Why bodybuilders look different today than in the 70’s | Peter Attia & Derek MPMD
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February 24, 2026
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Excellent discussion from Peter and Derek. It's genuinely insightful to break down the myriad factors contributing to the dramatic shifts in bodybuilder physiques from the 70s to today, really shining a light on how far our understanding (and perhaps, our ambition) has come.
This deep dive into the 'how' and 'what' of these changes, however, always brings me back to a more fundamental 'why.' If we acknowledge the profound influence of pharmacology, training methodologies, and nutritional science, it begs a crucial question: Are these evolving physiques truly representative of a 'better' or more 'optimal' human, or are we simply pushing the boundaries of hyper-specialization for a specific aesthetic and performance, potentially at the cost of broader, long-term biological robustness and the very definition of natural human potential?
It's precisely this kind of complex interplay between scientific advancement, cultural ideals, and the evolving definition of 'optimal' that I love exploring and dissecting in my own content. Really makes you think.
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Derek is the best! maybe he should think about starting his own YT Channel…
I bet he’d get over 2million subs😅
Why the quads of today's bodybuilders are so massive comparing even in the 90s they didn't have quads that big
Renegade media
Don’t forget the change in judging standards as well. People wouldn’t look this way if they didn’t think they had to
Lighting looks superweird on Derek.
#1 Training (Dorian Yates ) #2 food , 3# drugs # 4 sleep
Arnold and thst era they were half assig in gym. Drug use and mentality went 110% after thwt era
Growth hormone, insulin and trenbolone. That’s it.
Real TRENsition
I love how Derrick clearly laughs & says obviously "drugs" lmaooo coldest dude in this sports science game by just being honest & simple
He nailed it with the first reason, then flunked the second and third.
People train and eat basically the same. There isnt much difference todays food would have compared to the food of the 70s. And training is almost exactly the same. 3-5 sets, unless you are doing Mentzer protocol. Even then, there is no ascertainable difference in muscles when you compare a 5×5 lifter compared to a 3×10 if they are the same size.
Drugs have improved quite a bit, and overuse is rampant these days. Its a no brainer. They are all junkies on a stage today.
there is no debate, 70's bodybuilding was better. Bloated stomach of guys today look ridiculous .
maybe there was no tren in the 70s ?
Very clearly, it’s the drugs.
Not much has changed in terms of education around lifting weights, it’s a pretty simple concept.
Terms of food, high protein items are more readily accessible today than they were 40 years ago, but just adding more protein isn’t going to change your physique as drastically as the drugs
There definitely is a motivation for the 70’s guys to lie about their use. It makes it seem like their success is based more off their training/genetics. It creates a false sense of superiority.
The thing is those bodybuilders know if they lie about their dosages, nobody will be the wiser except for other people who have ran gear and know for sure they're lying.
Derek’s replies were spot on. I really like how he will say, I simply don’t believe them. People mostly lie about what they take. This tells me he is nobody’s fool.
He must have talked to Tom Platz his dosages were hillariously low….smh
Dorian Yates was the first Olympia champion to use HGH
Look at Men before Testosterone was first synthetised in 1946, they looked super amazing WITHOUT those men's boobs and round Delts
when you see a cattle raised with hormones, that's today's body builders' "look."
They looked better in the 70's. Just my opinion.
Before he even answers… if he does not say it's 90% drugs? He's full of shit
Different steroids, duh.
Very smart conversation.😮
Dorian ruined bodybuilding. I’m assuming it was the growth hormone. Now everyone is on tons of it. And the synthol
Simple. Bodybuilders today are just FAT. The Eat way too much.
It's an easy answer. More chemicals. "Semi-natural" or low dose badybuilders still have that classic physique.
Better drugs end of story.
All bull. Drugs. Without drugs they aren’t anything
I like the "realistic" look of Arnold's eta, the mass monster is definitely impressive but let's be real they look freakishly muscular
Arnold obviously looked the best. Ronnie looked ridiculous and disgusting.
People make mistakes in measurement in all aspects of life.
ppm vs %, liters vs gallons , barrels vs m3 , ounce vs ml or gram…
Yeah, not everyone who's taking supplements is some unit of measurement knowledgeable person.
Derek needs that sunshine regiment pretty soon
Lee Haney's physique is flawless. Lee Haney was the last great My. Olympia. He's the GOAT.