Has grainy muscle disappeared in bodybuilding? Branch Warren thinks so. On Feb. 8, 2026, he argued that grainy muscle is achieved through intense training, not genetics. He also pointed out that today’s bodybuilders look different because they no longer squat.
Branch Warren remained an active IFBB Pro League competitor throughout the 1990s and 2000s. During that time, he built his physique through old-school hardcore workouts at the iconic Metroflex Gym – a training haven for bodybuilding greats, including former eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman.
He came incredibly close to claiming the Mr. Olympia title. Warren took second place at the 2009 Mr. Olympia and had the misfortune of facing an all-time best Jay Cutler. Nevertheless, Warren proved himself to be an elite competitor and won the Arnold Classic title twice (2011,2012). Still pushing weight in retirement at 50, he opened up on how training has impacted physiques today.
Branch Warren Says Grainy Muscle Comes from Training, Discusses Why Athletes No Longer Squat
In the IFBB AMA video, Warren said he built grainy muscle from training to failure with high intensity and heavy weight.
“I think it’s training. I think that super heavy weight, high intensity, training to failure, I think years and years of that, I built that density and graininess that I have.
People that don’t train like that – they don’t look like that. Look at the guys back in the 90s, 2000s, a lot of you guys had that because you trained hard, you trained heavy, you trained intense and the physiques looked different.”
Warren also shared that most competitors today no longer squat, which has affected the quality of physiques:
“How many guys nowadays squat? They don’t. A high-intensity squat will make your whole body grow. How many guys squat till their fuckin nose bleeds? Maybe James Hollingshead; he still trains hard, but I don’t see that anymore, and the physiques look different.”
“It’s a different era, I get it, everybody trains different, the supplement different, all that stuff, but it’s just a different era. The training is different, so the physiques look different,” said Branch Warren.
Squatting was a non-negotiable exercise for Warren throughout his career. He recently broke down how to master the barbell squat for lower body growth. According to the bodybuilding veteran, it’s the single best exercise someone can do to build their quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Warren doesn’t see the same level of detail he remembers on physiques from his era. He believes the lack of squatting might be contributing to a less grainy look onstage.
RELATED: Old-School Legends Branch Warren and Lee Labrada Pump Arms and Discuss Today’s Men’s Open Division
Watch the full video from the IFBB AMA YouTube channel below:
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