Dorian Yates says today's champions are not up to the standard... Lunsford defends modern bodybuilding

Legendary bodybuilder Dorian Yates leaned into the current Mr. Olympia champions. But reigning champion Derek Lunsford hasn't let that get to him and says bodybuilding today is on a whole new level.

Dorian Yates, six-time Mr. Olympia winner and the man who defined the "mass monsters" era in the 90s, was critical of the current direction the Royal Open division is taking in a recent Instagram post. Yates believes that today's champions no longer represent the "ultimate male figure" as they did in the era of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lee Haney.

Yates: We miss height and shape, instead we see "iceboxes"

In his video, Yates emphasized that the ideal male physique should combine muscularity with some height and structure. He cited legends of the past as an example.

"This is the best male physique in the world - 193 cm, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. When you look at Arnold or Lee Haney, you go, 'Wow, I get it.' That's the ultimate male physique," Yates explains.

But his criticism sharpened when it came to the current champions. Yates pointed out that if you showed today's Mr. Olympia winner to the general public, the reaction would be different.

"If you show them today's Mr. Olympia and say that's the pinnacle of the male physique... well, wait a minute. I mean, he's only about 5'10", right? He looks like a refrigerator. How is that possible?" Yates wasn't kidding.

Derek Lunsford: I respect the past, but we are the next level

Derek Lunsford, who regained the Mr. Olympia title in 2025 (defeating Hadi Choopan and Andrew Jacked), responded directly to Yates' words in the comments. While he expressed respect for the legend, he emphatically stood up for his generation.

"@thedorianyates is GREAT. But this is a NEW era that has taken bodybuilding to a NEW LEVEL. We can respect the greats of the past, but what is happening RIGHT NOW is the GREATEST moment in CULTURISM HISTORY," Lunsford wrote.

The clash of generations continues

Yates is not the only veteran who is critical of the current cutting edge. Lee Priest, for example, recently let it be known that Lunsford looked like he was just in exhibition form on stage, even using the unflattering comparison to a "waterlogged whale on the beach."

The debate over whether the king of bodybuilding should be as tall and aesthetic as Arnold, or whether the modern, extremely muscular and compact look is the right direction, will no doubt continue to do so.

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