In bodybuilding, there’s no denying that a tight midsection ties the physique together to create a more aesthetic appearance. In the latest Prime Time Muscle Podcast, Terrick El Guindy and Chris Cormier debate whether or not vacuum poses should become mandatory at bodybuilding shows, highlighting its popularity as a result of bubble guts.
Hitting a vacuum pose isn’t a new concept in bodybuilding. Former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane popularized the look in the 1970s and 80s before more bodybuilders followed suit.
With stomach distension becoming an issue for modern bodybuilders competing at the highest levels, the vacuum pose was resurrected by those aiming to present a more streamlined physique. From Chris Bumstead’s to Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford‘s, the pose has helped talent stand out, especially when hitting the mandatory abs and thigh shot during competitions.
Chris Cormier and Terrick El Guindy: Rise in Vacuum Poses is a Response to ‘Bubble Guts’ in Bodybuilding
According to Chris Cormier, vacuums took off in the sport again after YouTubers and bloggers made a ‘big deal’ about them.
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“When we were doing vacuums with a front double bicep, no one ever made a big deal out of it. I think that became a big deal when some of the YouTubers, bloggers started talking about it and in such emphasis like it was so great to do, some people can’t do it, some people can do it. Yeah, some people can’t do it because they don’t practice it.”
Cormier underlined that vacuums don’t compliment every type of physique, but emphasized that ‘everyone can do them,’ it’s simply a matter of training for the technique.
“Everyone can do it. Girls can do it. Guys can do it. Everyone can do a vacuum.
It’s just not everyone looks good doing a vacuum and I just don’t think it should be placed in the abs and thigh shot, we’re trying to compare you and you’re doing two different things, it’s not right to compare someone with two different poses when you’re trying to come up with a champion of that competition,” explains Chris Cormier.
Terrick El Guindy explained that vacuum poses were first popularized by bodybuilding legends Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger. As the sport progressed, stomach distension became an overarching issue among competitors. This prompted Schwarzenegger to call for more vacuum poses in the IFBB Pro League–and competitors obliged.
“The vacuum was something existent in the past where you saw guys like Arnold, Frank Zane doing it. Nobody had a problem doing it. At an Arnold Classic Sunday seminar, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s saying we’re seeing all these guys with huge guts. I haven’t seen the vacuum in years. People should be doing vacuums to showcase their small midsection.”
“After that, a lot of the Classic Physique guys and Chris Bumstead was one of the first ones, remember? He clearly stood up to the judges. He went to the sides, grabbed his head, and showed a beautiful vacuum. Was that a mandatory while he was doing that? No, it wasn’t. But it’s a reaction to the bubble gut,” shared El Guindy.
El Guindy believes the rise in vacuum poses was a ‘reaction’ to the bubble gut trend, which seemingly was at its height during Phil Heath‘s Mr. Olympia reign.
“We had all these guys with huge guts hitting abdominals and thighs and they couldn’t have done the vacuum. It’s a reaction to what had been happening. Competitors were saying, ‘Hey listen, there’s all these guys with bubble guts. Here I am.’ I’m not talking about anybody.”
Although Heath dealt with stomach distension, El Guindy gave him a pass due to his hernia, which ultimately nudged ‘The Gift’ to stop competing after the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
“Before Phil, a lot of the guys started with having midsections and Phil had a hernia, so he had an excuse for why his abdominals were coming out. Prior to that, we had guys with prominent abdominal sections, they couldn’t even do an ab shot.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was a comeback on a reaction to bubble guts,” replies El Guindy. “Inspired by a guy named Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Cormier believes vacuum poses ultimately come down to how someone trains their abs.
“It’s just the way you train the abs, it’s not like you have a bubble gut, or you have a distended stomach because of whatever you did getting ready for the show, food taken in, so, it’s all about training the muscles to be able to do so,” explains Cormier.
Cormier and El Guindy weren’t the first to discuss the role of vacuum poses in bodybuilding. Trainer Milos Sarcev criticized the technique, arguing that it nullifies the true meaning of an abs and thigh pose, which is meant to highlight abdominal definition.
The debate rages on; some believe the vacuum can complement the abs and thigh pose while others suggest it simply hides the midsection from judges. Do you believe vacuums should be mandatory at bodybuilding shows?
RELATED: Eddie Hall Hits A Vacuum Pose While Working With IFBB Pro Ryan Terry
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