Whenever the sun has gone down, humans throughout time have
marveled at the beauty of the stars shining in the
firmament. So it is with bodybuilding. When the
house lights go down and the bodybuilder who is a master
posing artist steps on the
dais, those who have an eye for aesthetics will understand bodybuilding as an art as
well as a sport. They will marvel at the stars of the body beautiful
as they flow from one display of physical perfection to
another.
It is not enough to spend years molding the perfect
physique. Only those who have mastered the art of
displaying their physiques will bedazzle the audience with
the full impact of the grace and beauty of the human form.
Though this art form is still little appreciated, those
with open minds and an eye for the aesthetic will
experience an new pleasure bestowed by the muses as they
witness the best of the following masters of kinetic
physique art.
Eugen sandow
Flo Ziegfield took Eugen Sandow (born Friedrich Wilhelm
Mueller April 25,1867) under his wing after seeing how much
attention he received at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago in 1894, where Sandow posed inside a black
velvet-lined booth with white powder covering his body to
appear like a Greek statue. Indeed, he was seen by
men and women as the most perfect physical specimen of
manhood, so that by 1896 he was an international
celebrity, having played in almost every theater that then
existed. He made millions posing, opening a chain of
health studios, developing and selling fitness equipment,
and engaging in a mail order business. Though he died
in 1925, he still casts a shadow as the first professional
bodybuilder.
We
share this rare footage of Sandow posing that appears on
the interesting and informative Web site
http://www.sandowmuseum.com
To see a video clip of Sandow's routine click
here.
JOhn Grimek
John Grimek remains the only undefeated bodybuilder ever.
Those who saw him pose in person still make us envious as
they describe Grimek as one of the most aesthetic and athletic
posers in the history of the sport. One reason could
be that John spent years as a model for artists, yet that
would not explain the unique qualities of his routines nor
the impressive athleticism that amazed all who witnessed
the great JCG.
Larry
Scott
has to
be
included
in this
list of
greatest
posers
of all
time for
two
major
reasons:
1) he
drove
crowds
wild
when he
mounted
the
posing
platform,
2) he
was the
master
of
minimizing
his
narrow
shoulders
and wide
waist by
making
every
pose an
arms and
shoulder
pose!
Bill
Pearl, now 74,
is
considered
by many
aficionados
of the
sport of
bodybuilding
to be the
greatest
bodybuilder
ever,
winning
the NABBA
Mr.
Universe
four
times,
the last
in 1971,
when he
was 41.
Bill
Pearl
was not
only one
of the
most
symmetrical
bodybuilders
I have ever
seen in
person;
he knew
how to
display
his
massive
physique
in an
artistic
and
dramatic
fashion
that
left one
gasping
for
superlatives.
The
consummate
showman,
Bill
left no
stone
unturned:
even his
hair and
grooming,
posing
truck
selection,
and tan
were
perfection
personified.
I never
saw Bill
do a bad
pose,
and his
perfection
of
poise,
drama,
grace,
and
awesome
power
have
never
been
matched.
Frank Zane
Unless
you have seen Zane pose at a contest in person, you will
never understand how a man with this little size
(particularly by today's standard) could have won three Mr. Olympias in a row. Probably the greatest master of
illusion, Frank was able to hide his weak points and
magnify his strong points like no other man before or
since. The result was that he stood out from his
fellow competitors like an apple in an orange barrel! One
element that helped Frank besides his posing ability was the
extreme condition that made the others look positively
overweight, even fat! Frank Zane also exuded drama and
excitement that moved crowds to chant ZANE! ZANE!
ZANE!
Chris Dickerson
..
Dickerson
was one of the most intelligent bodybuilders I've ever
talked to. Articulate and refined in his mind, these
same qualities were displayed in the presentation of his
physique. Chris may have been influenced by his
mentor Bill Pearl, but in sheer artistic display of the
body, I think he went one better than even Pearl.
Though I still see Pearl as the master of the total package
and probably one of the top three or four bodybuilders of
all time, Dickerson taught us all what beauty of form and
motion is all about.
Watch dickerson pose:
Lee Labrada
Considered
by many bodybuilders to be one of the greats of all time,
Labrada's finesse on the posing platform accounts for a
great deal of his success. Unfortunately for Lee, he
appeared in the era of Haney mass, so he never won
bodybuilding's highest honor, the Mr. Olympia title.
Yet he is truly of Olympia status when alone on the
bodybuilding stage. The routine of Lee's I most
admire shows
echoes of Chris Dickerson, yet Lee had less flaws in his
physique than Dickerson (though Dickerson's massive back
and calves gave him the right to be Mr. Olympia). To
sum up, Lee Labrada posed his flawless physique
effortlessly and beautifully in such a manner as to declare
to the world that bodybuilding is indeed an art form!
We
share this rare footage of Sandow posing that appears on
the interesting and informative Web site
