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It’s been years since the 4-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler has competed in professional bodybuilding but fortunately, there’s no shortage of his photos. Now, he recently posted a one where he was doing a vacuum pose and for his more blocky-type physique, it’s not too shabby…
But he posted this photo on Instagram to really join in on the “vacuum pose discussion” that’s been spreading like wildfire. Now, this all started with Arnold Schwarzenegger putting the Classic Physique winner George Peterson on the spot by asking him to do a vacuum posed, of which he failed miserably…
And from that point on people have been wondering if the vacuum pose should be a mandatory pose. So naturally, Jay Cutler chimed in since he had a photo to spare which would grant him access into the discussion…
Cutler wrote… “While we are still on this vacuum pose discussion… I’m 290 lbs here at Muscle Beach
Courtesy of: @managermatt1 Should the vacuum pose be mandatory?? Discuss”
Now, back in Arnold’s competitive days, the vacuum pose was extremely popular it really did create a “Classic” look. Bodybuilders like Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, and Lee Haney all made the vacuum pose look amazing but one might wonder why we’ve gone away from it…
Well, the physiques in Open bodybuilding are much bigger nowadays, and there’s a little something called “bubble gut” that makes the possibility of a “good” vacuum pose nearly impossible. Now, this may not be the main reason for the fazing out of the vacuum pose but the massive physiques of today are anything but “Classic” (Not necessarily a bad thing) and the whole game has changed as a result.
And it’s apparent waist size has gotten larger since the Golden area of bodybuilding; which is understandable due to the size increase of the athletes so this may be another factor to take into consideration. However, with the new Mr. Olympia Shawn Rhoden winning the title last year, it seems as if we might be moving back to a more classic small waist, and we may see other bodybuilders following in pursuit.
Now, the vacuum pose might have its benefits like improving core control and possibly even helping to maintain a tighter waist which would make it worth doing on a daily basis to enhance the midsection. But, we likely won’t see it as a mandatory pose anytime soon as many competitors are simply not capable of doing the pose, and it’s not really important overall.
What do you think about the vacuum pose in modern-day bodybuilding?
