Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman may have set several benchmarks in the sport of bodybuilding. But Yates recently admitted that the untoward "distended stomach" issue stemmed from what athletes like him and Coleman did.

Having a distended stomach means that a bodybuilder's stomach appears unusually swollen while the rest of their muscles stay in shape. Yates stated that this issue, which can be witnessed in bodybuilders even today, started in the 90s, as the top guys like him and Coleman cared a lot about their size.

An Instagram post from Mike Mentzer on April 22 revealed Yates' comments about the issue. Besides saying a lot more, he stated, "Of course, guys now have a lot of distended stomachs, which maybe started in the ‘90s because we were getting bigger and bigger — so yeah, maybe we’re responsible for that."

But why do bodybuilders have distended stomachs? The condition, more commonly called the 'bubble gut,' is a result of severe abdominal swelling, which appears in bodybuilders after they intake insulin and then go for drastic calorie intake.

Yates rightly pointed out that the 'bubble gut' trend started in the 90s because of bodybuilders' focus on getting bigger. He credited himself and Ronnie Coleman for partly setting the standard that led to this development. The legends were eventually followed by bodybuilders like Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Big Ramy, and now Nick Walker.

According to him, since then, many athletes have tried to replicate their sizes, but haven't been able to reach their level. “They’re shooting for the size, but they’re not shooting for the quality at the same time,” he said.

Yates blames the high standards he and Ronnie Coleman set for making it difficult for today's athletes to match their size and conditioning. The statement was part of a bigger discussion where 'the Shadow' was seen comparing 90s-era bodybuilders with today's generation.

"Back in the day, myself and Ronnie were big, but super hard and dense — because, you know, we were hammering every day in the gym with heavy weights. People are taking a different approach now."

He contrasted that with the physiques of current bodybuilders, stating that although bodybuilders today appear larger do not possess the same level of hardness and density that he and Coleman were known for. According to the mass monster, modern physiques are “softer and more watery.”

Nick Walker has suffered from this issue on stage, and a multiple-time Mr. Olympia competitor had a piece of advice for him.

King Kamali's advice for Nick Walker on his distended stomach

This year, Nick Walker almost won the Arnold Classic title but lost it to Chinedu 'Andrew Jacked' Obiekea, and Shahriar 'King' Kamali has some advice for him to change the result next time.

Kamali shared a video in which he pointed out some mistakes he thinks Walker made during his posing routine, which the spectators noticed.

“You know they are going to pick you apart. They are going to take a picture of you relaxed, and they are going to post it, and say bubble gut. You can’t let them. You’re up there for 15 minutes, 15 minutes… suck it up.” 

He even advised Walker to listen to what Jay Cutler shared on his CutlerCast, where he said Walker should not relax his stance when he transitions from the front double biceps or the front lat spread into the side shots.

So, while even Walker has suffered from the complication, how far do you feel Yates and Coleman are responsible for the distended stomach issue in modern bodybuilding?

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Souvik Roy