At 5 ft 10 ins and 240 lbs[2] Oliva, nicknamed "The Myth", displayed an unforeseen level of muscle mass and definition, including a "V" shape of a large and a well-formed upper-body that tapered down to a narrow waist. Ronnie Coleman is considered to be one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Kenneth “Flex” Wheeler seemed to be the heir apparent, but Ronnie Coleman, who placed 9th in 1997, surprised everyone with a much improved physique in 1998, winning the first of 8 consecutive titles. The idea of muscles on a man’s body seemed as ridiculous a notion as not being allowed to smoke in a restaurant. Sure, everyone knows Arnold, but there have been 14 other muscle men who have flexed their way to Mr. Olympia fame since 1965. The event, promoted by both Schwarzenegger and his best friend Franco Columbu, allowed the veteran reporter to experience a bodybuilding competition in person. • Supplements
[citation needed]. Subsequently, judging in professional bodybuilding competitions started placing greater emphasis on muscle mass, with many bodybuilding traditionalists commenting that muscle mass had now become the most important factor to winning, even greater than that of symmetry, aesthetics, and proportion. This seventh victory was especially controversial, as most fellow competitors and observers felt that he lacked both muscle mass and conditioning, and shouldn't have won over Chris Dickerson or Mike Mentzer. adroll_current_page = "other"; After winning his pro debut at the Mr. Universe in 1974, Samir quickly built up one of the highest quality builds the stage has ever seen. //-->, . He defeated Oliva again in 1972, and went on to win the next three Mr. Olympia competitions, including the 1975 edition, which was highlighted in the 1977 docudrama Pumping Iron and featured other notable bodybuilders such as Lou Ferrigno, Serge Nubret, and Franco Columbu, who would go on to win the 1976 and 1981 competitions. Home; OlympiaTV; Results; Qualifier Lists.