Episode 281 of The Menace Podcast was a heated affair, as host Dennis “The Menace” James invited bodybuilding legend Melvin Anthony to continue an escalating debate with Milos Sarcev, concerning the polarizing detail of dancing on stage.

Milos Sarcev, who is a former Mr. Universe, has long criticized dancing as being an unwelcome distraction to presenting the best possible physique, and in a recent Instagram post to promote Episode 280, he and Anthony had an exchange of words in the comment section, after Dennis James chose Melvin Anthony as the guy he felt most embodied competitive bodybuilding. Of course, “Marvelous” Melvin Anthony is one of the most famous examples of a bodybuilder that liked to dance across the stage, leading the man they call “The Mind” to write; “You know I love you…and think (the) world of you…but you still thought about routine and entertainment much more than showing strengths of your physique.”

Melvin Anthony Responds to Milos Sarcev Dissing His Dance Routines

With Anthony being part of Episode 281, the war of words continued during the podcast. “The Marvelous One” retired in 2010, but was winning shows right up until that point, and so he explained to Sarcev that being on stage was all about being the person that “moves his body and presents his best physique in a way that is unmatched.” Anthony cited John Brown as a great example of a competitor that took choreography from other bodybuilders in order to make a beautiful routine.

“Fluidity and movement has nothing to do, with really judging bodybuilding shows,” answered Sarcev. “That’s a talent,” he added, doubling down on his assertion that being dramatic has nothing to do with hitting a pose. During the show, Anthony brought up the fact fact that even Sarcev had taken lessons from John Brown, who was known for grooving on stage, but couldn’t take to his teaching. “It was not me. It’s not bodybuilding. I couldn’t do it,” shared Sarcev.

Melvin Anthony also said that, for him, dancing never got in the way of the technicalities. “I always did one to two minutes of fluent movement of every pose of my strengths, to display it in a way to take your journey,” he explained. However, Sarcev was still not convinced and suggested that dance routines often meant that Anthony ran out of time to do an optimal number of poses.

“If I didn’t show the body, how did I place the way I did?” asked the 2004 IFBB Night of Champions winner,  noting that all bodybuilders must put together a routine of “muscle and movement.”

To see the full episode, where Dennis James and Jose Raymond gave their own hot takes on the matter of muscle and musicality, plus a discussion on the latest news and happenings in the world of bodybuilding, see below.