{"id":21937,"date":"2026-06-08T22:03:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=21937"},"modified":"2026-06-08T22:03:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:03:29","slug":"rich-gaspari-says-todays-top-bodybuilders-lack-grainy-muscle-like-ronnie-coleman-dorian-yates-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=21937","title":{"rendered":"Rich Gaspari Says Today’s Top Bodybuilders Lack Grainy Muscle Like Ronnie Coleman & Dorian Yates \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Rich Gaspari<\/a> believes the Men\u2019s Open class is moving away from hardcore conditioning. In an Instagram post from June 7, 2026, he criticized today\u2019s competitors for a lack of grainy muscle that Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman had in their primes.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the 1980s, Lee Haney<\/a> dominated the Mr. Olympia throne for eight years. A decade later, Ronnie Coleman<\/a> achieved his long-standing dynasty. As soon as \u201cThe King\u201d laid down his crown, Jay Cutler<\/a> and Phil Heath<\/a> took the torch and ran with it. Yet, in today\u2019s Men\u2019s Open landscape, we haven\u2019t seen a dominant Mr. Olympia<\/a> champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last year, Derek Lunsford<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rich Gaspari Criticizes Lack of Grainy Muscle in Bodybuilding Today<\/h2>\n

In the post, Gaspari shared that bodybuilders today lack the same grainy muscle that Yates and Coleman possessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think the best bodybuilders, like Ronnie Coleman, that was the pinnacle. He was ripped and big, and aesthetic. I haven\u2019t seen the new look to look like that look. If you look at guys, no disrespect to the top guys, but they don\u2019t have that grainy muscle like Ronnie Coleman had or even Dorian Yates had.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He believes the shortcoming could stem from lifting styles or genetics:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the lifting. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s genetics or, yeah, the gear. A lot of guys are much bigger\u2026 because they are, but I don\u2019t know if they are better,\u201d Rich Gaspari shared<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rich Gaspari isn\u2019t the only bodybuilding veteran questioning the direction of the Men\u2019s Open. Lee Haney recently called out the current state of the sport<\/a>, 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 \u2018drier\u2019 physiques.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhenever 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOld 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\u2019s all love my Iron Brothers and Iron Sisters\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffd\u2764\ufe0f\ud83e\udef5\ud83c\udffd\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Phil Heath Says His Era Had \u2018Real Muscle,\u2019 Calls Out Site Enhancement Oil Use in Bodybuilding Today<\/a><\/p>\n\n