The "Complete Physique"

What makes certain bodybuilders great? Some people will says that it’s sheer size, while others might say that it has to do with definition. To me, those things are certainly important, but so, too, are things like shape, symmetry, proportion, balance and countless other details that make for what I call a "complete physique," which is what divides the merely good from the truly great.

However, this concept of a complete physique seems to be getting quite rare these days, since the winners of many competitions seem to be anything but complete. Take the Montreal Pro Classic held last September, for example. Johnny Jackson emerged the winner, and I certainly agree that he was impressive onstage – he was big and thick and showed good muscle definition. But, he’s also got very poor calf development, fairly narrow shoulders, and a wide waist. To me, those are flaws, making his physique nowhere near complete. In fact, in my report on the show, published last October, I wrote, "To my eyes, Darrem Charles has the most complete physique of the three – he’s a little awkwardly put together, but he doesn’t have glaring muscle weaknesses like the other two."

Still, that doesn’t mean that Charles was the best up there, either – I specifically mentioned that he was the most complete of the top three, which was a group that also included Quincy Taylor. They all had many flaws. On the other hand, I felt the best bodybuilder that day was Dennis Wolf, who landed in fifth place. Wolf does have a complete physique and I think should have taken the whole show, which is why I wrote the piece on shape and symmetry last month. I believe that any winner must have a complete physique, not just one or two impressive attributes.

However, I don’t necessarily want to pick on Jackson. These days I can cite countless examples of incomplete physiques, which would include the last two Mr. Olympia winners. But instead of doing that, I’ll point out who I believe exhibited the epitome of a completely developed physique – three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane. In my opinion, Zane set the standard for what others should follow.

Now, granted, some will criticize Zane for being too small – he stood about 5’8" and weighed about 185 pounds in his best shape – but you certainly can’t criticize anything else about him. His shape, symmetry, proportions, and definition were all the greatest the world has ever seen. Physically, he was flawless – the closest to the Greek-god-type ideal that the bodybuilding world has ever seen. Furthermore, he was a master poser and could show off his physique like few others. His best showing was probably the 1979 Mr. Olympia contest, the last year he took home the title. Zane had the kind of physique that inspired others, and, luckily, we still see hints of that today.

Quebec’s Denis Pedneault, for example, also has a complete physique – he’s featured on our cover this month. When I watched him compete last August at the CBBF National World Qualifier, I couldn’t help but notice that he’d obviously been inspired by Frank Zane, despite being quite a bit shorter. Denis stands just 5’2" and weighs only 135 pounds when he’s in contest condition. But, when he stands alone under the posing lights, you’d never be able to guess his height or weight. I’d bet you’d believe he’s 5’8" and over 180 pounds, just like Zane was. Pedneault also knows how to pose extremely well too.

Denis not only won the Bantamweight class at the Qualifier; he was the Overall Champion as well, and he was up against some extremely good bodybuilders. I suspect that what helped him win wasn’t his height or weight or size, but, rather, the fact that he was complete. From head to toe, Pedneault is hard to fault, and that’s what being a great bodybuilder is all about.

However, creating a complete physique isn’t just about going to the gym and haphazardly lifting weights. Instead, it takes great care and attention to detail. A person can’t have the mind of a weightlifter; rather, he must have the mindset of a sculptor. Furthermore, he must have patience and discipline, because creating a complete physique takes time – much more time than just lifting weights in an effort to get big.

That’s precisely the frame of mind that Pedneault has and it’s why we’re so excited to welcome him aboard the SeriousAboutMuscle.com writing team. We’re calling Denis’ new column "Body Sculpting," which is a name he came up with, since it reflects how he approaches his own bodybuilding training. The first installment will debut March 15.

Complete physiques are rather rare today, but, as Denis Pedneault proves, they are not extinct. It is, after all, the physical ideal that all bodybuilders should aspire to. We hope you enjoy Denis’ new column and can learn from it. In addition, we hope that you can put his ideas and methods into practice in order to create your own complete physique – bodybuilding needs more of them these days.

...Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, BodyBuildingLive.com, and SeriousAboutFitness.com.