Dorian Yates believes the quality of Men’s Open physiques has been watered down. In an Instagram post shared on Dec. 15, 2025, Yates said Mr. Olympias today look like fridges and don’t represent the ultimate male physique.
During the 1990s, Dorian Yates was a trailblazer in the sport. He ushered in an era of mass monsters following Lee Haney‘s eight-year dynasty, which was defined by aesthetics and proportionate muscle. Yates believes the sport has gotten away from these principles, arguing that champs of today lack quality muscle and stature.
In 2025, Derek Lunsford reclaimed the Mr. Olympia title against Hadi Choopan and Andrew Jacked. While the win further cemented his legacy, some in the sport, like Yates, find it hard to compare his physique with names like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Haney.
Dorian Yates, Derek Lunsford Trade Barbs Over What a Mr. Olympia Should Look Like
In the reel, Yates emphasized that bodies like Schwarzenegger and Haney represented the ultimate male physique, given their muscularity and height.
“This is the best male physique in the world, six-foot-four, with wide shoulders and a small waist. You look at Arnold or Lee Haney. Wow, I get it. That’s the ultimate male physique.”
However, in today’s era, he was critical of physiques, noting that many are short and have a fridge-like appearance.
“But if you talk about the guys that are Mr. Olympia now and you show that to members of the public and tell them that’s the ultimate male physique, well, hold on, he’s only like five-foot-four or something, isn’t he? He’s like a fridge. How is that possible?” says Yates.
In response, Lunsford shared that his era has taken bodybuilding to a new level.
“@thedorianyates is GREAT. But this is a NEW era that has taken bodybuilding to a NEW LEVEL. We can respect the greats from the past, but this RIGHT NOW is the GREATEST moment in BODYBUILDING HISTORY,” shared Derek Lunsford.
Yates hasn’t been the only bodybuilding veteran to scrutinize Lunsford’s physique. Lee Priest actually had Andrew Jacked or Hadi Choopan winning the 2025 Mr. Olympia. Additionally, he thought Lunsford looked like he was in guest posing condition, describing him as a ‘waterlogged beached whale.’
For Yates, he believes the Mr. Olympia represents the ultimate male physique. While he can appreciate what competitors offer nowadays, he maintains that their physiques are a far cry from what was on display in the last few decades.
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