Rich Gaspari believes the Men’s Open class is moving away from hardcore conditioning. In an Instagram post from June 7, 2026, he criticized today’s competitors for a lack of grainy muscle that Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman had in their primes.
In the 1980s, Lee Haney dominated the Mr. Olympia throne for eight years. A decade later, Ronnie Coleman achieved his long-standing dynasty. As soon as “The King” laid down his crown, Jay Cutler and Phil Heath took the torch and ran with it. Yet, in today’s Men’s Open landscape, we haven’t seen a dominant Mr. Olympia champion.
Last year, Derek Lunsford reclaimed the Sandow trophy at the Mr. Olympia. He made history, cementing himself as the first bodybuilder since Jay Cutler to win the title back after losing it onstage. However, according to some bodybuilding veterans, there are growing concerns about muscle quality at the highest level.
Rich Gaspari Criticizes Lack of Grainy Muscle in Bodybuilding Today
In the post, Gaspari shared that bodybuilders today lack the same grainy muscle that Yates and Coleman possessed.
“I think the best bodybuilders, like Ronnie Coleman, that was the pinnacle. He was ripped and big, and aesthetic. I haven’t seen the new look to look like that look. If you look at guys, no disrespect to the top guys, but they don’t have that grainy muscle like Ronnie Coleman had or even Dorian Yates had.”
He believes the shortcoming could stem from lifting styles or genetics:
“I don’t know if it’s the lifting. I don’t know if it’s genetics or, yeah, the gear. A lot of guys are much bigger… because they are, but I don’t know if they are better,” Rich Gaspari shared.
Rich Gaspari isn’t the only bodybuilding veteran questioning the direction of the Men’s Open. Lee Haney recently called out the current state of the sport, stressing that deaths are on the rise among younger athletes. He noted that competitors are damaging their kidneys, having heart attacks, or dying in pursuit of ‘drier’ physiques.
“Whenever the foundation of anything is compromised, disaster is always around the corner. It is my sincere hope that this post will have an impact on the sport that has allowed me to travel the world and develop life long friendships.”
“Old school bodybuilders are alive and doing well. Many in their late seventies and some eighties. As 8 time Mr. Olympia, I will do everything I can to protect it. It’s all love my Iron Brothers and Iron Sisters🙏🏽❤️🫵🏽”
Beyond muscle quality, size still plays a significant role in how bodybuilding contests are scored. In time, Gaspari hopes to see the sport return to its roots by showcasing more muscle hardness onstage.
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