What is the Perfect Physique?
by Matt Weik  When we think of competitive bodybuilders, fitness competitors, bikini competitors, or any division out there, each has its own set of criteria for what is considered the ideal physique. Not only is that a loaded question, but its somewhat of a trick question. Essentially, there are a lot of things that go into the perfect physique. And the trick portion comes into the equation when you ask different people that very question and wait for their answer. There is No Such Thing as a Perfect Physique  The perfect physique is very subjective. So much so, that theres no way I could ever be a judge in the NPC or IFBB. I tip my hat to all of them because I know there is absolutely no way I could sit in front of a bunch of competitors and try to figure out who has the perfect physique and where everyone should place. What I would consider the perfect physique could be completely different from what you consider the perfect physique. You may look at someone like Frank Zane and in your head think thats the perfect physique. Lean, ripped, yet muscular  but hardly the biggest guy youve ever seen in the sport. Then you may have someone who thinks Ronnie Coleman had the perfect physique. Its hard to debate that fact when hes won a bunch of Olympia titles and can fill a room with his Sandow trophies. Then you have bikini competitors. In my mind and what I see on stage every single show, Im not even sure what theyre scoring based off of. I mean, Im a dude and to me, they all look amazing. Its All in the Eye of the Beholder  Dorian Yates was asked in an interview who had the most complete and perfect physique of all time. He paused for a split second and mentioned that there is no right or wrong answer and that the answer to that question is very individualized and in the eye of the beholder. Bodybuilders to the general public would generally be described as disgusting and circus freaks. To those in the industry, bodybuilders physiques are considered beautiful. To most, a physique like the late Greg Plitt may come up in conversation. Not an overly muscular build, yet Greg had enough muscle to turn heads, but it was how lean and conditioned he was all year long. His consistency was unmatched, and you never saw the dude out of shape. And thats a physique that never graced a competitive stage  it was never his motivating factor for working out so hard. We can look back at images of Hercules and Michelangelos statue of David (yes, the naked dude). Technically, both of those were deemed the perfect physique and the ultimate specimen. Yet, no one ever talks about their physiques or tries to include them into a conversation of great physiques. These Days, It Comes Down to Who Has the Best Physique TODAY  Weve seen a lot of different physiques over the last few decades in the industry. Everything from the smaller yet extremely conditioned competitors all the way up to the freaks and mass monsters (and everything in-between). No, the sport of bodybuilding has simply evolved  good, bad, or indifferent. If youve seen the interviews of the old school bodybuilders, they dont really have anything positive to say about todays bodybuilders. To them, they are watery, not conditioned, and overly focused on putting on the most size possible (at all cost). Flip the script and todays bodybuilders think the older generation of bodybuilders were small. Truthfully, there is no right or wrong answer. It truly comes down to who looks better on a given day when compared to anyone else in a lineup. In 2019, Brandon Curry was crowned Mr. Olympia. Many scrutinized his win and said in a stacked lineup he would have never won  that his physique isnt good enough. Essentially, saying he doesnt have the perfect physique. Yet, on that day, he had (in the eyes of the judges) the perfect physique. Maybe. Maybe not. He simply needed to be better than everyone else that showed up that day. The moral of the story is that there is no gold standard when it comes to the perfect physique. Times change. Things evolve. Heck, you can even go look back years ago to when women were much curvier and that was considered sexy and then fast forward today where many women go under the knife to get liposuction to create a tiny waist, they get their lips done, and they get butt and breast implants put in. Today, many consider that sexy or the perfect physique. Heres my take-home conclusion. People will always be chasing the perfect physique. But it doesnt exist. Trying to look like someone else is only going to lead to frustration and disappointment. The only thing competitors and the general public can do is work towards becoming the best THEY can be and let the cards fall where they may. Ill never look like Phil Heath or Greg Plitt  two guys on either side of the spectrum. But I can create the best physique of me and thats the best I can do. The same goes for you, regardless of if you are a competitor or not. Dont get stuck with your head in the clouds chasing the perfect physique. It doesnt and never will exist. Times change, opinions change, and body types change. The only thing you should focus on is working hard and staying committed to creating the best physique you can with what you were given. An artist can sculpt anything he or she wants out of clay, but in the end, they are confined to working with the amount of clay they were given. And even then, they always create, in their mind, the perfect masterpiece.