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Full Beast Mode!
Akim Williams Is Ready to Level Up
By Ron Harris
Things have been looking up for Akim Williams. He’s making good on the predictions many made for him back in 2013 when he turned pro. Recently he began working with a new coach, Justin Miller, who has been George “Da Bull” Peterson’s coach from day one. I spoke with Akim and Justin recently about the upward trajectory he’s on, the improvements he’s making, and what we can expect to see this year from one of the most massive men in the sport today. Both have a quiet confidence that 2021 will see Akim climb to new heights – perhaps even the summit of Mount Olympus itself.
2020 was an exciting year for you. You got your second career pro win at the Chicago Pro in Atlanta, then went to the Mr. Olympia and finished sixth. We throw the term “level up” around pretty freely these days, but you truly did just that. You’re finally starting to realize your full potential. If you had asked most people a few years ago if Akim Williams could be a future Mr. Olympia winner, I doubt many would have said yes. Now many see that being possible. Justin, let’s start with you, coach. You’re a New Yorker; when did you first become aware of Akim?
Justin: I’ve known him for years, going back to his amateur days. We would say hi, but I never really knew him. I’ve gotten to know him much better lately. Akim is an amazing talent and he’s ready to do big things in the sport.
Akim, I love the old stories of how you got into all this. When you started training in college, what did you weigh, about 170 or 180 at 5-10?
Akim: No, I was 146 pounds and I know that because I had just taken the physical exam to clear me for playing basketball. Within a couple of months I was up to 175 and could bench press 405 for a max single.
Justin, everything has to start with the right genetics to be a champion in bodybuilding. You sent me a picture of Akim when he was starting off in natural shows, and he was already bigger and more impressive than most guys are who have been on gear for 20 years. What does that tell you?
Justin: It tells me he has the potential to be Mr. Olympia. I’ve been around this sport a long time, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with better genetics than Akim. The more I learn about him, the more impressed I am. I see such crazy changes happening in his body in a short time. Akim is the real deal.
At the last Olympia, Big Ramy made almost everyone else up there look small – but not Akim. He was about 290. What did you weigh, Akim?
Akim: I was around 265.
You were in the prized first callout. Was that a groundbreaking moment for you, considering the other two times you have been in the Olympia you placed 15th and ninth?
Akim: Going into that Olympia, I told everyone I was going to get first callout. I knew I would bring a package that would warrant that. After that I really didn’t know what would happen.
Justin, you were there. What did you think when you saw him up there at judging?
Justin: I was sitting front and center. I know it’s an opinion-based sport, but I had him even higher than sixth. I liked his physique better than a couple of guys who placed ahead of him. He certainly belonged in that top group.
I know you’re super critical, as any good coach is. Any coach who does nothing but praise his client is a shitty coach, because those athletes never get any better. When you take a good look at Akim, what do you see as his strengths and weaknesses?
Justin: I think Akim is pretty complete, to be honest. A couple of areas could be better. If you could pinpoint one in particular, it’s his back. I came up with the idea of having him come up to Bev’s every week to train back with George Peterson. George is very strong on back movements, especially in the off-season when his weight is up. And I have George going down to Jersey once a week to train legs with Akim. Akim’s back has improved a lot in just a couple of months. I truly believe he will be the next Mr. Olympia.
Akim, tell me about training back with George. How does it differ from what you’ve been doing?
Akim: When it comes to chest, arms, shoulders and legs, I’ve always had a good mind-muscle connection. I’ve never had one with my back before. Guys would talk about their back workouts and what a great pump they got, and I would be thinking, I don’t think I’ve had a back pump in all these years. It’s great to train with George and Justin, seeing how George moves the weights, and try to emulate that. I finally feel my back working and it gets pumped! It’s already made a big difference.
Did you have to reduce the amount of weight you use to achieve that?
Akim: Of course! A lot of bodybuilders won’t do that because their pride won’t allow it. I had to humble myself and let George take the lead. I had to become a student again and learn.
Justin: One thing I can tell you about Akim is that he’s receptive to learning. He keeps an open mind, and that’s why he’s now seeing progress in his back. Watching him train, you can already see he has much more command over the contractions and stretches in every rep than he did before. Here you have this enormous Open bodybuilder on a path to win the Mr. Olympia. You would think he would want to put the 212 guy George in his place. But it wasn’t like that. He humbled himself and used lighter weight because I wanted him to connect with his muscle better. Now he’s using the same weights as George and keeping up just fine. He’s even pushing him on some exercises. It’s been a great pairing.
Back is the one thing I feel has been Akim’s major Achilles heel. From the front, he’s huge and ripped, same from the side. Then he would turn around and his back was neither as developed or as lean. I always felt if it matched the rest of him, it would be lights out. He could definitely battle Ramy.
Justin: Not only are the muscles of his back bigger and rounder than ever before, but oddly enough, it’s already leaner than his hamstrings and glutes. In the past it’s been the opposite.
That’s encouraging to hear, because I was always puzzled as to why his back appeared soft when his quads, hams and glutes were all hard and striated. Akim, all this must be exciting, because people have been knocking your back for years now.
Akim: I am happy. In all the shows I have done, my back never once came in ahead of anything else on me.
You’re in prep – for what show?
Akim: Right now the plan is to go back and win the Chicago Pro again, but if I’m ahead in condition, I might do something a little sooner.
Justin: We didn’t pin down a specific show. It’s our first time working together. I’m still learning his body, so it’s about making improvements and seeing when he’s ready. He is leaning out fast, so it could be something sooner. We have a few options. He just needs to qualify for the Olympia, that’s the goal obviously.
Akim, tell me how this prep is already different from where you were at this point last year.
Akim: I started off leaner, and the workouts with George and Justin are really paying off. I sent pics to Gerard Dente, owner of MHP and MuscleMeds, and he was very impressed at how much my back especially has improved. For a long time, it wasn’t getting any better.
How long have you been with MuscleMeds now, and what are your favorite products?
Akim: I started with them in 2015 or 2016. I love the Amino Decanate and Glutamine Decanate. Stemtropin gives me enhanced recovery while I sleep. I take that every night before going to bed. And I always get better workouts when I use their pre-workout, Nitrotest.
Going back to the Mr. Olympia, were you satisfied with sixth place? It was a big step up for you.
Akim: Honestly no, because it meant I wasn’t qualified for this year’s show. It would have been fantastic to place in the top five and just take the whole year to focus on the Olympia. Sixth was definitely a step in the right direction though.
Justin, what improvements can we expect to see in Akim at this coming Mr. Olympia?
Justin: A bigger and leaner back, and better presentation. I’ve been telling Akim for years that he can be Mr. Olympia. I’d say, you can beat all these guys. It’s obvious to anyone with trained and experienced eyes. The potential is all there. You asked him if he was satisfied with first callout and sixth place. I know he wasn’t. He can win that show with a few little tweaks. Who else has the mass to stand next to Big Ramy? Only Akim and Roelly. I’m used to telling clients I want them to lose X amount of weight each week in prep. Akim told me at the start that it wouldn’t work that way with him. He doesn’t really lose weight going into shows. Akim loses fat and gains muscle. I’m seeing it now. The other day he was concerned because he had gained 3 pounds, and that concerned me too. Then I saw him at Bev’s and had him pose, and he was leaner in the low 280s than he had been in the high 270s the week before. The crazy thing is I don’t really feed him that much! But he says it’s always been that way.
Akim, tell me if I’m right here, because I do see this with some other guys too. They don’t eat that much in the off-season, and once they start prep and their coach puts them on a regimented daily meal plan, they eat a lot more food than usual and start growing. Is that you?
Akim: Yeah, I definitely eat a lot more food in prep than the rest of the year. I only eat three meals a day most of the time, and I have a hard time eating any more than that because I don’t have the appetite.
Justin: When we first went over how he was eating, I kept thinking, if he’s this big eating three times a day, what will he look like in prep eating five or six meals? Sure enough, he’s growing by the week even on restricted calories. Most people can’t do that. Then again, we’re talking about a guy who won his first overall title six months after he started training, with no dieting. Great bodybuilders are born to be great, and when you have someone like Akim with a superb work ethic on top of the genetic gifts, you get guys who become Mr. Olympia.
Akim, have you ever met anyone you think had even better genetics than you?
Akim: Yes, my cousin David back on the island of Grenada when I was growing up. He never touched a weight, and you wouldn’t believe the build on this kid. He had no interest in training or bodybuilding though.
Let’s talk a little more about training. I recall seeing you do some ridiculously heavy lifts for sets of only three to four reps. Do you still do that at times?
Akim: No. To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time I got under a bar with 500 pounds or more and squatted. I stay at 405 and do more reps. I’ve changed my whole mindset. I have nothing to prove to anybody. When you’re up there on stage, nobody cares how much you can squat. They only care what your legs look like. If I can use 315 and my legs look like I use 600 pounds, why not do that?
Justin, I need your take on this subject because a lot of coaches insist the athlete has to train as heavy as possible for muscle density and fullness.
Justin: If that works for a certain coach or athlete, then more power to them. When you see enough injuries happen to people over the years, you start to question that approach and the risk/reward ratio. Bodybuilding and powerlifting are somewhat related, but they are two very different sports. In bodybuilding, the goal is to build bigger muscles. I know Akim has had some very scary close calls where he almost suffered horrible injuries. He used to squat 700 to 800 pounds. The only Mr. Olympia who ever did that was Ronnie Coleman. The rest of them back off the crazy weights and focused more on form and feeling. There’s more longevity with that style. And the longer you compete, the more success you can enjoy.
Akim, do you have, or have you had any serious injuries?
Akim: I’ve had a shoulder problem for years, and that’s why I don’t bench press heavy like I used to. Luckily my knees and lower back are both fine. Now I prefer making lighter weights feel heavier. Talking about squats, I feel like my legs look much better now that I’m using a lot less weight.
Justin: Think about it, what builds bigger muscles? Is it just lifting heavier and heavier weights? I say no. I get the whole progressive overload principle, but I’ve trained many people who built bigger muscles using less weight and learning how to really connect with the muscles. If it were all about how much weight you used, the best powerlifters in the world would also be the best bodybuilders. Look at someone like Larry Wheels who competes in both sports. He can squat something like 900 pounds. I’m sure Big Ramy can’t do that, but Ramy’s legs are twice the size. That tells you something.
It’s exciting to hear all this, because I do honestly believe you and Akim are going to surprise us all this year.
Justin: No one has ever seen the best version of Akim. Nobody expected Ronnie Coleman to go from ninth place at the 1997 Mr. Olympia to winning in ’98. I feel Akim is in a very similar position right now. If he’s the most ripped man on stage, who beats him? I’ll wait.
I got nothing. Akim, I give you the last word.
Akim: I’m just super motivated beyond belief. I’ve been moving up the last three seasons, but I knew I was capable of more. Now I feel like it’s all coming together the way it’s meant to. I have a lot of work still left to do, but I have excellent guidance and I see the path before me and where it leads. All the way to the top.
Instagram @akim_bkbeast_williams
Coaching services: https://trainwithakim.com/
Akim’s MuscleMeds® Stack
Carnivor™ Beef Protein – 1-2 shakes per day including post-workout
NitroTest™ – pre-workout
Stemtropin – nighttime
FEAST MODE– before largest meal
VITAMIN T™– daily in morning with breakfast
AMINO DECANATE– intra-workout
For more information, visit musclemedsrx.com
Contest History
2010 Bill Grant Classic
Novice Winner
2010 Brooklyn Grand Prix
Heavyweight Winner
2010 Eastern USA
Light Heavyweight Winner
2011 Junior Nationals
Fourth, Heavyweight
2011 IFBB North American
11th, Heavyweight
2012 Eastern USA
Super Heavyweight and Overall Champion
2012 USA Championships
Fifth, Super Heavyweight
2012 NPC Nationals
Ninth, Super Heavyweight
2013 IFBB North American
Super Heavyweight and Overall Champion
2014 New York Pro
11th Place
2014 Chicago Pro
Fifth Place
2014 Golden State Pro
Seventh Place
2015 Chicago Pro
Third Place
2015 Tampa Pro
Eighth Place
2015 Europa Dallas
Third Place
2016 Chicago Pro
Sixth Place
2016 Tampa Pro
Winner
2016 Arnold Classic Asia
Ninth Place
2016 Kuwait Pro
10th Place
2016 Mr. Olympia
15th Place
2017 New York Pro
Fifth Place
2017 California Pro
Fifth Place
2018 New York Pro
10th Place
2018 Toronto Pro
Second Place
2018 Muscle Mayhem Kansas Pro
Second Place
2019 Arnold Classic
Ninth Place
2019 Arnold Classic South America
Third Place
2019 Indy Pro
Second Place
2019 New York Pro
Second Place
2019 Bigman Weekend Pro
Second Place
2019 Mr. Olympia
Ninth Place
2020 Arnold Classic
Seventh Place
2020 Chicago Pro
Winner
2020 Mr. Olympia
Sixth Place
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
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