
Originally Posted by
steve_d
Is she natural? Probably not, but really who cares. The way I see it is that the bikini winner should look natural. Whether or not they actually are is irrelevant. So, to me, Melo looks unatural. Perhaps she hasn't even taken creatine, but that doesn't really matter, since in my eyes, she doesn't look 'bikini'. She is definitely marketable, and like you say, she'll travel the world and have more fans, and do more seminars, etc. But that is a separate thing then winning or losing the Olympia. I would guess the most successful competitors in bikini, figure, and physique are those who don't need drugs to look good. Basically any girl can get the muscle mass of a figure pro with the right drugs. The problem is 99% of them will look like dudes, have horrible sides and no longer look like a figure competitor anyway. 95% of the top figure pros will not have an ounce of voice deepening, etc. However, even local amateur shows are just crawling with manly voices from girls trying to attain the level of muscularity the top girls have naturally or at least almost naturally. The truly successful ones are naturally blessed with the genetics for either holding fat right, having the right shape, symmetry etc. That said, there is no magic 'regimen' for a figure, bikini, or physique girl. Some are taking more than others, some are clean, and so on. The best ones in my mind look clean. Erin looks more natural than Nicole, that's why I'd have her win... and the bikini winner looks more natural than Melo which is why I agree with it. I like muscle too, don't get me wrong, but I don't like the slightest hint of masculinity. I think part of the reason my Wife ended up winning this year was because the sport evolved to the point where you didn't need to look juiced up to win. Very subjective thing though. Personally I find Melo's glutes to look a whole lot like mine in the offseason. I'd rather be looking at a more feminine ass.
I don't disagree with Dana winning though - if that is the look they want, then great. She is marketable, and she has more fans on facebook than probably all other olympia contestants COMBINED! She didn't need to win to have success in the future, she didn't even need a pro card to have success. People just love her. I personally just favor better balance especially in the legs. Her structure is a little less feminine than some of the others in the lower half.
Men's physique... If I had to write down the criteria, it would again be genetics completely. You have to somehow look huge, look like a photoshopped cover of a muscle magazine. Large chest, abs, good arm and calfs, flawless skin perfect face an bone structure. Somehow having ripped abs, but not to the point of striations. no real deep seperation or veins. Basically a good example would be someone the size of a light-heavy bodybuilder, who was 3-4 weeks out, who didn't pump up, carb up, and came in extremely flat (ie no veins, no pump, no stomach distention). Or something like that.