From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s golden-era look in the 1970s to Ronnie Coleman’s mass monster appearance in the 2000s, every decade had its own icon. And the 6-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates recently revealed his No. 1s from various eras.

On April 20, Yates shared a short clip on his Instagram, opening up about the most dominant physiques in bodybuilding over the decades, with the caption, “My top most dominant physiques in each time period.”

So, let's dive into the names suggested by the English bodybuilder.

Sergio Oliva

According to 'The Shadow,' Sergio Oliva is one of the most dominant Mr. Olympia winners in history. The Cuban native won the Mr. Olympia title 3 times in a row from 1967 to 1969, flexing his tiny waist and muscular physique at 225 lb during the contests.

'The Myth' is also popular for defeating Schwarzenegger in 1969, when the Austrian Oak himself admitted that, after seeing Oliva, he knew his chances of winning were lower.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Yates also mentioned Schwarzenegger on his list. And no one can deny that he ruled the Mr. Olympia stage, winning 7 Mr. Olympia titles between 1970 and 1980.

He was the first to hold 7 titles at the time. At only 23, he won his first title in 1970, making him the youngest Olympia winner. After that, he kept winning the title consecutively until 1975, then retired.

However, again in 1980, Schwarzenegger returned and earned that year's title as well. His 1975 victory also established Schwarzenegger as an icon of the golden era.

Lee Haney

Yates said, “I think really we go to the Lee Haney era, which dominated the 80s into the 90s. So he was the boss of that era”.

Haney, the Mass Monster, is the 8-time consecutive Mr. Olympia winner. He ruled the stage between 1984 and 1991. Haney’s symmetry and intense conditioning at 240 to 250 lbs bodyweight started a new era.

Ronnie Coleman

Yates said, “Ronnie absolutely dominated that era, probably dominated all time”. Coleman, the King, set a record by winning 8 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, tying with Haney.

His dominant years spanned from 1998 to 2005. During his time, Coleman was unmatched by his competitors due to his physical size and intensity.

Phil heath

Heath tied his Mr. Olympia win with the Austrian Oak, as he also won 7 Mr. Olympia titles from 2011 to 2017.

Heath created an era with his 3D roundness, unmatched shoulder-to-waist ratios, and intense muscle density.

Dorian Yates

Although Yates humbly said, “I'll ignore myself,” his dominance cannot be ignored.

He won 6 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles between 1992 and 1997. Yates started the era of Mass Monster with his massive width and density.

So, who is your favorite Mr. Olympia?

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Souvik Roy