Ripped, peeled, diced, shredded, grainy: high-def bodybuilding has many words for the extra-lean. They all basically mean “Holy $#%@!”—and here we’re celebrating 10 competitors who repeatedly displayed expletive-worthy physiques.
In assembling this list, we had two requirements. First, they had to be IFBB pros. Secondly, they had to consistently serve up cuts like a sushi chef. Samir Bannout displayed amazing muscle separation when he won the 1983 Mr. Olympia, but he was too frequently smooth in the years before and after. He’s not here, but nine men and one woman are. Ripped, peeled, diced—whatever you call them, they’ve helped bodybuilding go HD.
During the 2000s, Carrea’s muscles were perpetually peeled, and the Brazilian’s abs were some of the best in the 212 division at the time. His rear double bi’s shot revealed a vast landscape of peaks and valleys, gorges and ravines. His combination of density and details landed him almost always near the top of the 202 and 212 Olympia pack all the way through 2016.
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Chris Lund / M+F Magazine
Darrem Charles
At 5’9″ and 230 pounds, Charles lacked size and fought lagging lats and hamstrings. Yet he won nine pro shows between 2002 and 2008 thanks to routinely razored conditioning. His abs jutted out like ice cubes, and his quads were zippered with cross-striations. Charles—who transitioned to the classic physique division in 2016—brought an abundance of lines to poses during his prime.
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Chris Lund
Rich Gaspari
At his pro debut in 1985, Gaspari sported 215 pounds of grainy muscle with one previously unseen feature: striated glutes. The era of modern conditioning arrived when he locked in his rear double biceps on a Manhattan stage. In winning nine pro shows from 1986 to 1989, the Dragon Slayer routinely defeated bigger foes with his lethal combination of density and details. Much of Gaspari’s success was due to his focus on food and supplementation.
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Per Bernal
Dexter Jackson
The 49-year-old Jackson still brings a better physique package onstage than most competitors a decade (or more) younger. And when he was in peak form, such as in 2008 when he won the Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic titles, his tightness—best evidenced in his anatomy-chart lower back or striated pecs—was among the best ever witnessed.
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Pavel Ythjall / M+F Magazine
Phil Heath
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by The Gift’s size and shape. However, his high-definition was the deciding factor in Olympia victories over rivals like Jay Cutler (in 2011) and Kai Greene (in 2012). During his run of seven consecutive O titles, Heath used cuts and crispness to separate himself from behemoths. And if he’s to avenge his 2018 Mr. Olympia loss to Shawn Rhoden, it’ll be that strategy that does it.
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Bill Comstock / M+F Magazine
Iris Kyle
Throughout this 10-time Ms. Olympia’s career, Iris Kyle’s canyon-like quad divisions, deeply cleaved calves, and relief map of a back have regularly provided the winning edge. And those 10 Olympia titles? Well, that ranks up there with Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak as a record that may not be topped in any of our lifetimes.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Flex Lewis
You might think Flex Lewis would lose rear double biceps comparisons to fellow 212 competitors—many of whom sport notably broader wings. But when Lewis spikes his calf and locks in this crucial pose, his entire body from head to toe seems to crack, revealing the fibers beneath the skin. It’s no secret why he won seven 212 Olympia titles, after all. How this translates to his upcoming bid in open bodybuilding is unknown, but Lewis’ body of work is already solidified as one of the most ripped physiques ever.
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Chris Lund / M+F Magazine
Andreas Münzer
In contests in the ’90s, Andreas Münzer was like “Bodies: The Exhibition” come to life. His quads, his best body part, were like rows of stacked dominoes, and his triceps had more lines than Hamlet. Competing in 20 pro shows from 1989 to his death in 1996, Münzer defeated many of the legends of that celebrated era, including Ronnie Coleman, Vince Taylor, and Chris Cormier.
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Ralph Dehaan / M+F Magazine
Shawn Ray
Excluding his rookie Mr. Olympia appearance when he was only 23, in Ray’s 12 subsequent O’s (1990-2001), he never placed lower than fifth and was second twice. His abs were routinely the sharpest onstage, and he was the first elite bodybuilder to repeatedly win rear double biceps shots with upper- and lower-body details despite his lagging width paving the way for Heath and Lewis.
From 1977 to 1979, Frank Zane redirected the bodybuilding world from the never-ending quest for mass to classical aesthetics combined with modern definition. At 5’9″, he was only around 190 when he won his three Olympias. His abs were forever a strength. His quads, although undersized, were deeply separated. And he used back striations to make up for his lack of lat width. At the 1979 Mr. Olympia, Mike Mentzer weighed about 30 pounds more than Zane at the same height, and still, eyes were diverted to the smaller but better defined Zane.
