Eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney is one in all few males to go away the game on high. In a current Muscular Growth interview, Haney opened up on athletes sacrificing well being for conditioning, pure diuretics, Derek Lunsford, and making posing routines a extra essential facet of bodybuilding contests.
From 1984-1991, Haney dominated the Mr. Olympia competitors with eight consecutive victories, a distinction he now shares with Ronnie Coleman. Whereas having fun with a wildly profitable profession, Lee was pushed by IFBB Professional League icons corresponding to Wealthy Gaspari, Lee Labrada, and six-time Olympia Dorian Yates.
Much like the opinions of Labrada and Gaspari, Haney maintains that athletes as we speak have grow to be infatuated with dimension as a substitute of chasing symmetry, stability, and proportions. In accordance with Haney, athletes are greater however lack high quality element, an issue he lately pinned on coaches. As of late, Haney urged bodybuilders to be cautious of extreme dehydration as properly.
Talking with Ron Harris on February 6, 2023, Haney gave his sincere tackle the place Open bodybuilding is headed. As well as, Haney mentioned Derek Lunsford’s potential, posing rounds, and the pure diuretics he used to attain longevity.
Lee Haney Pleads to Athletes and Judges for Reform: ‘You Shouldn’t Need to Die to Attain This Degree of Conditioning’
Haney stated when he competed it wasn’t widespread for athletes to die. In as we speak’s bodybuilding panorama, women and men are passing away extra incessantly than in many years prior.
“A whole lot of athletes find yourself sick or find yourself dying due to attempting to attain that stage of dryness. I believe we have to change the cultural mindset of what’s taking place on the subject of judging these competitions,” argued Haney. “On the finish of the day, you need to get pleasure from your self as an athlete, however you need to stroll away together with your well being. You shouldn’t need to die to achieve this stage of conditioning. They’re asking an excessive amount of of the athletes interval. You take a look at the old fashioned of bodybuilding, it’s not the old fashioned, it’s the faculty. Neglect that old skool,” says Lee Haney.
Whereas competing within the Eighties-Nineties, Haney talked about that athletes have been capable of obtain conditioning with out killing themselves. He specified that legends just like the late Invoice Pearl and Dave Draper have been proof that longevity existed in bodybuilding.
“We reached a stage of conditioning that also allowed us to stroll away after the competitors and nonetheless be alive — and nonetheless be wholesome. You take a look at the longevity of individuals like Invoice Pearl, who was 90 when he handed. You take a look at folks like Chris Dickerson, Chris was in his 80s. You take a look at folks like Dave Draper, Dave was I believe 79 however near 80.” “These athletes that come from that lineage of bodybuilding — they dwell longer and extra productive more healthy lives. You take a look at Frank Zane, I believe he’s 78, Robby [Robinson] is 75, Arnold Schwarzenegger is 75, Albert Beckles is 90. What’s that saying? The apply of bodybuilding, the apply of vitamin, the apply of conditioning was much better throughout that period.”
Urging for reform, Haney underlined that officers have ‘blood on their fingers’ from perpetuating harmful practices, like favoring dry conditioning.
“Judges know what it ought to appear to be. They bear in mind the period of Robby Robinson, Frank Zane or Lee Haney or Wealthy Gaspari… they bear in mind the truth that we have been wholesome. No person handed out on the stage. You will have a man that bought slightly dehydrated, slightly lightheaded, however no one needed to name in paramedics and that kind of factor to revive anyone. So, there’s a sample that already exists. I’m saying, let’s get again to these patterns. It doesn’t take so much to try this. It simply takes a becoming a member of of the minds,” Lee Haney shared. “I believe we have to step again and rewrite, reassess, as a result of the blood of those athletes which are dying, is in your fingers. They’re in your fingers.”
Pure Diuretics?
Constructing his title within the sport, Haney utilized pure diuretics to look dryer on stage.
“I used to be capable of obtain the definition I wanted through the use of easy issues. As an example, utilizing B6, the complement B6 acts as a pure diuretic. Then, horsetail grass, which is an natural kind of pure diuretic. Then, I’d practice and use scorching tea, English tea, no sugar, which is a pure diuretic or espresso. The deal is when utilizing issues pure like that, it doesn’t suck the entire minerals out of the physique.”
Haney Shares His Customary for Bodybuilding, Discusses Derek Lunsford’s Potential and Posing Rounds
Regardless of athletes wanting shredded glutes, Lee Haney argued that the “stability of the physique, symmetry, muscle bellies, shoulder-to-waist ratio, and completeness” must be the usual wherein judges use to attain exhibits.
“The true normal is that this: I by no means seen a set of butt cheeks win a present or it shouldn’t be judges by a set of butt cheeks and hamstrings solely. The stability of the physique, symmetry, stability, muscle bellies, shoulder to waist ratio, completeness, must be the usual, with good muscle separation. It doesn’t need to be a striated set of butt cheeks.”
Reflecting on the stunning 2022 Mr. Olympia competitors, the South Carolina native preferred Derek Lunsford’s ‘taper’ however understood why Hadi Choopan ended up successful.
“I preferred the best way Derek seemed — Derek had good taper, good traces, he seemed nice interval. After which, in fact, Hadi [Choopan] got here in with extra muscle separation. What I noticed on Hadi was extra muscle maturity, that was the right deal. I noticed nothing fallacious with Hadi’s physique. He don’t circulation as properly however he’s sufficient. You see what I’m saying. And sure, I agree, he ought to have received the Mr. Olympia.”
Haney known as for added modifications to judging standards. He believes a brand new level system must be applied at Olympia and posing rounds must be scored as soon as once more.
“A degree system [at pro shows] must be reestablished, and posing must be a kind of issues [added]. Posing, symmetry, and the necessary poses. Do your quarter turns, all of that must be there – stability, symmetry, and presentation.”
Lee Haney isn’t the one bodybuilding veteran calling for athletes to sharpen their posing expertise. Chris Cormier, who made his title as a professional within the Nineties, reasoned that Mamdouh ‘Massive Ramy’ Elssbiay dropped to fifth place due to posing but additionally pointed to his nerves and coaching habits.
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Since retiring on high in 1991, Lee has witnessed the game bear regular modifications. Contemplating how typically athletes are dying, Haney hopes coaches, judges, and athletes take severe measures to make sure longevity.
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