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1. s t e v e p i c k l e s 1 8 8 @ g m a i l . c o m 0 7 7 9 1
0 4 2 3 7 2 S T E V E P I C K L E S U K F L E X S E P T E M B E R 2
0 1 4 5 0 T H O LY M P I A S O U V E N I R E D I T I O N
2. THEOLYMPIASTORYTHEBATTLES! THEHEROES! THECLASHES!
NEVER-BEFORE-SEENPICSOF ARNOLD WHOLL WINTHE SANDOW IN2014? B R I T
I S H E D I T I O N PHIL HEATH COMPLETE TRAINING PROGRAMME ARNOLD
DORIANLEE RONNIE 9 770955 121136 0 9 SEPTEMBER 2014 4.20
www.flexonline.co.uk
3. THE GREATEST WELCOMETOOUR SHOWONEARTH 50THOLYMPIA
SOUVENIREDITION Football has its World Cup, athletics has its
Olympics and bodybuilding has its Olympia the sports undisputed
main event. Every bodybuilder dreams of being in the Olympia and
every fan wants to go to Las Vegas to see it. My first one was in
2003 and the sight of Ronnie Coleman striding onto the stage like a
creature from another planet remains one of my most memorable
moments.It didnt seem possible that somebody could be so far ahead
of their rivals at the highest level. That year I saw Ronnie in his
pomp, great athletes such as Jay Cuter,Dexter Jackson and Kevin
Levrone,and a guest appearance by Arnold.It was the stuff of dreams
but the Olympia is so big these days,there is always something to
treasure. Last years line-up was one the greatest and featured
numerous sub-plots.There was Big Ramys debut,Cutlers comeback and a
hard-charging Dennis Wolf.Iris Kyle won a record ninth Ms Olympia
and mens physique and womens physique debuted. Two years ago the
Phil-Kai rivalry threatened to boil over.As they jostled for
position on stage you could feel the enmity and wondered if one of
them might take things too far.In 2012 it was also great to see
fellow Brit Flex Lewis,who gave an exclusive interview for this
souvenir edition,take the 212 Showdown.
TherewasRonniestear-jerkingfourth-
placedswansongin2007thememoriesgoon. It wasnt always like this.When
Joe Weider founded the Olympia in 1965 there were just three
competitorsLarry Scott,Harold Poole and Earl Maynard.But on the
giant-sized shoulders of titans like Sergio Oliva and Arnold
Schwarzenegger,the Olympia soon became bodybuildings premier event.
Then came the Haney and Yates eras, distinguished not only by those
two greats but also by the quality of their opponents: Lee
Labrada,Rich Gaspari,Kevin Levrone,Shawn Ray,Flex Wheeler and Chris
Cormier,to name just six. Last year 131 men and women lined up in
eight different categories.Prize money exceeded $1m,the Saturday
night finals sold out and the four-day expo was the biggest ever.
There are now five female categories and three male,catering for
all kinds of different looks.But whichever physique you aspire to,
the Olympia is the place to see the best. Weve assembled a team of
unparalleled expertise to relive the battles and dramas of the last
50 years and look ahead to this years showdown,where Phil Heath
will attempt to win Sandow number four.Albert Busek,our German
editor,has possibly seen more Olympias than anyone alive,having
attended his first one in 1971 and missed only a few since.He
promoted the event in 1983 and has provided nevers before seen
pictures of his friend Arnold.Chris Lund,our UK editor-in-
chief,photographed the Olympia for 30 years and Gary Phillips,our
Australasian editor,has shot every one since 1997.These guys have
seen about 80 Olympias between them from the best seats so they
know a thing or two. I hope you enjoy this souvenir edition and if
you havent been to the Olympia yet I hope you get the chance to do
so soon. FLEX 20 FLEX 21FLEX
4. 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1965 1966 1977 1983 1984 1989 1990
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2007 2008 2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 2009 2010 2011 2012 20142013 1985 1986 1987
1988 1978 1979 1972 1973 1979 1974 1980 1975 1976 1981 1982 ? 1991
1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1965 1966 1977 1983 1984 1989 1990 1992
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2007 2008 2002 2003
2004 2005 2006 2009 2010 2011 2012 20142013 1985 1986 1987 1988
1978 1979 1972 1973 1979 1974 1980 1975 1976 1981 1982 ? 1991
THEMEN WHOMADE Chris Lund,our UK editor-in-chief since
1985,attended his first Mr Olympia in 1979 and photographed every
subsequent battle,except 1980,for the next 30 years.He has taken
some of the most famous photos in bodybuilding history and has shot
virtually all the top pros from the 1980s onwards.Drawing on his
own Olympia recollections and his conversations with the pros,he
tells the story of the greatest bodybuilding show on earth. 23FLEX
SCOTT:ZELLERFiTnESSPubLiCaTiOnS;inC.,COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS;OLiVa:COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS;SCHWaRZEnEGGER:CaRuSO,COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS;
COLuMbu:ZELLERFiTnESSPubLiCaTiOnS,inC.,COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS;ZanE:CaRuSO,COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS;DiCKERSOn:COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS,
bannOuT:nEVEuX,COuRTESYOFWEiDERHEaLTHanDFiTnESS;HanEY,YaTES:CHRiSLunD,COLEMan:KEVinHORTOn,CuTLER,JaCKSOn,HEaTH:biLLCOMSTOCK
5. 1960sLARRY LEADS THE WAY When Joe Weider launched the Mr
Olympia in 1965,I doubt even he realised what a monster he had
created.I want all the great champion bodybuilders in the world to
compete against each other to see who is the greatest of them
all,said Joe.And so,on September 18th 1965,the first Mr Olympia was
staged at the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music in the heart of
New York City. The line-up included just three bodybuilders.There
was Harold Poole,who was only 21 years old and remains the youngest
ever Olympia competitor,and Earl Maynard,but even before Larry
Scott reached the posing platform there was an enormous roar from
the audience who screamed and shouted,We want Scott,we want Scott!
Scott was unanimously declared the winner and the first ever Mr
Olympia.He returned the following year,won again,then retired. In
1967 the world was introduced to a new kind of bodybuilder.The
audience was astounded by the appearance of the greatest genetic
freak ever to walk the earthSergio Oliva. Sergio stood 510and
weighed between 235 and 250 pounds.His upper arms measured 22
inches and his chest was 55 inches,tapering down to a minuscule
waist measuring only 28 inches.He also had 31-inch upper thighs.
Sergio,who soon earned the moniker The Myth,displayed huge muscular
mass and definition,including the most unbelievable V taper from
chest to waist ever seen. He took the 1967,1968 and 1969 titles
(even defeating Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1969),and appeared
unbeatable.Sergio ended the decade being touted as the greatest
bodybuilder who ever lived. WINNERS 1965 Larry Scott USA 1966 Larry
Scott USA 1967 Sergio Oliva Cuba 1968 Sergio Oliva Cuba 1969 Sergio
Oliva Cuba Nobodyhadseen armslikeLarryScott's
JoeWeidercongratulatesSergio asArnoldlooksonin1969 24 FLEX
SCOTT:ZELLERFITNESSPUBLICATIONS;INC.,COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS;JIMMYCARUSO
6. In 1970 Sergio made the mistake of coming in far too smooth
and paid the price by being beaten by Arnold. Arnold had been
training like a man possessed after losing the previous year and he
continued to do so in 1971 ahead of his next encounter withThe
Myth.However,Sergio broke IFBB rules by entering the NABBA Mr
Universe in London,where he was beaten by Bill Pearl.Consequently
the IFBB did not allow him to compete in the 1971 Mr O in Paris.
Unknown to everyone,including Arnold, Sergio prepared for the 1972
event in Essen, Germany,like never before.He already had more
muscle mass than any bodybuilder in history but now trained even
harder and paid much more attention to diet.The Myth landed in
Essen in the best shape of his life whereas Arnold had guest posed
at the IFBB 1970s Mr America one week prior to the72 Olympia, and
was definitely not in top shape. People were wondering how Arnold
was going to beat the great Sergio in a contest that attracted a
greater number of champions than ever,including Serge Nubret, Frank
Zane and Franco Columbu. Sergio looked supremely confident as he
posed and played to the audience and he was completely devastated
when he was announced as runner-up.Even Arnold must have realised
he was lucky to have beaten The Myth at his all time best in one of
the greatest and more controversial Olympias. Sergio was considered
by many to be the perfect bodybuilding specimen.He was a genetic
wonder,but this was Arnold's time,. He combined tremendous shape
with superb separation,muscular development and definition. The
1972 contest was,for me,a battle between two of the greatest
bodybuilders in history.Alas,they never competed against each other
again. WINNERS 1970 ArnoldSchwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA 1971
ArnoldSchwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA 1972 ArnoldSchwarzenegger
AUSTRIA/USA 1973 ArnoldSchwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA 1974
ArnoldSchwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA 1975 ArnoldSchwarzenegger
AUSTRIA/USA 1976 Franco Columbu ITALY 1977 Frank Zane USA 1978
Frank Zane USA 1979 Frank Zane USA THE ARNOLD PHENOMENOM PUMPING
IRONWith Sergio out of the picture,Arnold easily won the Olympia in
1973,1974 and 1975. Cameras for the movie documentary Pumping Iron
captured the build-up to the 1975 event in Pretoria,South
Africa,and Arnold surprised the world by retiring afterwards.
Arnold and Pumping Iron took bodybuilding to another level of
popularity but when Arnold retired, bodybuildings greatest prize
was up for grabs. Much attention in 1976 focused on the under-200
lb class,which had started two years earlier.It included
Columbu,Zane,Ed Corney,Bill Grant and Boyer Coe,while the open
class pitched Ken Waller against Mike Katz. Columbu,who had
narrowly lost in recent years,got into the best muscular condition
of his life to beat Frank Zane by the slenderest of margins in the
under-200 lb class and then overcame Waller for the overall title.
Zane was determined to take the honours the following year when,
competing against the favourite Robby Robinson,he exhibited a
flawless, breathtaking physique.Looking perfect from head to toe,he
won his first of three Olympia titles.Even today Zanes physique is
widely considered to be the most symmetrical and aesthetic of all
time. In 1978 Zane again beat the fancied Robinson but 1979 was a
different story. This time he faced the most massive bodybuilder
since Sergio and ArnoldMr Heavy DutyMike Mentzer. Mentzer led after
the morning pre-judging but Zane was undeterred.I knew I was behind
going into the evening posing round,but I also knew that I was
going to win,he said. He was right.After all,he was the master
poser and Mentzer definitely was not.He was also in fantastic
muscular shape,possibly the best of his career.A decade dominated
by Arnold ended with Zane and aesthetics in the ascendancy.
Arnoldwasnumerouno, sixtimesinthedecade JoeWeider congratulates
FrankZane ArnoldandFranco 26 FLEX 27FLEX
COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS,PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK,JIMMYCARUSO
7. The 1980 contest in Sydney turned out to be the most
controversial Olympia ever.Even today,people debate the result. The
contest had 16 contestants,which was the biggest number ever at the
time.Zane and Mentzer were the favourites but the bodybuilding
world was in for a huge shock. Arnold had retired from bodybuilding
in 1975 and moved into acting,where his physique had become notably
smaller.It was 1980s obvious Arnold had been training hard prior to
the 1980 Olympia but he convinced everyone he was simply getting in
shape for Conan the Barbarian.When anyone asked why he was in
Sydney,he said:I am doing the TV commentary for CBS. Then to the
horror of every competitor on stage that day,Arnold entered and won
his seventh Olympia title.Chris Dickerson was second.Many who were
there claimed the title should have gone to either Zane,who was
third,Coe,who finished fourth,or Mentzer who placed fifth. If 1980
was the most controversial Olympia,1981 wasnt far behind it.
Columbu,who had seriously injured a leg in the Worlds Strongest
Man,won the title for a second time although many of the worlds
greatest bodybuilders,including Zane,Coe and Mentzer (who never
competed again) had boycotted the show because of what happened in
Sydney. Columbuwasextremelyluckytowinin1981.
HewaschasedallthewaybyDickerson,who
placedsecondonceagain.TomPlatz,whowas
intheshapeofhislife,placedthirdandmany feltheshouldhavewon.
Thepackedauditorium inColumbus,Ohio,startedbooingwhenDanny
Padillawasannouncedinfourthplaceandthey
neverstoppeduntiltheshowended. LONDON & MUNICH PLAY HOSTLondon
hosted its first and only Olympia in 1982.Zane was attempting to
collect a fourth Sandow but he did not account for the
determination and tenacity of Dickerson.The contest turned out to
be a three-man battle between the immaculate,symmetrical physiques
of Dickerson and Zane and a new mass monster called Casey Viator,
who exploded onto the stage to the Conan movie soundtrack. The
verdict went to Dickerson,who told everyone how much he loved
London,whilst Zane and Viator gave everyone thatI was robbedlook.
The worlds greatest bodybuilders flew to Munich in 1983 where Samir
Bannout,who had always struggled with water retention,finally got
into rock-hard muscular condition and won the show.Bannout was
pushed all the way by Mohamed Makkaway (2nd),Lee Haney (3rd),Zane
(4th) and crowd favourite Bertil Fox (5th). In some ways it was the
end of an era because Bannout was the last of the more aesthetic
and symmetrical Olympia champions.Haney was on his way! When
Haney,weighing a massive 247 lbs of solid but still shapely muscle
won his first Olympia title in New York in 1984 (Sergio made a
comeback in that contest and placed 8th),Im sure even he did not
believe he would carry on winning the title for another seven
years. Haney continued to conquer all, despite the amazingly
muscular Rich Gaspari,who was runner-up in 1986, 1987 and 1988. IN
1989 Haney faced even tougher opposition from Lee Labrada,who was
in fantastic contest condition while Haney was not.In the end
though, Haney was awarded his sixth Sandow trophy to end the decade
as the dominant champion. HANEY MAKES HISTORY WINNERS 1980
ArnoldSchwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA 1981 Franco Columbu ITALY 1982
Chris Dickerson USA 1983 Samir Bannout LEBANON 1984 Lee Haney USA
1985 Lee Haney USA 1986 Lee Haney USA 1987 Lee Haney USA 1988 Lee
Haney USA 1989 Lee Haney USA NewYorkhostedthe1984Olympia
MikeChristiancelebratesHaney's 1986winasrunner-uprichGasparilookson
SamirBannout(secondright),flankedbyGermanJusupWilkoszandBritainsBertilFox
29FLEX28 FLEX
COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS,PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK,GREGAIKEN
8. In 1990 Haney faced tough opposition from Lee Labrada and
Shawn Ray and was actually two points behind going into the night
show, but once again his huge size and shape prevailed. In
1991,however,Haney faced his most formidable foe of all in the form
of Britains greatest ever bodybuilder,Dorian Yates.Yates displayed
the most amazing degree of muscular size and conditioning ever seen
at the Olympia.He weighed more than 250 pounds,which was incredible
back then. That is probably why Haney turned up in
Orlando,Florida,in the best condition of his career and after
winning the show remarked, I finally learned how to peak! Haney now
had a record eight Olympia titles and was the greatest bodybuilder
in history.He bowed out at the top. In 1992 the IFBB moved the
Olympia battlefield to Helsinki,Finland,and the total amount of
prize money awarded was $275,000,which showed how far the event had
come from the first contest,when the prize was $1,000.
Yates,infantasticshape,wonhisfirstofsix
titles,beatingKevinLevrone(2nd)andLee Labrada(3rd).
LouFerrigno,makinga comeback,placedonly12th.
Thefollowingyear,YatesarrivedinAtlanta,
Georgia,weighingamassive257pounds.Noone
couldstandnexttohim.FlexWheelertook 1990s secondandShawnRaythird.
In1994,Dorianseriouslyinjuredhisleft
rotatorcuffandthesamemonthtorehisleft
quadriceps.Thenlessthannineweeksbefore
theshowhetorehisleftbicepsdoing
reverse-gripbentoverrowswith405pounds!
Despiteallthis,heenteredtheshowandwon histhirdSandow.
Thewordwasnowoutthatyouneededto behugeandrippedtowintheOlympia.The
daysofgettingbyonsymmetryaloneand aestheticswereover.
In1995YatesreturnedtoAtlantainhisbest
conditionsofarandeasilypickeduphisfourth
Sandow.Thehighlightofthiscontestwas
whenallnineMrOlympiaswerebroughton stagetopaytributetoJoeWeider.
In1996theOlympiamovedtoChicagobut theoutcomewasthesameanothereasy
victoryforYates.NasserElSonbatywas
disqualifiedduringthecontestwhenhefailed adiureticdrugtest.
Buttherewasarealbattlein1997inLong
Beach,California,whenYateswentbicepsto
bicepsagainsttheequallymassiveElSonbaty.
ElSonbatyheldhisowninallthefrontal
comparisonsbutwhentheyturnedaroundthere
wasonlyonewinner.YatespickeduphissixthMr
Olympia,plusachequefor$100,000.Nobody
knewhehadsufferedaserioustricepstearafew
monthsbeforetheshow.Hesaidnothing,and
stillcompeted.Butheknewhisdayswere
numbered,soheretired.TheShadowhadleft thebuilding! YATES BOWS
OUTWiththegiantBritgone,the1998 Olympialookedwideopen.ElSonbaty,
Ray,LevroneandWheelerwerethe favouritesinNewYork.Noonegave
muchthoughttoRonnieColeman. Afterall,hedidnotappeartobea
contender,andhecertainlywasnta geneticfreaklikeSergio.Coleman
finishedlastathisfirstOlympiain 1992.In1993hedidnotentertheshow
andin1994heplacedonly15th.In1995 heplaced11thandinthe1996showhe
moveduptosixth.However,in1997,which
wasYateslast,heslumpedtoninthsono oneimaginedhecouldbethenextMr
Olympia. Everyone quickly changed their mind when he walked onto
that New York stage weighing an unprecedented 270 pounds.He was
huge and ripped to shreds,and no one else stood a chance. When Big
Ron was awarded the title,I noticed Joe Weider and Scott
Connelly,the founder of METRx,climb onto the stage to try to grab
hold of him.As soon as I had the chance,I asked Ronnie what they
had said to him. They both wanted to sign me up,he
replied,grinning.Never!I exclaimed. You mean they actually jumped
on stage and offered you a contract on the spot?Ronnie nodded his
head,and simply replied,Yup! In 1999 the Olympia found a permanent
home in Las Vegas but although the venue changed,the outcome didnt
as Coleman proved he was the man for a new century. DORIAN
REDEFINES BODYBUILDING WINNERS 1990 Lee Haney USA 1991 Lee Haney
USA I992 Dorian Yates UK 1993 Dorian Yates UK 1994 Dorian yates UK
1995 Dorian Yates UK 1996 Dorian Yates UK 1997 Dorian Yates UK 1998
Ronnie Coleman USA 1999 Ronnie Coleman USA
HaneyandYatescomparelatsin1991 Cormier Levrone Yates Ray 31FLEX30
FLEX CHRISLUND,KEVINHORTON,COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS
9. Coleman would win the title eight times to equal Haneys
record.He continued to train even harder and at one point tipped
the 2000s scales at over 280 pounds,in contest condition. He had
some outstanding opponents, most notably Jay Cutler.But during most
of Ronnies reign I got the impression that many of his rivals were
training for second place, although few would admit it. In 2006
Ronnie turned up for his training shoots as usual at Koloseum Gym
in California three weeks before the Olympia and I could tell
almost at once that something wasnt quite right.We talked about
training injuries, and I was astonished when he causally said, Ive
always trained with some type of injury throughout my career but I
just get on with it. What else can I do? Coleman,in my view the
greatest bodybuilder in history,lost his title to Jay Cutler at
that 2006 Olympia.I know that Ronnie desperately wanted to beat
Haneys record of eight Mr Olympias and although he came back in
2007 and placed fourth,he never looked the same.The kings reign was
over. WINNERS 2000 Ronnie Coleman USA 2001 Ronnie Coleman USA 2002
Ronnie Coleman USA 2003 Ronnie Coleman USA 2004 Ronnie Coleman USA
2005 Ronnie Coleman USA 2006 Jay Cutler USA 2007 Jay Cutler USA
2008 Dexter Jackson USA 2009 Jay Cutler USA KING COLEMAN REIGNS
SUPREME THE CUTLER RIVALRYCutler had placed second to Ronnie on
four occasions.I knew how much he wanted to win and when he left
our photoshoot 10 days before the 2006 Mr Olympia weighing in
excess of 260 pounds,I had a strange feeling something was about to
happen. As he climbed into his car to drive home to Las Vegas,Jay
quietly said, This time I will take this guy out. And that is
exactly what he did. He took the 2006 and 2007 titles but lost the
2008 contest to Dexter Jackson before coming back to win again in
2009 and 2010. DexterJackson,RonnieColemanandJayCutler
Four-timeMrOJayCutler 2008champDexterJackson 33FLEX32 FLEX
KEVINHORTON,COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS,KRAUSEJOHANSEN
10. In 2011 Jay Cutler was gunning for his fifth title when he
came up against Phil Heath,a new star in magnificent
condition.Although there were many other great bodybuilders in the
contest,it was really a two-man racefour- time champ Cutler against
Heath,who had placed second in 2009 and 2010. 2010- PRESENT Phil
finally pulled off his dream to become the new Mr Olympia.The
following year,he returned to Vegas and took on Kai Greene, who was
probably the only bodybuilder in the world who could beat him.But
he didnt,and Heath picked up his second Sandow trophy in a contest
that formed the backdrop to the movie Generation Iron.
Therewasmoreofthesamethefollowing
yearwhenHeathtookthe49thOlympiatitle
atasell-outOrleansArenaduringanOlympia
weekendthattopped$1mprizemoneyforthe
firsttimeandwhichnowincludeda212
Showdownpluscategoriesformensphysique,
womensphysique,womensbodybuilding,the
FitnessOlympia,theFigureOlympiaandthe BikiniOlympia. Heath has one
of the most beautifully proportioned physiques in Olympia history
and is capable of winning this great event for many years to come.
This year sees the 50th Mr Olympia,and the contest will be held at
the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas over the weekend of September 1821.I
hope to see you there.FLEX THE HEATH ERA BEGINS WINNERS 2010 Jay
Cutler USA 2011 Phil Heath USA 2012 Phil Heath USA 2013 Phil Heath
USA IFBBProLeaguechairmanJimManion congratulatesHeath
Bestofrivals,bestoffriends Wolf Martinez Heath Cutler Greene
Jackson 2011top6 34 FLEX KRAUSEJOHANSEN,BILLCOMSTOCK
11. OFTHE THE TheOlympiawas createdtogive theworldstopbody-
buildersthechanceto provewhoisnumber one.Fiftyyearson,
thatremainsthecase buttheshowhas evolvedtoincorporate
womenanddifferent levelsofdevelopment. Since 1965,six other classes
have been introduced to the ever-expanding Olympia weekend.From the
addition of female bodybuilding in 1980 to the first physique
showdowns last year,the Olympia now seeks to reward the best of a
broad range of physiques. Here we take a look at the history of the
half-dozen categories that didnt feature in 1965 but will be a part
of the 50th Olympia weekend. 1980 MS OLYMPIA
Thelongestrunningofallthenew categories,theMsOlympiaisnowin
its35thyear.LiketheMrOlympia,it hasundergonenumerouschangesin
formatandjudgingcriteriathat haveoftenseenitdoggedin controversy.
Atthefirstcontestin1980, muscularitywasminimalcompared
totoday.RachelMcLish,the champion,wouldprobablybebetter
suitedtobikiniorfiguretodaybut hercurvescausedasensationthat
sawthesportgrowrapidlyforafew years. Womensbodybuildinggrew
rapidlyduringthereignsofearly greatchampions,including1983
winnerCarlaDunlap,andCory Everson,whowonthefirstofsix
consecutivetitlesin1984.Everson, whoretiredin1989,remainstheonly
multipleOlympiacompetitorother thanLarryScottandDavanaMedina
tohavewoneverytimeshestepped onstage. In1990,duetoalackofqualifying
events,MsOlympiawasopenedup toallwomenwithprocards.
Twenty-ninetooktothestagewith LendaMurraybaggingtheprize. The 1993
show set a new high for competitor numbers with 32 women contesting
the title,a record across all Olympia categories matched only by
the 2012 bikini contest. Despite alterations to the judging
criteria calling for less muscularity,Murray won six in a row
between 1990-95,tying her with Everson.Her reign was a pivotal one:
since then womens bodybuilding has struggled for acceptance and
prize money has declined. Murray retired in 1997 after finishing
second to Kim Chizevsky for the second year running. Chizevsky
captured two more titles and retired after the 1999 contest, where
a certain Iris Kyle made her debut.Then came the biggest shake-up
in Ms Olympia history. In 2000,the Ms Olympia was officially
brought into the Olympia Weekend for the first time. Competitors
were issued with new judging criteria calling for them to be
muscularbut not to the extreme,which caused widespread confusion.
Then came the introduction of light and heavyweight classes.
Uniquely,no overall winner was crowned,with Ukraines Valentina
Chepiga winning the heavyweight 37FLEX36 FLEX BILLCOMSTOCK
12. themostsuccessfulbodybuilderinhistory,maleor female.
Now,withgrowingspeculationsurroundingthe
futureofwomensbodybuilding,Kylehasthe
chancetosetherselfevenfurtherapartbywinning
her10thtitle.Hergreatestchallengewilllikelybe
lastyearsrunner-upAlinaPopa,whopushedher
closerthananyoneinthelasteightyears.
Whateverthefutureholdsforwomensbodybuild-
ing,Kylewillgodownasatruelegendofthesport. title and Andrulla
Blanchette of the UK scooping the lightweight prize. The overall
title was reintroduced the following year,just in time for Juliette
Bergmann to make a stunning comeback after 12 years away from the
sport. She won the lightweight class and beat heavyweight winner
Kyle to the overall trophy,the only time a light- weight would ever
do so. Another comeback queen took the title in 2002,with Murray
returning from retirement to win a record seventh title.She made it
eight in 2003 before retiring for the second and final time after
losing her title to Kyle in 2004. 2005 saw yet more changes with
the scrapping of weight categories and the introduction of the20%
rule.Female competitors were requested to decrease their
muscularityby a factor of 20%. This applied tothose whose physiques
require the decrease. Whatever that actually meant, Kyle lost her
title to Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia. Kyle recaptured her title in 2006
and hasnt looked back since.By 2013 she had equalled Murrays record
of eight wins and set a new record for consecutive triumphs with
seven.Her ninth win that year made her WINNERS 1980,1982 Rachel
McLish (2 titles) USA 1981 Kike Elomaa (1 title) FINLAND 1983 Carla
Dunlap (1 title) USA 1984-89 Cory Everson (6 titles) USA
1990-95,2002-03 Lenda Murray (8 titles) USA 1996-99 Kim Chizevsky
(4 titles) USA 2000Heavyweight Valentina Chepiga (1 title) UKRAINE
2000Lightweight Andrulla Blanchette (1 title) UK 2001 Juliette
Bergmann (1 title) NETHERLANDS 2004,2006-13 Iris Kyle (9 titles)
USA 2005 Yaxeni Oriquen (1 title) VENEZUELA 38 FLEX
KEVINHORTON,UNKNOWN
13. Sinceitsintroductionin1995,thefitnessclass
hasbeenthemostentertainingeventatthe
Olympia.Theuniqueblendofgymnasticdisplay
andphysiquecontesthasattractedsomeofthe
mostimpressivefemaleathleteseverseen.
Theroutinesoftheearlyeventsmay havelackedthetheatricalelementof
todaysstars,mostnotablycrowd favouriteOksanaGrishina,butthey
werenolessimpressive. AfterMiaFinneganclaimedthe
inauguralFitnessOlympiatitlein1995,
thecrownpassedtofourothersbeforethe eventfounditsfirst
repeatchampionin SusieCurry.The Americandominated theOlympiastage
from2000-03 beforeAdelaGarica, whodebuted in2000, sealed
herfirsttitle.SincethenGarciahasmadeiteight
titles,losingonlyonceandmissingthe2008 showthroughinjury.
Afterthe2012ArnoldClassicEurope,where
GarciafinishedbehindGrishina,somefelt2013
mightbetheyearthe42-year-oldwouldfinally
relinquishhertitle.TheRussianpulledoff
anotherspectacularroutineattheOlympia,
probablyamongthebestthecontesthasever
seen,butGarciaheldontohertitleonceagain.If
shewinsagainthisyear,theDominicanwill
becomeonlythesecondeverOlympia competitortowinninetitles. Davana
Medina made the figure class her own from the moment of its
inception at the 2003 Olympia Weekend.The Puerto Rican went on to
capture three titles between 2003-05 and remains,jointly,the most
successful competitor in Figure Olympia history.Had she not missed
the 2006 event,she may well have gone on to further success but
illness prevented her taking part and Jenny Lynn won the first of
her two titles that year. Since Lynns second triumph in 2007,no one
has held on to the Figure title for more than a year at a time,with
the last five Figure Os shared between the vastly different but
equally impressive physiques of Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern. The
big talking point heading into this years show is whether Wilkins
can finally retain her title or will Stern again leapfrog her
rival.Or will Candice Keene,who beat both Wilkins and Stern in
2013,jump from third to steal the prize? 1995 FITNESS OLYMPIA 2003
FIGURE OLYMPIA WINNERS 2003-05 Davana Medina (3 titles) USA 2006-07
Jenny Lynn (2 titles) USA 2008 Jennifer Gates USA 2009,20011,2013
Nicole Wilkins (3 titles) USA 2010,2012 Erin Stern (2 titles) USA
WINNERS 1995 Mia Finnegan USA 1996 Saryn Muldrow USA 1997 Carol
Semple-Marzetta USA 1998 Monica Brant USA 1999 Mary Yockey USA
2000-03 Susie Curry (4 titles) USA 2004,2006-07,2009-13 Adela
Garcia (8 titles) DOM.REPUBLIC 2005,2008 Jen Hendershott (2 titles)
USA 40 FLEX DAVELEE,BILLCOMSTOCK
14. 2008 202/212 From 1974-1979 the old lightweight class had
given bodybuilders weighing under 200 lbs the opportunity to
compete for the big prize, with the likes of Franco Columbu,Frank
Zane, Albert Beckles and Boyer Coe all starting out there.When it
was scrapped in 1980,smaller,more aesthetic physiques were common
sights but over time,the emphasis on sheer freaky size took
over.Smaller competitors were simply being outmuscled so the 202
category,introduced in 2008,once againgave the little big guys a
chance to shine. David Henry had slayed some big guys in the open
ranks but hed never been a serious threat on the Olympia stage.Now
his fine lines and razor-sharp conditioning got their reward when
he won the first ever 202 title. The 202 ran for four years before
being replaced by the 212 in 2012.By that time, Kevin English was
the dominant force in lightweight bodybuilding having won three
straight 202 titles,but he sat out the inaugural 212 through
injury. Flex Lewis,second to English in 2011,seized the opportunity
and deservedly became the first ever Olympia 212 Showdown champion.
Asthe2013Showdownapproached,the
ever-outspokenEnglishclaimedtheWelsh- manhadonlywonbecausehehadnt
competed.Youhavethetitle,butImthe
champ,hesaidatafeistyexchangeatthe
traditionalpre-showpressconference. Lewiswasunfazedandunleashedhis
best-everphysiquetowintitlenumber two. Hes stated 2014 will likely
be his final 212 appearance as he prepares to make the jump to the
open division,so the way will soon be open for a new star to make
his name as the worlds best lightweight bodybuilder WINNERS 2008202
Dave Henry USA 2009-11202 Kevin English (3 titles) USA 2012-13212
Flex Lewis UK 42 FLEX
BILLCOMSTOCK,PAVELYTHJALL,KEVINHORTON,BILLCOMSTOCK
15. 2013 PHYSIQUE WINNERS 2013Mens Mark Anthony Wingson USA
2013Womens Dana Linn Bailey USA Nonewcategoryhashadsuchatransforma-
tionalimpactonbodybuildingasbikini.Allover
theworldithasbroughtthesporttoawhole
newaudience.Womeneverywheredreamof competingattheBikiniOlympia.
Initsfour-yearhistory,nowinnerhasretained
thetitle,neverthelesscertainwomenhave
dominatedthetopspots.Before2013,thetop
threehadonlyeverincludedsixdifferent womenacrossthreecontests.
SoniaGonzaleswonthefirstMissBikini
Olympiain2010butfelltofifthin2011when
NicoleNagraniandNathaliaMelobothjumped
aplacetofirstandsecondrespectively.
Brazilian-bornMelothencompletedherjourney
throughthetopthreein2012bytakingthetitle asNagranislippedtosecond.
2013sawachangingoftheguard,as newcomerAshleyKaltwasserleftLasVegas
2010 BIKINI WINNERS 2010 Sonia Gonzales USA 2011 Nicole Nagrani USA
2012 Nathalia Melo BRAZIL 2013 Ashley Kaltwasser USA
withthewinnerscheque.NagraniandGonzales
werenoticeableabsentees,whileMelodropped
outofthetopthreeforthefirsttime.
Whatwillhappenthisyearisanybodysguess
butifKaltwassercanretainhertitleshellwrite
herownpieceofOlympiahistoryasthefirst repeatBikinichampion.
ThetwomostrecentadditionstotheOlympia pantheonmens physique and
womens physiquedebuted at last years Olympia weekend.Both divisions
require some serious muscle without crossing the line to the
extreme size and conditioning of bodybuilding. Internet sensation
Dana Linn Bailey,a pro since 2011,became the first ever womens
physique showdown champion,narrowly beating Tycie Coppett with an
impressive combination of muscularity,shape and poise. Over in the
mens division,Mark Anthony Wingsons perfect scores earned him the
number one spot.Love it or hate it,like the bikini class,mens
physique has opened the door for a whole new kind of board-short-
wearing bodybuilder.In the long run,that is only likely to see both
the sport,and the Olympia,get even bigger. 44 FLEX
BILLCOMSTOCK,
16. The records and standards up for grabs at the 50th IFBB
Olympia Weekend by TEAM FLEX photographs courtesy of WEIDER HEALTH
& FITNESS *AfourthMrO,Haney,wascrownedatthisshow.
HOWEXCLUSIVEISTHESANDOWSOCIETY?
THEREHAVEBEEN26ARNOLDCLASSICS(INCLUDING
2014)AND49OLYMPIAS(UPTO2013).DESPITENEARLY
TWICEASMANYCONTESTS,THEREHAVEBEENFEWER
OWINNERS(13)THANARNOLDCLASSICCHAMPS(15). Thisiswhere legendsare
bornandhistory iswritten.Every autumn since the inaugural event in
1965,the Mr Olympia has been bodybuild- ings pinnacle.This year
there are eight Olympia categories up for grabs on the 50th Olympia
week- end.We look at the potential changes to the record book in
each category with a particular emphasis on the Mr Olympia, where
the line-up is stackedfulloftalent. Will Phil Heath (or Dexter
Jackson) win again,or will we see the crowning of a 14th Mr O? On
September 18-21,some legends will be born,others will grow,history
will be made in pose after pose,and the record book will be
rewritten. 3MOSTMR OLYMPIA WINNERSINTHE SAMECONTEST:
2013:3Heath,Cutler,Jackson 1984:3*Oliva,Dickerson,Bannout THE
SANDOWSOCIETYMROLYMPIAWINNERS LARRYSCOTT 1965-66 LEE HANEY
1984-1991 CHRISDICKERSON 1982 SAMIR BANNOUT 1983 DORIAN YATES
1992-97 DEXTERJACKSON 2008 SERGIOOLIVA 1967-69 PHILHEATH 2011-13
ARNOLDSCHWARZENEGGER 1970-75,1980 FRANCO COLUMBU 1976,1981
FRANKZANE 1977-79 JAYCUTLER 2006-07,2009-10 RONNIE COLEMAN 1998-05
BOTTOMINSET:CUTLER,HEATH&JACKSON:BILLCOMSTOCK;OLIVA&DICKERSON:NEVEUX;
BANNOUT:BALIK/COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS
HANEY,BANNOUT,OLIVA,SCHWARZENEGGER&DICKERSON:COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS;
SCOTT&YATES:BOBGARDNER;HEATH:BILLCOMSTOCK;COLEMAN&JACKSON:KEVINHORTON;ZANE:COURTESYOFCHRISTINE
ZANE;CUTLER:PAVELYTHJALL;COLUMBU:ZELLER/COURTESYOFWEIDERHEALTHANDFITNESS
OLYMPIAFACT 46 FLEX 47FLEX
17. Onceararity,aMrOchamplosinghas
becomemorelikelythannotrecently, happeninginfourofthelasteight
years.Theseventimesadefending champwasdefeatedare:1970(Oliva),
1980(Zane),1984(Bannout), 2006(Coleman),2008(Cutler),
2009(Jackson),2011(Cutler).
Ofthefivechampstowintheoldlightweightdivision,the202Showdownor
the212Showdown,Lewisistheonlyonetodosowhileunder30.Hewas28
in2012and29in2013.Aswewenttopress,noneoftheothercompetitors
whowerequalifiedforthisyears212showdownareunder30.
HellbetheoldestOchampever.At44yearsand10
months,theBladewillbeayearandninemonthsolder
thanDickersonwaswhenhewonthe1982Olympiaat 43andonemonth.
Hissix-yearspan(2008-14)willbeanewrecordfor
longestperiodbetweenwins,beatingSchwarzenegger
andColumbusfiveyears(1975-1980and1976-81 respectively).
Whereverheplaces,his 15entrieswillputhimjoint firstwithRonnie
ColemanforOlympia appearances.
At29,hellbetheyoungestOwinnersinceHaney andthesixthyoungestever.
Hellbethesixthnon-Americanchampandjust
thesecondfromoutsideNorthAmericaorEurope,
theotherbeingtheLebaneseSamirBannout.
Hellhavemadethebiggestyear-on-year
improvementofanyOwinnersinceRonnie
Colemanwentfrom9thto1stinwinninghisfirst Sandowin1998. WINS?
PHILHEATH WHATIF HisO-winning percentage willriseto57% (fourout of
7). 57% FOURWINS WILLTIE HIMWITH CUTLERFOR THEFIFTH MOSTOLYMPIA
TITLES. 4
ThiswouldmakehimthesixthpersontowinfourormoreOlympiatitles.
Fouroftheotherfive(allbutCutler)wontheirfirstfourconsecutively.
STRAIGHTOWIN4thITLL BEHIS 82.5% 337 LOSSES WINS
Chancecurrentchampwill defendhistitle MrOdefendingtitle SHAWNRHODEN
WHATIF 6THchampion tobeborn outside theUSA. RaisedinJamaica,
hewillbethefirst champbornoutside theUSAsinceYates andthesixth
overall. They would both also be the third oldest first-time
winners. Like Greene,the 39-year-old
WILLBETHE14THMROLYMPIAANDFOURTHOLDEST. WHATIFDEXTERJACKSONWINS?If
we include the recent 202 division (200811) and the old lightweight
division (1974-79),the record for Olympialightweighttitles is
three,held by FrancoColumbu (197476),FrankZane(197779),
andKevinEnglish (200911). Lewis goes for number three this year to
equal that record. HELLBETHEFIRSTSINCEYATESAND
THEFIFTHOVERALLTOWINASANDOW AFTERJUSTTWOATTEMPTS.
RHODEN&ELSSBIAY:ISAACHINDS
HEATH:PAVELYTHJALL;LEWIS:BILLCOMSTOCK;ENGLISH:ISAACHINDS;
JACKSON:ROBERTREIFF MAMDOUHBIGRAMYELSSBIAYWINS? WHATIF WINS?
OLYMPIA212SHOWDOWN youngest personto winfour Otitles. TH
1stFlexLewisremains thefirstandonly Olympia212Showdown
championafterdefending histitlelastyear.
18. GREENE&WARREN:BILLCOMSTOCK; MARTINEZ:ISAACHINDS
WOLF,KYLE,GARCIA&ORIQUEN:BILL COMSTOCK;CUTLER:KEVINHORTON
Itwillbe Oriquens record17th MsO(allconsecutive since1998),themost
foramanorwomaninany Olympiacategory. ItwillbeKyles16th(all
consecutivesince1999). Thisisthe20thFitnessOlympia, and
AdelaGarciawill be going for her record ninth title. SusieCurry has
the second most, far behind with four. Garcia will also be going
for her sixth in a row. In her 14th Fit O, shell also be increasing
her mark for most entries. And at 42, she can break her own record
for oldest champ. WINS? 39Greenesageifhewinsthe2014
Olympia.Thatwouldmakehim thefourtholdestwinnerbehind
Dickerson,Columbuand Colemanandthirdoldestfirst-
timewinner,behindDickerson andColumbu. KAIGREENE WHATIF
AwinforGreene wouldmake himthe14th Mr Olympia.14th
Ifhefinishessecondagain,hellmoveuptothirdonthelistofrunners-up
withthree,behindCutler(6)andKevinLevrone(4)andlevelwith
RichGaspariandFlexWheeler.Hellalsobeonlythethirdtofinishsecond
atthreesuccessiveOs,alongwithCutlerandGaspari.
HELLBECOMETHEONLYCOMPETITOROTHER THANPHILHEATHTOHAVEFINISHEDTHIRD
ANDSECONDBEFOREWINNING. 17th This is the fifth Bikini Olympia, and
there has so far been a different champ each time. Last years No. 1
Ashley Kaltwasser and 2012 winner Nathalia Melo return. If either
wins, shell become the first multiple Ms Bikini Olympia. FLEX
ItllbehisfirstOwin,placinghimlevelwith
Dickerson,BannoutandJacksonontheall-time winnerslist.
Itwillbethefirsttimehesbrokenthetop
twoineightattempts.Lastyearsthird
placewashisfirsttimeinbodybuildings
triumviratedespitepreviouslymakingthe top6fivetimes.
HewillbethefirstEuropeanwinner sinceDorianYatesin1997andthefirst
GermaninOlympiahistory. Hellbethefourtholdestfirst-timeOwinner
at36,behindDickerson,ColumbuandJackson. 12 Thisisthe12thFigure
Olympia.Davana MedinaandNicole Wilkinsjointly holdtherecord
formosttitles withthree.This yearscontest couldonce againcome
downtothe Wilkinsand ErinStern,whobetweenthem
havewonthelastfiveFigureOsin alternatingyears,Sternin2010
and2012andWilkinsin2009, 2011and2013. Withnine wins,IrisKyle
isthemost successful MsOlympia competitor inhistory.
Herninthtitlelastyearputheraheadofboth
HaneyandColemanandgavehertheall-time
recordformostOlympiavictories,maleor female.
9IfeitherDebbieLaszewski(3rdlastyear)
orYaxeniOriquen(4thlastyear)wins,she
willbetheall-timeoldestMsO.Laszewski
willbe45justafterthisyearscontest,
whileOriquen,whowonin2005,willbe48. MarcAnthonyWingsonand
DanaLinnBaileywonlastyears inauguralPhysiqueshowdowns
andcanbothincreasetheirrecords formostwinsiftheyrepeatthisyear.
Ifsomeoneelsewinseither,they willequalthenewrecords.
WHATIFDENNISWOLF WINS? FIGUREOLYMPIA MENS&WOMENSPHYSIQUE
SHOWDOWN BIKINIOLYMPIAFITNESSOLYMPIA MSOLYMPIA 50 FLEX
19. LEADING TRAINER NEIL HILL PREDICTS THE TOP SEVEN AT THE
50TH OLYMPIA 54 FLEX 55FLEX ISAACHINDS,STOCKPHOTO,BILLCOMSTOCK
20. 7th NEILS PREDICTION: Dennis James is doing an amazing job
with Ramy but he still needs a lot of refine- ment.When you walk on
stage with top seasoned veterans at the Olympia,you have to be in
condition because mass alone will not be enough to get in that top
six. People were overwhelmed by his size last year but it didnt
impress me because I look at the overall physique and there were
major flaws in his calves and thigh development,as well as
conditioning.I didnt see any progress at New York this year,in fact
his condition was worse.Im impressed by his waist to shoulder
ratio, his quad sweep and the huge amount of muscle he carries.Ramy
brings something new to the sport but hes a work in progress that
will take two or three years to complete. MAMDOUH BIG RAMY ELSSBIAY
DATEOFBIRTH:16/09/1984 HEIGHT:5ft9ins WEIGHT:286lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:2013,8th CAREERHIGHLIGHT: 2013-14NewYorkProchampion
WanttoseemoreofBigRamy?CheckoutourFLEXSpecialReport:TrainLikeBigRamy.
Only1.49.Gotowww.flexonline.co.ukandclickonDigitalPublications.
STOCKPHOTO 56 FLEX
22. 5th NEILS PREDICTION: Dexter is the wild card of the
bunch.Hes at that crossroads where he knows his physique will go
backwards because hes getting older and at some point it becomes
impossible to retain that fullness,but hes somehow managed to keep
his consistency going and from what Ive heard hes looking better
than ever this year.With his quality,if hes on the money and Shawn
and Dennis are slightly off he could take third. Last year he
finished a strong third and you wouldnt have argued if he were
second. Thats the best I have seen Dennis,and it was better than he
looked when he won the Arnold this year even though he warranted
that win.His weaknesses are still his calves and lower back and he
needs more depth in his rear hamstrings.When you have persistent
weaknesses you have to do the opposite of what youre doing or just
accept they are genetic weaknesses that wont respond.He may have
tried other training protocols but he might not have given them
long enough.It can take 12 or 16 weeks to bring up a weak body
part.Its very close between him and Shawn but if they both come in
bang on the money I would go for Shawn. 4th NEILS PREDICTION:
DATEOFBIRTH:25/11/1969 HEIGHT:5ft6ins WEIGHT:235lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:1999,9th;2000,9th;2001,
8th;2002,4th;2003,3rd;2004,4th;2006,4th;
2007,3rd;2008,1st;2009,3rd;2010,4th;2011,6th; 2012,4th;2013,5th
CAREERHIGHLIGHT:2008Olympiachampion DEXTER JACKSON
DATEOFBIRTH:30/10/1978 HEIGHT:5ft11ins WEIGHT:275lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:2007,5th;2008,4th;2009,
DNP;2010,5th;2011,5th;2012,6th;2013,3rd
CAREERHIGHLIGHT:2014ArnoldClassicchampion DENNIS WOLF STOCKPHOTO
STOCKPHOTO 60 FLEX 61FLEX
23. 3rd NEILSPREDICTION: Im a big fan of Shawn: hes got the
kind of physique Mr Olympia is all about.His lines are amongst the
most beautiful and graceful in the sport and his legs are some of
the best in the IFBB pro league. Theyre phenom- enal from all
angles. And I like that tiny waist.But his arms dont have that same
3D effect as his legs,and his chest and back need more fullness.I
have seen him looking better than he did at last years Olympia and
this year,so far.This time hes got to bring his A game.If he does
hes the number three athlete. DATEOFBIRTH:02/04/1975 HEIGHT:5ft9ins
WEIGHT:235lbs OLYMPIAHISTORY:2011,11th; 2012,3rd;2013,4th
CAREERHIGHLIGHT: 2012ArnoldClassicEuropechampion SHAWN RHODEN BEST
OF THE REST STEVEKUCLO DATEOFBIRTH:15/08/1985 HEIGHT:5ft11
WEIGHT:260lbs OLYMPIAHISTORY:2013,14th CAREERHIGHLIGHT:2014Arnold
ClassicBrazilchampion JUANMOREL DATEOFBIRTH:02/04/1982
HEIGHT:5ft11ins WEIGHT:260lbs OLYMPIAHISTORY:Rookie
CAREERHIGHLIGHT: 2014TorontoProchampion BRANCHWARREN
DATEOFBIRTH:26/02/1975 HEIGHT:5ft7ins WEIGHT:245lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:2005,8th; 2006,12th;2009,2nd;2010,3rd;2012,
5th;2013,9th CAREERHIGHLIGHT:20112012 ArnoldClassicchampion
CEDRICMcMILLAN DATEOFBIRTH:17/08/1977 HEIGHT:6ft1in WEIGHT:265lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:2013,12th CAREERHIGHLIGHT:2013FIBO PowerProchampion
JUSTINCOMPTON DATEOFBIRTH:15/05/1988 HEIGHT:5ft8ins WEIGHT:224lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:Rookie CAREERHIGHLIGHT:2014Europa
ShowofChampionsOrlandochampion BILLCOMSTOCK 62 FLEX
24. 2nd DATEOFBIRTH:12/07/1975 HEIGHT:5ft8ins WEIGHT:260lbs
OLYMPIAHISTORY:2009,4th;2010,7th;2011,3rd; 2012,2nd;2013,2nd
CAREERHIGHLIGHT:2010ArnoldClassicchampion NEILS PREDICTION: I like
Kai,hes a sincere person,but I think he has lost the opportunity to
be Mr Olympia.His strengths are his legs, back and shoulder
width,and he has a crazy amount of depth from the side and rear but
from the front hes flat across the chest and shoulders.Hes brought
a better package in the last couple of years but he has to keep
that midsection as small as possible.When he does a side chest I
get drawn to his midsection rather than his overall shape and
structure because he doesnt hold himself well enough.He also needs
to walk on stage like hes Mr Olympia,like Phil does.Judges and fans
want to see confidence. Presentation,condition and fullness in
front chest and shoulders are the things he needs to work on. KAI
GREENE STOCKPHOTO 64 FLEX
25. 1ST NEILS PREDICTION: DATEOFBIRTH:18/12/1979 HEIGHT:5ft9ins
WEIGHT:250lbs OLYMPIAHISTORY:2008,3rd;2009,5th;2010,
2nd;2011,1st;2012,1st;2013,1st
CAREERHIGHLIGHT:201113Olympiachampion PHIL HEATH I dont see any
weaknesses in Phils physique. In his early days as a pro, people
spoke about his narrow shoul- ders and clavicles, and his back was
a weakness but now hes the ultimate three-dimensional athlete. It
doesnt matter if you look at him from the front, back or side,
everythings balanced. Maybe his arms still stand out a little but
he has evened things out, and he always comes in in shape. If Kai
and Phil both come in bang on the money Kai might win on back but I
think Phil would take him out on every other shot. He has better
refinementlook at his leg separation. I dont see anybody touching
him. The one thing I hope he doesnt do is try to get bigger. Hes
everything a Mr Olympia should be. He just needs to keep being more
and more refined. FLEX STOCKPHOTO
WanttoseemoreofPhilHeath?CheckoutourFLEXSpecialReport:
TrainLikePhilHeath.Only2.49.Gotowww.flexonline.co.ukand
clickonDigitalPublications. 66 FLEX
26. INHISOWNWORDS ON HIS CHILDHOOD I grew up in Llanelli,a
place where you work hard to get what you want.My grandfather was a
coal miner.I grew up with that attitude but the reality is you are
working for someone else.I went to college and started looking
outside the box so I started my own removal company at 18.I went
from one van and one man to winning young businessman of the year
three times. ON THINKING BIG Ive always had goals even from my
childhood when I did athletics and rugby. When I was a kid I had a
severely broken elbow and the doctor said I was one centimetre away
from having my arm amputated.I learned from that.I developed a
strong,driven mindset that has translated into bodybuilding. ON HIS
FIRST COMPETITION Ididmyfirstcompetitionforafreegym
membership.ItwasaWelshFederationof Bodybuilders(nowpartoftheUnited
KingdomBodybuildingandFitness Federation)showin2003andIdidmy
owndiet.ThatswhereImetNeilHill. ON HIS JUNIOR CAREER I have some of
my best memories from those times and I left that part of my
competitive career very happy.I did what I set out to do: win the
British and the Universe titles. I treated it as a profession from
the start. Even as a junior amateur I had a pro attitude. ON
TURNING PRO I had missed the overall in 2006 and some big names in
British bodybuilding were saying Oh,hes all hype.It shocked me
because these were guys I had looked up to.I had no s**t talk
before then.I didnt expect it from grown men to a kid.So winning it
is one of my favourite memories,particularly as all my family were
there. ON MOVING TO AMERICA I had a successful removal company but
I sold everything and went to California.I slept on my friends sofa
for six months and I did store FlexLewisis the only non-American
male to have tasted victory at the Olympia this century.
TheWelshman won the first 212 Showdown in 2012,repeated his success
in 2013 and is now bidding for a hat-trickinSeptember before moving
to the open weight class.Here,in his own words,Lewis talks about
his journeyfromthevalleys of south Wales to a life of bodybuilding
superstardom in America. 66 FLEX 67FLEX PAVELYTHJALL
27. have to be in the United States.Im not saying everybody
should jump on the next plane because you have to be realistic.But
Id rather live and try than live and not try.These days my risks
are more calculated but as a young guy I took a lot of crazy risks.
ON HIS FAVOURITE WINS I always have a delayed reaction to winning
because my mindset is alwayson to the next.Even after the Olympia I
had to carb up for the Prague show and go on the road again. What
Id achieved didnt set in until I was home for Christmas.All my
shows have their own stories.The most memorable are winning my pro
card,winning my first and second Olympias and winning the Arnold.
ON GETTING INJURED JUST BEFORE THE OLYMPIA The Olympia last year
was my best prep ever. I was ready four weeks out but then three
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frame for positioning and is a snap to raise and lower thanks to
its lift-assist feature. Sapphire blue neon accent lighting
completes the package. The smallest, fullyfunctional weight gymon
the market todayFootprint In Use: 78D x 46W (198 x 117cm) Footprint
In Folded: 23D x 46W (58 x 117cm) appearances that left me out of
pocket just to get my face seen.A lot of young guys think they will
turn pro and get a pot of gold but the pro card is just the
beginning.Your whole mindset has got to change.You have to start
thinking like a professional and create opportunities because in
bodybuilding there is a tier system.The upper tier guys get paid
and the ones in the lower tier have to hustle like mad. ON GETTING
INTO FLEX I moved from Venice Beach because there werent many pros
there, to live near Milos Sarcevs Koloseum gym where all the photo
shoots were happening.I stayed in good off-season shape so if ever
a pro was being a diva and didnt turn up I would shoot.I said to
FLEX photographer Chris Lund I would be there in 30 minutes and I
made sure I was and I would train afterwards.I trained with Dennis
James,Johnnie Jackson, Troy Alves,Hidetada Yamagishi and Dennis
Wolf when they came to shoot.To use an American phrase,we became a
frat house and I earned their respect. ON BODYBUILDING IN THE US
AND EUROPE If you want to make it big you 68 FLEX
IANSPANIER,J.M.MANION
28. weeks out I tweaked my back.It was the most horrific pain
Id ever had.I woke up one morning with a stiff back and the next
day I couldnt get out of bed.I had to roll on to my belly and slide
myself to my feet and let my girlfriend put my belt and socks on.I
have a chiropractor that works with some of the best sports stars
in the world.He said,This will take 10 days,dont stress.I hadnt
missed a beat of cardio or training so it was very hard
psychologically to adapt.It cleared up two weeks before the show.I
kept it away from Neil and my sponsors.I didnt want anybody
knowing. ON LIFTING HEAVY Im not as gung ho as I used to be.I have
a lot of friends who post on Facebook and Instagram how hard they
train.F**k that; just be honest.Believe me,the guys who make the
money dont train crazy.On a video what you see is what you get but
nobody trains hardcore like that all the time.If you want to squat
six plates and get injured, fine; Ill stick to my two or three
plates and have good reps and not kill myself.Remember too,I have
to make a weight so I cant be going balls to the wall 10 months a
year and expect to make 212 lbs. ON HIS APPROACH TO TRAINING My
training philosophy is to hit the fast and slow twitch fibres in
the same session.Its like the week 2 version of Neils Y3T
programme. Im a big believer in the lower,heavier rep ranges but
with good form.In the off-season THE RISE OF FLEX LEWIS2003
1stBritishJuniorChampionships,1stWelshJuniorChampionships 2004
1stBritishJuniorChampionships,1stWelshJuniorChampionships,1stJuniorMrUniverse
2006
1stBritishLight-heavyweightChampionships(lostoveralltitletoheavyweightTroyBrown)
2007
1stBritishLight-heavyweightChampionshipsandoverallBritishchampion
20082ndTampaPro202,1stEuropaSuperShow202,3rdOlympia202Showdown
20091stAtlanticCityPro202,5thOlympia202Showdown 2011
1stBritishGrandPrix202,3rdMrEuropeopenclass,2ndNewYorkPro202,2ndOlympia202Showdown,
5thArnoldClassicEuropeopenclass 2012
1stOlympia212Showdown,1stBritishGrandPrix212,1stPragueProShow212
2013 1stOlympia212Showdow,1stPragueProShow 2014
1stArnoldClassic212UK I believe in high calories from good food.You
grow when youre happy and consistent.For guys reading this theres
no excuse because they dont have to travel.They should have a good
structure to their day.I wish I had that. ON FLYING ONE MILLION
MILES Im a 1K flyer on United Airlines alone.That means I do over
100,000 miles with them and I have air miles with US Airways and
American Airlines as well.I probably do almost 200,000 miles a
year.My goal in the next six years is to be a one million mile
flyer with United.Ronnie Colemans done that. ON HIS HECTIC
LIFESTYLE I shut up shop about eight weeks out from a show and do
nothing at all other than consistently train and eat. Outside that
time everything is done on the road.I start cleaning up my diet 20
weeks out and I dont f**k around,no matter where I am in the
world.I just have to be flexible.I can come in from a 20-hour
flight and train.Its a lifestyle I love and I wouldnt 70 FLEX
KEVINHORTON,BILLCOMSTOCK
29. change it for the world.I eat,sleep and s**t it. In a few
years I will probably look back and wish I enjoyed the moment
more.But Im always thinking about things happening months from now.
ON PREPARING FOR THIS YEARS OLYMPIA Its going to be exactly the
same.I just want to bring a little more pop.At the Arnold Classic I
had to over-diet to make weight again. I was ready at 216-217 lbs.I
was grainy and my glutes were in but then I had to over-diet to
make weight.I can look hard and grainy at 214 lbs.People say its
only 2 lbs to lose but it makes a difference.So Im going to keep my
body weight as light as possible this year so I can bring that pop.
ON HIS MAIN RIVALS Dave Henry,someone I have looked up to for
years,has got that work ethic.Hes a military boy so hes got a lot
of mental strength.I wish Kevin English the best.Im not sure where
he is at this point in his career but you cant discount a previous
champ.Im sure hes had time off to work on areas that were lacking
last year.Weve got some rookies creeping up, like Aaron Clark.Jose
Raymond is the freak of the class.Guy Cisternino has made some
fantastic improvements. ON WORKING WITH NEIL HILL I have a coach
that speaks his mind.The first year I won the Olympia I thought I
brought a fantastic package,and people backstage were sayingYouve
won it!The first thing out of Neils mouth wasWhat the f**k were you
doing up there; your gut was out.I said I had a stitch and he
said,I dont care,you hold 72 FLEX GARYPHILLIPS,
30. it in.Whatever hits his head goes out of his mouth. ON HIS
PROSPECTS IN THE OPEN CLASS The plan is to do one last 212
Olympia,and probably Prague afterwards,then take 2015 off and
compete in 2016.I will probably make my open debut at the Arnold
Classic.I want to be top three.I would never say I could win the
open class Olympia.To me thats idiotic. Thats not even on my
radar.I think I could do well at the Arnold because that gets
judged differently to the Olympia.Ive seen guys of all shapes and
sizes do well at the Arnold.I cant be scared thinking of the size
of the guys Ill be up against.If you have that fear it will tell in
your physique. ON HIS LIKELY OPEN CLASS WEIGHT Ill be in the
220sprobably between 220 and 225 on the day of the show.I can get
up to 250,no problem,so if I can get up there and diet down I can
get down to 220 or 225. ON WHEN HE PLANS TO QUIT I want to leave on
top.I want to set a legacy of winning three 212 Olympias and doing
well in the open class.Im 30 now.I dont know what age I will quit
but I wont be one of those guys that competes forever.Look at Jay
Cutler: he was the king,now hes a very smart businessman.He is one
of the few guys ve looked at from afar and learned from. ON LIFE
AFTER BODYBUILDING I look at everything as a business now. I own my
own corporation and have LLCs underneath that,in and out of the
sport. I have my own show,a quarter share in a club, a clothing
rangea lot of pros are flat-ass broke because they thought this
thing would never end.Im one injury away from it ending so I have
started now.Bodybuilding will be the path to the next chapter in my
life. Im not going to be like that film The Wrestler, thinking Im
going to win the Olympia when Im beat up and torn up.I want to
leave when Im on top and segue into a new path. Mentally Im already
prepared for it.Thats the hardest part for a lot of athletes
because they cant get over the fact theyre done.FLEX 74 FLEX
GARYPHILLIPS,MIKEMADAR
31. Henominatedtwo:1975, whenhisfriendArnold
Schwarzeneggerwonin SouthAfrica,and1983,an eventhepromoted.Here
aretheinsidestoriesof thosetwospecialevents. WhichMrOlympia
contestwasthe best?Itsahotly debatedsubject. WeaskedAlbertBusek,
editoroftheGerman editionofFLEXandan IFBBvice-president,who
sawhisfirstMrOlympia in1971,toselecthis favourite. OF THE Arnold
Schwarzenegger Franco Columbo 76 FLEX 77FLEX PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
32. ThecontestinSouthAfricastruckablowagainstapartheidand
sawArnoldSchwarzeneggerathisall-timebest WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ALBERT
BUSEK A MILESTONE FOR SPORT AND HUMANITY The year was 1975 and
South Africa was still in the grip of apartheid.The idea of this
divided country hosting a world sports championship seemed to be
little more than a distant dream.But Ben Weider,then president of
the IFBB,set himself the goal of achieving the impossible and he
was determined not to let anyone or anything stand in the way. In
sport,there are no limitations,no barriers of
race,religion,politics or culture, Ben famously said.In sport,we
are in touch with each other. That year,under the patronage of the
countrys sports minister,Piet Koornhof, Bens dream came true and
South Africa reached a key milestone.Athletes,trainers,
administrative staff and other officials of all colours stayed in
the same hotel and travelled in the same bus. I accompanied Arnold
Schwarzenegger around South Africa and saw first hand what things
were really like then: the overcrowdedcolouredsections for black
people on the buses while thewhites- onlysections remained
practically empty. It was only then that I began to realise the
extent of what Ben had accomplished in the name of bodybuilding.Of
all the many great achievements of the worlds athletes over the
years this,for me,was the biggest victory of all. BACKSTAGE BATTLE
In the warm-up roomthe subterranean main hall of the University of
Pretoria space was limited,to say the least. In this
cramped,thick-carpeted room, the atmosphere could not have been
more tense.The big guns were all keen to demonstrate,through words
and gestures, they were there to win.Everyone was determined,in his
own way,to look confident and convince the others he was the best.
It was fascinating to observe the different temperaments.While Lou
Ferrigno obediently followed the instructions being barked by his
father,Mattsometimes very loudlyArnold and Franco Columbu got up to
their usual joking around (Lou was the most frequent target of
their jokes). Meanwhile,Ed Corney busied himself with lifting
barbells without making a soundyou couldnt even hear him
breathe.Frank Zane, the university academic and the intellectual in
this group of superstars,appeared to consider himself above the
whole business. We would later learn that this show of
self-confidence was just thatin reality, he failed to deliver. The
tension was heightened further by rumours surrounding Arnold,the
title-holder. The rumours took less than 24 hours to reach the
relatively small bodybuilding community in Germany,even though fax
machines were not yet invented.The reason for the speculation was
the film Stay Hungry, for which the reigning Mr Olympia had been
forced to significantly reduce his body weight. Filming in
Birmingham,Alabama,had taken Arnoldat prejudging 78 FLEX 79FLEX
PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
33. two months longer than planned,leaving Arnold with only two
months to prepare to defend his title in South Africa.Would it be
enough? Would he be too light for Lou? Would he have enough
definition to beat Serge and Franco? In the weeks leading up to the
championships,Id already felt Olympia fever slowly tightening its
grip on me.Now I was right at the centre of the action as IFBB
official Oscar State announced:Three minutes to go! A LIGHTWEIGHT
TREAT TheauditoriumattheUniversityofPretoria
wasfilledtoburstingbutyoucouldhavecut
thetensionwithaknifeasRegParkprepared
toinvitethecontestantsonstagetofightfor
thebiggestprizeinbodybuilding. Eventuallythebestathletesintheworld
emergedfromthedepthsoftheuniversity andsteppedintothelimelight.
Inalltheexcitement,Idforgottenthe
conteststartedwiththelightweightcategory
formenunder200lbs.Asabodybuildingfan,
itgotmypulseracingtoseetheselighter
Olympiansliningup:FrankZane,EdCorney,
GiuseppeDeiana,FrancoColumbuand,to
mostpeoplessurprise,AlbertBeckles,who
hadjustfinishedsecondbehindRobby
Robinsoninthemiddleweightcategoryofthe
IFBBWorldChampionship,whichwasbeing heldatthesametime.
ItwassoonclearthatZane,theidolofso
manyathletesaroundtheworld,wasnoton
hisbestform.Hehadnottrainedhardenough
andatthislevel,thatssomethingyoujust
cantgetawaywith.Ifyoudonthavethe necessarystrength,noamountofstage
presenceisenoughtowinthetitlenoteven ifyoureFrankZane.
EdCorney,FrancoColumbu andAlbertBecklesatprejudging
ItbecameclearthatLouandSerge werefightingforsecondplace EdCorney
PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK MR OLYMPIA 1975 RESULTS CLASS
PLACE NAME COUNTRY Overall Arnold Schwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA +200
lbs 1 Arnold Schwarzenegger AUSTRIA/USA 2 Serge Nubret FRANCE 3 Lou
Ferrigno USA -200 lbs 1 Franco Columbu ITALY 2 Ed Corney USA 3
Albert Beckles UK 4 Frank Zane USA 5 Giuseppe Deiana ITALY From
head to toe, Franco Columbo had all the attributes of a champion 80
FLEX PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
34. TheoppositewastrueofEdCorney.Ed,
whohadjustturned42,hadbeentrainingwith
Arnoldandtheresultssurprisedeverybody.
Hewastheepitomeofmasculinityrightdown
tohismoustache.Itwasaprivilegetoseehim inhisfirstOlympia. On the
far left stood the athlete who,for many years,had been the biggest
of the smallathletesFranco Columbu.Its hard to describe the visual
impact of his muscles. From head to toe,he had all the attributes
of a champion.With his legendary lats and his captivating
definition,Franco was the muscle mountainthat everyone else had to
conquer in that category. By then,Franco had already been trying
for many years to topple the mighty Arnold. Although it no longer
seemed likely he would succeed,in South Africa he appeared better
prepared than the year before.Franco was the embodiment of a
muscular athlete par excellence. With respect to the others,the
contest was all about Columbu and Corney,though Beckles also put in
a surprisingly strong performance.Beckles was the rookie of the
year,from a European point of view. In those days,the posing round
counted for a much higher proportion of the overall contest and
could really make or break an athletes chances of winning.Zane
impressed with his distinctive style in the freestyle round and
Beckles astonished the audience with his muscularity.Columbus
inimitable talent for either speeding up or slowing down his
posing,and for suddenly switching from a classic pose to a power
pose,was met with jubilant cries from the crowd. But it was Ed
Corney who really pushed the boundaries in the posing round.His
interpretation of muscle control was unique. When he started
posing,you could believe you were watching a Michelangelo statue
coming to life.Every movement was solid, had been practised a
hundred times and was unbelievably expressive.In 1975 in South
Africa,Ed Corney showed everyone what posing can beart. The
highlights of thismuscle symphony were the transitions between the
back,side and front poses and back again.You felt the presence of
utter perfection when he moved slowly out of the double biceps
pose, stretched his left arm out behind him and equally slowly
leaned his whole body forwards,without compromising the integrity
of the pose by a single millimetre.This was bodybuilding at its
most beautiful. Corney was in no hurry to leave the stage but when
he did,he left like a champion to the kind of thunderous applause
you dont hear very often.Everyone in the room knew they had seen
something special that day.Even now,39 years later,I get goosebumps
when I think about By the final stages,there were only three men in
itBeckles,Columbu and Corney. The audience held its breath as head
judge Reg Park announced Franco had won,by a hairs breadth. It was
the first time in a world championship Id seen Franco look visibly
shattered.Hed given every single bit of strength in his powerhouse
body.The intensity of the duel had left even these elite athletes
close to exhaustion. Ed Corney finished second and bore the result
with tremendous dignity,and Albert Beckles was delighted with third
place especially since Frank Zane had finished behind him in
fourth. THE HEAVYWEIGHTS: ARNOLD OWNS THE STAGE The heavyweight
category was all about Arnold Schwarzenegger,Lou Ferrigno and Serge
Nubretthemagnificent threewho, that year in South Africa,defined
bodybuilding for decades to come and whose SergeNubret
Serge,BenWeider,ArnoldandLou PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
82 FLEX
35. Arnold cemented a status in the history of bodybuilding
that can only be compared to that of Muhammad Ali in boxing names
even now still carry a magnetic power. These three big yet very
different personalities were to surpass everything that had
previously been seen in the Mr Olympia. During the warm-up,they all
tried various psychological tactics to undermine each others
confidence.Doing biceps curls,Lou began to cry out as though he
were performing karate chops and even in this moment of extreme
tension,Arnold kept his sense of humour and asked his rival if he
was at the wrong championship.Lou didnt let it get to him
though,and carried on pumping his 275 lbs body like a
machine.Meanwhile, in the corner,still wearing his robe,Serge
Nubret was simultaneously working his arms and calves. Lou
undressed first,intending to shock his opponents,but Serge and
Arnold were unfazed.They were both feeling too strong. When Arnold
eventually disrobed,first Lous father Matt and then Lou himself
looked visibly rattled.But after a second of shock, Lou recovered
himself again and addressed Arnold:Today its my show! Only Serge
was still wearing his robe when Oscar State announced the start of
the competition,and when the Guadeloupe-born Frenchman eventually
undressed,it appeared to make a big impression on Lou.It was
several seconds before he turned his eyes away again.Did Lou
already know then that his high body weight would turn out to be a
miscalculation? Serge,who had until then remained silent, now went
on the attack.Leaning close to Arnold,he said in a quavering voice:
Today Ill get you! Sergesexceptionalmuscledefinitionin
SouthAfricasetastandardthatlookedhard
tobeat.Moststrikingly,histinywaisttook
thingstoanewlevelandlaiddowna benchmarkforprobodybuildingthatstill
remains.Sergehadevenmanagedtoimprove
histhighsandcalves,formerlyhisbiggest
weaknesses,butthediscrepancybetweenhis
lowerandupperbodywasstillevident.Would
itbeenoughtotoppleArnoldfromhis throne?
Surroundedbyanarmyofphotographers,
thethreeathletesmountedthestepstothe
stage:firstArnold,thenLouandfinallySerge,
onwhomallexpectationswerenowfocused.
Sergeswitchedpositionsandplacedhimself
betweentheothertwocontestants.
Spectatorscouldbarelybelievetheireyesat
Sergestaperedupperbody.Nexttothehuge
massofhistwoopponents,helookedalmost delicate. The contrast between
him and Lou was especially stark: 6 ft 5 ins and 275 lbs next to 5
ft 11 ins and 200 lbs.What they both lacked, Arnold seemed to
combine in a single ideal body,setting himself apart from his
opponents right from the start. Byenteringathislowestchampionship
weightofthepastfewyears234lbshehad
seeminglyachievedperfection.Theprevious
year,hedbeenathisheaviestchampionship
weightsofar247lbsandnow,inSouth Africa,hewasdemonstratingthatevenas
leanArnold,hehadlostnothingofhis Afriendlyhugbywinner
Arnoldafterwards Arnoldleaves thestageto thunderous applause
ThemightyLou Ferignowas alwaysacrowd pleaser PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK 84 FLEX
36. strikingformandphenomenalsymmetry. He was clearly superior
to his opponents, not just in the overall impression he gave but in
every single muscle group.There was only one exception: Serges
impossibly small waistline.But in an athlete as powerful as
Arnold,such a small waist would have compromised the overall
athletic effect. When it came to the combination of muscle
mass,muscularity and symmetry, Arnoldthe unbeaten Mr Olympia title-
holder since 1970was setting a new standard.I said then that in
future, we should measure perfection in degrees Schwarzenegger.
Inthecompulsoryround,Arnolds
superioritybecameclearerstill.Withevery
singlepose,heincreasedhisadvantage.
Evenhissmallestmusclegroupswerestrikingly
definedashecarriedouteverycompulsory
posewithtextbookperfection.Totopitall,
hedeliveredeverythingwiththekindof
naturalcharismararelyseeninanysport.
Duringtheindividualposing,itbecameclear
Louhadmadeabigtacticalerror.Assuming
hedbeabletocrushhislighteropponentswith
sheersize,hedcometoSouthAfricamuchtoo
heavy.Thecrevicesbetweenhismuscleswere
notdeepenough;thecontrastbetweenthe
differentmusclegroupswasnotsharpenough.
Nexttosomeoneasslimandwelldefinedas
Serge,thisdeficiencywasevenmoreapparent.
Lousgiganticmasswentdownwellwiththe
fans,buthewastheretowinandhisstrategy hadcompletelybackfired.
Sergewasdefinitiveproofthatfinely
sculptedmuscleswillalwaystriumphover
massalone.Hisposingwasbeautyinmotion.
JustasIwaswonderingifanybodycould
betterhisphysique,thereweredeafening
cheersasArnoldappeared.Yetagain,hehad
achievedtheimpossibleandwentonebetter
thanhisopponent.InSouthAfrica,Arnold
Schwarzeneggercementedastatusinthe
historyofbodybuildingthatcanonlybe
comparedtothatofMuhammadAliinboxing.
Ineveryaspect,Arnoldwasinhisownleague: unbeatable.
Thejudgesagreed.Whiletheyrepeatedly
calledSergeandLoubacktothestage,
Arnoldpacedquietlybackandforthinthe
background.Heappearedcompletelyfocused,
preparedforeverypossiblecomparison,for
everyfurtheropportunitytodisplayhis
superiority.Healreadyknewvictorybelonged tohim.
Inthebattlefortheoveralltitle,friends
ArnoldSchwarzeneggerandFrancoColumbu
stoodsidebysideastheyhadinprevious
years.Andjustlikeinpreviousyears,the
AustrianOakwastoostrong.Francohad
knownitfromthestart,butthehugecheers
forhislatspreadlefthimoverjoyed.The
verdictwasunanimousandArnoldsidol,Reg
Park,finallydeclaredhimMrOlympiafora sixthconsecutiveyear.
Afterwards,Arnoldthankedhisteamand
announcedhisretirementfrominternational
competition.Overthosefewhours,themain
hallofPretoriaUniversityhadbeen transformed into the Arnold
auditorium. Legendaryphotographer AnnieLeibovitzwith
Arnold,LouandSerge inthewarm-uproom Maybethe greatest threequarter
backposeever ArnoldandFranco sightseeingin Capetown
AhappytrioinSouthAfrica: Arnold,AlbertandReg 86 FLEX
PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
PHOTOBYALBERTBUSEK
37. SamirBannoutbecamethelastmanweighinglessthan200lbs
towintheOlympiaonadramaticnightinMunichthatsaw
LeeHaneysOlympiacareerstart,FrankZanesend,aguest
appearancebyTomPlatzandanearriotoverBertilFoxsplacing Thirty years
ago,before the internet,mobile phones and social media,the only way
to read about bodybuilding was in magazines.Fortunately for us in
the media,we got to witness the historic contests and stars
first-hand so I was honoured when Albert Busek,who promoted the
1983 Mr Olympia,asked me to recall it for this 50th Olympia special
edition.Although it was more than 30 years ago,I remember it like
yesterday.In fact,the 1983 Olympia is the one I remember the most
and it stands out above all others. Stepping off the plane in
Munich I was anxious and excited.It was my first time in Germany
and I had the feeling this Mr. Olympia was going to be special. In
those days the competition moved from country to country.The
previous event had taken place in London. Albert Busek is one of
the most passionate individuals about bodybuilding I have known. He
was the publisher of Sport Revue magazine at the time and a
world-renowned physique photographer who was largely responsible
for bodybuildings huge popularity and success in Germany.He helped
to build the German federation into one of the IFBBs strongest,so
when we heard he would be promoting the 1983 event at the site of
the 1972 Olympic Games,a huge buzz erupted throughout the
bodybuilding community. We all knew Busek,a perfectionist,would
raise the bar. As the weekends events unfolded it soon became clear
we were right.It would be one of the most memorable contests of all
time. Everything from the hotel and venue to the post-contest
banquet was organised to the highest standards. Of particular
interest to me was the outstanding stage lighting that was perfect
in highlighting the spectacular physiques. Until this event,we
always struggled with substandard lighting. In
1983,bodybuilding,boosted by the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger
in the film Conan the Barbarian,was at an all-time high in Germany
so it was no surprise to see nearly 5,000 enthusiastic fans packed
into the Olympia Halle for what would be one of the most
controversial battles in Olympia history. THE CONTENDERS With 1982
champion Chris Dickerson absent, everyone debated his likely
successor. Rumours circulated that the superbly balanced Samir
Bannout,the Lion of Lebanon,had finally got his act together by
squeezing out the water that had so often prevented him from being
at his best. Three-time Mr.Olympia Frank Zane was back after his
runner-up finish to Dickerson the previous year.Some felt newcomer
Lee Haney would pose a serious threat.Few predicted Englands Bertil
Fox and Egypts Mohamed Makkawy were destined to play a major role
in the unfolding drama. Never one to hold back,Bannout got off to a
bad start at the IFBB pro meeting the night before the competition
by asking IFBB judge LudekNosekwhyhehadplacedhimsolowin BY GARRY
BARTLETT PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARRY BARTLETT AND JRGEN FREISLER A CLASH
OF AGES TheLionof Lebanon had neverbeenin bettershape thanon24th
September, 1983.Hewas adeserving MrOlympia 88 FLEX 89FLEX
38. 1982,whenhefinished4th.Makkawaysaid
ifanyonehadarighttocomplain,hedid
becausehehadfinished7thin1982despite
manypeopletellinghimheshouldhavewon.
EventheusuallyintrovertedBertilFoxpiped
up,sayingthemostmuscularposeshouldbe
incorporatedintothecompulsoryposes.His
pleafellondeafearsbuthaditbeenadded,
theoutcomemighthavebeendifferent. Whentheshowstartedtheaudiencewas
introducedtoawhoswhoofbodybuilding.
ThisincludedJoeandBettyWeider,Benand
HuguetteWeider,ArnoldSchwarzeneggers
mother,GoldsGymfounderJoeGoldandIFBB
officialsWayneDeMilia,JacquesBlommaert andOscarState.
And,ofcourse,ArnoldSchwarzenegger. HowcouldaMr.Olympiatakeplacein
GermanywithoutanappearancebyArnold!
AlongwithsidekickFrancoColumbu,Arnold
setthemoodwithafewhumorouscomments
thatpreparedeveryoneforwhatwastocome. THE GOLDEN EAGLE LANDS
Following an entertaining posing routine by robot man Russ Testo,we
were surprised to hear Tom Platz also being introduced as a guest
poser.We expected to see Platz, nicknamed the Golden Eagle,in the
competition but a torn biceps forced him to withdraw.Platz was one
of the most popular bodybuilders in the world,as evidenced by the
standing ovation he received. FifteenoftheworldsbestIFBBpros
thencompetedforthetitle. Lance Dreher,the massively armed world
heavyweight champion,finished last. Considering his reputation for
intimidating size and thick,stocky development,a lot was expected
of Dreher.But he failed to impress with less than contest
condition,which might explain his lacklustre performance. I feel
blessed to have witnessed Ed Corney, who finished 14th.Corney came
into bodybuilding late in life but his astounding physique and
stage charisma made up for it. One month from his 50th birthday,he
wanted to prove age was not a factor in competitive bodybuilding.In
reality,he was well off his best condition but it didnt affect his
legendary posing and ability to entertain with classic transitions
and spell-binding magic. Frances Gerard Buinoud was in superb
condition with bone-dry muscularity but was no match for the
favourites and had to settle for 13th. In 12th place was the
previous years IFBB World Championships middleweight winner,
American Dale Ruplinger.He gave a gutsy attempt to get a rise out
of the packed arena by posing to Eye Of the Tiger but he fell short
in terms of size and mass. Bannoutscombinationof
aesthetic,athleticand symmetrymadehim the
7thmantowinMrOlympiaSamirBannout: Imthehappiest manontheplanet 90
FLEX
39. Americas lightweight world champion James Gaubert held his
own against lighter bodybuilders with rock-hard conditioning and
excellent posing but this was the big time.He couldnt match the
required size and mass of the top finishers.Still he did manage to
pull off a respectable 11th place finish. HERES HOW THE TOP 10
FINISHED: 10th Jacques Neuville (France) Neuvilles claim to fame
was defeating the highly rated Tim Belknap to become the first man
from his country to win an IFBB world championship.Good looks,great
shape and pleasing symmetry made him a crowd favourite but again he
lacked size compared to the best. 9th Hubert Metz (Germany) When it
came to spot-on conditioning and bone-dry muscularity you needed to
look no further than Metz,who came to Munich equipped with the
necessary arsenal of weapons to challenge the favourites.
Unfortunately,Metzs biggest competitor seemed to be himself as he
failed to project a winners attitude and the aggressive desire to
win.This probably cost him a couple of placings in the final
results. 8th Johnny Fuller (UK) In spite of an awkward and less
than professional posing routine,Fullers granite-hard conditioning
helped him to leap ahead of shapelier and better balanced
challengers.When it came to pure raw muscle and chiselled
muscularity he was hard to ignore. 7th Albert Beckles (UK) Beckles
more than any other champion proved over and over again that older
people could succeed at the top in pro bodybuilding. He was by now
in his late 40s but sported his customary bone-dry conditioning and
forged-muscle density. 6th Jusup Wilkosz (Germany) When the
stern-faced Wilkosz made his entrance on stage and started to
perform his stoic routine it was obvious he was a strong
favourite.His tank-like physique was made even more impressive by
rock-hard conditioning.He was one of the most heavily muscled
competitors on stage and considering his shape and conditioning he
should have finished higher.Unfortunately, his stony expression and
lack of stage charisma didnt go down favourably with the judges.
5th Bertil Fox (UK) Coming into the 1983 Mr.Olympia I dont think
anyone could have predicted the kind of sensation the usually
reserved Fox would create.The Englishman was at this time perhaps
pound-for-pound the most muscular man on the
planet.Unfortunately,he seemed to take his spectacular development
for granted and didnt show the kind offlair required to gain the
judgesattention. During morning prejudging this muscular colossus
dominated others with his mass and mounds of full-bellied
muscles,but something was missing.He just wasnt In spite of Foxs
superior mass and crowd popularity he failed to matchthe total
package Bannout presented BertilFoxand SamirBannout atprejudging
BertilFoxin oneofhis bestposes 92 FLEX
40. getting the most out of what he had to offer and appeared
awkward and unprofessional alongside the likes of Zane,Makkawy and
Bannout. But during the evening finals his first pose seemed to
send a bolt of electricity through the crowd.Posing to Sexual
Healing by Marvin Gaye,the crowd suddenly came alive and began
cheering for him.Fox responded with a series of poses that featured
his spectacular arms,which created an even greater frenzy. For the
first time in his career Fox was acknowledged as a muscular
phenomena and he milked it for all he was worth.Fuelled by the
unexpected reaction Fox began hitting a series of signature most
muscular poses, much to the delight of the hysterical crowd that
included an enthusiastic Arnold Schwarzenegger,who was jumping out
of his seat shouting and screaming,Now thats your Mr.Olympia! Had
he displayed this kind of desire to win and crowd-pleasing charisma
at the morning prejudging,things might have ended differently. 4th
Frank Zane (USA) This would be the last time we would witness the
greatness of three-time Mr Olympia Frank Zane.Despite being in his
best condition at the age of 41,time was catching up.Never known
for size and mass,he could no longer continue winning on his
pristine muscularity and superb symmetry.Like a living statue he
glided through one classic pose after another. But a new age of
mass and size was coming and the magnificent Zane didnt fit into
the new world order.In contrast to the larger and fuller
front-runners he simply didnt have the required mass and was lucky
to slip by the hulking Fox. 3rd Lee Haney (USA) This was the
previous years heavyweight world champions first Mr.Olympia and it
was clear we were looking at greatness in the making.The small
joints coupled with yard-wide shoulders,narrow waist and hips were
the foundation of a future champion. Once more quality pounds of
solid muscle got added and distributed evenly on his frame there
would be no stopping the totally awesome Haney.But on this occasion
his lack of big contest experience resulted in a mediocre and
lacklustre posing routine. Still,his easygoing attitude made him an
instant crowd favourite. MR OLYMPIA 1983 RESULTS PLACE NAME COUNTRY
POINTS 1. Samir Bannout LEBANON 29 2. Mohamed Makkawy EGYPT 40 3.
Lee Haney USA 73 4. Frank Zane USA 80 5. Bertil Fox UK 87 6. Jusup
Wilkosz GERMANY 125 7. Albert Beckles UK 99* 8. Johnny Fuller UK
119* 9. Hubert Metz GERMANY 152* 10. Jacques Neuville FRANCE 155*
11. James Gaubert USA 158* 12. Dale Ruplinger USA 173* 13. Gerard
Buinoud FRANCE 201* 14. Ed Corney USA 202* 15. Lance Dreher USA
217* *not in final AlbertBeckles,FrankZaneand
MohamedMakkawyatprejuding LeeHaney,SamirBannout andMohamedMakkawy
attheVictoryCeremony JusupWilkosz,SamirBannout
andBertilFoxduringthefinal comparison
41. 2nd Mohamed Makkawy (Egypt)
InLondonthepreviousyearMakkawynearly
stoletheshowwithhismagnificentshape,
conditioningandcharisma.Somechampions
justhavetheXfactor,andMakkawywasone
ofthem.In1983hewasconsideredoneofthe favouritesandwhenhegracefully
commencedposingtoChariotsofFireitwas
evidentwewerelookingatthepossible
winner.Allhismagnificentqualitieswere
there:colour,separation,balanceand
proportion.Hadhebeenjustatriflesharper
thetitlemighthavebeenhis.Butintheend hewasnomatchfortheunequalled
developmentofSamirBannout. 1st Samir Bannout (Lebanon)
Inthedaysbeforethecompetition,Bannout
braggedthathewas25%betterthanthe
previousyearandthetitlewouldbehis.Most
ofuswereusedtothiskindofself-promotion
anddiscountedit,asheneverseemedtoback uphisclaims.
HowwrongwewereastheLionofLebanon
finallygotittogetherandstoodonstagein thebestconditionofhislife.
Ironically,hisquesttobecomeMrOlympia
almostdidnthappenashecamedownwith
seriousstomachpainsjustbeforetheevening
show.Fortunately,withhelpfromFranco
ColumbuandDrLudekNosek,thejudgethat
Bannouthadearliercalledout,hegotsorted
outandlandedonstageevensharperthanhe wasatthemorningprejudging.
Bannoutwasadeservingwinner.He combinedthesizeofFoxandHaneywiththe
shapeandsymmetryofZaneandMakkawy. Whenyouaddjusttherightamountof
conditioningtothemix,youhaveadeserving
MrOlympia.Evenifeverythingwasequalfrom
thefront,Bannoutblewthefieldawayfrom theback. A NEAR RIOT
Sadlythe1983Mr.Olympiaisnotremembered
forBannoutsoutstandingvictorybutthe
controversialdecisiontoplaceFoxfifth.In30
yearsofcoveringtheMrOlympiaIhavenever
witnessedsuchgenuineandhostileangeras
thatwhichfollowedFoxsfifthplace announcement.
Itgotsoloudandunrulythatitbecame
intimidating.Thecrowdrefusedtoacceptit
anddemandeditbechanged.Itwasclearthe
judgeswerescaredtothepointofconsidering
achangeastheloudbooing,whistlingand
aggressiveshoutingbecamesointenseaariot
becamepossible.Itwasafullsixminutes
beforethecrowdeventuallysettleddownand allowedtherestoftheplacing
announcementstobemade. ShouldFoxbeendeclaredMr.Olympia?
Theanswerisno.Itwasnotacontesttopick
themostmuscularmanandinspiteofhis
superiormassandcrowdpopularityhefailedto
matchthetotalpackagethatBannout
presented.In1983posingplayedamuchmore
importantpartinthescoringthanitdoestoday.
Foxwasawkwardanduneasy.Thosethat
finishedabovehimweremastersofphysique
display.Buthisawesomephysicaldevelopment
couldhaveseenhimfinishashighas2ndor3rd. The 1983 Mr.Olympia set a
new standard and marked the end of the era of smaller, shapelier
athletes as nobody weighing less than 200 lbs has ever won the
title again.It was Bannouts only Olympia triumph and set in motion
the dominant reign of the larger, more heavily muscled
titans,beginning with eight-time winner Lee Haney and then Dorian
Yates,Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler.FLEX The booing, whistling and
aggressive shouting became so intense a riot became possible
ArnoldcheersforBertilFox, muchtotheamusementof
Franco(rightofArnold), RickWayne(leftofArnold) andRobertKennedy
(sittingbehindArnold) Samirsavours themoment
SamirBannoutposesforthe cameras,includingthatof
FlexsChrisLund,left. 96 FLEX