"You’re about to look like a box" - Olympia judge Terrick El Guindy believes aesthetic bodybuilders are 'bad news' for Nick Walker

Terrick El Guindy has become one of the most significant voices in the sport. He often brings unique perspectives into the game owing to his experience as an IFBB professional judge.

Bodybuilding has undergone many metamorphoses over the years. From the golden era to the mass-monster era, the sport has seen many ideal physiques rise to the top and eventually fall off. As a judge, Terrick believes the ideal body type is now the one that is most aesthetically pleasing. In a recent episode of Prime Time Muscle on Olympia TV, Terrick stated that the era of aestheics has arrived alongside the success of bodybuilders such as Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked.

"You know, just like Andrew Jacked, him, Andrew Jacked and Samson Dauda and obviously, we got to put Derek [Lunsford] in there, they are the most genetically gifted guys. If Andrew Jacked and Rafael Brandao have backs, then you can start going into the 90s, Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier, Shawn Ray, everybody looks pretty."

The rise of Ronnie Coleman and Big Ramy signified the beginning of the mass-monster era in bodybuilding. Since then, judges have taken a unique liking to symmetry and aesthetics, preferring tall and visually pleasing athletes like Dauda.

Terrick added that he believes the rise of aesthetic bodybuilders poses a unique threat to mass monsters such as Nick Walker, who relies on his freakish physique.

"And that’s bad news for guys like Nick Walker and Michal Krizo. The best thing for those guys is those big monsters, such as Big Ramy winning the show. Once you have aesthetically pleasing guys moving up, you’re about to look like a box if you don’t have the lines and these guys are moving quick."

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Terrick El Guindy and Chris Cormier discuss the use of synthol in bodybuilding

While there is a massive demand for performance enhancement drugs within the realm of bodybuilding, some athletes are turning towards enhancement oil site-injections such as synthol to repair imbalances. Chris Cormier advised athletes to refrain from such practices to maintain their long-term health.

"I just think people are looking to do some type of injection more so than putting forth the effort in the gym to try to create the muscle size that they’re looking for. I think that it’s going to be one of the determining factors that’s going to demolish a lot of these guys’ careers a lot sooner than what they need to be."

Injecting oils to enhance looks can be dangerous and result in tissue deterioration. Addressing this, Cormier added:

"With that being said, you guys… you got to understand that you will be shortening the lifespan of your muscle just by trying to do a shortcut. And I don’t know if it’s an internet thing, if you want some instant gratification of what your hard work is in a fake way. I know when you guys are posing on Instagram or social media, it’s not the real deal, it’s not the real thing that’s happening."

Terrick replied by stating that as a judge, he is looking for the least imbalances and it is not his job to check athletes' drug-use backgrounds:

"Obviously, those are called imbalances right. We identify it. It doesn’t look natural. We know the human anatomy. I got to be honest. We don’t have to [understand what’s happening under the body]. I don’t know what kind of chemical is being inserted."