passionate about the sport and the direction it’s headed.When recently sharing his opinion on the appearance of today’s Mr. Olympia participants, ‘The Oak’ said, “We need to stop just rewarding guys with the biggest muscles who don’t look as pleasing. Look at the old days when Steve Reeves won. You saw him on the beach [in photos], you said, ‘I would love to have this man’s body. Look at how beautiful this man looks.’ But that’s not what you say about the guys today who win the competitions. You have to look at everything, like, for instance, so many of those guys [today] have their stomachs sticking out…It used to be that you should have a V-shaped body.”
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Frank Zane
Not quite as big as Arnold and other top bodybuilders of his time, Zane found a way to rise above the ranks by accentuating his incredible symmetry on stage. A three-time Mr. Olympia and cornerstone of bodybuilding’s “golden age,” Frank Zane still owns one of the most coveted physiques in history.
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Rich Gaspari
A household name in the world of bodybuilding, Rich “The Dragon Slayer” Gaspari was a Mr. Olympia top 3 finisher from 1985 to ’88 thanks to his impeccably chiseled, classic physique. Along with his top showings at the “O”, Gaspari was also the winner of the inaugural Arnold Classic in 1989. Not only has Gaspari’s success on the competition stage earned him a place in the IFBB Hall of fame, it’s also helped catapult a successful career in the sport’s supplement industry, where he established Gaspari Nutrition in 2001.
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Samir Bonnout
The Lion of Lebanon, Samir Bannout roared onto the bodybuilding scene in the late 70s earning first place in the light-heavyweight division of the IFBB World Amateur Championships. Bannout’s IFBB pro career spanned 53 contests. The extreme muscular definition that Bannout achieved in his lower back region helped to shape “Lebanon Cedar” – a reference to the shape made visible during a back pose on the competition stage. In 1983, Bannout hit the apex of his career winning his first and only Mr. Olympia title.
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Bob Paris
Few bodybuilders could match the aesthetic physique of Bob Paris. With his broad shoulders, shredded abs and narrow waist, Paris possessed the picture-perfect classic physique. In 2006, Flex Magazine named Bob Paris the most aesthetic athlete in the history of bodybuilding.
The classic physique was the gold standard during the golden era of bodybuilding, and these titans of the iron best exemplified that coveted V-taper everyone was striving to achieve. Many consider Steve Reeves to be the grandaddy of the Classic Physique. Reeves parlayed his perfectly crafter V-taper frame into box office success as the hero in a variety of blood and sandals movies back in the day.
Larry Scott
From 1960 until his first retirement in 1966, Larry “The Golden Boy” Scott was at the apex of the bodybuilding world. With his clean-cut, all-American image, Scott’s popularity transcended into “Larry Fever”. Scott well-crafted, classic physique earned him a first place showing at the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition. The following year, Scott defended the crown and retired shortly after the win.
Sergio Oliva
The Cuban refugee who owned the Olympia from 1967 to 1969, and remains one of bodybuilding’s most revered veterans, Sergio Oliva was the sport’s first “mass monster”—a beast of mythic proportions (hence the moniker “the Myth”), which included 22-inch arms and 30-inch thighs, separated by a minuscule 28-inch waistline. At 5’10” and a competitive weight between 225 and 245 pounds, Oliva invented a pose only he had the size and shape to pull of. Called the “victory” pose, it requires extending the arms straight overhead with fists goosenecked—a shot that tends to make anyone else who tries it look skinny.
Serge Nubret
Nicknamed “The Black Panther” Serge Nubret took home a host of top bodybuilding honors with his award-winning classic physique. The 6′ 218 lb chiseled bodybuilder admitted he was inspired to get into weightlifting by watching the movies Hercules and The Last Days of Pompeii starring Steve Reeves. While his physique was flawless from head to toe, it was Nubret’s excellent chest development that intimidated his competitors.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Yes, “The Oak” displayed a huge amount of muscle mass, yet still with all that size, the 6’2 Austrian was able to pull off the coveted, classic physique that earned him a stunning 7 Mr. Olympia titles. Considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to be passionate about the sport and the direction it’s headed.
When recently sharing his opinion on the appearance of today’s Mr. Olympia participants, ‘The Oak’ said, “We need to stop just rewarding guys with the biggest muscles who don’t look as pleasing. Look at the old days when Steve Reeves won. You saw him on the beach [in photos], you said, ‘I would love to have this man’s body. Look at how beautiful this man looks.’ But that’s not what you say about the guys today who win the competitions. You have to look at everything, like, for instance, so many of those guys [today] have their stomachs sticking out…It used to be that you should have a V-shaped body.”
Frank Zane
Not quite as big as Arnold and other top bodybuilders of his time, Zane found a way to rise above the ranks by accentuating his incredible symmetry on stage. A three-time Mr. Olympia and cornerstone of bodybuilding’s “golden age,” Frank Zane still owns one of the most coveted physiques in history.
Rich Gaspari
A household name in the world of bodybuilding, Rich “The Dragon Slayer” Gaspari was a Mr. Olympia top 3 finisher from 1985 to ’88 thanks to his impeccably chiseled, classic physique. Along with his top showings at the “O”, Gaspari was also the winner of the inaugural Arnold Classic in 1989. Not only has Gaspari’s success on the competition stage earned him a place in the IFBB Hall of fame, it’s also helped catapult a successful career in the sport’s supplement industry, where he established Gaspari Nutrition in 2001.
Samir Bonnout
The Lion of Lebanon, Samir Bannout roared onto the bodybuilding scene in the late 70s earning first place in the light-heavyweight division of the IFBB World Amateur Championships. Bannout’s IFBB pro career spanned 53 contests. The extreme muscular definition that Bannout achieved in his lower back region helped to shape “Lebanon Cedar” – a reference to the shape made visible during a back pose on the competition stage. In 1983, Bannout hit the apex of his career winning his first and only Mr. Olympia title.
Bob Paris
Few bodybuilders could match the aesthetic physique of Bob Paris. With his broad shoulders, shredded abs and narrow waist, Paris possessed the picture-perfect classic physique. In 2006, Flex Magazine named Bob Paris the most aesthetic athlete in the history of bodybuilding.
