Young Guns 2017
Muscular Development|October 2017

The Next Generation of Superstars Is Rising.

Ron Harris
Young Guns 2017
There were a few years where the future of our sport seemed to be in jeopardy, as the athletes were aging. The top pros were getting older on average year by year, as was the average age men were earning their pro cards. It’s always held true that the youth is the future. Without an infusion of fresh young blood, bodybuilding was destined to go the way of the Dodo birds and the dinosaurs, something that later generations would note as a curious pastime of their ancestors. Then, hallelujah, the trend began to reverse itself. Whereas men had been turning pro at 35 or even 40 for some time, all of a sudden, we were witnessing young bucks of 25, 24, even 21 years old earning pro status and swelling the IFBB ranks. Simply being a pro means very little, of course. Being competitive with the very elite in the sport is the mark of a viable pro, and several of this new group of Young Guns have already tested their mettle and proven their worth. Let’s look at a few of today’s best. Zane Watson

28-year-old Canadian Zane Watson was hardly a blip on my radar before this spring, even though the 212 pro had scored a win at the 2015 Toronto Pro. Going into the Arnold Classic, the three men I was expecting to make major impacts in the 212 portion of the competition were veterans Jose Raymond and David Henry, and the new sensation from Kuwait, Ahmad Ashkanani. But when that division took the stage, I and much of the audience realized we had been ignoring a serious talent. His overall shape, balance and symmetry were breathtaking, as was his classic posing style. Further, he had perhaps the best legs in the class as well as condition that rivaled eventual first- and second-place men Ahmad and David. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself only got up once from his seat to take a Snapchat during the 212, and it was of Zane’s posing routine.

This story is from the October 2017 edition of Muscular Development.

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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Muscular Development.

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