From last year. Still the same for this year
I believe Phil is still unbeatable.
Dexter said in a recent video that if he cant make the top 6 at the olympia, its time to move. I hope that happens this year because im really bored of seeing him.
Roelly is a great bodybuilder but that gap between his traps and glutes is harming him. Genetics is a bitch.
My favorite competitor is Brandon Curry. I hope he makes the top 6.
From what I’ve seen, Phil looks significantly better than last year. Ramy looks better but closer to a minor upgrade than the overhaul he needs to beat Phil. TBH, I reckon Bonac is the bigger threat but can he add more muscle to that frame?
So considering what we’ve seen, history and the “knock out the champ” convention, I reckon we’ll see another 10 from Phil unless he loses a leg or or something.
The other day, I was thinking how thin the competition is right now…
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This. Brad and I just recorded a podcast (MM #18) , and in it I mention that the gap between 1st and 2nd place isn’t even close. It’s not that Phil is bad, or anyone else is awful, it’s just a wide margin between Phil and everyone else, and from what we’ve already seen, no one is going to make such a huge leap in one year’s time to be anywhere near where they’d need to be to give Phil a genuine fight.
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We are finally attending this year, after following bodybuilding since the early 90’s!
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That’s amazing, I’m sure it’ll be an incredible trip!
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This is the 1st year where I have absolutely no interest in the Mr. O open show. It’s not because of the current crop of competitors, its because of the reason someone else noted in this thread: the look is simply not what I’m interested in being anymore.
I am hugely interested in the classic bodybuilding division though. I’m a Bumstead follower, but others like Stanimal, Hoffman, and Vessers (sp?) really, to me, epitomizes a look that I think speaks bodybuilding.
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Yeah, our latest MM podcast (#18?) talked about the waning interest in today’s bodybuilding. I’m sure you’ll agree with a lot of what was said.
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You should do a log man, I used to love reading your thoughts on here, they seem crazy infrequent lately. Cool to see your still here lurking around.
I’d love to hear about what you’ve been up too the last few years and the progress and experiments you’ve been running
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Lonnie123, thanks man! Your post made my day; that was one of the coolest things to say dude!
For sure, I always valued your posts. What have you been up to lately?
Not to derail this thread (I appreciate Stu always…he’s just a great representative of the sport. The fact that he is natural should get further props), but here’s a rundown:
3 years ago, I experienced my 1st MAJOR injury. Let’s actually call it what it was: several injuries.
I’ve been completely clean about being an ex-steroid user (but, I do believe, an intelligent one), and frankly, I do believe (my opinion only!) that steroid built muscle over one’s natural limit is unsustainable without the special ingredient. Somehow, someway something will have to change to accommodate NOT being fed the juice.
Continued training a specific way like I had been doing for years (stopped all anabolics in 2008, got injured in 2015), especially maintaining HEAVY poundages will go a long way towards KEEPING what you gained unnaturally, but your body simply cannot keep up CNS wise, tendon wise, or cartillage wise no matter how good your nutrition, rest, supplementation (natural), or training regimen (i.e. adjusting volume, frequency of heavy loading). Add in the fact that I am well over 50 years old…well, there you go.
My love for this activity has been my blessing and my curse. So, in May of 2015 while doing my favorite movement (benching), I blew out both shoulders and my right tricep. : ( There was no warning. Everything felt perfectly fine…the weight felt beautifully heavy like it always did, and I looked forward to pumping out hard earned reps.
It took me over a couple years to recover and slowly (but surely!) build back up (physique wise…NOT strength wise). It was sheer anguish in 2015 to face the fact of losing weight (muscle weight) due to forced inactivity…but it was sheer joy in that day when I was able to train again. I was ALOT weaker, alot smaller, but the simple action of putting my hand around the knurling of a barbell or dumbell was exhilarating.
I lost 30 lb of muscle during my forced layoff. I have gained 20 lb back, naturally (muscle memory is a very very very real thing) but do not train powerlifting style anymore. Poundages used on almost all movements are roughly 2/3 of what I had used before, and I am focusing much more on mind/muscle “feel” techniques versus strict power. Amazingly…I truly feel my physique looks better than before I got injured!
Frankly, CT’s article on how naturals should train couldn’t be truer for anyone but me. I have stuck with that template (with my own unique changes of course) and it has been fantastic.
So, no real “experiments” for me since my injury…just the basics (protein, Mag-10, Plazma, creatine). There are some very interesting natural supplements out there today that I am planning on trying, and I wouldn’t be very honest if I didn’t say I’m also planning on some more intelligent lower dosage steroid experiments (which as always, will include bloodwork) and even some SARMs experimentation is on the horizon. Yes…a return to anabolics experimentation will probably be in the works.
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Thanks for the write up, I’ll be keeping an eye for your posts
Olympia less than a week away.
Very excited to see Flex’s (allegedly) last 212 outing, Arash’s 3rd attempt at the top spot in the Classic, and,… uh,… not really much else if we’re being honest here.
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Real shame Flex never went up a class
I think that is his plan. I reckon he sees bonac fighting with the big boys and he probably thinks he has him covered… $150+k pay cheque isn’t bad coin even if he can’t claim first.
I would love to see that. I prefer his look to Heath any day
I always really liked Flex Lewis’s physique. Just thick and very reminiscent of Yates in a lot of ways. I remember meeting him at a Rich Gaspari seminar waaay back in 2008, and just being floored by his calves and forearms, two body parts often lagging even among pros.
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I used to train next to him daily years ago. He was a freak back then and was under 200 pounds.
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Its funny when you actually get to be in the room with one of these guys… they are truly on another level.