Bodybuilding Eras Explained (Bronze | Silver | Gold)
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
- An exploration of the history of Bodybuilding. From the Bronze to the Mass Monster era.
If you enjoy what I do here, please consider supporting my research on Patreon: / nattylife
Old School Bodybuilding playlist: • Old School Bodybuilding
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:16 - Bronze Era
02:47 - Silver Era
04:51 - Golden Era
07:18 - MASS MONSTERS
09:34 - Outro
Silver era giving real goals
peak natty
RETVRN
100% natty.
Peak natty until the late 40s and slightly unnaty until the late 50s
Bronze era better
Really stand with you on the stance that modern mass monsters are a terrible route for bodybuilding to go. When your life expectancy becomes shorter than people who eat garbage and dont exercise it is a disgrace to the core idea of what i belive bb should be about which is achieving the ideal physical condition, being a walking piece of art that adheres to both proportion and realism while also delivering a healthier and higher quality of life.
That is a really good point.
@@user-tg6jg9wx2e bruh...you delusional? That's exactly what "fitness" is supposed to mean Which is directly proportional to bodybuilding
Being shredded or lean below like 10% bodyfat isn't healthy
Bodybuilding has never been about being healthier or improving quality of life and what defines ''art'' or ''ideal'' is completely subjective.
@@debojyotimukherjee4017 no, bodybuilding is absolutely not about fitness... It's about how you look...
The Modern Era should be known as the Pyrite Era. A metal alloy which was often mistaken for gold during the gold rush. Which is how it came to be known by its other name, 'Fool's Gold'.
I feel like that would better represent classic physique as it is trying to copy the golden era
I'll call it the Dark Age. Modern BBs care only about being massive, the amount of drugs can kill you decades before your time, and the fitness industry is rife with corruption. This is a cultural decline in bodybuilding.
Could also call it the "Iron Era". Stronger than the other metals but unattractive.
It also mirrors Hesiod's/Ovid's Ages of Man from classical mythology.
It's the bloated ninja turtle era.
Yep fools era nowadays
The Golden Era is looked upon so fondly because while the physiques are in no way natural, they are more "idealized" than massive. An editorialized ideal of what a perfect human physique might be, superhuman without pushing into the realm of the uncanny.
1000%. Perfect mix of peak human condition without going so big and freakishly huge that you're more disgusting than appealing.
exactly what I was thinking, it still looks like a human which had amazing luck with it's genetics. not some sort of human bull!
Yeah! Kinda like the idealization of superheroes' physiques in comics!
Very articulate comment.
I like the golden era the most for it's diversity, of course they're all pretty big guys, but their physiques (albeit unnatural) still seemed relatively 'normal'. It looks like hard earned quality muscle. Not the HGH and insulin abuse you see later on during the mass monster era. I've also always appreciated the diversity of the golden era. Of course you had Arnold Schwarzenegger at one end, being tall, massively built with the greatest chest we've ever seen, but at the other end of the spectrum you got guys like Frank Zane who also won the Olympia back then.
Bodybuilders in the old times did not have to go as low as 5% bodyfat to look amazing. 10% was considered great. Bodyfat too low isn't good for health either.
You couldn't go below 7% naturally without going into catabolism
Professional bodybuilding just isnt healthy. And the guys doing this Sport exactly know that but they just like doing it its not about being healthy
@@randomrfkovexactly. Sustaining a BF% of less than about 10% in some instances is considered to be dangerous.
Bodybildung is not for your health do fitness if you want to be healty
@@FBI--OPEN--UP--- You are right, if you talk about now, but it wasn't like that initially. In the bronze, silver age and even in the golden age to a large degree, bodybuilding was about health and aesthetics as well as athleticism. Today's bodybuilding completely discarded of health and aesthetics angles (unless you're into freaks and mutants) and the whole athleticism angle reduced to how much chemistry your body can sustain before your organs start to collapse. This is not right, this is not what the initial philosophy behind this movement was like.
“I’m looking at a chemistry experiment” got me wheezing 😂
Even the baki references lolXD 😂🤣
@@HarshavardhanNreddy-ku1cd Which was the baki reference? I never seen baki so it must have been coincidental 😋
@@NattyLifeYT ahm my man serge Olivia and the guy who started the golden age dorian both are baki characters
@@HarshavardhanNreddy-ku1cd They were modeled and drawn to resemble the two, and boy did they succeed
I agree mass monster is my least favorite era. But my favorite is golden era
My great grandfather was a body builder in the early 40's to late 50's. He was completely natural. He competed with the likes of Mr. Universe Manohar Aich. He also participated in revolutionary struggle against colonialism for which he was arrested once.
We know he was 100% natural not only because my father never saw him going to doctor or taking any supplements, but also my grandfather was really poor until the 60's. My father was born in 1952 and in 1959 my grandpa settled to a full-time desk job given to him by the Government, but he continued to teach people bodybuilding. In India, the testosterone culture started even later - not late 50's but early 70's. He gave up teaching in the late 70's as he complained of "short cuts". My father knew what he was talking about.
Anyway, even at age 75 he had strong well-built physique, and that memory is still etched in me. At 75 he looked like 55 - only fitter and bigger and with no paunch or eye bags. He used to follow strict schedule for his daily activity especially sleep and food and used to exercise 1hr daily. He passed away in 2017, aged 92. He still used to walk 4-5km every day in his 90's too.
That’s awesome bro! Thanks for sharing. A true inspiration 💪
What was his name?
@@rangoon2 Arup Chakraborty, cousin of famous bodybuilder Sushil Charkraborty.
@@Subh8081 holy shit
@@Subh8081what was his bodybuilding routine? I've been trying to learn more about the specific routines of Manohar Aich and other long lived bodybuilders.
The difference is that the Bronze/Silver era and even the early years of the Golden era still looked "fit" like they could still run a few laps or handle a days work on the tools. The current crop look like their hearts (or guts) could explode any second!
I know it's not everyone's choice, but I like bronze era physiques more than any era. Ofcourse I am talking about the best physiques of that era. I like strong oblique look with chiseled round shoulders, muscled forearms and thick but crisp back. It gives one look of a warrior. I am not a huge v-taper guy or even big chest guy for that matter, to me they seem to serve peagent purpose. On the contrary I like well built chest but not to the point of dominating shoulders and arms. That's just my opinion. Bronze era best physiques is my goal.
It's my fav is well the fact that the guys were natural gives me hope and the way they built their body with almost no modern equipment just shows the mind is just an off switch. To me that was real bodybuilding it seemed like the guys cared for being strong and healthy more then sacrificing years to win and worked out for the love of it. Building a strong and healthy mind.
That to me is what bodybuilding is really about not physique
Them being natural alone makes it my favourite and gives me realistic expectations that still look amazing. I really aim for a physique like began raj
@@shoobzy3431 looking big natty King
@@shoobzy3431 it's also crazy how in the silver era how they didn't really have the training knowledge but still managed to build awesome physiques with just pure hard work
Yes yes yes!
I was going to comment the EXACT same thing, not a word different.
I'm 100% with you.
Bodybuilding magazines in the 80's and 90's said it was good genetics. I was totally fooled by it back then. Makes me mad now that an entire segment of the fitness industry would be so dishonest. And then give workouts that a natural shouldn't do. While selling a supplement brand.
Yep, it's quite sad. Even now the industry is plagued by fake nattys. There's good info out there but one needs to know how to find it.
To be perfectly honest it was good genetics too, and still is. How well you react to PED's is different for everyone as is your frame, muscle insertions etc.
This is not only area of human life where genetics is used as excuse.....
Media lies.
@@jonstiffer4994 a lie by omission .
I really like everything about the silver era tbh. The overall mass, the proportions, and the comfortable body fat percentages all look like appealing goals to me. The fact that you can't see most of those guys' abs when they aren't flexing is a small thing that I appreciate, since I've always had trouble getting skinny and the weird emphasis everyone seems to put on getting a nasty shred these days is very unappealing to me. It's really encouraging to see guys with a reasonable amount of natural padding on their muscles who still look like genuine bodybuilders.
Couldn't agree with you more the current trend is more than unappealing it's gruesome! Even women with musclemen fettishes won't bed these modern era guys.
Yes, those freaks made up of muscle fibers and veins look like plastic action figures. Muscles so pumped, they couldn't even pick a penny from the ground.
Not to mention when they tan their body, but not their face, looks like they're wearing some medieval armor.
I think that Jack Lalane deserves to be mentioned as playing a huge role in the Silver Age of Bodybuilding.
Forgive me if you already have videos about Jack Lalane. I am new to your channel. But, Jack deserves and entire series of videos. He is one of the greatest icons of Heath and Fitness and various forms of resistance training. Jack is one of the pioneers of promoting Health and fitness as a lifelong lifestyle and he influenced millions of people to exercise and join "Health Spas".
The guy devoted his entire adult life to being incredible shape and encouraging others to do the same. His birthday feats of strength would've been totally unbelievable if they were not so well documented and if they hadn't included his actual audience as interactive members of his incredible feats.
In the end, Jack proved that his natural methods and clean diet were highly effective by living and exercising right up to the end of his 96 years on this Earth.
Jack deserves more credit than dozens of famous bodybuilders who suffered dearly from drug use and died at young ages. Jack was the true GOAT of fitness and strength training. He was the total package of diet, exercise and a healthy happy life.
And by the way, he greatly influenced his second wife Elaine to workout with him everyday and become a fitness Guru in her own right. She is still alive at 96 years old.
Ah, that's a name I haven't heard in years. My mom brought his juicer back in the 90s. Good memories, lots of great drinks from it.
You are God damn write!!!
@@fatalblue Yeah, it's sad that many younger people only know Jack from his juicer infomercials. He was a fitness pioneer, who preached, looked, acted and walked the fitness talk for his entire adult life.
His wife Elaine Lalane is very inspiring as well. They worked out together and separately during their 51 years together. She was Jack's silent business partner. They were inseparable. She still exercises every day at the Golden age of 96
@Sky Marshall Oh! I actually know this thanks to my Mom as she was (and still) into nutrition and fitness. Now that you mention it, I guess more ppl would only know him as the guy with the juices. My mom really admires him.
I remember his exercise show being on morning TV back in the 60s. He wore some sort of one piece coveralls and would bring out his white German shepherd dog at the end.
These physiques are lighting a fire in me. The natural path is slow but this is so reassuring that the efforts of my labour will come to fruition
tbh its not even that slow. in the first 3-4 years of training youll get quiet alot of mass, only after that its gets slower and slower but at that time your still massive
well also you want your health. Not now, it's more like a pension for your retirement. I've nursed people who'd overdosed on steroids because they had to to stay alive from asthma, they had no choice. Their skin ripped if rough fabric touched it. Everything was difficult. Seriously, like hearing people die of delirium tremens would cure all drinkers, nobody would take steroids if they saw the longterm results. Not to mention the huge increase in domestic violence and crime (obviously varies by person, but not life-enhancing to anybody to increase it). Why put all that work in just to kill yourself early? To me that's like ruining the job.
slow but steady wins the race
Same here
My goal is something more towards an Olympic weightlifter or gymnast tbh, those guys have power to weight for days, are mostly natural, and look amazing.
I don't have a problem with mass monsters unless they want people to believe that it's possible naturally. For me looking back at the earlier eras is really motivating because they were natural and because I look much more similar to them.
It's even more motivating to me because we have a better understanding of ideal exercise, nutrition, and recovery. We should be able to be even better naturally.
@@MarkarthCityGuard indeed. much better results can be obtained naturally now with enough dedication/supplimentation and diet. No need for "steroids". Though, I suppose people could argue that its not natural to use prework/postworkout supplements.
Only problem I have with mass monsters, is the waist. Totally defeats the purpose for me when your gut is sticking out further than your chest.
The gold era was not natural.
@@aetherblackbolt1301 he never said it was
Silver era is the natty goal fr. Shit is really inspiring. Golden era is my favorite in terms of the bodybuilders who were in it and the overall aesthetics.
Love the tradition between bronze era and silver. Aesthetic and functional with an emphasis on Calisthenics, oly lifting, eastern style strength training but they started incorporating the modern day lifts and the size difference especially in the chest and slimmer waist to me was perfectly aesthetic
I think we’re entering a new era right now thanks to cbum, where more aesthetics physics are valued again and bodybuilders are no longer looking to look like monsters.
We entered that era with zyzz 11 years ago
For sure, we’re on the verge of a new era
Id have to disagree because where Chris competes isn’t open body building it’s a separate division. Classic physique was designed to reflect the golden era looks
Cbum is still taking drugs
@@woogieboogie3889yeah but not the levels of the mass monsters lmao
I totally agree. The modern era of bodybuilding is too disproportionate, with a main goal being size and not aesthetics. Half of them look like they're bloated with abs, and they don't look appealing whatsoever. I believe the golden era looks the most aesthetically pleasing and impressive, but with the use of steroids it shatters my goals as I'll always be natural. The silver era is ideal for me and is actually achievable to look towards. The Bronze era is still impressive, but not as well-proportioned as the silver era, therefore the silver era is ideal in my opinion.
Also legs are too big in the modern era
Silver era is my personal favorite. It‘s the same aesthetic proportions as the Golden Era (big chest, wide shoulders and narrow waist) but actually attainable and an inspiring blueprint to natural lifters. The human levels of body-fat with the human levels of muscle that still have very aesthetically pleasing proportions. I appreciate the bronze era a lot as well especially considering the limitations of the sport at the time. Golden era is still nice to see because it’s something you can idealize; they still look human. Mass monster is disgusting. It’s a chemistry experiment, they don’t look healthy and you know 10 years after their bodybuilding career they’ll have heart failure which is sad. Isn’t the point of lifting weights and working out to improve your overall health?
I agree with your analysis. The Silver Era is appreciated the most by me because it became an art, taking lessons from the bronze era and mastering it. I don't much care about the Golden Era for the reasons you cited. That said, the early Golden Era is digestible.
Bronze Era: Steroids weren’t a thing, and everybody had amazing physiques with hard work and dedication
Silver Era: Steroids were invented, but a majority of bodybuilders were still natural
Golden Era: few people were natural, and everybody was juiced up and easily got their hands on the roids
bronze era is the best bruh they look big and natural
@@gggf4766 Nah silver era def looks better
But Arnold said he only used roids when cutting not bulking lolz
@@nemonucliosis Source: trust me bro
@@nemonucliosis doesn't matter, i like Arnold but steroids are steroids
Damn bro! Your channel is EXPLODING!! The sub count is going up real quick. Congratulations! You deserve this for all the research and effort you put into your videos.
Thanks for the support bro!
@@NattyLifeYTBy the way back in the 80s there was a completely all natural bodybuilding organization. I don't remember what it was called but the guys looked completely normal.
Im a bronze era fan myself. Yeah i personally prefer on myself a more full chest but the training styles and physiques are much more attainable by anyone and you can really tell that they had dedication to attain their goals. Its really impressive
There was an interest in real performance too: strength contests, including men against horses, etc. That side of "body building" continues to this day.
Me too
Please keep posting this amazing natty bronze and silver era vids. They really give me so much motivation. I stopped watching all the other stuff and just lift and watch this for weeks now. Love it
Will do brother. Thank you for your support!
Bronze era really looks the best here I think.
Wonder what kind of training with our current knowledge of muscles and biology we should have to get to these physiques
I really liked the look of the Silver era bodybuilders where they focused on a balanced more "realistic" composition. All the competitors looked to be around 10% bf with a lot of mass, rather than being 1% and 400 lbs lol.
Actually at that time, there weren't other levels of bodybuilding, they didn't think the mass monster size was possible. So no , I don't think they were trying for a balanced level. They just got as big as they could but also focused on posing to make it artistic
Man I really didn't believe that some people really thought these guys weren't natural. Just look at the most recent comment on my account. It's crazy how people will blackpill themselves rather than use this great history to empower themselves. Here's to the golden age of natty bodybuilding 💪
You gotta remember that most people have never lifted in their life, so they have no perspective - A bronze era physique is as foreign and unattainable as Ronnie Coleman’s. Further beyond that, someone that doesn’t personally know bodybuilders, or watch their content would have no idea that testosterone, or more advanced drugs, provide such massive increases in muscle. I bet if you asked 100 people on the streets what “tren” is, 90 would just think you misspelled “train”
I love the different shapes of bodies over time; it's kind of like fashion: each age has its own aesthetic and its own beauty.
At 67 I'm back at the gym with modest goals of gaining muscle and flexibility and general fitness. The 70s was a get shredded competitive manscape.
Great retrospective. 👍💪
My interest in bodybuilding ends with the mass monsters as well, though there is much practical training advice to be learned from Dorian Yates, as he is unusually intelligent and knowledgeable as bodybuilders go. Bronze and Silver eras are really where it's at, as the physiques and achievements are attainable by the layman - just become knowledgeable and put in the work.
I also think the bronze / silver era guys might look a bit bigger / better than they actually were, because of the lack of color and the older photograph technology
Seeing them as a limit is wrong imo, more like a waypoint on where to go 🤷🏻
I don't think it's wrong to look at the guaranteed natty days (bronze era and older) as an approximate limit for most men. Remember not everyone is going to have the genetics or hormone balance to get better than that. Some people will surpass them naturally, but starting off assuming that you'll be able to surpass them is going to hurt when your genetics won't let that happen.
more closer to a limit if youre being honest
@@taylorhillard4868 when you look at the greatest of them definitely, but if you look at pictures like 2:55? Definitely not a "limit" imo
@@burritodog3634 silver era i can argue, but bronze era??? Im 90% sure almost every male on this planet can get a similar look to many of them, but of course not anyone has enough time / cares enough to put in the work so it balances out
Bronze era guys were either ripped af (some may be "small" by todays standards)
Or had more bf than many say (and even them were like 180-200lbs tops)
Thats no limit to me
@@silber11 my guy, 20-40% of adults are obese; more have never lifted a weight in their life. having any visible muscle is beyond the ability of about half of all men - your expectations are way too high. Anyone who looks like the bronze era men (naturally) are going to be insta-model status at the least, and that’s rare. Expectations for men are far too high, especially when a substantial amount of serious lifters get into roids
Bronze & Silver is the true inspiration. The rest is noise. Let’s get after it
Damn bro, you just changed my view on the golden era. I knew they weren't natural, it just didn't bother me until now. Being natural and testing what you can achieve is beautiful.
Bronze generation - natural era
Silver generation - testosterone era
Golden generation - dianabol era
90s onwards - hgh, insulin and synthol era
I'm starting to go to the gym next week, and I'll be going for the bronze era look. Thanks for introducing me to the likes of Sandow and Pandour, the body types I'm going for.
How'd it go?
@@MarkarthCityGuard One week in, I'm very sore, especially in my shoulders and lats, but I can already feel some health improvements, like sleeping better, feeling more motivated to go through the day.
@@mateuscristianschannelen961 stretch after working a muscle group, do it again multiple times a day after. Helps it not hurt so much. You also will start getting used to it and won't be so sore. Don't kill urself for the first few weeks, just try to nail down form with a medium/light weight, that'll also help soreness
@@mateuscristianschannelen961 stay focused on beig consisten rather than gong as hard as you can. stay away from being sore. thats the goal
@@dyyylllaannn Well, I'm two weeks in, the soreness has mostly stopped. As for being consistent, I didn't skip a single day yet (I rest on wednessdays and Sundays).
Another great video! Congrats on the channel numbers increasing.
Thank you bro!
Agreed. Bronze laid the foundation; ilver was the realistic pinnacle. Gold was what I grew up seeing, Arnold, etc. When I saw Yates I cringed; I respect him now for letting himself age properly and I hope healthily. The guys now make me sad; I sincerely hope they'll have an epiphany and quit before they die. Having said all that, the whole idea of bodybuilding seems ridiculous to me now. It's ironically unmanly to obsess over your appearance. It seems much more important to become stronger and better able to simply live a long, happy, healthy life, while being content with whatever aesthetic benefits that brings -- which are actually plenty good for anyone with a healthy, balanced psyche. Thanks for the vid.
All bodybuilders obsess over their appearance that’s the point of bodybuilding, also these guys weren’t trying to be the strongest. Sorry if I took your comment out of context
I respect Yates for showing the power of HIIT, which I think is a great training method, but I'd much rather actually look like any of the top bodybuilders from previous eras.
Just found your channel from this video couldn't agree more with your thoughts on the mass monsters.
silver era phisiques are peak aesthetics and natty inspiration
The aesthetics, culture and mainstream introduction the Golden era provided is definitely not to be underestimated. The niche superstars that it created are ones many look upto, including me. But I do agree that it dosent resonate with the Natural Lifter nor should be used as a guide.
Natty is the only way to go. Thanks so much for your thorough research and photos. Good job!!!
im soooo grateful for this channel. history AND bodybuilding?? hell yeah. thanks for helping the natty revolution!
Steve Reeves is still physique goal. its insane
He’s got the best muscle insertions you can dream of. Thin waist, crazy lats, great arms… just an overall very aestethic physique.
@@hasselett I have a similar frame thats why hes my idol. If he could do it me too
My ex-husband is a product of the Frank Zane/Franco Columbu era. My ex and his brother did all the enhancements they could get their hands on. The steroids were readily available at the local gym where we all trained. In my opinion, the steroids changed him in terrible ways. He raged and was abusive and unpredictable, and his facial structure changed permanently. I believe the steroids were the root cause of his anger. We have 3 daughters together. This changed the trajectory of our lives. He was a semi-pro baseball player and was drafted. He had a fantastic physique naturally and good symmetry before the steroids, but he felt he wasn’t enough. He hated his calves and he thought to be balanced and competitive, he had to have more developed calves. I partially blame the industry for ending our marriage and the post-abuse trauma that I eventually overcame, but I know that ultimately, he made the choices.
Steroids don’t change your personality. That’s a myth.
Sad story, drug destroy people
Terrific video! I like your narration more than others that try to cover the silver era, which is my favorite era. I agree with you about the timing of steroids coming in, and it's great to learn the time-line here. I didn't know the time-line as clearly.
Thank you for such great content. The explanations of each era was very clear and understandable. Really looking forward to creating my journey into bodybuilding !
I think the significance of the Golden Era rests largely with film. You'll notice on camera, natural bodybuilder physiques dont really have the same impact, you'd have to see them in person to be impressed. In the golden era, however, people got so big it was even jaw dropping to see on a screen, and thats why in my opinion we had this explosion of great action films and stars in the later decades
I mean, I think it’s the other way around - pumping iron was not a documentary in any way. Arnold and Lou ferrigno were both acting a character the entire time, and they learned to play the media alongside their bodybuilding success as a result. I’ve heard the argument that Lou Ferrigno placed 3rd against Arnold solely because the character in the doc required that he train with his father in his basement, instead of at Golds gym with Arnold, which was the original plan
Many followed in Arnold’s footsteps but few have gotten anywhere close to his success, except maybe Bautista or the Rock, who were both also actors (WWE stars). The reason bodybuilding exploded into the acting scene was because men who were great actors placed themselves amongst the top ranks; success in bodybuilding and the acting world went hand in hand
@@Caffeine_Addict_2020 well I'm not sure what you mean by "not a documentary" but it did take place before Arnold's Hollywood career took off. I guess what you mean is that he knew how to play to public audiences and quickly became a star. Also there are plenty of men with much more muscular physiques (not quite arnold level, but still huge) like van damme and stallone who clearly took steroids. Its now an open secret that action stars are all taking vitamin S nowadays
@@MathGPT "not a documentary" as in it's a work of fiction. Arnold's stories are made up, he has been interviewed several times explaining that he made up stories for the cocky character he was playing. Lou Ferrigno was supposed to play the foil to Arnold, the shy underdog, but Lou is not that person. Also the aforementioned "trained with his father in a basement" is entirely made up for the movie. It's not a documentary, in that, it's not a nonfiction look at their lives. It's documentary fiction in that it is loosely based on the subjects lives, but the story is fiction, and there is a script. There's a great video on this that I watched recently, I believe it's called "how pumping iron lied to you". My point being - that the reason they became famous in the first place was because they were great actors in a very famous movie, so it the transition of becoming greater actors in more famous movies isn't as far fetched as, say, a Mr. Olympia who isn't already an actor
@@Caffeine_Addict_2020 i guess I dont really care if they were lying in the documentary. Arnold didnt pretend to win Olympia 7 years in a row, he really was competing. I think you're taking things a bit too far to claim arnold was someone scamming or lying to the public. Documentaries are often sensationalized for the purpose of entertainment. That doesnt mean its not a documentary. I agree in that Arnold was probably playing a character... But isnt that what most people do when they have an audience? The greater message for me os that Arnold was born to be a star and his breakout performance in Pumping Iron got him started and created his "brand"
Bronze era is the physique I'd actually want to have.
Even the chest?
@@bigjohn5142 chest is a bit small, but it's the most realistic era. Silver and gold look like action figures. Just not appealing to me.
Really high quality video bro. Loved it
This channel is one of the CZcams 's best in any cathegory.
Everything new is a well-forgotten old, so I think natural bodybuilding as a sport will come back in full glory one day.
I think my favorite era is the Silver. I say this because I grew up looking up to bodybuilders from the 70s. I've developed a large chest from years of working out. I'm getting into bodybuilding and I want to make people accuse me of using steroids. It's happened before and it motivated me to keep going. The only extra thing I did was whey protein along with more food.
I believe you did a great work of synthesis with this video. Very well researched and straight to the point. I agree 100%. Modern bodybuilders put a lot of work and passion, but they live absolutely unhealthy lifestyles and the results look freaky.
I really enjoyed this video! It's amazing to see how much bronze and silver era bodybuilders were able to achieve with relatively little information (compared to today) about nutrition and training and with limited equipment.
Another fascination video. I enjoy your well-thought out, measured opinions, too.
Amazingly informative and insightful. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it bro!
I'd have to say the Bronze Era is my favorite. I was exposed to this history long before I knew anything about bodybuilding, when I was getting interested in fitness and strength training. I was mainly following the work of a then little known author named Pavel Tsatsouline. His books were replete with photos of such greats as Sandow, Saxon, Grimmek and Hackenschmidt promoting an aesthetic based on natural functional lifts in favor of the contemporary "all show no go" pumped up physiques. These images gave me something to aspire to and feel like I could someday attain. I couldn't stand toe to toe with Sandow today, since I'm a bit on the skinny side. But I'm pleased with my physique just the same and glad that was the road I was shown at the beginning.
Damn, I remember reading a bunch on Tsatsouline in martial arts mags in the early 2000's. Where we started to see the kettlebell being used.
The aesthetics, culture and mainstream introduction the Golden era provided is definitely not to be underestimated. The niche superstars that it created are ones many look upto, including me. But I do agree that it dosent resonate with the Natural Lifter nor should be used as a guide.
I love how much opinion your always put into your video. Keep it up !
Wow, when you put it in chronological order, it really shows how ridiculous the mass monsters were. Great video.
Are* and it will go even more sciency with gene editing 🤣
Its the "unnatural" progression of the sport it is after all bodybuilding the goal is to keep pushing the envelope to bigger bodies. It gets fucked up when you don't do it while considering the enlargement must be made while maintaining perfect proportions. I'm a two mutated MTSN genes Fucking Freakasaur but even with the ability to naturally pack on 40% more muscle than the current normal natty i kept my emerging immensity in perfectly proportioned lines Frankly if gene manipulation and stem cell therapies already in use can take us to the next level when done right 400lbs+ Adonis are welcome. Can't wait. Count me in to get Jacked up ever bigger!! Its what I'm about!! Best, Jurassic Jack
Excellent commentary! Great work!!!
bronze and silver were fantastic!! reeves and sandow look better then anyone today!!!!
Great vids. I also love the silver and bronze era emphasis on fitness, athleticism and health. Jack LaLanne is another pioneer who deserves to be celebrated. Thanks for this channel.
dude what an amazing informative video, great work!
You have so much right about the chemistry monsters
silver era physique is what u can achieve with training and a proper diet and for me it's also the best looking one
You forgot to mention the highly popular Classic Physique category of the modern era!
They have superb and aesthetically pleasing physiques!
Closes to golden age era.
Natty looks SO much better. I wish more people now were still natural.
Great showcase!!
Eugen Sandow has an amazing physique. The term Greek God Physique comes up a bit and if you actually look at classic statues he is the closest to it. I would say that is pretty close to peak natural fitness in terms of strength, endurance and mobility.
They actually looked like athletes in bronze and silver
Amazing work you have done ! 💪👍
Nice video 👍
It would be interesting if you would do a video like this about nostalgic old school wrestlers compared to modern day wrestlers and the history of the physiques of wrestlers?
Wow that was very informative, thanks man, keep it up 👍🏼
Great video and great message
Man, we Bodybuilders of ALL KINDS be that natural, slightly enhanced or super enhanced open competitor, should ALL be together as ONE! We all train the way we do, eat the way we do, rest the way we do, all for one reason and one reason only. To build our bodies muscle, to shape ourselves to be the best we can be. I use Test and other steroids in that journey (not huge amounts as I'm 49 this year!) but I don't look down on naturals or any other Bodybuilder. We should ALL respect each others views on how far they want to take things. I would never have wanted to be a mass monster like Coleman and Cutler but I respect the utter dedication to Bodybuilding to get to that kinda incredible size. Just like I respect the dedication that natural Bodybuilders have. We shouldn't be driving a wedge between us different types of Bodybuilders, we should all be as ONE!
I am totally with you about not being able to resonate with golden era and beyond
Amazing content, subscribed! There go many hours of my life over the next few days 😂
A very interesting and enjoyable video.
A lot of Bronze Era guys had decent though not super impressive natty physiques, but a few of em were absolute tanks to be sure. Fred Rollon had great back and arms, maybe missing some chest development though.
I think overall the Silver Era is where things took a turn and you saw more and more great natty physiques pop up. Nowadays it's hard to tell if a physique is truly natty cause you can never truly know, but with the larger pool of people lifting it only make sense there would be more genetically gifted freaks than ever before.
Still, with the silver Era you know you're looking at natural physiques and they're somewhat attainable, making it a great goal imo
There is no Mass-Monster Era, it's Super-Mutant Era.
Great documentary!
Your channel is awesome.
I agree with everything you said on this video
You can call this the tungsten era, cause these modern bodybuilders are heavy yet vulnerable
1:49 this guy looked phenomenal.
Great channel, thanks.
Very much agree Steve Reeves had an incredible balance physique and although Frank Zane was in the golden era i like his balance and proportion , i met a few of the golden era at seminars in there no competitive cycles and have to say Zane was always in good condition and a very nice guy , when i started training in 1980 my gym called it Body Sculpture not Bodybuilding but even at that time the 2 main instructors were on the juice as they competed at amateur level
Thankfully there are other competition categories besides open, that restrict the weight to height ratio or weight to bring more aesthetic physiques back. They are obviously still juiced to the gills in those as well, but maybe not to the extreme extents of the open guys. Still I do find it fascinating to see how far the physique can be pushed with the open guys as well, but it's not feasible to almost anyone. The thing is the guys who dominate the open category still need the absolute best genetics for androgen response, decent genetics in injury resistance and overall response to training to reach those levels, so it isn't simply someone pumping themselves full of drugs, even though that plays a part in it too. Also the work ethic each and every pro-bodybuilder needs to have is insane. The drugs help, but insane levels of work still needs to be put in to look the way they do. Still that said I aspire to be natural and build the best physique I can without chemical assistance, but I don't really feel to need to judge those who want to go that route. There are massive trade offs to taking those drugs obviously, but competing in bodybuilding is an extreme sport, so it comes with the territory. The way the risk is induced is just different and maybe harder to grasp than say paragliding, free-soloing etc, but it should be regarded as an extreme sport.
Very well put. I agree, thank you
Silver era and bronze era really makes me feel better about where im goin this far natty, and why im not huge. Makes me feel better
Is it just me or did Bronze Age physiques consistently have disproportionately incredible traps? Building traps on somewhat small frames like we see in the bronze era is hard enough natural, but targeting them ideally with
minimal training knowledge makes it almost impossible. Maybe it’s the carryover from gymnastics. Bobby pandour in particular had traps that ate his damn head. I’m talking Yoel Romero caliber traps and Yoel Romero is juiced to the gills.
You would be surprised how much focus they have on the neck and traps. As you say, some were gymnasts but many also wrestled professionally. They trained neck and traps just as hard as anything else
Lifting weights since early 60’s, I can see and respect your take on the evolution of bodybuilding. Was influenced by bronze era (many aged, were still living/lifting), saw rise of silver era. Many episodic jumps you missed are the transitional phases lifters, those between eras. I remember how very lean/cut natural bodybuilders would sometimes beat the PEDS enhanced and influenced them to be big AND cut, for example. Some weighed about 150 lbs but looked great under lights.
I really enjoyed this and completely agree with you,well done!
I really appreciate your channel man. I think these bronze era bodybuilders are the ultimate trump card to people who don't think much are naturally achievable. These guys were literally the greek ideal and show what is possibly natural. It also in my opinion makes it clear that all the little details people focus on today are not that important. The basics will get you to where you want to go.
For me, I am a 100% natural person but I actually want to be the person to see how big a human can get WHILE being 100% natural.
Well, although I do enjoy watching the open division of the Mr. Olympia (I am very excited for this year, as the line up is the deepest it has been in many years) I have to agree with you that (with some exceptions, like early Phil Heath or Shawn Rhode) it's pretty much a chemistry experiment at this point.
That said, what about Chris Bumstead and the Classic division (as well as maybe the aesthetic movement)? Would that be the Platinum age of bodybuilding 👀
I think that there is no coming back. Although we can definitely see some athletes with aesthetic physiques and good looks, they are all using lots of drugs, GH and even insulin nowadays.
Great content!
I couldn't agree more. Even though I was hooked in bodybuilding that was inspired by the mass monsters, I was always the Golden Era type of bodybuilder. But now, as I get older, I learn to appreciate the Bronze and Silver era bodybuilders even more. Plus, there's a lot of good things that came out of their eras too. Number one is their nutritional plans. And of course, their training regime. Speaking of which, aside from their training that involved them using weights and equipment, which is obvious, there's also the other side of their training that didn't involve them using any resistance apparatus at all! Calisthenics, isometrics and dynamic tension were also a common practice for most of these guys. And they applied them in daily routine religiously.
A chemistry experiment, lol. Well said.