His back and legs lagged way behind his chest and shoulders and there are poses he just doesn't do. He had the 'potential' to be the best but fell well short to me because of his lack of attention to those body parts...
Fantastic two part list. When you got low in the numbers I was was hoping for S. Reeves, but you won me over with your commentary on his honorable mention placement. Well done Tom!
@TheLusianPopa nope i disagree his legs were perfect. he had 30 inch legs on a 27-28 inch waist thats amazing, he said that because of his small waist and massive legs it gave him lower back pain loool
Flex Wheeler at the 1993 Arnold Classic had my favorite physique of all time and in my opinion the greatest Classic Bodybuilding/Physique of all time! Imagine 1993 Flex vs the modern day Classic Physique guys! I think Flex would dominat the Classic Physique lineup.
He'd be dominating any category. He's one of those guys on another level when it comes to genetics, he can choose what division he wants to compete and he will dominate.
Surprised not to see Mike Mentzer in this list. His proportions and esthetic allowed him to have the first perfect score, 300 in professional competition at the 1979 Olympia in which he won the heavy weight class and then lost to Frank Zane for the overall.
Very overhyped but overall midclass bodybuilder. He’s good and balanced and have an incredible physique but he don’t stand out. He also was despicable as a person
2021 and we still in this bullshit era where mass wins no matter how shitty you look. Gotten a little better but not much. What is pleasing to the eye should be a massive part of bodybuilding. Not just who takes the most gear. I would have loved to see Flex beat Ronnie. I have always hated Ronnie. Just a big ugly body. I don't care he is 300 pounds of pure muscle and conditioning is good. It's ugly. Especially the year he beat Flex, Ron had that gyno that stuck out like crazy when Flex looked amazing. And they crowned Ronnie and started a era that mass was only thing that mattered. Ugly body's like Ruhl, Cutler, Kai, Phil. Thought when they changed it to Dexter Jackson I thought we finally turned a corner. And nope right back to mass. Granted cutler came out in his best shape ever, and part of that is because he took off some muscle and focused on shape and it paid off. Guys should learn from that. Miss guys like Flex, Shawn, Ray, Levrone, Chris Cormier and more. Guys that looked great to the eye and had great lines. We need that type of lineup again. Body building would blow up if we went back to that. Instead of the insulins taking roided up pregnant dudes that have caused body building to fall hard.
@@thomasc.5219 Ronnie had gyno one year. And Flex had Synthol in his arms. It was blatantly obvious. Gyno is nothing compared to that. He was also watery and had a lot of weak poses. And Ronnie was 247-255 the years he beat Flex and provided what is probably the best combination of mass with aesthetics. He only looked ugly after 2000 when he got too big.
@@thomasc.5219 Also Phil in 2011-2013 was aesthetic. A combination of Ray and Wheeler. Just shut up. Flex never deserved an Olympia. There was always someone better. Hell Cormier should have beat him in 99.
Steve Reeves was not on steroids during his competition years, so no wonder he did not have the mass compared to the others. Reeves retired after his last competition in 1950. It would be a few years later when the first steroids were administered among the American bodybuilding community at the York gym. Steve Reeves was 6 foot 1 inch height and weighed 215 at most in competition. Back then they were still doing full body workouts as split routine training came later. To compare his physique as a "fitness" physique against steroid users was misplaced. The comparison needs to be made with other pre-1952 bodybuilders and their "fitness" physiques which were actually the elite steroid-free bodybuilders of their day.
100% on point . . . . . . Steve Reeves was a f*ckin Stud! Bob Paris, Berry De Mey, Gary Strydom (88' Olympia) were the type of dudes that made my home-girls back in high-school go completely gaga! --- Wasn't the list supposed to be all about "Aesthetics'??????
Thoughtfully done. I would have to agree with your top two rankings based on a strict "sport" of bodybuilding criteria but personally prefer to have a physique like the Black Panther. Nevertheless, thanks again. Good job.
Thanks bro. Yeah Serge was more natural looking and Wheeler looks more like a comic book character, otherwise they're very similar. At the end of the day I'd probably rather look like Serge as well to just walk around but Wheeler is just too perfect on a bodybuilding stage
Very comprehensive and well researched list. You have a very good eye for bodybuilding aesthetics. I don't have anything to disagree with. Great work!!
@Sam Caballero Reeves was about as natural as Kim Kardashians ass. You should know better. Nobody after 1945 was all natural. They just didnt use as much. That's all.
Good job bud. To me Zane will always be the 1st one, like you said, the father of aesthetics. Given that our genetics are quite similar, I even got a list I update every month with my measurements and Zane's, my goal is to achieve the best out of my body to look as much as I can to Zane. I'm aware I'll never look like him though.
I have a zane and reeves type body too but i have the heignt of zane and the high clavicles of steve and big calves of reeves i used train calves 3times a day like reeves its dimond like but its high calves like arnold reeves has loe cslves like chinese people
1) Bob Paris 2) Shawn Ray 3) Frank Zane And then all the others in my mind. Great video! Let's give it up for the golden days when bodybuilding was art, beauty and intelligence.
So totally agree with you. I even had Benfatto and Charles Clairmont in front of Flex. I like Flex but in terms of aesthetics I still think like Levrone he's leaning more slightly to the bulky side than aesthetic.
Good list, I agree on all except Clairmont, would have placed him a spot or two higher. I think he's the one bodybuilder that matched Flex in the aesthetics dept, always thought Clairmont got overlooked several times.
21:32 the pose here an watching arnolds life story got me into the gym again great video man thanks for all the hard work an putting in a good unbiased list ive seen others that were kinda odd i dont get the new bb stuff or the big attitudes they have now kai greene seems like a legit good person but other than that they all seem like big ole tanned pregos lol
He was great too one of the other old school guys I considered along with Mike mentzer. Both those guys could be in the top 20 but ultimately couldn't find a spot for them
@@AsadAli-jc5tg@@AsadAli-jc5tg Chris Dickerson’s arms were awful short triceps and his left biceps was a bad shape and his elbows were hideous. As you can tell I’m not a fan of his
@@AsadAli-jc5tg Chris Dickerson should not be in the top 20 of all time aesthetics wise. He had a truly awful physique for an Olympia winner in terms of aesthetics imo.
For me aesthetics are funny because it’s almost as if imperfections tend to enhance aesthetics. They cause the bodybuilder to present more artistically and add unique quality
Oh man, I just finished watching your latest video of the Freakiest Mass Monsters and I was wondering if you would do one of the more aesthetic physiques ... and to my surprise, you ALREADY did one; with two parts.👍
Loved the top, personally I know that nubret is the epidemy od aesthetics but to me, his traps are too big and makes him less apealing, but it's just muy opinion
I think Shawn ray should have been higher. Definitely higher then zane. I personally think that his physique was best in 1999 and overall I think it's one of the best of all time. But good list bro, keep up the good content.
I never understood how Serge Nubret was overlooked in favour of Zane as a god of aesthetics. Then I looked at the politics behind it in the 1970s. Joe Weider was a bigoted and power obsessed man, there’s evidence and testimony of that all over the internet. He froze out a lot of potential superstars, Sergio Oliva, Robby Robinson, Serge Nubret, and many others
I like that list. Some very good picks. But I do feel Wheeler’s lack of symmetry in the abs makes him lower on the list. After viewing all those bodybuilders I actually think Bob Paris might be edging everyone out. I love Shawn Ray but Paris looks like perfection.
Excellent list Tom, Flex is the guy for me as well, 1993 Arnold is the best physique in history hands down, the muscle separation and muscle detail were unreal....
No one in the history of bodybuilding had a shape like him especially shoulders and legs in his dayvhevhad size like arnold he was a coleman in his day what about dave draper and reg parks size and symmetry .
Here , I’ll fill you in on the secret of Arnold’s physique , he had what’s called .....expansion. That’s the difference from being totally relaxed to hitting a pose. When totally relaxed, Arnold looked almost normal. But when he pumped and posed, O....M....G!! Most guys today, especially the roid abusers, they walk around all day hitting the front “relaxed” full lats on. And when they hit a pose, nothing changes. This is very evident in Arnold’s side Chest “expansion” pose, where no one hits anymore .
I agree he may not have the best taper but his huge ribcage when he hits the vacuum pose just looks so aesthetic he pulls it off so well and in his side chest his vacuum helps along with his smaller delts compared to his massive chest giving the illusion that its bigger. Its mostly his structure though his torso is relatively short with his chest taking almost half of it.
Really liked the analysis. I agree for the most part but would put Brian Buchanan as number 1. Really agree with your position that bodybuilders should actually look good and that its been no good since the 90s
This list is debatable which is normal however i did not see Danny Padilla.. Steve Reeves which is known for having the most pleasing physique ever and in my opinion the model of many bodybuilders after him.... I really loved the list and you took me back with alot of my favorites also a bodybuilder not mention was Berry Demey i believe he is Dutch.... Very Very good video.......
He could arguably be on here. There's a ton of obscure bodybuilders like that who looked tremendous back in the day. But I mostly tried to stick with top tier guys who have competed at the Olympia and Rory I don't think ever even turned pro.
Good call bro . . . . . Rory and Bob (paris) went head-to-head in 83'. Bob (paris) also went mono-on-mono with Berry De Mey the same year! No disrespect, but the list is a bit of a bust without throwing studs like Berry De Mey, Rory Leidelmeyer up on there! . . . . . mykey from toronto
I started training after seeing Kozo Sudo (look him up) on the cover of Iron Mag (the real Iron Man magazine) in mid to late 70s he was NABBA Mr Universe, absolutely flawless but probably only weighed about 12 stone (168 Ibs) I've still never seen a better balanced physique. It's a very subjective issue and enjoyed your take on it despite not agreeing some of your choices. Strange that you mentioned Mohamed Makkaway several times and yet you didn't place him.
I see quite a few people in general who think Zane is overrated. Not just here but in other forums as well. I beg to differ. Winning 3 Olympia's (let's not forget the other titles he won like Mr. Universe) with such little mass is definitely not a joke. Secondly, he was a master of illusion. He knew how to pose and present himself and he trained accordingly. And that's what the golden era was all about, it was basically creating an illusion on stage and look as godlike as possible. He IMO would come not just in the top 5 aesthetic physiques list but also under the top 5 bodybuilder list. But this is just my opinion lol.
Frank Zane was incredible and not as " small" as his critics think. Many youtube commentors criticize him yet his competitors Coe, Padilla, Grant, Arnold, Ferrigno et al are very respectful of him .
before watching this video I would bet my car that u cant hit nubret and flex as number 2 and 1, and U DID IT!!! exactly same point of view and reasons for that, awesome, thumbs up man, btw, its chest, why serge looks so awesome, rest is very very good, but that chest, ooh man...
For sure I would have Serge #1 on this list. Flex's arms just look odd to me and I don't know if I'd even have him in the top 10. Enjoyed parts 1 and 2, thanks!
The pattern that I see is that people who are most aesthetically pleasing have their back as the most dominant body part and their legs as their weakest.
Flex in 1993 was simply breathtaking. I wish Levrone was placed higher than 12. He has always looked amazing, in his smaller days aswell as when he became a mass monster. Great list overall, it's really hard to put a top 20 together because the physiques have changed so much over time...
yeah it really was tough to order these guys! Levrone could probably be a bit higher but I didn't really think he was that aesthetic later in his career when he got bigger so not top 5 material imo. Thanks for the comment man
Flex's physique was no doubt very good. But even his earlier, lighter-weight pics show quads that are simply too large to be considered 'aesthetic'. As for the the bulkier (2nd pic) of him, he looked decidedly blocky - no aestheticism whatsoever. The most aesthetic physique was most likely that of Bob Paris.
I'm only 7 minutes in and I couldn't agree more about Arnold. Also, I thought what aesthetic guys also exude power as well as aesthetics (a hard thing to do) and I've always come up with Levrone & Arnold as the top two. I've thought this for years so no new thought but it's a very rare thing for a bodybuilder to be herculean & aesthetic at the same time.
KC Darin levrone is a freak of nature when it comes to athlethicism.He ran 100m in 11 seconds while weighing 240+,he has an otherworldly shoulder press and could flip for days.I wouldnt count Arnold as particularly strong,he could barely hitch a 625 deadlift at 240,his bench was good tho,his squat miserable due to his long femurs.
Lee . I am a portrait artist and a fan of muscle ( but strait..who would av got that?). Joking … but that man has shadows in all the right places. A gift to a portrait artist
Look at the definition, look at the vascularity, look at the thickness, them gains right there, THEM GAINSSS..them all kindz of gainzzzz alllllll kinnndddzzzzzz
I think Bob Paris was the most aesthetic, perfect lines and posing.
torso too long threw his shape off for me
The IFBB crowned him the most aesthetic bodybuilder ever in 2006
Agreed.
@@aasserelzoghby6781 ifbb has made a lot of mistakes in the past, """ Nasser El Sonbaty"""
Hands down
Liked for Serge Nubret, the absolute perfect physique no doubt
he is just crazy lookin
Serge Nubret is the best physique out there for me. I would really want that.
His Muscles look so full
Serge Nubret looked unbeatable in front “relaxed” poses but lost at highest levels because of under sized back.
His back and legs lagged way behind his chest and shoulders and there are poses he just doesn't do. He had the 'potential' to be the best but fell well short to me because of his lack of attention to those body parts...
I hope classic looking physiques make a great comeback.
Hanzo guys like bumstead and Ansley in classic physique have huge potential imo
TXV1300R You called it
not unless the pharmacies stop selling more and more poison
@@TXVR-ut6qw Chris really lived up to this
We’re there
Fantastic two part list. When you got low in the numbers I was was hoping for S. Reeves, but you won me over with your commentary on his honorable mention placement. Well done Tom!
Great list, love Serge Nubret being up there, great shout.
I really like flex, but I would rather look like Zane or Reeves.
definitely
Too skinny, Bob Paris or Serge Nubret
@@nealkelly9757 lmao skinny
@@hieunguyenduy1357 Not enough muscle I mean
@@nealkelly9757 show me your physique then
branchosaurus rex xd
Most aesthetic natty of all time... Drum roll.... Rich Piana!!!
Lol
I am a long time student of BB and I cannot disagree with anything you said in this video. Good job. thanks
You bave the best analysis on bodybuilding. You hit the nail on the head everytime.
I find Flex' legs too big to be #1. serge wins for me. But it's all subjective, you still did a good job :)
lordwout10 too big legs?? What does that mean??
lordwout10 serges legs too small lol.
@@caius6019 yep serge looked amazing from the waist up but his legs were shit even for his day.
Serge just wins!
@TheLusianPopa nope i disagree his legs were perfect. he had 30 inch legs on a 27-28 inch waist thats amazing, he said that because of his small waist and massive legs it gave him lower back pain loool
I literally laughed for like 15 minutes on that"mighty branch assauris rex " thing
Shawn Ray... just wow.
The Black Panther is the perfect physique
Great job. Sound choices, editing, presentation and narration. Even non-fans should be able to enjoy. Thanks.
Flex Wheeler at the 1993 Arnold Classic had my favorite physique of all time and in my opinion the greatest Classic Bodybuilding/Physique of all time! Imagine 1993 Flex vs the modern day Classic Physique guys! I think Flex would dominat the Classic Physique lineup.
The trophy for that division should be modeled after flex. Like the open winner is the sandow, the classic physique should win the flex lol
@@asnmdnss that would be something wouldn't it
He'd be dominating any category. He's one of those guys on another level when it comes to genetics, he can choose what division he wants to compete and he will dominate.
Surprised not to see Mike Mentzer in this list. His proportions and esthetic allowed him to have the first perfect score, 300 in professional competition at the 1979 Olympia in which he won the heavy weight class and then lost to Frank Zane for the overall.
I think he's top 20 material, not top 10
He is the most "bland" bodybuilder i have seen...
Very overhyped but overall midclass bodybuilder. He’s good and balanced and have an incredible physique but he don’t stand out. He also was despicable as a person
He is absolutely top ten material. He was close to petfect, his torso was a teeny bit short and wide to be perfect, but that's it
It's a shame Wheeler never won an Olympia. Oh well. It was an era where mass and freaks were thought to be top of the line.
2021 and we still in this bullshit era where mass wins no matter how shitty you look. Gotten a little better but not much.
What is pleasing to the eye should be a massive part of bodybuilding. Not just who takes the most gear.
I would have loved to see Flex beat Ronnie. I have always hated Ronnie. Just a big ugly body. I don't care he is 300 pounds of pure muscle and conditioning is good. It's ugly. Especially the year he beat Flex, Ron had that gyno that stuck out like crazy when Flex looked amazing. And they crowned Ronnie and started a era that mass was only thing that mattered. Ugly body's like Ruhl, Cutler, Kai, Phil.
Thought when they changed it to Dexter Jackson I thought we finally turned a corner. And nope right back to mass. Granted cutler came out in his best shape ever, and part of that is because he took off some muscle and focused on shape and it paid off. Guys should learn from that.
Miss guys like Flex, Shawn, Ray, Levrone, Chris Cormier and more. Guys that looked great to the eye and had great lines. We need that type of lineup again. Body building would blow up if we went back to that. Instead of the insulins taking roided up pregnant dudes that have caused body building to fall hard.
Unfortunately he had to face the GOAT in his prime.
@@thomasc.5219 Ronnie had gyno one year. And Flex had Synthol in his arms. It was blatantly obvious. Gyno is nothing compared to that. He was also watery and had a lot of weak poses.
And Ronnie was 247-255 the years he beat Flex and provided what is probably the best combination of mass with aesthetics. He only looked ugly after 2000 when he got too big.
@@thomasc.5219 Also Phil in 2011-2013 was aesthetic. A combination of Ray and Wheeler. Just shut up. Flex never deserved an Olympia. There was always someone better. Hell Cormier should have beat him in 99.
Steve Reeves was not on steroids during his competition years, so no wonder he did not have the mass compared to the others. Reeves retired after his last competition in 1950. It would be a few years later when the first steroids were administered among the American bodybuilding community at the York gym.
Steve Reeves was 6 foot 1 inch height and weighed 215 at most in competition. Back then they were still doing full body workouts as split routine training came later. To compare his physique as a "fitness" physique against steroid users was misplaced. The comparison needs to be made with other pre-1952 bodybuilders and their "fitness" physiques which were actually the elite steroid-free bodybuilders of their day.
Tomn8er doesn't compare Reeves to the guys in his list & says why for the reasons you give so WTF are you talking about?
100% on point . . . . . . Steve Reeves was a f*ckin Stud! Bob Paris, Berry De Mey, Gary Strydom (88' Olympia) were the type of dudes that made my home-girls back in high-school go completely gaga! --- Wasn't the list supposed to be all about "Aesthetics'??????
Except that the first "common" steroids were developed and distributed in the 1930s.😉👍
I think you nailed it my friend. Flex definitely has the body that most guys would love to have. He's the epitome of balance and aesthetics. Good job!
For me, Frank Zane was the OG of Aesthetic Physiques. This man looked like an sculptured greek god!
👍🏿
No sir, Steve Reeves hands down !
Branch 'The Goblin' Warren for sure #1 - Tomn8er's favourite BB. Add Dave Palumbo and Paco Bautista to the list - they looked great too. LOL.
And Art Atwood
"The chemist" Frank Zane #1
Why did they call him that ?
Yes
@@markyates9712 i heard he was a Chemistry teacher .. Could be wrong
pbkimblee he had a bunch of degrees including a BA in chemistry
That black and white kneeling pose of Bob Paris is my favourite bodybuilding shot of all time.
Thoughtfully done. I would have to agree with your top two rankings based on a strict "sport" of bodybuilding criteria but personally prefer to have a physique like the Black Panther. Nevertheless, thanks again. Good job.
Thanks bro. Yeah Serge was more natural looking and Wheeler looks more like a comic book character, otherwise they're very similar. At the end of the day I'd probably rather look like Serge as well to just walk around but Wheeler is just too perfect on a bodybuilding stage
Very comprehensive and well researched list. You have a very good eye for bodybuilding aesthetics. I don't have anything to disagree with. Great work!!
You still cannot deny that Reeves was so very impressive for a natural bodybuilder.
for any era lets not forget his height and ridiculous small waist perfect proprtions and 99.999999 percent natural
Of course the greatest like muhammed ali .they lost shows and fights but they were the greatest of all times
@Sam Caballero
Reeves was about as natural as Kim Kardashians ass. You should know better. Nobody after 1945 was all natural. They just didnt use as much. That's all.
Steve Reeves was not a natural bodybuilder. It's naive to think otherwise.
lol
Bob Paris!!🤩 probably one of the first bodybuilders I heard about
Good job bud. To me Zane will always be the 1st one, like you said, the father of aesthetics. Given that our genetics are quite similar, I even got a list I update every month with my measurements and Zane's, my goal is to achieve the best out of my body to look as much as I can to Zane. I'm aware I'll never look like him though.
I have a zane and reeves type body too but i have the heignt of zane and the high clavicles of steve and big calves of reeves i used train calves 3times a day like reeves its dimond like but its high calves like arnold reeves has loe cslves like chinese people
Anand Deonarine what does that even mean😂
Great job Tomn8er.I would like Lee Labrada a little higher but with such an incredible competition it was obviously too hard.
1) Bob Paris
2) Shawn Ray
3) Frank Zane
And then all the others in my mind. Great video! Let's give it up for the golden days when bodybuilding was art, beauty and intelligence.
So totally agree with you. I even had Benfatto and Charles Clairmont in front of Flex. I like Flex but in terms of aesthetics I still think like Levrone he's leaning more slightly to the bulky side than aesthetic.
Good list, I agree on all except Clairmont, would have placed him a spot or two higher. I think he's the one bodybuilder that matched Flex in the aesthetics dept, always thought Clairmont got overlooked several times.
He did take 3rd spot at the 1995 Arnold Classic, beating guys like Lee Labrada and Lee Priest.
21:32
the pose here an watching arnolds life story got me into the gym again great video man thanks for all the hard work an putting in a good unbiased list ive seen others that were kinda odd i dont get the new bb stuff or the big attitudes they have now kai greene seems like a legit good person but other than that they all seem like big ole tanned pregos lol
* *Beauty* is in the eye of the beholder... u knew what I meant ;)
Tomn8er
Flex admit in an interview with Shawn Ray that he haved used syntol!
Yeah I know he's admitted it. I talk about this in the video....
A ok, I didn't hear it. Sorry, my bad!
Tomn8er ....Dexter.???
John Sprenger he's close. Prolly top 30 in my book
danny padilla bro one of the best aesthetic body builder of his time.
He was great too one of the other old school guys I considered along with Mike mentzer. Both those guys could be in the top 20 but ultimately couldn't find a spot for them
Chris Dickerson should have been in the first five.
@@AsadAli-jc5tg@@AsadAli-jc5tg Chris Dickerson’s arms were awful short triceps and his left biceps was a bad shape and his elbows were hideous. As you can tell I’m not a fan of his
@@AsadAli-jc5tg Chris Dickerson should not be in the top 20 of all time aesthetics wise. He had a truly awful physique for an Olympia winner in terms of aesthetics imo.
You can't be serious, too blocky looking, short torso and legs !
Benfatto is ideal for me :)
Great video as always, no arguments with this list!
Berry De Mey someone?
For me aesthetics are funny because it’s almost as if imperfections tend to enhance aesthetics. They cause the bodybuilder to present more artistically and add unique quality
Yes! Excellent point!! 👍👍👍👍👍
I agree with the choice of Serge Nubret over Frank Zane
i dont
Yep zane imo is overrated
king ryuga could not agree more
Oh man, I just finished watching your latest video of the Freakiest Mass Monsters and I was wondering if you would do one of the more aesthetic physiques ... and to my surprise, you ALREADY did one; with two parts.👍
What do you guys think about Chris Bumstead?! I was glad Cedric made the list, but if he does, Chris should do it also, don't you think...?
Good to see bob Paris on the list. Always though he looked amazing
Loved the top, personally I know that nubret is the epidemy od aesthetics but to me, his traps are too big and makes him less apealing, but it's just muy opinion
Dennis tinerino and Tony Pearson. Were some of my all-time favorites
Tony Pearson... The best vacuum poser of all time
You called some good names there thanks
Dont forget mike mattarazo .broad shoulders small waist and large dimond calves he was better than ronnie colman and victor richards
@@avichal4563 no chuck sipes and freddie ortiz
I have always looked up to Arnold, I wish to be a classic physique competitor one day
👍👍👍👍
Great listing bro! I enjoyed it a lot
I think Shawn ray should have been higher. Definitely higher then zane. I personally think that his physique was best in 1999 and overall I think it's one of the best of all time. But good list bro, keep up the good content.
Flex , shawn ray , frank zane , the physiques we all desire
I never understood how Serge Nubret was overlooked in favour of Zane as a god of aesthetics. Then I looked at the politics behind it in the 1970s. Joe Weider was a bigoted and power obsessed man, there’s evidence and testimony of that all over the internet. He froze out a lot of potential superstars, Sergio Oliva, Robby Robinson,
Serge Nubret, and many others
Samir is my all time fave physique but your placings make sense too.
I like that list. Some very good picks. But I do feel Wheeler’s lack of symmetry in the abs makes him lower on the list. After viewing all those bodybuilders I actually think Bob Paris might be edging everyone out. I love Shawn Ray but Paris looks like perfection.
Yes! Paris!! 👍👍👍👍
Excellent list Tom, Flex is the guy for me as well, 1993 Arnold is the best physique in history hands down, the muscle separation and muscle detail were unreal....
I don't think Bob Paris can be topped, but kudos for recognizing Lee Labrada.
Serge nubret #1
Bill pearl is forgotten man
Thank you! Amazing and ahead of his time.
No one in the history of bodybuilding had a shape like him especially shoulders and legs in his dayvhevhad size like arnold he was a coleman in his day what about dave draper and reg parks size and symmetry .
Here , I’ll fill you in on the secret of Arnold’s physique , he had what’s called .....expansion. That’s the difference from being totally relaxed to hitting a pose. When totally relaxed, Arnold looked almost normal. But when he pumped and posed, O....M....G!!
Most guys today, especially the roid abusers, they walk around all day hitting the front “relaxed” full lats on. And when they hit a pose, nothing changes.
This is very evident in Arnold’s side Chest “expansion” pose, where no one hits anymore .
That is a great point you put right there 👏
I agree he may not have the best taper but his huge ribcage when he hits the vacuum pose just looks so aesthetic he pulls it off so well and in his side chest his vacuum helps along with his smaller delts compared to his massive chest giving the illusion that its bigger. Its mostly his structure though his torso is relatively short with his chest taking almost half of it.
Most aesthetic (and thus proportional): Zane, Benfatto, Paris
Great vid, Tom 🔥
Lee Labrada, Serge Nubré, and Frank Zane inspires me to hit the gym.. and yeah, Roelly..
Totally agree with all the points you made about Steve Reeves! But I'd rather look like him than all the other guys on this list, to be honest.
Best aesthetics physic was Dave Palumbo and second place Mini-Me (Austin Powers movie). End
Clairemonte was incredible.
Bob Pharis... That's the body you want to have bro...
Really liked the analysis. I agree for the most part but would put Brian Buchanan as number 1. Really agree with your position that bodybuilders should actually look good and that its been no good since the 90s
His comment about most modern bodybuilders looking lab experiments is so true lol.
This list is debatable which is normal however i did not see Danny Padilla..
Steve Reeves which is known for having the most pleasing physique ever and in my opinion the model of many bodybuilders after him....
I really loved the list and you took me back with alot of my favorites also a bodybuilder not mention was Berry Demey i believe he is Dutch....
Very Very good video.......
Good list. I would have moved Arnie down and Robby Robinson up.
Rory Leidlemeyer should be way up on the list.
He could arguably be on here. There's a ton of obscure bodybuilders like that who looked tremendous back in the day. But I mostly tried to stick with top tier guys who have competed at the Olympia and Rory I don't think ever even turned pro.
Good call bro . . . . . Rory and Bob (paris) went head-to-head in 83'. Bob (paris) also went mono-on-mono with Berry De Mey the same year! No disrespect, but the list is a bit of a bust without throwing studs like Berry De Mey, Rory Leidelmeyer up on there! . . . . . mykey from toronto
Agree with Flex Wheeler #1 And he should have been Mr O 100%
Wrong a weider ginea pig like lee hsney and sergio olivia weider taught them many tricks especially flexing and posing
No and no.
I will never get tired of seeing Arnold’s Chest!!🤩🤩
I started training after seeing Kozo Sudo (look him up) on the cover of Iron Mag (the real Iron Man magazine) in mid to late 70s he was NABBA Mr Universe, absolutely flawless but probably only weighed about 12 stone (168 Ibs) I've still never seen a better balanced physique. It's a very subjective issue and enjoyed your take on it despite not agreeing some of your choices. Strange that you mentioned Mohamed Makkaway several times and yet you didn't place him.
Serge Nubret was an uncrowned Olympia
12:18 -> 12:23 goat transition 😂
2:59 looks like Bodybuilding Eddie Murphy
Bob Paris in my book.
I see quite a few people in general who think Zane is overrated. Not just here but in other forums as well. I beg to differ. Winning 3 Olympia's (let's not forget the other titles he won like Mr. Universe) with such little mass is definitely not a joke. Secondly, he was a master of illusion. He knew how to pose and present himself and he trained accordingly. And that's what the golden era was all about, it was basically creating an illusion on stage and look as godlike as possible. He IMO would come not just in the top 5 aesthetic physiques list but also under the top 5 bodybuilder list. But this is just my opinion lol.
Frank Zane was incredible and not as " small" as his critics think. Many youtube commentors criticize him yet his competitors Coe, Padilla, Grant, Arnold, Ferrigno et al are very respectful of him .
Great list! As others, i don't agree with all your choices, but opinions do differ.
before watching this video I would bet my car that u cant hit nubret and flex as number 2 and 1, and U DID IT!!! exactly same point of view and reasons for that, awesome, thumbs up man, btw, its chest, why serge looks so awesome, rest is very very good, but that chest, ooh man...
For sure I would have Serge #1 on this list. Flex's arms just look odd to me and I don't know if I'd even have him in the top 10. Enjoyed parts 1 and 2, thanks!
EuropaWill it's the oil
Yes, Flex had poor triceps. Strange insertions.
Hi, Thank you for making this video. Good list and comparison. I feel Samir Bannout should have been in top 10.
Yes i think he forgot
Totally agree
The pattern that I see is that people who are most aesthetically pleasing have their back as the most dominant body part and their legs as their weakest.
If any man ever looked like a God, then it is Steve Reeves !
👍👍👍👍👍
nice video good list im a fan of chris cormiers physique too
Nitpicking, but Labrada was too thick in the midsection for a little guy
He doesn't look out of place though. A lot of shorter guys are naturally blockier. It suits his physique though.
Flex in 1993 was simply breathtaking. I wish Levrone was placed higher than 12. He has always looked amazing, in his smaller days aswell as when he became a mass monster.
Great list overall, it's really hard to put a top 20 together because the physiques have changed so much over time...
yeah it really was tough to order these guys! Levrone could probably be a bit higher but I didn't really think he was that aesthetic later in his career when he got bigger so not top 5 material imo. Thanks for the comment man
Charles Clermont had a wonderful and flawless physique.
Surge =perfection
Flex's physique was no doubt very good. But even his earlier, lighter-weight pics show quads that are simply too large to be considered 'aesthetic'. As for the the bulkier (2nd pic) of him, he looked decidedly blocky - no aestheticism whatsoever. The most aesthetic physique was most likely that of Bob Paris.
No mention in either video of Rory Leidelmeyer and Dennis Newman - both should be somewhere in the top 20.
My top 3
1. Steve Reeves
2. Frank Zane
3. Bob Paris
Bob Paris should have been #1 in this Video.
... It’s OBVIOUS.
Flex wheeler is so much better
your lists are damn spot on, it is impressive!!
Brain buchnan should be in top 3. He js really really underrated...
I'm only 7 minutes in and I couldn't agree more about Arnold. Also, I thought what aesthetic guys also exude power as well as aesthetics (a hard thing to do) and I've always come up with Levrone & Arnold as the top two. I've thought this for years so no new thought but it's a very rare thing for a bodybuilder to be herculean & aesthetic at the same time.
KC Darin levrone is a freak of nature when it comes to athlethicism.He ran 100m in 11 seconds while weighing 240+,he has an otherworldly shoulder press and could flip for days.I wouldnt count Arnold as particularly strong,he could barely hitch a 625 deadlift at 240,his bench was good tho,his squat miserable due to his long femurs.
This
Lee . I am a portrait artist and a fan of muscle ( but strait..who would av got that?). Joking … but that man has shadows in all the right places. A gift to a portrait artist
Serge nubret is out of this world
reeves and paris were always tops for me but nice list
Wheeler was spectacular, thanks for the video!
Look at the definition, look at the vascularity, look at the thickness, them gains right there, THEM GAINSSS..them all kindz of gainzzzz alllllll kinnndddzzzzzz