Bodybuilding has gotten out of control with the sheer notion that “bigger is better” when it comes to the most impressive physiques of bodybuilders. Back in the day, it wasn’t about size. It was about aesthetics and proportionality. There wasn’t nearly as a reliance on mass to win bodybuilding titles and the drugs to do so. An impressive physique certainly has muscular size to it, but should contain perfect symmetry and tremendous detail to make it appear as if they were sculpted out of a marble slab in Ancient Greece, not like they are just inflated muscles with hot air in the back of a laboratory. Here are what we believe are the top 10 most aesthetically pleasing and impressive physiques of all time.
#1 – FLEX WHEELER
The biggest snub of all time, Kenneth “Flex” Wheeler racked up an amazing 17 professional titles, yet he never won the Sandow, placing just behind the Olympia champs a total of three times. He won the Arnold Classic a record four times and was once described by Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the greatest bodybuilders he had ever seen. Ronnie Coleman said that Flex Wheeler was the best bodybuilder he competed against.
Knowledgeable bodybuilding fans consider Flex to be the best of the best, not just for aesthetic purposes, but as a bodybuilder in general. If you lined up all the pro bodybuilders from all the different eras and put them all in one room, you would be very hard pressed to not pick Flex as having the greatest body. He was everything bodybuilding represented: size and detail with very few weaknesses. In particular, we can look back to his rookie debut in 1993 when he won his first four shows that he entered, including a totally impressive 2nd place finish in his first Mr. Olympia.
Flex Wheeler had the best midsection in the game and a chiseled body to go along with it. He had it all- size, mass, definition, proportion, and symmetry. He was often compared to near-perfect legends Steve Reeves and Bob Paris throughout his career, yet obtained a level of muscularity never before seen. It’s just a shame that mass has consistently beat out definition at the O. The judges have always been more impressed with mass than perfection. Otherwise, Flex might have been right there with Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman, holding the title for Most Olympia titles ever won.
#2 – SHAWN RAY
There couldn’t be a more fitting name for Shawn Ray than Mr. Symmetry. Shawn Ray defined proportion and balance. It is mind boggling to think he didn’t win one Mr. Olympia title with a body like that. His vision to win audiences over with artistic display and proportion has been lost to the “mass” appeal despite his numerous top 5 place finishes in the Olympias.
#3 – DEXTER JACKSON
Dexter Jackson finally got his taste at history winning the Olympia in 2008 after finishing in the top 4 for years on end. Nicknamed “The Blade” for his razor sharp cuts, Dexter Jackson has the deepest set of abs in bodybuilding. He is the most conditioned athlete of all time in this sport, always coming in with razor sharp cuts.
#4- LEE HANEY
Before Lee Haney, there was just size or conditioning, but not both. Haney was the first to bring both to the table. He had groundbreaking muscularity and stellar shape. Yet, the 8X Mr. Olympia does not receive nearly the amount of recognition he should and that is certainly disappointing. Tipping the scales at 250 pounds, Haney was bigger than all of his competitors, yet walked on stage with an 8-pack and razor sharp cuts every time. Haney has transformed the sport of bodybuilding forever by dominating the field with mass. Many have tried and ultimately failed to match what Haney has accomplished in terms of matching his size and vascularity. Haney took training to a whole new level to bring in detail never before seen.
#5 – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
What is a greatest physique list without Arnold? Arnold has been the face of bodybuilding since he won his first Olympia and won the hearts of the nation. Arnold’s combination of sheer size and muscularity along with his personality landed him as the highest paid action movie star ever and the Governor of California.
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