As Bodybuilding Evolves, Rich Gaspari Laments Loss of Artistic Expression
Rich Gaspari, a former professional bodybuilder, recently expressed concern that the artful aspects of bodybuilding are being overshadowed by the sport’s focus on mass and size. Speaking on the Fitness, Fame & Fortune Podcast, Gaspari argued that bodybuilding should be considered an art form, rather than a sport.
The Art of Posing: An Integral Part of Bodybuilding
Artistic expression has always been an essential component of bodybuilding, with competitors crafting unique posing routines to complement their physiques. However, Gaspari believes that the art of posing has been diminished in recent years, as the focus has shifted towards mass and size.
The Rise of the Mass Monsters: A New Era of Bodybuilding
Since Gaspari’s time on stage, bodybuilding has undergone significant changes, with the rise of the so-called “mass monsters” dominating the Men’s Open division. As a result, Gaspari worries that the focus on size has come at the expense of artistic expression and the true essence of bodybuilding as an art form.
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Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman: A New Era of Mass Monsters
In the 1990s, Dorian Yates revolutionized the world of bodybuilding, winning six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles with his mass and conditioning. Yates was succeeded by another massive yet conditioned bodybuilder, Ronnie Coleman, who went on to win eight Mr. Olympia trophies.
The Return of Conditioning and Balance: Hadi Choopan’s Victory at the 2022 Mr. Olympia
The recent win of Hadi Choopan at the 2022 Mr. Olympia has been hailed as a return to conditioning and balance in bodybuilding, with many believing that the era of mass monsters is coming to an end. Rich Gaspari, however, argues that the sport has temporarily lost its artistry, and attributes this to the lack of creativity in posing routines.
Rich Gaspari Explains Why Bodybuilding Should Be Considered an Art Form, Not a Sport: ‘It’s Something That’s Subjective’
Gaspari argues that bodybuilding is an art form, not a sport, due to its subjective nature. He contrasts it with sports like track and field, where athletes compete to reach a specific endpoint.
“You talked earlier about what is bodybuilding, is it a sport or an art? I consider it an art form. Do you have to go through physical training to get to this art form, yes you do. You’re building a statue by throwing clay to build up your chest or your shoulders but what are you doing? You’re displaying your body after all this physical exertion that you’re doing to build that body. Is it really a sport? It’s something that is subjective.”
“You really don’t sit there and run through the finish line and pick a winner. When someone argues with me that it’s a sport, I say it’s not a sport. It’s an art form. You have to go do the gym to get to look like a certain way to be that art form but is it really something that you can say I don’t know.
I can’t really say anything about sports because in the Olympics you got curling, which I think is a ridiculous sport, throwing that thing across the ice. Could bodybuilding be considered a sport, in that sense sure, since curling is a sport, why not bodybuilding. I kind of think when people tell me I said it’s art form, it’s not a sport,” Gaspari said.
Gaspari, 59, thinks that Classic Physique is reviving the lost artistry in bodybuilding.
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“A lot of what you’re doing is training, but people don’t see what it takes to make that body. The dieting, the training, the tanning, all the preparation it takes to get ready to go on that stage. That’s the part that it’s all the stuff that comes together to get you to be that bodybuilder on stage. I mean – I spent hours posing too because it’s good that lately that the art form is coming back because of Classic Bodybuilding but for the last couple of years, the last five or six years it was lost, it was a lost art.”
“Back – go five, six, eight years ago, bodybuilding posing was completely lost. I thought the routines were shit. The only guy that really posed that gave a good show was someone like a Kai Greene. That still saw something in that even though there wans’t – I guess they didn’t score it. Back when I posed or when I competed, they did score the posing round.”
John Ramano, an industry expert, noted the absence of vacuum poses in the Men’s Open division, which was a hallmark of bodybuilding during the Golden Era featuring icons such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Draper, and Lou Ferrigno.
“Ferrigno was famous for that, think of the huge guys from then that could do a vacuum. Draper, Arnold, Louis, all these guys that we talk about – Mentzer – he was pretty big at one point still sucking up a vacuum,” added John Ramono.
Gaspari commented on the busy atmosphere of Venice Gold’s Gym and compared it to a circus before concluding.
“It was such a show [at Gold’s Gym Venice], guys like Lyle Alzado, you knew Lyle Alzado, he was nuts, the Barbarian Brothers — guys if you went to this gym back then, it was a circus. It was a circus. You really couldn’t train in that – I would train, like I said, train in the valley, I would go to World’s Gym with Lee and he would never want to go to Gold’s.”
Retired Pros Highlight Changes in Men’s Open Division
Bodybuilding has evolved over the years, and some retired pros are not happy with the changes in the Men’s Open division. Lee Labrada, a perennial Olympia contender, has pointed out that symmetry, proportions, and balance have been “tossed to the side” as of late. Additionally, he took issue with the lack of creative posing routines and described the Open class as “tanks clunking” between each other with no transitions.
Revival of Balance and Posing in the Open
Samson Dauda’s win at the 2023 Arnold Classic, on the other hand, has revived the importance of balance, symmetry, and posing in the Open. However, Rich Gaspari is still adamant that bodybuilding should be considered an art form, not a sport. According to Gaspari, the subjective nature of bodybuilding makes it an art form, not a sport, and he believes that Classic Physique is resurrecting the lost artistry of the practice.
Busy Venice Gold’s Gym
Before wrapping up, Gaspari likened the busy Venice Gold’s Gym to a circus. Gaspari, like many others, believes that bodybuilding has become more about mass and less about artistry. John Romano has also drawn attention to the lack of vacuum poses in the Men’s Open division compared to the Golden Era of bodybuilding, which hosted legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the late Dave Draper, and Lou Ferrigno.
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Overview
In the world of bodybuilding, the focus on size and mass has overshadowed the artful aspects of the sport, according to former professional bodybuilder Rich Gaspari. Gaspari argues that bodybuilding should be considered an art form rather than a sport due to its subjective nature. The art of posing, once an integral part of bodybuilding, has been diminished as the rise of the “mass monsters” dominates the Men’s Open division. Gaspari points out that posing routines lack creativity, leading to a temporary loss of artistry in the sport. However, the recent win of Hadi Choopan at the 2022 Mr. Olympia is being hailed as a return to conditioning and balance, with many believing that the era of mass monsters is coming to an end. Gaspari thinks that Classic Physique is reviving the lost artistry in bodybuilding, but industry experts note the absence of vacuum poses that were a hallmark of bodybuilding during the Golden Era. Gaspari concludes by comparing the busy atmosphere of Gold’s Gym in Venice to a circus, highlighting the colorful characters and unique personalities that made the gym a legendary place for bodybuilders.
Featured Image @ richgaspari (Instagram)
