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The Beast Is Back!
Akim Williams Is On Track for the Mr. Olympia
By Ron Harris
As the conversation about the upcoming 2022 Mr. Olympia gets underway, one man who is a heavy favorite for a top spot is Akim Williams aka The Brooklyn Beast. At 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds, he displays freakish size along with round muscle bellies and tiny joints, a package that is tough for his fellow competitors to stand next to. I spoke with him recently not long after he qualified for his fifth Mr. Olympia by winning the Tampa Pro, in spite of suffering injuries following a major car accident during his prep, something none of us knew until he had won the show.
I want to start by congratulating you on your Tampa Pro win, because it wasn’t easy. You had to beat 212 Olympia champ Kamal Elgargni in his first Open show ever, and he was no joke.
He’s a true champion and he brought a great package to the show. Congratulations to him and the other competitors. I’m just happy I got the win.
We were all wondering what show you would qualify for the Mr. Olympia at. Tampa was where you won your first pro show in 2016; did that have anything to do with you choosing that one?
I’ve always had good luck at Tim Gardner shows. All three of my pro wins before this were his events: Tampa, Chicago Pro and the Puerto Rico Pro. I decided to come back to Tampa to see if the streak could continue!
Something you managed to keep very quiet was that five weeks into your prep for Tampa, you were involved in a serious car accident where your prized BMW M3 was totaled, and you were hurt. What happened?
I was on the highway on the way to train a client. Another guy behind me was on the way to the airport to drop someone off and he was speeding. Traffic slowed down suddenly, and he wasn’t able to stop in time. He slammed into me and pushed me into another car. My car got damaged from both the front and the back. His car hit mine so hard that it caught on fire. Luckily the state troopers got the info right away. But I did love that car!
More importantly, what happened to you, and how did it affect your training?
I got a neck injury from the whiplash, and my lower back had disks come out of place. Luckily I have a great chiropractor, Dr. Eshanov in Montclair, New Jersey, who was able to get the disks back into place. I had to be very careful with my lower back, so deadlifts, bent barbell rows and stiff-leg deadlifts were off the table. I couldn’t squat for a while, but toward the end of my prep I was able to squat again, as long as I didn’t go over 315. On back day especially, I had to rely more on machines.
The crazy thing is how you managed to keep all of this secret while you were prepping. Why didn’t you let us know?
I just didn’t want to have any excuses for not looking my best. I didn’t want anyone to pity me or have lowered expectations going into the show. I had a great conversation with MuscleMeds owner Gerard Dente shortly after the accident. He told me to just stay focused and keep doing what I do best.
Was pulling out of the show ever an option for you?
No. I knew the therapy was working and I was able to adjust my training. It was more of a mental challenge, not letting the pain get to me and following the plan. It was rough though. For a few weeks I had to sleep right on the edge of my mattress so I could get out of bed in the morning by basically rolling off. I was using ice packs and massage guns every day on my lower back. But I was doing that show, and I was going to win it and go to the Olympia.
That’s what winners do. They don’t make excuses or back out. Justin Miller was your coach last year for the Puerto Rico Pro win, and he prepped you for Tampa. You’ve had a few coaches, what made you go back to Justin?
I work well with someone that’s local and who I can train with. He’s at Bev and Steve’s Powerhouse Gym in Long Island, so I would go up there once or twice a week to train with him and he would look at me. That works much better than an online thing for me.
You say “local,” but how long does it take you to get there from where you are in New Jersey?
It depends on traffic – anywhere from an hour and 45 minutes to two and half hours. I always make sure I have all the meals I need with me for before and after training.
I’m curious, out of all your shows, what show do you consider your best look?
I have a few. I liked how I looked at the 2019 Toronto Pro and of course the 2020 Mr. Olympia. I also liked the package I brought to the Indy Pro in 2019 where I battled with Steve Kuclo. I was happy with how I looked at the recent Tampa Pro, especially considering what I went through. It was nice and full with enough condition to get the win. One thing I was very happy about was that this was the smallest I got my waist in a long time. I actually had to punch two new holes in my lifting belt because it got so loose!
That’s crazy! What do attribute that to?
Most guys my size have stomach distension due to all the food it takes to maintain that much muscle mass. Instead of eating my usual six solid meals a day, I replaced two of them with Carnivor Lean Meals from MuscleMeds. That gave me 680 clean calories, with 80 grams of protein from beef protein isolate, and 80 grams of carbs from white and sweet potatoes. It kept my waist tighter than it’s been in years while I was still able to keep all my size. I was just under 260 pounds on stage, and my waist was 29-30 inches.
What other MuscleMeds product did you rely on for Tampa, and that you will use for your Mr. Olympia prep?
I used NitroTest, which is a dual testosterone booster and pre-workout. I use that for every workout. I also love Stemtropin to help aid recovery and for better quality sleep. Another product of theirs I love is Carnivor Coffee for an extra boost before training or throughout the day when energy levels are dipping. It tastes like a nice creamy mocha, so it feels like a little cheat meal.
Let’s talk about the Olympia now. Your best so far was when you cracked the elite top six in 2020. Last year you slid down a couple of places to ninth. Some people would say that was going backward, do you feel that way?
I guess so, yes. There was a lot going on behind the scenes in my personal life that I don’t like to put out there, and I wasn’t working with the same coach that I had been earlier in the season, Justin. I still managed to stay in the top 10. Not many guys can say they’ve done that. I focused on the good things in my life and what I am paid to do, which is be the best bodybuilder I can be.
What’s the game plan now leading up to the Olympia?
After Tampa, I took a week off from training and dieting, and then it was back to work. My back is feeling about 80 percent, so I just want to hammer away and get into the top five or possibly top two. It’s all about improving my back detail and getting my glutes striated. I know I can do it. I never doubt myself. I’m just excited to get back on the Olympia stage. It’s what we all work for.
The only knock I really have on your physique is a lack of back detail. What are some things you’re doing to make sure it looks etched out of stone at the Olympia?
I’ve changed up a few things about my back training, like lightening up the weight and getting better contractions. I’ve also been having Graston work done on my back as part of deep-tissue massage. They use special tools for that, so it really helps break up all the scar tissue and adhesions within the muscles.
I know last year you were able to catch a few back workouts at Bev’s with the late George Peterson III, who had one of the greatest backs I’ve seen in years. What were some things you picked up from training with him?
The biggest thing I got was learning how to really take the biceps out of the movement and make the back do all the work. People talk a lot of crap about my back, but they never give me any credit. If you look at the development a few years ago and compare that to today, it’s come so far. But people like to repeat critiques they have heard, over and over without even looking at the athlete themselves, so sometimes it sticks with you forever even when you make the improvements! Even if I show up with a shredded back, some people would still say it needs to be more conditioned.
I’m one of those assholes that has been very critical of your back, and it’s because I agree with your coach Justin that you have the potential to be Mr. Olympia. I just want you to fill in that final puzzle piece, which is back detail.
I know, and I appreciate that. It just gets frustrating when I see some pros, and I won’t name names, who have zero hamstring separation from the back, and no one ever says anything about it. So sometimes I feel like Public Enemy Number One because I get on stage and immediately, they start talking about my back. It is what it is. You can’t please everybody, and I don’t let it get to me.
I can say this. The Mr. Olympia is getting a lot more new talent lately, so if you can make top six or even better this time it would be even more impressive than the first time you did it in 2020. That year we didn’t have Nick Walker yet, or Hunter Labrada, Blessing or the newest guy, Andrew Jacked. The talent pool is deeper than it’s been in many years.
That’s true, but I don’t plan on slipping. I train for first place no matter who else will be there.
How important is it for you to have the support system you do, with your coach Justin and your sponsor, Gerard Dente of MHP and MuscleMeds?
Gerard’s support means so much to me. I couldn’t be doing all this without his help. The whole time I was in Tampa he was texting me to make sure I was doing fine. He was a competitor himself, so he understands the whole process and what we go through as athletes. I’m so grateful to represent MuscleMeds and I want to make the company and Gerard proud this December at the Mr. Olympia.
I’m sure you will, and again I want to commend you for grinding through that Tampa prep after the car accident when most guys would have bailed out or at least put it all over social media looking for sympathy. I wish you the very best, Brooklyn Beast!
Thanks Ron.
Akim’s Pro Record
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
2021 Puerto Rico Pro - Winner
2021 Arnold Classic - Fifth Place
2021 Mr. Olympia - Ninth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Winner
Akim’s MuscleMeds® Stack
CARNIVOR™ LEAN MEAL - 2 shakes per day
VITAMIN T™ - daily in morning with breakfast
NITROTEST™ - pre-workout
AMINO DECANATE - intra-workout
FEAST MODE - with largest meal
STEMTROPIN - nighttime
For more information, visit musclemedsrx.com
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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The Beast Is Back!
Akim Williams Is On Track for the Mr. Olympia
By Ron Harris
As the conversation about the upcoming 2022 Mr. Olympia gets underway, one man who is a heavy favorite for a top spot is Akim Williams aka The Brooklyn Beast. At 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds, he displays freakish size along with round muscle bellies and tiny joints, a package that is tough for his fellow competitors to stand next to. I spoke with him recently not long after he qualified for his fifth Mr. Olympia by winning the Tampa Pro, in spite of suffering injuries following a major car accident during his prep, something none of us knew until he had won the show.
I want to start by congratulating you on your Tampa Pro win, because it wasn’t easy. You had to beat 212 Olympia champ Kamal Elgargni in his first Open show ever, and he was no joke.
He’s a true champion and he brought a great package to the show. Congratulations to him and the other competitors. I’m just happy I got the win.
We were all wondering what show you would qualify for the Mr. Olympia at. Tampa was where you won your first pro show in 2016; did that have anything to do with you choosing that one?
I’ve always had good luck at Tim Gardner shows. All three of my pro wins before this were his events: Tampa, Chicago Pro and the Puerto Rico Pro. I decided to come back to Tampa to see if the streak could continue!
Something you managed to keep very quiet was that five weeks into your prep for Tampa, you were involved in a serious car accident where your prized BMW M3 was totaled, and you were hurt. What happened?
I was on the highway on the way to train a client. Another guy behind me was on the way to the airport to drop someone off and he was speeding. Traffic slowed down suddenly, and he wasn’t able to stop in time. He slammed into me and pushed me into another car. My car got damaged from both the front and the back. His car hit mine so hard that it caught on fire. Luckily the state troopers got the info right away. But I did love that car!
More importantly, what happened to you, and how did it affect your training?
I got a neck injury from the whiplash, and my lower back had disks come out of place. Luckily I have a great chiropractor, Dr. Eshanov in Montclair, New Jersey, who was able to get the disks back into place. I had to be very careful with my lower back, so deadlifts, bent barbell rows and stiff-leg deadlifts were off the table. I couldn’t squat for a while, but toward the end of my prep I was able to squat again, as long as I didn’t go over 315. On back day especially, I had to rely more on machines.
The crazy thing is how you managed to keep all of this secret while you were prepping. Why didn’t you let us know?
I just didn’t want to have any excuses for not looking my best. I didn’t want anyone to pity me or have lowered expectations going into the show. I had a great conversation with MuscleMeds owner Gerard Dente shortly after the accident. He told me to just stay focused and keep doing what I do best.
Was pulling out of the show ever an option for you?
No. I knew the therapy was working and I was able to adjust my training. It was more of a mental challenge, not letting the pain get to me and following the plan. It was rough though. For a few weeks I had to sleep right on the edge of my mattress so I could get out of bed in the morning by basically rolling off. I was using ice packs and massage guns every day on my lower back. But I was doing that show, and I was going to win it and go to the Olympia.
That’s what winners do. They don’t make excuses or back out. Justin Miller was your coach last year for the Puerto Rico Pro win, and he prepped you for Tampa. You’ve had a few coaches, what made you go back to Justin?
I work well with someone that’s local and who I can train with. He’s at Bev and Steve’s Powerhouse Gym in Long Island, so I would go up there once or twice a week to train with him and he would look at me. That works much better than an online thing for me.
You say “local,” but how long does it take you to get there from where you are in New Jersey?
It depends on traffic – anywhere from an hour and 45 minutes to two and half hours. I always make sure I have all the meals I need with me for before and after training.
I’m curious, out of all your shows, what show do you consider your best look?
I have a few. I liked how I looked at the 2019 Toronto Pro and of course the 2020 Mr. Olympia. I also liked the package I brought to the Indy Pro in 2019 where I battled with Steve Kuclo. I was happy with how I looked at the recent Tampa Pro, especially considering what I went through. It was nice and full with enough condition to get the win. One thing I was very happy about was that this was the smallest I got my waist in a long time. I actually had to punch two new holes in my lifting belt because it got so loose!
That’s crazy! What do attribute that to?
Most guys my size have stomach distension due to all the food it takes to maintain that much muscle mass. Instead of eating my usual six solid meals a day, I replaced two of them with Carnivor Lean Meals from MuscleMeds. That gave me 680 clean calories, with 80 grams of protein from beef protein isolate, and 80 grams of carbs from white and sweet potatoes. It kept my waist tighter than it’s been in years while I was still able to keep all my size. I was just under 260 pounds on stage, and my waist was 29-30 inches.
What other MuscleMeds product did you rely on for Tampa, and that you will use for your Mr. Olympia prep?
I used NitroTest, which is a dual testosterone booster and pre-workout. I use that for every workout. I also love Stemtropin to help aid recovery and for better quality sleep. Another product of theirs I love is Carnivor Coffee for an extra boost before training or throughout the day when energy levels are dipping. It tastes like a nice creamy mocha, so it feels like a little cheat meal.
Let’s talk about the Olympia now. Your best so far was when you cracked the elite top six in 2020. Last year you slid down a couple of places to ninth. Some people would say that was going backward, do you feel that way?
I guess so, yes. There was a lot going on behind the scenes in my personal life that I don’t like to put out there, and I wasn’t working with the same coach that I had been earlier in the season, Justin. I still managed to stay in the top 10. Not many guys can say they’ve done that. I focused on the good things in my life and what I am paid to do, which is be the best bodybuilder I can be.
What’s the game plan now leading up to the Olympia?
After Tampa, I took a week off from training and dieting, and then it was back to work. My back is feeling about 80 percent, so I just want to hammer away and get into the top five or possibly top two. It’s all about improving my back detail and getting my glutes striated. I know I can do it. I never doubt myself. I’m just excited to get back on the Olympia stage. It’s what we all work for.
The only knock I really have on your physique is a lack of back detail. What are some things you’re doing to make sure it looks etched out of stone at the Olympia?
I’ve changed up a few things about my back training, like lightening up the weight and getting better contractions. I’ve also been having Graston work done on my back as part of deep-tissue massage. They use special tools for that, so it really helps break up all the scar tissue and adhesions within the muscles.
I know last year you were able to catch a few back workouts at Bev’s with the late George Peterson III, who had one of the greatest backs I’ve seen in years. What were some things you picked up from training with him?
The biggest thing I got was learning how to really take the biceps out of the movement and make the back do all the work. People talk a lot of crap about my back, but they never give me any credit. If you look at the development a few years ago and compare that to today, it’s come so far. But people like to repeat critiques they have heard, over and over without even looking at the athlete themselves, so sometimes it sticks with you forever even when you make the improvements! Even if I show up with a shredded back, some people would still say it needs to be more conditioned.
I’m one of those assholes that has been very critical of your back, and it’s because I agree with your coach Justin that you have the potential to be Mr. Olympia. I just want you to fill in that final puzzle piece, which is back detail.
I know, and I appreciate that. It just gets frustrating when I see some pros, and I won’t name names, who have zero hamstring separation from the back, and no one ever says anything about it. So sometimes I feel like Public Enemy Number One because I get on stage and immediately, they start talking about my back. It is what it is. You can’t please everybody, and I don’t let it get to me.
I can say this. The Mr. Olympia is getting a lot more new talent lately, so if you can make top six or even better this time it would be even more impressive than the first time you did it in 2020. That year we didn’t have Nick Walker yet, or Hunter Labrada, Blessing or the newest guy, Andrew Jacked. The talent pool is deeper than it’s been in many years.
That’s true, but I don’t plan on slipping. I train for first place no matter who else will be there.
How important is it for you to have the support system you do, with your coach Justin and your sponsor, Gerard Dente of MHP and MuscleMeds?
Gerard’s support means so much to me. I couldn’t be doing all this without his help. The whole time I was in Tampa he was texting me to make sure I was doing fine. He was a competitor himself, so he understands the whole process and what we go through as athletes. I’m so grateful to represent MuscleMeds and I want to make the company and Gerard proud this December at the Mr. Olympia.
I’m sure you will, and again I want to commend you for grinding through that Tampa prep after the car accident when most guys would have bailed out or at least put it all over social media looking for sympathy. I wish you the very best, Brooklyn Beast!
Thanks Ron.
Akim’s Pro Record
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
2021 Puerto Rico Pro - Winner
2021 Arnold Classic - Fifth Place
2021 Mr. Olympia - Ninth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Winner
Akim’s MuscleMeds® Stack
CARNIVOR™ LEAN MEAL - 2 shakes per day
VITAMIN T™ - daily in morning with breakfast
NITROTEST™ - pre-workout
AMINO DECANATE - intra-workout
FEAST MODE - with largest meal
STEMTROPIN - nighttime
For more information, visit musclemedsrx.com
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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VISIT OUR STORE
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Akim Williams Is On Track for the Mr. Olympia
By Ron Harris
As the conversation about the upcoming 2022 Mr. Olympia gets underway, one man who is a heavy favorite for a top spot is Akim Williams aka The Brooklyn Beast. At 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds, he displays freakish size along with round muscle bellies and tiny joints, a package that is tough for his fellow competitors to stand next to. I spoke with him recently not long after he qualified for his fifth Mr. Olympia by winning the Tampa Pro, in spite of suffering injuries following a major car accident during his prep, something none of us knew until he had won the show.
I want to start by congratulating you on your Tampa Pro win, because it wasn’t easy. You had to beat 212 Olympia champ Kamal Elgargni in his first Open show ever, and he was no joke.
He’s a true champion and he brought a great package to the show. Congratulations to him and the other competitors. I’m just happy I got the win.
We were all wondering what show you would qualify for the Mr. Olympia at. Tampa was where you won your first pro show in 2016; did that have anything to do with you choosing that one?
I’ve always had good luck at Tim Gardner shows. All three of my pro wins before this were his events: Tampa, Chicago Pro and the Puerto Rico Pro. I decided to come back to Tampa to see if the streak could continue!
Something you managed to keep very quiet was that five weeks into your prep for Tampa, you were involved in a serious car accident where your prized BMW M3 was totaled, and you were hurt. What happened?
I was on the highway on the way to train a client. Another guy behind me was on the way to the airport to drop someone off and he was speeding. Traffic slowed down suddenly, and he wasn’t able to stop in time. He slammed into me and pushed me into another car. My car got damaged from both the front and the back. His car hit mine so hard that it caught on fire. Luckily the state troopers got the info right away. But I did love that car!
More importantly, what happened to you, and how did it affect your training?
I got a neck injury from the whiplash, and my lower back had disks come out of place. Luckily I have a great chiropractor, Dr. Eshanov in Montclair, New Jersey, who was able to get the disks back into place. I had to be very careful with my lower back, so deadlifts, bent barbell rows and stiff-leg deadlifts were off the table. I couldn’t squat for a while, but toward the end of my prep I was able to squat again, as long as I didn’t go over 315. On back day especially, I had to rely more on machines.
The crazy thing is how you managed to keep all of this secret while you were prepping. Why didn’t you let us know?
I just didn’t want to have any excuses for not looking my best. I didn’t want anyone to pity me or have lowered expectations going into the show. I had a great conversation with MuscleMeds owner Gerard Dente shortly after the accident. He told me to just stay focused and keep doing what I do best.
Was pulling out of the show ever an option for you?
No. I knew the therapy was working and I was able to adjust my training. It was more of a mental challenge, not letting the pain get to me and following the plan. It was rough though. For a few weeks I had to sleep right on the edge of my mattress so I could get out of bed in the morning by basically rolling off. I was using ice packs and massage guns every day on my lower back. But I was doing that show, and I was going to win it and go to the Olympia.
That’s what winners do. They don’t make excuses or back out. Justin Miller was your coach last year for the Puerto Rico Pro win, and he prepped you for Tampa. You’ve had a few coaches, what made you go back to Justin?
I work well with someone that’s local and who I can train with. He’s at Bev and Steve’s Powerhouse Gym in Long Island, so I would go up there once or twice a week to train with him and he would look at me. That works much better than an online thing for me.
You say “local,” but how long does it take you to get there from where you are in New Jersey?
It depends on traffic – anywhere from an hour and 45 minutes to two and half hours. I always make sure I have all the meals I need with me for before and after training.
I’m curious, out of all your shows, what show do you consider your best look?
I have a few. I liked how I looked at the 2019 Toronto Pro and of course the 2020 Mr. Olympia. I also liked the package I brought to the Indy Pro in 2019 where I battled with Steve Kuclo. I was happy with how I looked at the recent Tampa Pro, especially considering what I went through. It was nice and full with enough condition to get the win. One thing I was very happy about was that this was the smallest I got my waist in a long time. I actually had to punch two new holes in my lifting belt because it got so loose!
That’s crazy! What do attribute that to?
Most guys my size have stomach distension due to all the food it takes to maintain that much muscle mass. Instead of eating my usual six solid meals a day, I replaced two of them with Carnivor Lean Meals from MuscleMeds. That gave me 680 clean calories, with 80 grams of protein from beef protein isolate, and 80 grams of carbs from white and sweet potatoes. It kept my waist tighter than it’s been in years while I was still able to keep all my size. I was just under 260 pounds on stage, and my waist was 29-30 inches.
What other MuscleMeds product did you rely on for Tampa, and that you will use for your Mr. Olympia prep?
I used NitroTest, which is a dual testosterone booster and pre-workout. I use that for every workout. I also love Stemtropin to help aid recovery and for better quality sleep. Another product of theirs I love is Carnivor Coffee for an extra boost before training or throughout the day when energy levels are dipping. It tastes like a nice creamy mocha, so it feels like a little cheat meal.
Let’s talk about the Olympia now. Your best so far was when you cracked the elite top six in 2020. Last year you slid down a couple of places to ninth. Some people would say that was going backward, do you feel that way?
I guess so, yes. There was a lot going on behind the scenes in my personal life that I don’t like to put out there, and I wasn’t working with the same coach that I had been earlier in the season, Justin. I still managed to stay in the top 10. Not many guys can say they’ve done that. I focused on the good things in my life and what I am paid to do, which is be the best bodybuilder I can be.
What’s the game plan now leading up to the Olympia?
After Tampa, I took a week off from training and dieting, and then it was back to work. My back is feeling about 80 percent, so I just want to hammer away and get into the top five or possibly top two. It’s all about improving my back detail and getting my glutes striated. I know I can do it. I never doubt myself. I’m just excited to get back on the Olympia stage. It’s what we all work for.
The only knock I really have on your physique is a lack of back detail. What are some things you’re doing to make sure it looks etched out of stone at the Olympia?
I’ve changed up a few things about my back training, like lightening up the weight and getting better contractions. I’ve also been having Graston work done on my back as part of deep-tissue massage. They use special tools for that, so it really helps break up all the scar tissue and adhesions within the muscles.
I know last year you were able to catch a few back workouts at Bev’s with the late George Peterson III, who had one of the greatest backs I’ve seen in years. What were some things you picked up from training with him?
The biggest thing I got was learning how to really take the biceps out of the movement and make the back do all the work. People talk a lot of crap about my back, but they never give me any credit. If you look at the development a few years ago and compare that to today, it’s come so far. But people like to repeat critiques they have heard, over and over without even looking at the athlete themselves, so sometimes it sticks with you forever even when you make the improvements! Even if I show up with a shredded back, some people would still say it needs to be more conditioned.
I’m one of those assholes that has been very critical of your back, and it’s because I agree with your coach Justin that you have the potential to be Mr. Olympia. I just want you to fill in that final puzzle piece, which is back detail.
I know, and I appreciate that. It just gets frustrating when I see some pros, and I won’t name names, who have zero hamstring separation from the back, and no one ever says anything about it. So sometimes I feel like Public Enemy Number One because I get on stage and immediately, they start talking about my back. It is what it is. You can’t please everybody, and I don’t let it get to me.
I can say this. The Mr. Olympia is getting a lot more new talent lately, so if you can make top six or even better this time it would be even more impressive than the first time you did it in 2020. That year we didn’t have Nick Walker yet, or Hunter Labrada, Blessing or the newest guy, Andrew Jacked. The talent pool is deeper than it’s been in many years.
That’s true, but I don’t plan on slipping. I train for first place no matter who else will be there.
How important is it for you to have the support system you do, with your coach Justin and your sponsor, Gerard Dente of MHP and MuscleMeds?
Gerard’s support means so much to me. I couldn’t be doing all this without his help. The whole time I was in Tampa he was texting me to make sure I was doing fine. He was a competitor himself, so he understands the whole process and what we go through as athletes. I’m so grateful to represent MuscleMeds and I want to make the company and Gerard proud this December at the Mr. Olympia.
I’m sure you will, and again I want to commend you for grinding through that Tampa prep after the car accident when most guys would have bailed out or at least put it all over social media looking for sympathy. I wish you the very best, Brooklyn Beast!
Thanks Ron.
Akim’s Pro Record
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
2021 Puerto Rico Pro - Winner
2021 Arnold Classic - Fifth Place
2021 Mr. Olympia - Ninth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Winner
Akim’s MuscleMeds® Stack
CARNIVOR™ LEAN MEAL - 2 shakes per day
VITAMIN T™ - daily in morning with breakfast
NITROTEST™ - pre-workout
AMINO DECANATE - intra-workout
FEAST MODE - with largest meal
STEMTROPIN - nighttime
For more information, visit musclemedsrx.com
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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The Beast Is Back!
Akim Williams Is On Track for the Mr. Olympia
By Ron Harris
As the conversation about the upcoming 2022 Mr. Olympia gets underway, one man who is a heavy favorite for a top spot is Akim Williams aka The Brooklyn Beast. At 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds, he displays freakish size along with round muscle bellies and tiny joints, a package that is tough for his fellow competitors to stand next to. I spoke with him recently not long after he qualified for his fifth Mr. Olympia by winning the Tampa Pro, in spite of suffering injuries following a major car accident during his prep, something none of us knew until he had won the show.
I want to start by congratulating you on your Tampa Pro win, because it wasn’t easy. You had to beat 212 Olympia champ Kamal Elgargni in his first Open show ever, and he was no joke.
He’s a true champion and he brought a great package to the show. Congratulations to him and the other competitors. I’m just happy I got the win.
We were all wondering what show you would qualify for the Mr. Olympia at. Tampa was where you won your first pro show in 2016; did that have anything to do with you choosing that one?
I’ve always had good luck at Tim Gardner shows. All three of my pro wins before this were his events: Tampa, Chicago Pro and the Puerto Rico Pro. I decided to come back to Tampa to see if the streak could continue!
Something you managed to keep very quiet was that five weeks into your prep for Tampa, you were involved in a serious car accident where your prized BMW M3 was totaled, and you were hurt. What happened?
I was on the highway on the way to train a client. Another guy behind me was on the way to the airport to drop someone off and he was speeding. Traffic slowed down suddenly, and he wasn’t able to stop in time. He slammed into me and pushed me into another car. My car got damaged from both the front and the back. His car hit mine so hard that it caught on fire. Luckily the state troopers got the info right away. But I did love that car!
More importantly, what happened to you, and how did it affect your training?
I got a neck injury from the whiplash, and my lower back had disks come out of place. Luckily I have a great chiropractor, Dr. Eshanov in Montclair, New Jersey, who was able to get the disks back into place. I had to be very careful with my lower back, so deadlifts, bent barbell rows and stiff-leg deadlifts were off the table. I couldn’t squat for a while, but toward the end of my prep I was able to squat again, as long as I didn’t go over 315. On back day especially, I had to rely more on machines.
The crazy thing is how you managed to keep all of this secret while you were prepping. Why didn’t you let us know?
I just didn’t want to have any excuses for not looking my best. I didn’t want anyone to pity me or have lowered expectations going into the show. I had a great conversation with MuscleMeds owner Gerard Dente shortly after the accident. He told me to just stay focused and keep doing what I do best.
Was pulling out of the show ever an option for you?
No. I knew the therapy was working and I was able to adjust my training. It was more of a mental challenge, not letting the pain get to me and following the plan. It was rough though. For a few weeks I had to sleep right on the edge of my mattress so I could get out of bed in the morning by basically rolling off. I was using ice packs and massage guns every day on my lower back. But I was doing that show, and I was going to win it and go to the Olympia.
That’s what winners do. They don’t make excuses or back out. Justin Miller was your coach last year for the Puerto Rico Pro win, and he prepped you for Tampa. You’ve had a few coaches, what made you go back to Justin?
I work well with someone that’s local and who I can train with. He’s at Bev and Steve’s Powerhouse Gym in Long Island, so I would go up there once or twice a week to train with him and he would look at me. That works much better than an online thing for me.
You say “local,” but how long does it take you to get there from where you are in New Jersey?
It depends on traffic – anywhere from an hour and 45 minutes to two and half hours. I always make sure I have all the meals I need with me for before and after training.
I’m curious, out of all your shows, what show do you consider your best look?
I have a few. I liked how I looked at the 2019 Toronto Pro and of course the 2020 Mr. Olympia. I also liked the package I brought to the Indy Pro in 2019 where I battled with Steve Kuclo. I was happy with how I looked at the recent Tampa Pro, especially considering what I went through. It was nice and full with enough condition to get the win. One thing I was very happy about was that this was the smallest I got my waist in a long time. I actually had to punch two new holes in my lifting belt because it got so loose!
That’s crazy! What do attribute that to?
Most guys my size have stomach distension due to all the food it takes to maintain that much muscle mass. Instead of eating my usual six solid meals a day, I replaced two of them with Carnivor Lean Meals from MuscleMeds. That gave me 680 clean calories, with 80 grams of protein from beef protein isolate, and 80 grams of carbs from white and sweet potatoes. It kept my waist tighter than it’s been in years while I was still able to keep all my size. I was just under 260 pounds on stage, and my waist was 29-30 inches.
What other MuscleMeds product did you rely on for Tampa, and that you will use for your Mr. Olympia prep?
I used NitroTest, which is a dual testosterone booster and pre-workout. I use that for every workout. I also love Stemtropin to help aid recovery and for better quality sleep. Another product of theirs I love is Carnivor Coffee for an extra boost before training or throughout the day when energy levels are dipping. It tastes like a nice creamy mocha, so it feels like a little cheat meal.
Let’s talk about the Olympia now. Your best so far was when you cracked the elite top six in 2020. Last year you slid down a couple of places to ninth. Some people would say that was going backward, do you feel that way?
I guess so, yes. There was a lot going on behind the scenes in my personal life that I don’t like to put out there, and I wasn’t working with the same coach that I had been earlier in the season, Justin. I still managed to stay in the top 10. Not many guys can say they’ve done that. I focused on the good things in my life and what I am paid to do, which is be the best bodybuilder I can be.
What’s the game plan now leading up to the Olympia?
After Tampa, I took a week off from training and dieting, and then it was back to work. My back is feeling about 80 percent, so I just want to hammer away and get into the top five or possibly top two. It’s all about improving my back detail and getting my glutes striated. I know I can do it. I never doubt myself. I’m just excited to get back on the Olympia stage. It’s what we all work for.
The only knock I really have on your physique is a lack of back detail. What are some things you’re doing to make sure it looks etched out of stone at the Olympia?
I’ve changed up a few things about my back training, like lightening up the weight and getting better contractions. I’ve also been having Graston work done on my back as part of deep-tissue massage. They use special tools for that, so it really helps break up all the scar tissue and adhesions within the muscles.
I know last year you were able to catch a few back workouts at Bev’s with the late George Peterson III, who had one of the greatest backs I’ve seen in years. What were some things you picked up from training with him?
The biggest thing I got was learning how to really take the biceps out of the movement and make the back do all the work. People talk a lot of crap about my back, but they never give me any credit. If you look at the development a few years ago and compare that to today, it’s come so far. But people like to repeat critiques they have heard, over and over without even looking at the athlete themselves, so sometimes it sticks with you forever even when you make the improvements! Even if I show up with a shredded back, some people would still say it needs to be more conditioned.
I’m one of those assholes that has been very critical of your back, and it’s because I agree with your coach Justin that you have the potential to be Mr. Olympia. I just want you to fill in that final puzzle piece, which is back detail.
I know, and I appreciate that. It just gets frustrating when I see some pros, and I won’t name names, who have zero hamstring separation from the back, and no one ever says anything about it. So sometimes I feel like Public Enemy Number One because I get on stage and immediately, they start talking about my back. It is what it is. You can’t please everybody, and I don’t let it get to me.
I can say this. The Mr. Olympia is getting a lot more new talent lately, so if you can make top six or even better this time it would be even more impressive than the first time you did it in 2020. That year we didn’t have Nick Walker yet, or Hunter Labrada, Blessing or the newest guy, Andrew Jacked. The talent pool is deeper than it’s been in many years.
That’s true, but I don’t plan on slipping. I train for first place no matter who else will be there.
How important is it for you to have the support system you do, with your coach Justin and your sponsor, Gerard Dente of MHP and MuscleMeds?
Gerard’s support means so much to me. I couldn’t be doing all this without his help. The whole time I was in Tampa he was texting me to make sure I was doing fine. He was a competitor himself, so he understands the whole process and what we go through as athletes. I’m so grateful to represent MuscleMeds and I want to make the company and Gerard proud this December at the Mr. Olympia.
I’m sure you will, and again I want to commend you for grinding through that Tampa prep after the car accident when most guys would have bailed out or at least put it all over social media looking for sympathy. I wish you the very best, Brooklyn Beast!
Thanks Ron.
Akim’s Pro Record
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
2021 Puerto Rico Pro - Winner
2021 Arnold Classic - Fifth Place
2021 Mr. Olympia - Ninth Place
2022 Tampa Pro - Winner
Akim’s MuscleMeds® Stack
CARNIVOR™ LEAN MEAL - 2 shakes per day
VITAMIN T™ - daily in morning with breakfast
NITROTEST™ - pre-workout
AMINO DECANATE - intra-workout
FEAST MODE - with largest meal
STEMTROPIN - nighttime
For more information, visit musclemedsrx.com
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
DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS
SUBSCRIBE TO MD TODAY
GET OFFICIAL MD STUFF
VISIT OUR STORE
ALSO, MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW US ON:
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