Which retired Olympia winner inspired you the most?
Juan Morel: Ronnie Coleman!! His intensity and drive inspired me so much!
Stann Efferding: Arnold!
Sibil Peters: Ronnie Coleman
Flex Lewis: Without a doubt, Arnold, and still does to this day.
Fouad Abiad: Frank Zane. I’ve been practicing the vacuum ever since I saw it for the first time and just can’t seem to get it.
Ben Pakulski: Without a doubt, Dorian Yates.
Guy Cisternino: Columbu.
Dusty Hanshaw: Dorian Yates is the most inspiring retired Mr. O to me because I believe that he won his titles through sheer grit and determination to be the best. Nobody was going to outwork Dorian.
Lionel Beyeke: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Chad Nicholls: I believe Ronnie Coleman was the most inspirational to everyone, whether you are a weekend warrior or a serious bodybuilder/power-lifter. Ronnie just made you want to train harder and be the best you could be.
Shawn Rhoden: Arnold, of course. Everyone wanted to achieve what he did in the sport, for the sport, and after the sport.
Kai Greene: It is very easy to identify Arnold as most influential largely because of the way his success is celebrated throughout the world for his personal ambition and his masterly use of new and developing social media. He is a pop cultural icon. Arnold Schwarzenegger is easy to distinguish as possibly the most influential name on the list. I think, though, that every one of these men has a very unique quality to his appeal.
Erik Fankhouser: Dorian Yates. When I saw his Blood & Guts video, I wanted to be huge and train like a bodybuilder.
Neil Hill: For me, it would have to be Arnold every day any day!
Branden Ray: Ronnie was the best to me, but the Olympian that inspired me the most was Frank Zane because of his artistry during his posing routine at the 1980 Olympia. Despite being one of the smaller Olympians, that routine was larger than life!
Phil Heath: Haney all the way.
Frank McGrath: Yates inspired me with his work ethic and Blood & Guts, which was the first bodybuilding DVD I saw. I was motivated even more by the fact that he was injured and went on to win the Olympia.
Roelly Winklaar: Sergio Oliva.
Final Vote:
Arnold Schwarzenegger with 6 Votes – Dorian Yates 4 votes – Ronnie Coleman 3 votes – Frank Zane 2 votes – Sergio Oliva 1 vote – Franco Columbo 1 vote – Lee Haney 1 vote
