this is why bodybuilding uses professional judges because to many beginners bigger is better and only experienced judges can tell what real quality is

in fact now that bodybuilding goes by weight classes everybody on stage will be pretty much the same size so the average noob would have no clue who is supposed to win and why

everybody gets upset when their boy doesn't win and of course some politics is always at play but also the judges really do have a better eye

the gym i used to train at ( Bev Francis Powerhouse ) was owned by the head judge of the Olympia competition so everybody who wanted to win joined that gym to get input on their physique year round from the very guy who would be judging them on stage ...

in every Mr. Olympia competition there is one guy who is perceived as biggest and the one who the fans want to win but often somebody else wins who the judges perceive as more aesthetic. the fans then get mad.

Ronnie was an exception as he was the biggest AND also the winning-est, but he didn't win because of his size. he won because he had no, what judges would perceive as weaknesses. Judges don't care who is biggest - they look for the "best package"

and of course even if you have the right package you may not be dialed in on the day of the competition so that is a huge factor as well. to be dialed in you need experience, discipline and luck ( so that nothing bad happens in the weeks leading up to the competition such as getting injured, or getting a flu etc. )

but bottom line is that what beginners care about and what pros car about is almost unrelated. beginners only care about size yet nobody ever won a bodybuilding competition based on size.

same as how with cars beginners only care about horsepower but actual races like F1 are won with handling, aerodynamics, tires, strategy and skill.