Lee Haney won the Mr. Olympia eight consecutive times (1984-1991) and lost only once on a prior attempt to win it (1983). He retired at only 31 years of age and never lost the title.
Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Mr. Olympia a total of seven times (1970-1975, 1980) and lost only once on a prior attempt to win it (1969). He retired at the age of 33 and never lost the title.
Dorian Yates won the Mr. Olympia six consecutive times (1992-1997) and retired at the age of 35. He lost only once on a prior attempt to win it (1991). He never lost the title.
Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. Olympia eight consecutive times (1998-2005) and lost many, many times on prior attempts to win it. He also lost the title and failed to reclaim it before retiring at the age of 43.
On paper or thru any other logical argument, who do you think deserves to be called the greatest bodybuilder of all time?
Is Lee Haney technically the greatest ever? Or is the answer, No Way! What are your thoughts?
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01-16-2012, 06:50 AM #1Team Schwarzenegger
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Is lee haney technically the greatest bodybuilder ever?
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01-16-2012, 06:54 AM #2IFBB Opinionessional
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01-16-2012, 06:54 AM #3Registered User
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On Paper Haney, because he retired so young
But in reality Coleman or Yates. IMOIt's the diet, training and sleeping on a regular consistent basis that makes a champion.
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01-16-2012, 06:56 AM #4Registered User
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Well I think when someone wins an Olympia it doesn't mean he's the best bodybuilder of all time, just the year he won it. Lee Haney is the best bodybuilder of his time(s) the most but that doesn't mean he is the best bodybuilder of all time. Some of the current Olympia conterders have better physiques tha Lee Haney so that already loses the argument.
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01-16-2012, 07:02 AM #5Registered User
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Haney looks better on paper but it's a moot point because bodybuilding isn't judged by what looks better on paper. It's about the physiques.
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01-16-2012, 07:28 AM #6NGA\IFPA Pro Bodybuilder
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The answer depends on what you consider to be the criteria for the GOAT. Personally Coleman displayed a better package and Arnold did more for the sport. Having said that you can't have a conversation about the GOAT and not bring up Lee. He was great for the sport, a great spokesman and is still highly respected long after leaving the sport. Many great champions seem to disappear but Lee has stayed in shape and involved. Anyone who thinks he would not be competitive in today's scene really needs to look at this video and remember he retired at 31 with nothing left to prove. At that point he had more titles and no one threatening that. Very few have displayed the overall quality he had.
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01-16-2012, 08:20 AM #7IFBB Opinionessional
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This, imo he should not even be mentioned.Originally Posted by fltallpaul
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01-16-2012, 08:24 AM #8Registered User
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Lee looked epic there!Originally Posted by fltallpaul
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01-16-2012, 08:33 AM #9Registered User
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Check how many shows he has won and then come back.Originally Posted by Tony_Ulibarri
Nevertheless Lee Haney is probably my favourite BBer
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01-16-2012, 08:34 AM #10
Haney had the best physique by far.
Thats what the Olympia should be about, not just how thick you can get but how brilliant you look.
I've seen interviews of pros and they said when people saw Haney they would say wow just walking down the street in a t shirt.. the guys now just get a wtf.
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01-16-2012, 08:35 AM #11Registered User
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i don't know more than 5 bodybuilders who competed in his era, he won from mediocre competition
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01-16-2012, 08:39 AM #12Registered User
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Easy the best Mr. Olympia he set the standard high, and it has steady went down hill since, with a few high notes like Ronnie in 1998 and Dex in 2008.
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01-16-2012, 08:41 AM #13Registered User
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Judging by your age that is not suprising!Originally Posted by TTimmerman
Last edited by Maverick313; 01-16-2012 at 09:00 AM.
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01-16-2012, 08:44 AM #14Are you kidding? Seriously.Originally Posted by TTimmerman
Remember the 80's criteria to win an Olympia was not anything like it is today. So the guys looked completely different.. they were however competing as tough as the pro's today.
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01-16-2012, 08:47 AM #15Registered User
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the only one to ever give haney a run for his money was yates, and haney quit the same year. tough competition...Originally Posted by SooperDOOD
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01-16-2012, 08:49 AM #16Registered User
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lol you need to give the man the respect he deserves, brb winining 8 mr Os just filling the gap.......Originally Posted by TTimmerman
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01-16-2012, 08:53 AM #17So one minute you say you don't know more than 5 bodybuilder's from the 80's.. then you say nobody gave Haney a run for his money.Originally Posted by TTimmerman
How would you even know?
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01-16-2012, 08:54 AM #18Registered User
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i myself think he's the most underrated mr. O, but you can't deny his competion weren't exactly Levrone/Wheeler/Ray/Nasser/....Originally Posted by NaturalLoco
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01-16-2012, 08:55 AM #19Registered User
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ever heard a debate about "Haney shouldn't have won that year"? quite the indicatorOriginally Posted by SooperDOOD
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01-16-2012, 08:57 AM #20IFBB Opinionessional
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Totally agree with ya TTimmerman
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01-16-2012, 08:59 AM #21Registered User
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interesting how the sport has changed. haney retired at 31, arnold retired at 33. we always hear about how "young" heath is and how he just keeps improving time after time, and he's gotta be like 32 right? people just seem to hit their prime later these days, i would assume b/c it takes so long to add on all that mass (I know phil picked up the sport relatively late in life, but even jay won most, if not all, of his olympias after the age of 32 or 33)
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01-16-2012, 09:10 AM #22Doesn't that just show how he had a great work ethic, body, genetics and drive to put himself above the rest?Originally Posted by TTimmerman
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01-16-2012, 09:15 AM #23Registered User
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Ronnie was the GOAT and even his victories are subject for debate...Originally Posted by SooperDOOD
i'm not saying he isn't a great bodybuilder, but he's not "technically the greatest bodybuilder ever" as the topic title states
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01-16-2012, 09:16 AM #24I Raffed Out Rowd
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on paper, Dorian is statistically the best bodybuilder ever
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01-16-2012, 09:18 AM #25Abiad's Army
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No, technically Ronnie is the GOAT. Tied for the most Mr. Olympia wins and has the record for most professional wins. I'd say that is as far as technical can go. Once you bring in age and stuff like that, then it becomes subjective.
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01-16-2012, 09:24 AM #26I don't see why Ronnie should be the greatest as a given. I mean if Ronnie was around 10 years older and he had competed in the 80's he would never have became the monster of the late 90's.. he would have just been better than the rest in that era. Just like Haney did.Originally Posted by TTimmerman
Else we might aswell call Kevin Levrone, Jay Cutler, Nasser El Sonbaty who were all incredibly thicker and bigger than Haney better bodybuilders.. despite his Olympia titles. If Ronnie Colemans physique just beats Jay Cutler by a few points but destroys Haney.. surely Jay > Haney too?
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01-16-2012, 09:25 AM #27Registered User
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seriously starting a "if X had acces to modern gear,..." debate?Originally Posted by SooperDOOD
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01-16-2012, 09:27 AM #28Abiad's Army
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Have you not seen Ronnie Coleman?Originally Posted by SooperDOOD
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"Being the best in your circle is not enough; you have to think bigger to become a champion. Don’t think like a small fish in a big pond or else when you get to the ocean you’ll be eaten alive." - Fouad Abiad
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01-16-2012, 09:27 AM #29I Raffed Out Rowd
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no, Ronnie has far more loses than Dorian and he didn't win with straight firsts 6 years in a row like DorianOriginally Posted by DavisForman
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01-16-2012, 09:37 AM #30No im saying both Haney and Coleman in their own era's did what was needed to win.Originally Posted by TTimmerman
One should not be put in front of the other just because he was born at a different time. It should be about who did the best during their prime.
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